The final of Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix 2023 is set to take place on Saturday 4 February. A total of 9 entries qualified from their semi-final and will battle once again in the grand final, all hoping to be crowned the winner of MGP 2023 and become Norway’s representative at Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool.
But before Norway decides, the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of musical unprofessionals — have been busy listening to all the finalists entries. Now it’s time for them to reveal who their favourites are.
Below, they’ll each list their top five songs and provide a short review of their favourite.
Read on to find out who they’re rooting for.
Wiwi Jury: Melodi Grand Prix Final 2023
Jacob
1. Eline Thorp – “Not Meant to Be”
By far the biggest surprise for me at this years MGP. In a very good final, with 9 great entries, this is my favourite. It’s difficult to explain why, I just love the beat and the feeling. It feels modern, at the same time nostalgic. The lyrics are great and she is an excellent vocalist. In a close and unpredictable final, this should score very well with the international juries and could also have enough public support for a very good result.
2. JONE, Silke – “Ekko Inni Meg”
3. Atle Pettersen – “Masterpiece”
4. Ulrikke Brandstorp – “Honestly”
5. Skrellex – “Love Again”
Pablo
1. JONE, Silke – “Ekko Inni Meg“
In a sense, this is the most authentic Norwegian entry of the lot. Jone’s bringing straight out Russ in the best way possible. Energetic, young, dynamic, Ekko Inni Meg simply cannot pass unnoticed wherever its put, and it’s set to make people all around dance and have fun in the most Norwegian way possible. Let’s bring Russ to the world!
2. Eline Thorp – “Not Meant to Be”
3. Alessandra – “Queen of Kings”
4. Umami Tsunami – “Geronimo”
5. Ulrikke Brandstorp – “Honestly”
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Ruxandra
1. JONE, Silke – “Ekko Inni Meg”
This song won my heart after I saw the live performance. I think it’s a perfect mixture of a very modern sound (having even some rap insertions) and a traditional Norwegian style. It’s definitely authentic, something that highlights the Norwegian culture and a song that could be very different compared to all the other entries in ESC. This song has a specific energy! JONE has a great vocal control on stage. I would prefer to see him being more static, as he is in the live performance now, than to see him destroying his vocal control by dancing. In my opinion, this song has a TOP 5 potential in Eurovision.
2. Elsie Bay – “Love you in a dream”
3. Ulrikke Brandstorp – “Honestly”
4. Alessandra – “Queen of Kings”
5. Swing’it ft. Sam Norris – “Prohibition”
Samuel
1. Alessandra – “Queen of Kings“
“Queen of Kings” stood out to me from the get go. It’s catchy, it has power and is an overall enjoyable listen and watch. I have to say though, Akuvi’s “Triumph” was my favourite MGP song this year, and as a “Places”, “Attention” and all round Ulrikke stan, “Honestly”, I’d be more happy if she won too. It’s very close, but if I had to pick a song, it’s “Queen of Kings” I want to see on the Liverpool stage.
2. Ulrikke Brandstorp – “Honestly”
3. Skrellex – “Love again”
4. Atle Pettersen – “Masterpiece”
5. Eline Thorp – “Not Meant to Be”
Tom
1. Alessandra – “Queen of Kings“
A pop version of Finnish super group Nightwish come to mind whenever I hear “Queen of Kings” – and I love it! In my closest MGP top 3 in a very long time, Alessandra just pips it at the post. Epic, powerful and anthemic. Forget coffee, this track gives me the energy to get me through till lunch. I love the dark staging, the dramatic strobe effects and the fire, coming out of Alessandra’s performance.
I cannot wait to see what else they can come up with in Liverpool if this represents Norway. My only tiny gripe is, it feels like it is custom made for Eurovision, not mainstream radio plays. Other than that – brilliant!
2. Ulrikke Brandstorp – “Honestly”
3. JONE, Silke – “Ekko Inni Meg”
4. Unami Tsunami – “Geronimo”
5. Elsie Bay – “Love You In a Dream”
What do you think of the Wiwi Jury’s reviews? Who is in your top 5? Let us know in the comments.
I hope Ekko Inni Meg wins so I can sing Eenie meenie Minnie mo to it – it’s authentic and sort of reminds me of Norway in 1970 when everyone went to boil the kettle when it was Norways turn to sing ?
Yawn ? ?
I’ve had issues with this NF because non of the front runners have dine it for me. Honestly seems to generic, Queen of the Kings just feels embarrassing as a song, and Elsie is OK.
But Atle has really convinced me. It’s got a alot of “Too Late for Love” and a bit of Cornelia from last year in it. Very underrated, I really wishes it wins.
Alessandra will have a televote landslide victory, but jury’s points are up for grabs and that might bring us an actual competition 😀 Let’s see tonight
Eline Thorpe’s and Atle’s songs came out strong after the 3rd semi. Who knows. I d prefer Ekko inni meg for the win but I feel there is a dark horse that may steal the crown, Swing It.
I love all of the songs, except for one of them, but I struggle to picture any of them making a big impact at Eurovision. My favourites would be Not meant to be, Honestly, Love you in a dream, and Masterpiece, but which one could get a higher placing at ESC? Maybe Elsie Bay or Atle Pettersen (?)
