Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix kicked off last night – with the first of three heats taking place. Eight songs competing in every heat, with the top three each week, going on to the grand final.
We’re chalking this week down as a strong one – given that we liked four of the eight songs. 50% is a favourable percentage, particularly in a national final heat! And the end result was kind to us as well – with two of the three songs progressing to the final, being plucked from our favoured four.
Reidun’s (pictured above) ‘High On Love’ was our pick of the crop last night. A mid-tempo Thomas G:son composed schlager belter with a key change. And she strutted her way around its performance with exactly the sort of confidence that this contest needs, accompanied only by a wind machine. Fabulous.
She was joined in the final by Nora Foss Al-Jabri’s ‘Somewhere Beautiful’ – a soft piano ballad that sounds like it could have come from a particularly camp West End production. And co-written and produced by our hunk of choice from boyband a1 – Christian!
Both performances are below, and here’s the less than exciting third wheel that also got a look in on the ticket to the final – the poodle rock of ‘Don’t Touch The Flame’ by The Carburetors.
Not getting any further in the competition, but still deserving your attention we reckon, were two more songs.
Lisa Stokke who impressively managed to fit TWO key changes into her three minute pop song ‘With Love’. What a chorus! And finally the girlband Irresistible with ‘Elevator’. Great verses, forgettable chorus, but with a hot performance that’s worth a look anyway.
