ICELAND 2025

The Icelandic song and act were chosen on February 22nd through the show "Söngvakeppnin". Before the final there were two semis of five songs with the top three from each show qualifying to the final. The winner was selected through adding an equal weighting of televoting and international jury scores. Going to Basel is the duo VÆB with the song "Ròa" (Row)

Væb (pronounced 'vibe') are brothers Matthías Davíð and Hálfdán Helgi Matthíasson. Their first release was the album "Væb tékk" which was released in the autumn of 2022 from which came their first two singles. However it wasn't until 2023 when two collaborative singles - one with Ingi Bauer another with Herra Hnetusmjör - gave Væb their first entries onto the Icelandic Tónlistinn. They tried to represent Iceland last year with "Bíómynd" coming 4th in the final. However, this 'loss' had a silver lining, as Bíómynd was the most successfully commercial song out of all of the finalists and the only one to make it into the Icelandic top 10. Their music is mostly described as electro pop with European dance music and hip-hop hints.

The two brothers are joined on stage by three dancers who are in shiny floaty silver tracksuits while the siblings are in thicker, matt silver outfits with the band name on the chest. These also work well against the predominantly blue/white lighting in the background. The dancing is extremely energetic but also cleverly balances between a bit silly and technically difficult. The song has a good thumping beat which is nicely juxtaposed with a Celtic quality in the instrumental which (kind of) fits with the nautical theme. After a short intro we start with a rendition of the chorus on the backing tape which is danced along to. The beat continues into verse one where the Icelandic lyrics come thick and fast. The music becomes more low key during the pre-chorus before ramping up for the chorus. There is then a brief interlude as the gang of five get into a makeshift boat and do some humorous poses and dancing. Verse two follows as does a pared down chorus which is followed by another chorus - but with a key change. The song ends with the boys doing a choregraphed mic drop before the lights dim and they all walk away.

This song and production is very fun but also direct. The guys are not perfect singers, and you can tell that by how much vocal support is on the backing tape but this song is - pun intended - all about the vibe. The rapping is very syllabic and fits the driving beat. The fiddle instrumental makes for an odd instrumental and is slightly alluded to in the presentation too. The show is slick and simple and part of me hopes that this simplicity won't be messed about with too much. They have to be careful that they don't try and mess about with a formula that works but also trying to scale something from a small stage to something much, much bigger. As I have already mentioned, there were a lot of vocals on the backing track which is, of course, allowed. But if voters are feeling like it is a bit too much or that they are in some way miming, this might stop people voting - especially in the jury. That said, in a 100% teletvote semi-final, this should have enough attractors to see it through. This song is catchy and has a good sense of self but I feel this will be one of those songs that flies in the semi and crashes in the final.

ARTIST - VÆB 

SONG - Ròa

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Ingi Þór Garðarsson, Gunnar Björn Gunnarsson, H H Matthíasson, M D Matthíasson.

ICELAND 2024

The Icelandic act and song was chosen on March 2nd through their long running selection process "Söngvakeppnin". There were two semi-finals of 5 songs each and all songs in this part of the competition had to be performed in Icelandic. Two entries from each semi - plus a wildcard - got a place in the final where songs could be performed in any language. There were two rounds of voting in the final; first a combination of jury (50%) and televoting (50%) selected a top two. The televoting reopened and votes from both rounds were added together - the act with the most combined votes being the winner. The overall winner was selected solely by a jury vote. Going to Malmö is their 2010 representative Hera Björk performing the song "Scared of heights".

Hera Björk Þórhallsdóttir started singing at a young age: singing in commercials, as part of a children's choir and taking part in local competitions. She has had a varied musical background having taken part in musicals, recording her own material, collaborating with other Icelandic artists but also providing background vocals. In particular she participated on Björk’s a cappella album Medúlla. Outside of music she has hosted many TV musical galas, comedy shows and radio shows. As well as Iceland, she has worked and studied in Copenhagen and has worked a lot as a vocal coach. Hera Björk is a veteran of Eurovision selections having been involved in the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015 and 2019 Söngvakeppnin shows - and winning the 2010 edition. She also participated in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix in 2009, placing second. However her competing song "Someday" was a clear fan favourite winning the subsequent OGAE Second Chance Contest.

This is a slow build pop song with dance influences. the song starts with anthemic bridge which is repeated throughout the song. The first verse is more subdued and the beat on the backing track is not that prominent. During the bridge the backing singers come in which starts the sligh gospel/choral feel on the song. The lyrics here also have a much quicker and memorable rhythm to that verse. The chorus also has a choral feel but the beat here is also strong. There are, however, some odd harmonies and tune pitches which sound a little off at first because it doesn't quite go where you expect - or maybe Hera Björk was singing an alternate tune due to confidence, nerves or illness. This cycle repeats again finishing with the opening bridge. We then have one final chorus and outro which finishes with the backing track completely dying out and the song ending on an almost a capella title of the song.

