We are nearing the end of the previews! Next up is the land of oil, fjords and the host nation of Eurovision Young Musicians 2024. It’s Norway!
History
Norway first took part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960 and will take part in the contest for the 63rd time this year. They have the dubious honours of finishing last and scoring zero points more times than any other country in the contest’s history. Fortunately for them, they have also won three times; in 1985 with “La det swinge” by Bobbysocks, in 1995 with “Nocturne” by Secret Garden and in 2009 with “Fairytale” by Alexander Rybak, the latter holding the record for the highest winning total and biggest winning margin under the old voting system.
At the 2023 contest, Alessandra finished fifth in the final with “Queen of Kings”. This was Norway’s best result since 2013.
Selection
The Norwegian broadcaster, Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK), organised Melodi Grand Prix for the 62nd time in order to select their 2024 entry.
A total of 18 entries competed across three semi-finals. In each semi-final, public voting chose three entries to advance to the final.
In the final, a combination of ten international juries (40%) and public voting (60%) decided the results. After finishing second in the jury vote and first in the public vote, Gåte were awarded the Norwegian ticket to Malmö.
Artist
Gåte (Riddle) was founded in 1999 in Trøndelag in central Norway. The line-up currently consists of Gunnhild Sundli (vocals), Magnus Børmark (guitar, keyboards), Jon Even Schärer (drums), Mats Paulsen (bass), and John Stenersen (nyckelharpa, moraharpa, and hurdy-gurdy).
Gåte released their first self-titled EP in 2000, followed by another self-titled EP in 2002. Their commercial breakthrough came in 2002 with the release of their first studio album “Jygri”, which proved to be popular in Norway, the rest of Scandinavia, and Germany.
After the release of their second album “Iselilja” in 2004, Gate took a break until 2009. After a series of concerts in 2009 and 2010, the band broke up.
Gåte made their comeback in 2017, releasing their EP “Attersyn”. They embarked on another Norwegian tour a year later. They have since released two more albums; “Svevn” in 2018 and “Nord” in 2021.
The song that Gåte will perform in Malmö is called “Ulveham” (Wolf pelt). It was written and composed by Gunnhild Sundli, Magnus Børmark, Jon Even Schärer, Marit Jensen Lillebuen, Ronny Graff Janssen and Sveinung Ekloo Sundli. The lyrics of the song are based on an ancient Scandinavian medieval ballad, which the band had to change for the final of Melodi Grand Prix to comply with Eurovision rules. It is the first Norwegian entry to be in Norwegian since 2006.
Song Review
Norway have stopped aiming for what could go viral on TikTok and have chosen quality.
To take a ballad that is centuries old and have very little time to write new lyrics to it and to still maintain its original standard is admirable. The song is stirring in its instrumentation and a little scary if you read the translation of the lyrics! It pulls you into the world of the song and makes you feel like you are wondering through a snowy forest after being banished from your home. It is not an easy song to pull off live but Gunnhild nails it with her distinctive voice every time.
This is one of those songs that has jury appeal for how well it is performed and public vote appeal for how hard it slaps. I could see this easily getting a top ten finish.
The One That Got Away
There are artists who use Eurovision as a stepping stone in their career and there are those who live Eurovision every day. Keiino are an example of the latter.
After finishing sixth at Eurovision 2019 and second in Melodi Grand Prix 2021, Keiino came back this year for the third time with “Damdiggida”. A little bit of a departure from what they normally do, Keiino still managed to get to the final and win the jury vote but finished second overall. Interestingly, Keiino would have won if the results were split 50-50!
I would have loved to see Keiino back, mostly because I predicted them to return to Eurovision in a Eurovision 2024 prediction game. I have no doubt we will see them back again in a few years. They’re never too far away.
Lykke til Norge!
Will Gåte be protected by the wolf pelt or meet their end? Leave your comments below. Stay tuned for another Eurovision preview tomorrow!
(Sources: eurovision.tv, NRK, YouTube)
Thinking About It 