Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

After two semi-finals Iceland had its Söngvakeppnin final with six qualifiers from those. As a change to previous years there were no wild card and no super final round but only 50/50 jury/televote. One thing didn't change: All songs were performed in Icelandic in semi-finals but for the final they could choose either Icelandic or English version of the song or the version they intended to perform in Basel should they win. Read more here . Last year's winner (and also 2010 Eurovision veteran Hera Björk was a guste star with Finland's own Eurovision runner up Käärijä with Swedish Hooja. Final results (jury/televote): Væb - Róa ( 74 + 93) 167 Stebbi Jak - Set me free (57 + 85) 142 Júlí and Dísa - Fire (63 + 74) 137 Bjarni Arason -  Aðeins lengur (44 + 39) 83 Tinna -  Words (53 + 22) 74 Ágúst -  Like you (45 + 23) 68

Iceland is having its already familiar Söngvakeppnin 2025 with some changes. Two semi-finals as usual on February 8 and 15, but three songs from each semi-final will now qualify for the final instead of two + a wildcard from all the remaining entries. A total of ten song out of 110 submissions will be featured. And most of all the superfinal has been dropped for the first time since 2013. Instead there will be 50750 televotes/international juries. One thing hasn't changed - hooray! - as each song has its Icelandic version for the semi-finals and the English one only for the final if wanted. Among the competitors are back brother duo  VÆB (4th last year) and Bjarni Arason (2nd in 1992). Among the songwriters one of Pollapönk's for Bára Katrin and Linnea Deb for Dagur SIG. Birgo's song is co-written by Jonas Gladnikoff, author of already three Eurovision entries and four Junior ones for Ireland.  The superfinal has been rather controversial in Iceland over the years as the re...

  Diljá has won the Icelandic final for Eurovision song contest 2023 with her Power, beating Langi Seli og Skuggarnir in the super final. It seems this Saturday the fandom got what they wanted as also in Moldova and Serbia the fan favorite won.  Results: 1. Diljá - Power 2. Langi Seli og Skuggurnir - OK Sigga Ózk - Dancing lonely Bragi - Sometimes the world's against you Celebs - Doomsday dancing

Iceland has had its two semi-finals ( read more and my review here ) and tonight's the grand final. Everything as usual as two qualifiers from each semi-final is here, plus one wildcard (Celebs). Everything as usual as now all but Langi &co. will switch into English instead of Icelandic. Which. Is. A. Shame. There will be 50/50 jury/televote in the first round, and another voting with the Top-2 to determinate the eventual winner. I'm still fully #teamBragi.  Sigga Ózk - Dancing lonely Bragi - Sometimes the world's against you Celebs - Doomsday dancing Diljá - Power Langi Seli og Skuggurnir - OK

Iceland's traditional Söngvakeppnin, the national selection for Euroviison song contest 2023 will be done the usual way: Ten songs all performed in Icelandic in two semi-finals where from two songs will be voted by the public alone to the grand final.An additional wildcard may be added by the organizers to the final line up. In the final the songs can be performed also in English if they so wish and intend to do so if they win and there will be two rounds: first one with 50/50 televote/international jury. The top-2 will go to a super final with 100% televote.  As there are only ten songs I will just review them all together - and usually get it all wrong in Iceland but never mind! Semi-final One  Bragi - Stundum snýst heimurinn gegn þér ***** Sometimes a song hits you hard when you hear it for the first time.  Sometimes the said song really isn't nothing extraordinary or special but still, without any particular reason. This is one of them. I just loved this from the...

Business as usual in Iceland. Two semi-finals, each with five songs, two getting the ticket for the grand final (and maybe there's the usual wildcard as well), and in the semi-finals the songs will be performed in Icelandic but those qualifying may switch into English for the final if they intend to sing in English in Liverpool should they get that far. These songs have been selected among the 132 submissions. The semi-finals will be on February 18 and 25, while the final is set for March 4. I think I'm already in love with one of the songs.... 1st Semi-Final  BRAGI – Stundum snýst heimurinn gegn þér/ Sometimes the World´s Against You FINALIST  MÓA – Glötuð ást / Loose this dream Benedikt – Þora / Brave Face Celebs – Dómsdagsdans / Doomsday Dancing Diljá – Lifandi inni í mér / Power FINALIST 2nd Semi-Final : Kristín Sesselja – Óbyggðir / Terrified Langi Seli og Skuggarnir – OK Silja Rós & Kjalar – Ég styð þína braut / Together we grow   Úlfar – Betri maður / Impossible...

All is good that ends well is the case for me in Iceland when Sigga, Beta og Elín beat Reykjavíkurdætur in the superfinal with their  Með hækkandi sól . And how cool it was most everyone had a change of heart and sung in Icelandic after all! Talking about Katla and Stefan of course.  They are three sisters and their parents are famous artists, too! They also go by name Sisý Ey. They have been releasing music for almost ten years now and until now in English! They have also done some featuring and performed in big festivals.  Söngvakeppni 2022 results: 1. Sigga, Beta og Elín - Með hækkandi sól 2. Reykjavíkurdætur - Turn this around Katla -  Þaðan af Amarosis - Don't you know Stefan Òli -  Ljósið

Iceland's Söngvakeppnin 2022 comes to an end as well after two semi-finals and one wildcard. Out of 158 submissions ten songs were selected for the shows, and two of each reached the final. later added with a wildcard (Amarosis) to make it five. In semi-finals all song were performed in Icelandic but they could switch to English for the final and all did but Sigga, Beta & Elin. In the final there will be jury/televote.  Quick check on those who didn't make the final it seems we didn't miss much.... Stéfan Óli - All I know (Ljósið) ** Classic pop ballad. I'm usually for the native languages but this clearly works better in English, as it is so basic classic pop ballad as I said before. Pleasant but quite forgettable.  Sigga, Beta & Elin - Með hækkandi sól *** What's it with these country western songs this year popping up everywhere? Like most of them this one's very nice, too! And it seems there's no English version at all.... I'm not complainin...

Iceland's Sögvakeppnin 2020 comes to a happy end tonight. Four of the finalists have decided to switch into English for the final and eventually for the Eurovision song contest should they win. Daði og Gagnamagnið has created some worldwide online buzz for his entry overtaking Iva's position as the front runner. I still hopelessly stand by the wildcard Nina, she's got one of the finest pop tunes in the while Eurovision 2020 season.  Ísold & Helga - Meet me halfway  ** Daði & Gagnamagnið - Think about things  ** Nína - Echo Iva - Oculis Videre Dimma - Almyrkvi