Eep! I hardly dare to think how this will turn out. o_O Kind of fun intro ... would seem problematic that the singers can't sing very well, but this is Melodi Grand Prix, so obviously it's what we're expecting. I do like hearing old/oldish entries performed in a totally different tempo and style. :-)
All the contestants telling us how much they want to win. Yawn.
Very briefly presenting the international jury - or rather just showing them off. I don't like the idea of the international jury. I don't want us to cater to other competing countries, I want us to choose our own entry because WE like it. Grumble.
They would do better to present the Norwegian jury ...
Now on with the contestants ... !
Song # 1 - You Got Me by Rodrigo Pencheff, Gustav Eurén, Karl Eurén, Andreas Grube, Niclas Arn and Stella Mwangi, performed by Stella Mwangi and Alexandra Rotan. I like that one of the singers has also cowritten the song. As for the song itself, it's ... the best so far. >:-) It's pretty catchy. I like Alexandra's sections much better than Stella's, but oviously it's the contrast that they're betting on to make it stick in people's minds. Hideous outfits. They really are getting the audience going ... ! This is a really cheerful song that I think people will enjoy listening to.
Song # 2 - Talk to the Hand by Joakim With Steen, Jonas McDonnell, Magnus Klausen and Aleksander Walmann, performed by Aleksander Wallmann. Personally I would never even consider voting for an entry with this incredibly rude title. The title of the song is literally "I don't want anything to do with you". Well, fuck you too then. So I don't give a shit what this song is like. But unsurprisingly it is repetitious and has no personality. Boo.
Song # 3 - Scandilove by Stefan Törnby and Ida Maria, and apparently a bunch of others that NRK haven't listed on their website? Performed by Ida Maria. At least someone who is a seasoned performer and can give a professional performance. That's a good beginning. But I've never listened to her, and I almost never listen to the radio (only if someone else turns it on). Turns out she's a horrible singer. :-o And the song is awful too and her outfit AND performance is awful. She seems to have a bunch of fans in the audience. They should get their ears checked. Nil points ... !!! :-o
This does one thing for me and that is to make me wish I was watching Voice of the Century.
Song # 4 - Light Me Up by Nicoline Berg Kaasin, Johan Larsson and Emilie Adams, performed by Nicoline Berg Kaasin. However shitty this entry is, it's guaranteed to be a thousand times better than the last one, so yay. But sheesh, their outfits. At least this singer can sing a little bit. But the song is ... boring, more than anything else. Got repetitive real quick. Yawn.
Going to the green room to talk to some writers and some of the performers who are already done. Blather that only their parents care about.
Song # 5 - I Like I Like I Like by Tom Hugo Hermansen, performed by himself. :-) Performing his own song, that's a big plus for me. Now that's a proper Eurovision outfit! :-D Apparently this guy is a professional songwriter and he writes a lot of songs for Japanese boybands. I think I can tell. :-D Well, it's hardly Ibsen, but it's fun. It has a good beat and seems to be getting the audience going. But now it looks like they have too many people on stage - that's something I really take issue with, because it means that we aren't voting for a realistic presentation. NRK should not be allowing that.
Chitchat from the hosts ... they're going to talk to some of the international jury members. The Swede of course making completely OTT comments and portraying things unrealistically ... as expected. :-D
Song # 6 - Stop the Music by Charla K, Per Gessle and Alex Shield, performed by Charla K. Per Gessle competing is actually a pretty big deal. Let's see. Or hear. Hm. Voice OK. Sequined dress, that's often a hit. But a whole choir on stage ... !! Seriously, that's ridiculous. I can't in good conscience vote for this, because we can't send this. What we would send would be something other than what they are presenting. NRK, get a grip! The song itself is ... very nice to listen to, but forgettable.
Song # 7 - Tengo otra by Alejandro Fuentes, Angel Arce Pututi and Alejandro Pututi, performed by Alejandro Fuentes. Singing in Spanish, yes, that worked out so well for us last time we tried it. :-D But I am happy to see all kinds of languages in the ESC and he is after all a native Spanish speaker. So my mind is open to this entry. It is, however, closed to his blue hair. o_O As for the song, it's, well ... Boring. Just really really boring. Confetti cannot save it.
