After last week’s eventful first heat (read all about what went down there right here), the final five artists will compete in Iceland’s second Söngvakeppnin heat tonight. They have their songs, and they now know their (rather stiff, to say the least) competition in the March 2nd final, should they qualify from tonight.
Out of the five, only two will progress to the final, with one last wildcard being chosen by RUV (either from this week’s or last week’s heat).
Now let’s see who’s in the running and just what they sound like;
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Elli Grill, Skaði and Glymur – Jeijó, Keyrum Alla Leið
(Barði Jóhannsson)
Jesus Christ, guys. We’re all for a bit of musical diversity, but vomiting out whatever tripe is in your head for the sake of ‘eclecticism’ does not make you as special as you think it does. This probably seemed like a good idea to these three before they were told that Hatari would also be competing this year. And quite how they’re going to brave that stage tonight after Hatari played the shock card a trillion times better last week, is unimaginable. We’re already devastatingly mortified for them. This song is total and utter crap, and they still have to perform it in front of their country.
Ívar Daníels – Þú Bætir Mig/Make Me Whole
(Stefán Þór Steindórsson & Richard Micallef/Nikos Sofis)
A joyful, mid-tempo guitar romp. Not the kind of thing that normally gets us excited, admittedly. But the soaring chorus on this one is undeniably infectious – both in how catchy it is and how smile-inducing it is too.
Heiðrún Anna Björnsdóttir – Helgi/Sunday Boy
(Heiðrún Anna Björnsdóttir & Sævar Sigurgeirsson)
Everything about this song is adorable – not least the Icelandic accent of the singer. So cute, it almost sounds affected. Oh well, it worked for Heiðrún’s more famous Icelandic contemporary, Björk. This song brings to mind an altogether different international success story from the Nordics though – it sounds like The Cardigans entering a song into Eurovision. And we love it!
Tara Mobee – Betri án þín/Fighting For Love
(Andri Þór Jónsson and Eyþór Úlfar Þórisson / Tara Mobee English)
Our second-fave of the night. ‘Fighting For Love’ isn’t going out of its way to be anything other than a great pop song that can be enjoyed by a broad spectrum of people and tastes. Kind of what makes a really good Eurovision song, when you think about it.
Friðrik Ómar – Hvað Ef ég Get Ekki Elskað?/What If I Can’t Have Love?
(Friðrik Ómar Hjörleifsson & Sveinbjörn I. Baldvinsson)
The man from Euroband is back on his own. This time with a Disney-esque ballad infused with a bit of soul. It’s a slight step up from what Iceland sent to Eurovision last year. But – for all intents and purposes – it’s precisely what Iceland sent to Eurovision last year.
