Norway NORWAY 2024 - Gåte - Ulveham

[ESC United Mod Team]

 

[SAYAY]

It seems Gothminister has made an "MGP-edit" of his song that will be released on January 12th and I assume that will be the version he performs in his semi final. It was played on the radio here yesterday and I had the chance to listen to it. I dont think he has done any big, major changes, it is still definitely rock/metal but there is definitely been added a bit more pop-ish vibes to it. I dont quite know how to explain it. Personally I think the song in its original package was perfect the way it was, but maybe it makes it a more available to a wider audience? Time will show I suppose.

If I were to compare the changes he made to something else, I guess I would choose Voyagers song from last year. Which was a song I ended up liking in the end.

 

[MopManMoss]

I'm really warming to My AI and I absolutely hate that

 

[Marcos C]

Here are Erika Norwich and Super Rob being interviewed by ESC Norway, a YouTube fan channel.

 

[Sparky]

Might be an unpopular opinion, but I like Damdiggida much more than Spirit in the Sky. I guess a lot of people don't really know Keiino aside from their eurovision performance, but most of their songs are like Damdiggida - electro-pop (kind of), not the folk stuff people expect.

Okta was a bit like that, but songs on the original Okta album were hit and miss, and often depended on the collab they had with others. Then Monument happened, and the best period of Keiino started. They made wonderful songs with Unbreakable, Venus, Addjas, Nights of Thunder, Alt Du Kan Se to name a few, then somehow after Ritma they started doing electropop again. I actually had hard time to enjoy their post-Ritma releases, Damdiggida is clearly better than those.

 

[NikolaiMoller]

 

[SpiritofKeiino]

Pains me to say this, but I find the new Keiino song a bit soulless and hope it doesn't win.

 

[jatojo]

Okay, so now we're in that phase where I ask myself if I've changed my taste of music. It comes every year at this time, and I'll later reach the conclusion that nothing's changed, it's just the flow of songs that don't have the quality I "expect". Right now, I'm hugely disappointed about Norway and Spain. They gave me two of my three overall favourite songs last year, but these 2024 selections are close to horrible. From SF1 I can only pick 'Oblivion' as a song I want to see again later in the contest - the others are either annoying or too simple.

 

[SAYAY]

Okay, so now we're in that phase where I ask myself if I've changed my taste of music. It comes every year at this time, and I'll later reach the conclusion that nothing's changed, it's just the flow of songs that don't have the quality I "expect". Right now, I'm hugely disappointed about Norway and Spain. They gave me two of my three overall favourite songs last year, but these 2024 selections are close to horrible. From SF1 I can only pick 'Oblivion' as a song I want to see again later in the contest - the others are either annoying or too simple.

Yeah now that I have had the time to let the songs "season" a bit, I definitely liked the 2023 season way more. But I suppose having a bit of an off-year is to be expected every now and then and of course who actually ends up submitting an entry is a bit out of NRKs and Stigs control as well. I suppose just because someone attends a songwriting camp, it doesn't automatically mean the song ends up in MGP and that its up to them how they end up using whatever comes out of those in the end.

But just because this year is a bit weaker, at least IMO, there aren't really many songs that I outright skip. I think that list consists of Mistra, My AI, Woman Show, Keiino and Thomas Jenssen. The rest I can more or less take. Which isn't so bad. I remember there was a season where I barley interacted with any of the songs. I think it was 2018.

I think what annoys me the most this time (besides the 90s being very represented xD) is that we kinda have these 7-8 ish songs that has the same radio friendly pop vibe and for me they all kinda "drown each other out" a bit. So kinda does My AI, Damdiggida and Woman Show for me. So maybe that explains why my favorites are Gåte, Gothminister and Margaret because they kinda stand out more for me personally? Idk.

 

[SAYAY]

Pains me to say this, but I find the new Keiino song a bit soulless and hope it doesn't win.

I dont like Damdiggida myself, but this made me genuinely sad on your behalf since your username is literally SpiritofKeiino

 

[jatojo]

So kinda does My AI, Damdiggida and Woman Show for me. So maybe that explains why my favorites are Gåte, Gothminister and Margaret because they kinda stand out more for me personally? Idk.

I think you're right about these. It's just that I have "issues" with all of them. The first three are annoying - I might be biased when I prefer Keiino among them (because I like Keiino or to be more precise Alexandra Rotan). Gåte, Gothminister and Margaret are above this year's average, but I don't love them. Gåte is "medieval folk music with crazy woman screaming", and is just too much. Gothminister's grunts with chorus reminds me too much of Germany last year. Margaret Berger is so far the song I find the most pleasant to listen to, but it is not as intriguing as "I Feed You My Love".