Song # 8 - Moren din by Vidar André Mohaugen, Jonas Thomassen and Martin Thomassen, performed by Vidar Villa. A song with Norwegian lyrics in the Norwegian ESC selections ... ! What's next, a unicorn? Apparently this is the song that is the most popular among this year's lineup in terms of streaming. Haha, hilarious lyrics. And only six people on stage! :-D Charming singer and a song with a good beat. And girls in sequined dresses playing trumpets. Hah, I like this one. :-D
Song # 9 - Who We Are by Kjetil Mørland, performed by Rebecca Thorsen. Same writer as A Monster Like Me, which is a beautiful song. And this girl can sing, wow! Great dress. Kind of a wannabe powerful ballad, but certainly beautiful to listen to. Not very memorable, I don't think. I'm sure it'll grow on me but it's not an instant earworm. But certainly one of the best of the night.
Song # 10 - That's How You Write A Song, written and performed by Alexander Rybak. Our little hobbit is back again ... !! :-o I am SO looking forward to this and at the same time dreading it. Because if it's not good then ... that'll be so bad. :-( But we know that he can do it, so maybe it'll be good? Even great? I'm loving his thoughts on why he decided to make his comeback. :-) Excellent intro! Although may be considered a little bit of a Heroes ripoff ... just in terms of the presentation. A great performance, very confident. A wonderful topic for a song. He's not a great singer but he's an excellent performer, lots of stage presence and extremely confident and professional. Now also with the violin too, naturally. :-) But now there's too many people on stage ... ! Oh noes! Will still vote for him though. Rybak ftw. He makes me forget my principles.
First runthrough ...
Going through some scores from the international juries. Complete with embarrassing praise from the various foreigners.
Rybak's doing well. He's going to win tonight. I feel it in my bones. :-)
I've voted five times for Rybak, twice for Stella & Alexandra and once for Rebecca. My civic duty done.
Talking to the Estonian jury leader. They've picked the right song but still, the hosts' conversation with him really shows up why we shouldn't have these international juries. "We're here to help you pick the winner" - hello, they're competing too! Why would they want to help us? o_O IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!!!1!
Back to the hosts, talking with Alexander and Rebekka. And visiting an MGP party in Trondheim. :-D And a choir serenading a woman at a bus stop because she watches the show, awesome. :-)
Interval entertainment - Anita Skorgan and Karoline Krüger playing piano and singing a duet. Wow. :-) And that song is so beautiful ... !
Various content from social media ... and another serenade to unsuspecting fans of the contest. Adorable!!
Revealing the top four. My guess:
That's How You Write A Song
Who We Are
You Got Me
Moren din, maybe?
Who We Are is in.
You Got Me is in.
Talk to the Hand is in! NOES!
That's How You Write A Song. Of course! The winner! :-D
Now there's a new system with the voting among the top four ... so now we're voting again. I voted five times for Rybak. :-)
Hah, now they're doing the serenade for an unsuspecting audience member ... ! :-D
Ah, now we're getting to see some of the entries from other countries that have already made their selections. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Danish viking will do :-D And Finland ... o_O
Now to whittle the top four down to two ... I've voted five more times for Rybak. :-D Who We Are will get through this round, is my guess.
Yep.
Now the last two, and obviously That's How You Write A Song. :-)
Yes! Of course!
And now these two will get to perform their songs again.
Rebecca has maybe gained a little confidence :-) - she certainly gives an excellent performance this time. It's really a quite beautiful song. I will be happy to have this represent us in Lisbon. But I still want the hobbit to win. :-)
Another excellent performance from Rybak. Imagine all the extra press we'll get if we send him. Let's send him! I've voted five more times. :-D
Aah ... ! Aleksander Wallmann got knocked out but now he's back on stage - Jowst is here to perform last year's winning song. Which still isn't any better than it was a year ago ... :-D But it looks like they had a great time representing us in 2017 and of course that is a very good thing. :-)
And the winner is ... ooh, they have Rebecca's songwriter on stage, that's great. Because he is the one who is actually competing.
Alexander Rybak! Yes! But why don't we get to hear the actual scores?? New system OK, old system better ...
Yay for Alexander Rybak!! Now I can hold my head up high in Lisbon. Some of my friends and me are going to be in the arena for the first semifinal, and unfortunately Norway's competing in the second ... that's a shame, it would have been great to see Rybak on stage. But we're going home from Portugal on the Wednesday and KAS and I have plans on Wednesday night. Oh well, we'll have to figure something out here at home. I have an idea already ... ;-)
Congratulations to Alexander and to my fellow Norwegians!!! :-D
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