Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Now as Iceland has withdrawn from Eurovision song contest at least in 2026, let's have a look of some Icelandic favorites of mine over the years. Starting off with Euroband's banger that is one of my all time favourite and sure to put me in the mood anytime in seconds! This is my life!  Enjoy! 2008 Euroband - This is my life (14th) 1997 Páll Òskar - Minn hinsti dans (20th) 2003 Birgitta - Open your heart (8th) 1994 Sigga - Nætur (12th) 2019 Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra (10th) 2022 - Systur - Með hækkandi sól (23rd) 2009 Yohanna - Is it true? (2nd) 2025 Væb - Róa (25th) 2010 Hera Björk - Je ne sais quoi (19th) There would have been quite a few to pick up as well but these sounded the ones at this time and space.  Special mentions go to: 2013 Eyþór Ingi - Ég á líf (17th) 2007 Eirikur Hauksson - Valentine lost (sf 13th) 2005 Selma - If I had your love (sf 16th) 1985 ICY - Gleðibankinn (16th) 2018 Ari Olafsson - Our choice (sf 19th)

We have 27 different countries that have won Eurovision at least once and still quite a few that haven't. Actually 17 (more about them later).  Seven additional countries have made it to runner up, Croatia joining the club this year. Let's have a look who they are. Two countries have been close twice: the tiny island nations Iceland and Malta. Another island Cyprus joined the club in 2018. Yet another "island" Australia in 2016. Poland did so with their first entry and then we have the odd one out: Bulgaria. Who will be the next one to better their placement to first? POLAND 1994 - Edyta Górniak - To nie ja! ICELAND 1999 - Selma - All out of luck MALTA 2002 - Ira Losco - 7th wonder MALTA 2005 - Chiara - Angel ICELAND 2009 - Yohanna - Is it true? AUSTRALIA 2016 - Dami Im - Sound of silence BULGARIA 2017 - Kristian Kostov - Beautiful mess CYPRUS 2018 - Eleni Foureira - Fuego CROATIA 2024 - Baby Lasagna - Rim tim tagi dim And there's and extra to add: Serbia-Monteneg...

ZOË has left French loin d'ici and opts for English in her new single Dangerous affair . But French or English her chrystal clear voice fits it like a glove. The arrangement recalls Madonna's Bond theme Die another day and Selma's If I had your love at first hearing but in a good  zoescque way. Quite a contrast to Loind'ici's colorful explosion of good mood! Trés cool, ZOË!

Also Iceland has selected its entries for the semifinal on February 1 and 8 leading to the final on February 15, 2014. Two songs from both semifinal will advance to the final where the final two will be decided by duels (jury + televote) and the final duo will battle it out again wit only televote decided the faith. There has been a real change of generation with all the usual writers missing, with the exception of Vignir Snær Vigfússon who co-wrote the Icelandic entry If I had your love in 2005, and was one of the Sjónni's Friends in 2011. StopWaitGo wrote Disco love to The Saturdays scoring a top-5 hit in the UK recently. Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir - Amor  (Haukur Johnson)   Guðbjörg Magnúsdóttir - Aðeins ætluð þér  (María Björk Sverrisdóttir, Marcus Frenell, Beatrice Eriksson & Johnny Sanchez)   Sverrir Bergmann - Dönsum burtu blús  (StopWaitGo aka Pálmi Ragnar Ásgeirsson, Ásgeir Orri Ásgeirsson and Sæþór Kristjánsson. )   Vignir ...

Iceland has a different story to tell in Eurovision 2011. The usual plans changed when one of the finalist Sigurjón Sjonni Brink, aged 36, suddenly died only 12 days before the semifinal he was scheduled to perform of a brain haemorrhage caused by an aneurysm.. His wife and co-writer of the song  Thorunn needed urgently to decide how to go. She came to the conclusion with his friends that Sigurjón would have wanted the show go on. Six of his collegues joined forced and performed the song, it qualied for the final where it won easily the Icelandic final (25.449 votes against the fan favourite Jóhanna's Nótt with 18.506) Aftur heim become Coming home for D ü sseldorf and is performed by guitarist Vignir Snaer Vigfusson, drummer Benedikt Brynleifsson, piano player Palmi Sigurhjartarson, guitarist Gunnar Olason, bass player Hreimur Örn Heimisson and singer Matthias Matthiasson under name Sjonni's Friends. Gunnar, Vignir and Benedikt all have already Eurovision experience: Gunnar ...