The performance of this includes pre-recorded video elements acting as faux on/off stage cameras. At times during the live shows this worked but at other times the video started out of sync and looked slightly amateurish and slightly cheap but this is more about the technicals than her. On stage there is a small plinth which Hera Björk gets up and down while the background flashes up words from the text and has a searching spotlight effect. She is wearing a red wrapped jump suit which really suits her and the colour is also slightly reminiscent of her 2010 outfit. This is a very middle of the road number and there is not much about the song or performance that makes this stand out. Most of the time, Hera Björk sings the song well although I have issues with the harmonies and tune of the pre-chorus. which I do not enjoy. Overall I much preferred the Icelandic version "Við förum hærra" to the version the final. The song's verses are slightly reminiscent of "Symphony" by Clean Bandit and,in an unfortunate turn, the song also has similarities to double zero scoring "Embers" by James Newman, a comparison one would want to stay away from.

Lastly, Iceland was one of the countries considering boycotting ESC due to the attacks in Gaza. Although the national final is now over, the broadcaster RUV has neither confirmed Hera Björk as their representative or Iceland's participation in Eurovision 2024.

ARTIST - Hera Björk 

SONG - Scared of heights

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Ferras Alqaisi, Michael Burek, Jaro Omar, Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir

ICELAND 2023

The Icelandic final "Söngvakeppnin 2023" was held on March 4th at the RVK Studios in Gufunes, Reykjavík, presented by Unnsteinn Manuel Stefánsson, Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir and Sigurður Þorri Gunnarsson. Before the final, two songs qualified from each of the 2 semi-finals plus a wildcard pass to the final. The winner was chosen in two rounds - a top 2 was chosen by a 50/50 split of televoting/app voting and an international jury/ These votes were carried forward to the second round where the winner was chosen by televoting and app voting alone. The winner was Diljá with the song "Power". 

Diljá made her name by participating in the talent show "Ísland Got Talent" in 2015 aged just 12 years old. She had actually auditioned the year before but did not progress past the first stage. In 2020, she moved to Copenhagen, where she alternated her studies in physiotherapy with singing lessons. Currently she is is balancing her singing career with studying physiotherapy at the University of Iceland. In the semi-final of Söngvakeppnin she sang her entry in Icelandic but changed to English in the final as this was the way the song was originally sung.

Diljá is wearing a grey spangly trouser suit with a sliver top. Her hair is in two buns ether side of her head. As the song begins we realise she is lying on the floor as the starts to sing and begins to stand up after the first verse. The songs structure is very simplistic and it's repetitive structure, especially in the/ short but effective chorus, really gets into your head. The song starts verse - pre chorus - chorus. This then repeats again and finally a shortened pre chorus and a final chorus. During the verses the backing track is quite basic but in the verse the track has a really quick beat and drives the song onwards. Diljá is very effective at finding the camera but she also uses a lot of gesture and jerky choreography to emphasise the beat and  meaning of the song. The backdrop is quite plain in the verses but explodes to colour as is shows different pictures and short clips of flowers

This is a very active entry but this does not affect the clarity and technique of the vocals. She has a slightly raspy-Bjork-esque growl to her vocal which gives it a lot of character.  Diljá is an engaging performer and is not afraid to not play to the camera. I appreciate that the staging is not as bombastic as others because this show makes her the star. I could imagine a lot of young girls liking the song and her and getting a lot of votes through this. I feel like the staging needs a slight overhaul, mainly in the backdrop although I hope they keep Diljá running amok on stage. 

My main concern with this entry is that this show is a little more rough and ready and lacking polish. Whilst many might see this as a bit of a charm, many could see this as being slightly amateurish. If this got to the final I would hope that jury members would reward her vocal dexterity rather than sanction her stage craft. I just wonder if this song has the personality to stand out against the groups and rock numbers. I also feel the the start of the song is the least engaging part and people might take this as an excuse to have a toilet or tea beak.

ARTIST - Diljá

SONG - Power

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Pálmi Ragnar Ásgeirsson, Diljá Pétursdóttir

ICELAND 2021

The Icelandic song was revealed on March 12th, with a live performance of their song during the RUV show "Straumar" with the official audio released a few days later. Back in November, the Icelandic broadcaster announced that last year's act, Daði Freyr and Gagnamagnið, had been internally selected to represent Iceland  this time with the song also internally chosen. Their song is called "10 years"

During the live show Daði is not only backed by Gagnamagnið but has a string section, live band and a children's choir, the last two obviously won't be on stage at Eurovision. The groups are sporting their customary green outfits with pixelated faces. Daði is centre stage with his two backing singers to his left and his three 'instrumentalists' to the right. As ever there are also some over-stylised dance moves to go with the song.

After a short string lead intro the synth bass and beat come in under the first verse. As it progresses the instrumental becomes more full with a clearer beat and funky style. During the pre chorus there is a brief lull where Daði shows of his amazing low vocal range but also provides the push the chorus needs to get going. The chorus feels rather short and could do with a repetition or two first time round to get it firmly in your head. We then have another verse followed by a brief synth instrumental which gives the gang a good bit of time to goof around a bit! Afterwards there is a shortened chorus sung with a choir and almost no instrumentation at all, providing enough of a low point to push the power of one last chorus to the finish.

