Full disclosure: I have listened to both versions of this song several times before the timing of this post.
THE GOOD:
-It's quite the groove.
-Everything just fits together.
-It's got a pretty good story. I'll explain more in my verdict.
THE BAD:
-The intro is a bit dated, but it fits with the song, so this is minor.
THE VERDICT:
Is your seat belt buckled? Good, because this section will be a very long one.
After today's proceedings and even before then, there are a couple of reasons that this song is being received very well by some folks, including me.
First of all, it's a new direction for Iceland, and I think it would be a new direction for any country. Therefore, this song is kinda unique in that regard. Second of all, it's not a ballad. I think that, especially after today, we should appreciate that at least ESC 2020 won't be a sea of ballads.
I'll tell you what this song reminds me of: There is a Canadian synthwave band called TWRP. If you're familiar with the Game Grumps YouTube channel, then you would know that one of the Grumps, Dan Avidan (aka Danny Sexbang), lends his vocal talents on their song called "The Hit", which features Ninja Sex Party, of which Dan is a member, along with keyboardist Brian Wecht, who is also a fellow Game Grump. While this song doesn't necessarily sound similar to "The Hit", for me, it's got a similar vibe to it. All of this was just a shower thought I had today.
Now for the story of this song, or at least what I gathered from the music video for this song: Let's imagine that you're in high school (or the equivalent of a high school) with a group of five or so friends. At that high school, you and your friends are considered the nerds/geeks. You all are also a bit awkward. Someday, you all want to be in a big-time pop/rock band. You've been making and improving your first song (this song) for a while and you feel ready to showcase it to the world. You want to perform it for a live audience. You decide that this one family gathering coming up is your moment to shine. You're also nervous as all heck. All kinds of what-ifs go through your head. What if the choreography goes wrong? What if somebody plays the wrong note? What if somebody sings a note out of tune? But then when the time comes, none of that happens, and while your family will think you're being weird and awkward, you know that in your head, you were amazing and you gave that performance your all.
All of this is to say that I very much like this song, and I hope it does well. 12 points