Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Let's continue the series and kill some time having a look at the last decade and see who were the Top-10 best scoring countries in the Eurovision song contest in the past ten years. The ways to calculate are many and here I have used the simple average placement method (and it's not all so serious). Next up is Norway at n.o 7. Norway has been sending a steady string of successes after a rocky start of the decade that started with a NQ and then a last place in the final.. Those who didn't qualify were fan favorites no matter what, and this blogger thinks Agnete's NQ was very much undeserved. Five top-10 finishes ending with a televoters winner in 2019  is a great result no matter how you look at it.  2011 Stella Mwangi - Haba haba - NQ (17th in semi-final) ** 2012 Tooji - Stay - 26th *** 2013 Margaret Berger - I feed you my love - 4th **** 2014 Carl Espen - Silent storm - 8th ***** 2015 Mørland & Debrah Scarlett - A monster like me - 8th ***...

The Eurovision 2017 season has been officially open for two weeks now and some countries have already closed their submissions and started working on the material, like Finland where YLE is once again keeping quiet about the number of entries and all the rest. The artists will be notified their fate by the end of October and most probably the rest of us will know the selected ones only in January.  In Denmark the Eurovision fever is high despite failing to make the final this year and even their entrant Lighthouse X is also history as they broke up earlier this summer. A total of 1.115 entries were submitted, a new record. France is looking for a new Amir , aka following this year's successful format of finding an artist and a song that could be a hit already before we know it's the one for the Eurovision.  Submissions are open in Estonia and sadly they are opening up for non-native authors so that's where all the Melodifestivalen rejects will end up. Luckily ...

Minor changes in lighting also for Norway. Also the backing singer has a new outfit. The song's about Agnete's friend who has been going through a lot, a bit like Agnete at the moment. The song was written in a day in Amsterdam last summer in a song writing camp. The staging is kept simple and blue (again.... but here it's obvious choice of course!), fog an smoke both still tried out. I like this one and have absolutely no problem with the two quite different tempos of the song. 

The Flag Ban has caused quite a debat this year. Basque, Kosovo and Palestine among others haven't been amused which is totally right as Kosovo is only waiting for to debut in the contest, and Palestine has similar dreams: in Helsinki 2007 there was a Palestine delegation promoting their possible entrance (and I've got t-shirts to prove it). But this year, those flags next to the one of terrorist flags has been a bit too much to swallow. Among the flags are two that do have participants in the contest. Namely Sami/Lapland flag who are proudly presented by Norway's Agnete, and Wales. Joe of Joe & Jake, the British duo, is from Wales. It is rumored he plans to go around the silly dragon plan by wearing the socks.... :-) UPDATE: EBU has taken back mostly their flag ban and released a statement: “After reflection and constructive talks with several participating delegations, Eurovision Song Contest organisers have agreed to relax the flag policy, and to allow nati...

Earlier this season poor Agnete had to cancel her promo events in Europe due bad flu. Few days ago it was told she would cancel all her promotion events in Stockholm, too, due some mental issues. She only wants to be on stage and sing. Nothing else. Head of delegation tells Agnete needs our support and feel comfortable at the moment. The stage is mainly - you guessed it - blue. The staging is pretty much the same as in Norwegian final, as is her dress. One dancer behind her. All very icy, of course. And with some smoke. Reports tell the press center had no reaction whatsoever to this, so very icy atmosphere indeed.  Without any promotion Norway now proves the long PR tours and happenings all over Europe are useless as the televoters in general have no clue about the songs and singers before they sit infront of their tvs Saturday night. If they do good that is. And I think they will. maybe. In the Meet and Grret the Head of delegation brought greetings from Agnete, who wasn't ...

It took some time but it's finally here: the ice cool video for Icebreaker. After seeing it it rather evident where she got that megaflu that made her promotion in Europe and cancel Eurovision in Concert and whatever was planned for her. Hopefully she's fully covered and in top form next week! (This makes me think of the old Finnish previews, like this one. Or this one. Let it snow!)