Daði learnt to play drums and studied piano and bass guitar in his youth and formed the band RetRoBot with his school friends and released their one and only album in 2013. In 2014 he left Iceland to study music production in Berlin where hi still lives today. Daði's next project was Gagnamagnið, his super cool backing band which contains his sister, wife and three friends. They took part in Söngvakeppnin 2017 coming second. They won the 2020 Söngvakeppnin competition and planned to represent Iceland last year.

To be fair there is really not very much to say about this entry, unless you have never heard of "Think About Things"! This new song is in Daði's signature style and includes all of the aural and visual memes and tropes we've come to expect from hi performances. Unfortunately Daði's main competition is with himself. - comparisons to "Think about things" are bound to be made and personally this doesn't quite have the immediacy that his 2020 effort had. In particular the backing track doesn't quite have the required punchiness or hook that I was hoping for.  Also I feel like the chorus isn't earwormy enough and doesn't get enough repetitions to get firmly into your head. Ultimately though, this style of song really stands out on the Eurovision menu this year. What Daði has on his side is his popularity in Eurovision and away from Eurovision. A lot of people - rightly or wrongly - will vote for him no matter what. I suspect with many of the returning artists that some televoters may be voting for last year's entry as much as this year's effort.

ARTIST - Daði Freyr and Gagnamagnið
SONG - 10 years
WRITING CREDITS - Daði Freyr Pétursson

11/02/12 ICELAND

The Icelandic Final was held on February 11th at Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, hosted by Brynja Þorgeirsdóttir & Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson. Before the final there were 3 semis with 5 songs. The winner was chosen by televoting (50%) and an "expert" jury (50%).

The winning song was a duet between Greta Salóme & Jón Jósep (also known as Jonsi, who represented Iceland in 2004) with the song “Mundu eftir mér” (Remember Me). The song is very dramatic and old fashioned. It has a very nice folkey quality to it, almost Celticly medieval in its tune like a Troubadour singing a madrigal on his lute. Jonsi sings whilst Greta, who also penned the song,  sings and plays the violin. The songs grows as it progresses getting ever so slightly rocker.

The performance is a little stilted although I feel with a bigger stage they might be able to move more and interact more with each other and the audience. They are also backed by 4 solid backing singers, one of which has the biggest ginger beard I have seen in a long time – they need to make more of this fact !!!

On reflection I think the song is interesting – and it will be interesting to see if they stay in Icelandic or not – but I don’t think it is a winner… possibly not even a qualifier.

SONG  - Mundu eftir mér (Remember Me)

ARTIST – Gréta Salóme & Jónsi

COMPOSER – Gréta Salóme

LANGUAGE – Icelandic

UPDATE 5

More news and videos !

MALTA -The official video came out this week. The vocal and background of the song has changed very little but I think that the video is very clever. Shame that such enthusiasm and message cannot be relayed onto the ESC stage.




SAN MARINO – As partially previewed in the TV presentation, Senit has released a video for “Stand By” It was filmed in a very snowy San Marino, which is a bit strange for a summer song contest!




ICELAND – Firstly, the boys have decided to sing their entry in English – which I am a little disappointed at. The song is now “Coming Home” and a video for this new version was realised this week.




NETHERLANDS – Like Iceland, 3JS will be singing in English. The video for “Never Alone” can be found below.




POLAND – Magdalena has released an English version of “Jestem” called “First class ticket to heaven”. However, due to a poor reception of the song, it has been confirmed that she will be singing in Polish in Germany.




UKRAINE – The controversial winner of the pre-selection, Mika Newton, has released an official video of her song, to be sung in English, “Angel”




FYROM – Vlatko has been very busy in the studio. As well a the Macedonian version, he has been working on an English, Russian and Serbo-Croat version on his song “Rusinska”, however it looks like he will be signing the original Macedonian version during Eurovision. His new video clip of the song is below.




TURKEY – The internally selected Yüksek Sadakat have finally released their video clip of “Live it up” I think the video clip re-affirms that their show at Eurovision will not be much of a ‘show’

ICELAND

The Icelandic Final took place n the 12th February at Rekjavik. The winners were Sigurjón's Friends with their song “Aftur Heim” (Back Home)

This song almost did not make the Icelandic heats. The writer of this song, Sigurjón Brink, (who was in last year's Icelandic final) was due to perform this song in the heats but died suddenly about a week before it was due to be sung. In memory, the song was sung by his friends in the heat, hence the bands name.

The song is a very happy go lucky song with lots of brass and banjo. The band itself it tight and the singers are very good. It is another summery number but with more of a Radio 2 tone. The ending of the song is quite clever as the chorus is sung twice in different speeds which would be emphasised more by a bit of movement. The band doesn’t really do that much, which is a bit of a shame. Maybe in Dusseldorf they might wear something a little bit brighter to make them more memorable.

The song may possibly be translated for Dusseldorf which sould possibly help its chances but the group may wish to sing the song as is as a full tribute to their songwriter

A nice song with a heartfelt sentiment – but is that enough to win?


SINGER – Sigurjón's Friends
SONG – Aftur Heim (Back Home)
MUSIC – Sigurjón Brink
WORDS - Sigurjón Brink