 

[Ajeje Brazorf]

MyAI is atrocious: I'll even pick Sasha "the Twinslayer" Bognibov over Rob every day! Guys, I know Eurovision is fun and all, but come on: there is good camp and bad camp and MyAI is extremely bad camp, it's not even funny. I don't know what's the appeal of that "song".

Some are comparing this with "Give that Wolf a Banana"? Nope, actually it's way worse. It's worse because it tries to replicate that song success using the same strategy: cheap lyrics, metallic voices and a choreo. But Subwoolfer were a first time and were something different and fresh that year, here I don't see that freshness or authenticity.

 

[SAYAY]

I think you're right about these. It's just that I have "issues" with all of them. The first three are annoying - I might be biased when I prefer Keiino among them (because I like Keiino or to be more precise Alexandra Rotan). Gåte, Gothminister and Margaret are above this year's average, but I don't love them. Gåte is "medieval folk music with crazy woman screaming", and is just too much. Gothminister's grunts with chorus reminds me too much of Germany last year. Margaret Berger is so far the song I find the most pleasant to listen to, but it is not as intriguing as "I Feed You My Love".

Yeah, Gåte and Gothminister definitely isn't everyones cup of tea and that's fair. I have kinda grown up with Gåte as a native norwegian and in some ways I like to think of them as our equivalent to Go_A, and I did love Shum so that's probably also a reason why I am "flirting" with Ulveham. As for Gothminister, metal is not really something I usually listen to in my daily life but I do love Lordis Hardrock Hallelujah and Gothminister does have some of the same elements as Lordi did I think. It might not be as powerful and epic as Hard Rock Hallelujah was/is, but it shares some elements so that maybe explains that for me. And I totally agree with your take on Margarets song. That's why she is per date my 3rd place for now I think. But maybe she could end up be our entry since there seems to be a bit variation in opinions about Gåte, Keiino and My AI at least that's my current impression when I look what's being written in here, voted for in online polls and written in Norway. While many seems to have Margaret around 3rd-5th place ish? I dont know. Time will show I guess.

 

[Sparky]

Pains me to say this, but I find the new Keiino song a bit soulless and hope it doesn't win.

You should try giving it another chance though.

 

[Sparky]

Yeah, Gåte and Gothminister definitely isn't everyones cup of tea and that's fair. I have kinda grown up with Gåte as a native norwegian and in some ways I like to think of them as our equivalent to Go_A, and I did love Shum so that's probably also a reason why I am "flirting" with Ulveham. As for Gothminister, metal is not really something I usually listen to in my daily life but I do love Lordis Hardrock Hallelujah and Gothminister does have some of the same elements as Lordi did I think. It might not be as powerful and epic as Hard Rock Hallelujah was/is, but it shares some elements so that maybe explains that for me. And I totally agree with your take on Margarets song. That's why she is per date my 3rd place for now I think. But maybe she could end up be our entry since there seems to be a bit variation in opinions about Gåte, Keiino and My AI at least that's my current impression when I look what's being written in here, voted for in online polls and written in Norway. While many seems to have Margaret around 3rd-5th place ish? I dont know. Time will show I guess.

That Oblivion song has no melody I can recall tbh. Baffled by it's popularity. Sometimes ESC trends are baffling. Now many say bad about Woman Show or Damdiggida, yet, last year Queen of the Kings was similar, wasn't it? And live performance wasn't good at all, and people still insisted. Not to mention the rather awful freaks that were popular in ESC history, like Netta or the Babushki. Not sure, how this works.

 

[Sparky]

del

 

[Realest]

"Oblivion" is great. The first good Song of 2024.

 

[HarryUK]

Is anyone else getting major Barbie vibes from My AI and not necessarily in a good way

 

[Edweis]

I have yet to catch up to the released entry and NFs, but something curious happened today: Green Light was broadcast on French radio (RTL2). It is very surprising because ESC songs rarely make it, Tattoo and Arcade (duet version) being the exceptions. This means Miia's team somehow put on the money to do foreign promotion, for what reasons because I must say the song is bland af, I kept waiting for the chorus to kick in and lift it up but what a disappointment.

 

[Realest]

Keiinos Song is tailor made for Eurovision and unlistenable outside. Their Momentum is over.

 

[rasmuslights]

"Oblivion" is great. The first good Song of 2024.

so true. It should win to prove a point to all those who need a gimmick to like a certain entry.