Nordic four in this post. DENMARK - LIGHTHOUSE X - SOLDIERS OF LOVE (Søren Bregendel, Johannes Nymark, Martin Skriver, Sebastian Owens, Daniel Durn, Katrine Klith Andersen) Lighthouse X emerged as surprise winners in the Danish national final. Last two times when the contest has been in Sweden Denmark has won. This time the polls aren't backing this, but then - The Olsen Brothers never were taken into consideration either.... Blogilkar: For some reason I like this. It's very catchy and one of the most played songs in my ehad this season. It's nothing original, the lyrics are rather corny and cliché but everything works fine. Most likely Denmark won't do a triple, but then this could be a song no one hates and telelvoters like when hearing it the first time so it could end up scoring votes from everywhere. Who knows? 8 Jack:  Not the best, not the worst.. it's just kinda there. Nice, radio friendly but I don't think they'll set the scoreboard o...

... when he's not having any Eurovision related things to do, that is. Like his postcard that has now been filmed in his hometown. "It's really pretty, it mirrors my identity and Sweden, it's quite personal, showing what's important for me. I got to co-operate in the idea. The team that is making them is fantastic" he says. The postcard includes footage of him in the studio and out in the nature.  Frans, 17, says he's quite tired but goes to school whenever possible. "It keeps my feet firmly on the ground. It's needed. So much is happening right now. But it's all good and beautiful!". He chaos around him has calmed down a bit now. The day he returned to school from Melodifestivalen he has a bodyguard with him but that's no longer necessary. So, Frans goes to school, Sandhja goes to work as nurse and poor Agnete is home sick. The Nordic artists are taking it easy this year.....

Agnete took an easy win in the Norwegian Melodi grand prix tonight. Funny how her song and look is similar to Ylona's Blazing fire in #UMK16.... But that's another story. Ylona was amazing anyways, she should have been in the #UMK16 final. Anyways, this is co-written by Gabriel Alares, who also won in Modova tonight. He's becoming a regular Eurovision writer now. Last year he was co-writing the Russian runner-up and this year for example Krista Siegfrids' Melodifestivalen entry. And let's not forget Agnete is a MGP winner, the Nordic Junior Eurovision original version.... Check out the other top songs after the jump

Norway has its final tonight as well. Ten songs in the running. From irresistible Laika with to Moscow marching lesbians to chrystal clear musicalesque vocals in Traces , 60's girl pop in Stand up , summer hit sounding Feel da rush that will sound propably amazing when a bit tipsy and sunburned, mysterious  Afterglow , boyband pop of Anna Lee  in real Satin Cirkus style and Icebreaker that sounds first like a perfect package but is it in the end? Quite frankly I'd be very amused to see Laika winning, but I doubt that will happen so let it be Icebreaker or Anna Lee . Or even Feel da rush .  The Hungry Hearts feat. Lisa Dillan – Laika Stage Dolls – Into The Fire Stine Hole Ulla – Traces Makeda – Stand Up Pegasus – Anyway Freddy Kalas – Feel Da Rush Laila Samuels – Afterglow Elouiz – History Suite 16 – Anna Lee Agnete – Icebreaker

NRK has published today online full versions of their ten finalists, listen here . Icebreaker that was kinda by favorite thanks to the snippet turns out to be a mix up from at least three different songs.... Not sure anymore. Feel the rush takes us via Romania to Africa. Suite 16 sounds even more Norway's Satin Cirkus that I expected. But in this uninspired medicore group of songs it's only a good thing. Walking the streets of Moscow with my girlfriend..... that has just maybe become my favorite. Can't wait to see those angry ladies belt this out live dancing to the disco! Agnete - Icebreaker Elouiz - History Freddy Kalas - Feel the rush Laila Samuels - Afterglow Makeda - Stand up Pegasus - Anyway Stage Dolls - Into the fire Stine Hole Ulla - Traces Suite 16 - Anna Lee The Hungry Hearts feat Lisa Dillan - Laika

NRK has also revealed their finalists this year for MGP 2016 and below they are with their introduction videos where you can also here a bit of their song. The full songs will be released in January while the Norwegian final takes place on the SuperSaturday on February 27, 2016. Agnete - already familiar to MGP Junior watchers like me as the singer of The BlackSheeps in 2008 - seems to be one to watch. Laila Samuels, Elouiz and boyband Suite 16 might be ok, too, while Norway's got Talent winner Stine could go either way, and then we have the weird (Hungry Hearts) and the ugly (Pegasus, Stage Dolls)....  Agnete - Icebreaker Elouiz - History Freddy Kalas - Happy rush Laila Samuels - Afterglow Makeda - Stand up Pegasus - Anyway Stage Dolls - Into the fire Stine Hole Ulla - Traces Suite 16 - Anna Lee The Hungry Hearts feat. Lisa Dillan - Laika