Tonight, Icelandic broadcaster RUV will host the first heat of Iceland’s Eurovision qualifier, Söngvakeppnin. There are six songs in heat 1, six in heat 2, and then the top three from both heats will make the final.
Below you can check out the songs from tonight’s heat, in the order that they’ll be performed, and have a read on our initial thoughts. We’ve definitely got our clear favourite three out of this bunch. And will be LIVID if it’s not all three of Ari Ólafsson, Guðmundur Þórarinsson, and Fókus hópurinn.
But DO make up your own mind, obvs;
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Þórunn Antonía – Ég mun skína/Shine
We had high hopes for Thorunn Antonia, based on the stellar tunes she was delivering five years ago. But with ‘Shine’, she’s let us down, she’s let herself down, and most devastatingly of all, she’s let Iceland down.
Tómas Helgi Wehmeier & Sólborg Guðbrandsdóttir – Ég og þú/Think It Through
We might’ve liked this one a lot more had things not totally fallen apart and derailed for the most important part – the chorus. If you can call that a chorus. Come on, you’ve got a Eurovision to think of!
Ari Ólafsson – Heim/Our Choice
Ari delivers a ballad that has designs on the epic. Westlife would be quite impressed with this. Almost enough to cover it. As an album track.
Heimilistónar – Kúst og fæjó
This faux-town track has its charms. Though with the group seemingly having neglected to submit the song in English as well as Icelandic, one has to question even their own confidence that they’ll go anywhere in this competition.
Fókus hópurinn – Aldrei gefast upp/Battleline
This is our fave of the week because it’s a super cheesy, rousing, mid-tempo ballad that’s been produced and performed well. It’s so dated that Iceland might well be laughed off the ESC stage were they to send this. But we’ve never been afraid of being mocked for our music tastes, and we don’t think Iceland should be either.
Guðmundur Þórarinsson – Litir/Colours
The most contemporary song here, and perhaps Iceland’s best shot at qualifying to the ESC final of the whole twelve. Definitely the most sensible option to choose as the winner.