Atle has Cornelia Jakobs mixed with John Lundvik vibes. That bodes well
It’s a hard choice because I genuinely like all 9 songs in the final, but I’d be happiest with either Ulrikke (probably my favourite since the beginning), Elsie Bay, Atle, Eline or Jone!
I want Ekko inni meg to win, it’s the best song and I love that it’s current in a great way!
As for QoK, I loved Alessandra, but her song sounds like it’s been heard before :/
That’s my favorite song from Norway actually and I would be over the moon if it won because we haven’t had Norwegian at the contest in a long time. But I will accept who ever wins tomorrow, regardless of my personal feelings.
That’s because it has been heard before. It sounds exactly like Klara Hammarström’s entry from Melodifestivalen last year, Run To The Hills.
It doesn’t! You’re just a weird hater! Klara had that beat in her ENTIRE song, and she stole it from another singer (so she didn’t start it!), while Alessandra has it only in the chorus part. Also, since Sertab Erener won for Turkey, we have heard 1000000000 songs with that beat, and I don’t remember people protesting about those songs (Qele qele, Fuego, Toy etc etc), so shut your hater mounth!
mouth*
1. Eline Thorp – Not Meant to Be
2. Atle Pettersen – Masterpiece
3. Elsie Bay – Love You In A Dream
4. Jone – Ekke inni meg
5. Umami Tsunami – Geronimo
Why all the dislikes to Ulrikke?
Ulrikke is an ok girl – always positive with an average voice in a very small pond which is Norway. The main problem is her song: it’s not that good – a rehash of old clichés and ultimately quite dated.
Jone, please Norway!
Elsie’s song is the one I’m really going to miss after tomorrow if it loses, as seems likely. I’ve also really grown to like Eline’s; it has a lot of verve for the kind of song that it seems to be. Ulrikke’s is good but a little too straightforward for me; I like Jone too but don’t love the backing vocal.
I won’t make a ranking since I like all of them. It’s just sad only one will go to ESC.
Everyone but not Ulrikke
As long as it’s not Ulrikke
Exactly!
My final top 9
1. Ulrikke
2. Elsie Bay
3. Elaine Thorp
4. Atle Pettersen
5. Jone
6. Alessandra Mele
7. Swing it
8. Umami Tsunami
9. Skrellex
I really REALLY hope Ekko inni Meg wins. I know the chances aren’t that big but that song is literally the only MGP entry in my music playlist and I don’t see myself getting tired from listening to it anytime soon, it’s that good!
Ulrikke or Elsie for me
Jone or Elsie Bay. Normally I like Alessandra too but I´m not convinced about her live skills.
Only Ulrikke for me. LOVE!!!
For me these are my predictions top 9 (I’m not gonna talk about vocals bc of autotune) 1.Alessandra- this is so good, staging, song and this might be a little thing but I like how somethings she looks at the camera 2.Ulrikke- They threw everything and the kitchen sink at the staging but honestly, for this is just a another ballad I don’t get the hype, I would LOVE Ulrikke To go to Eurovision but not with this not the song. I LOVED attention and it was my winner of 2020 so I really hope she doesn’t get for that… Read more »
Rooting for Alessandra, but would be happy to see Ulrikke in Eurovision too. If Ella was here she would have been my choice.
There are like 5 songs here I’d be happy to see at Eurovision, and I wish all of them could go! That said, my ultimate choice is Ekko Inni Meg, because this song has been absolutely BUZZING in my head nonstop for nearly two weeks now.
Also, I owe it to JONE – looping it on max volume and singing along helped me get through some unpleasant chores a few days ago. 🙂
1 Atle
2 Jone
3 Elsie
4 Ulrikke
5 Eline
6 Alessandra
=7 Skrellex
=7 Unami Tsunami
=7 Swing’it
Atle’s my favourite too! People are sleeping on him!
I’m really hoping for an upset ans he takes it.
Elsie or Ulrikke.
JONE!
(Although I love Eline Thorp and Atle too!)
Will Silke be there in person, singing live? Not being present is what ruins the “Ekko inni meg” staging for me.
But her not being there in person is complimenting the lyrics, and the meaning of the song. It’s about an echo he hears inside his head, but cannot place the mysterious voice. Even if she was on stage, she’d have to be hidden or behind a curtain or something.
Autotune is bad enough, complete absence is going too far. Better staging would not be too hard to figure out.
Perspective tricks, or keep her out of focus. Or have her behind a curtain like the Wizard of Oz, or she could always be behind him, creeping up on him, or she could be stage left for her first appearance, stage right for her second, then the middle… so many possibilities!
are you a stage director?
i’ve really never understood the hype for qok. alessandra is a convincing performer and is clearly passionate about her song but for me at least, it feels like there is something missing. the only song in this year’s mgp that left me wanting more was ekko inni meg. everything else sounds like it could be sent by any country, whereas ekko inni meg feels like a much better representative for norway as a whole
so my ranking goes like this:
1. ekko inni meg
2. prohibition (huge guilty pleasure)
3. not meant to be
4. love again
5. honestly
6. queen of kings
7. love you in a dream
8. masterpiece
9. geronimo
Yeah, like if we’re gonna make THE VERY FIRST SONG THAT WAS PERFORMED IN SEMI FINAL1 go to Eurovision, then it’s mad that we’re even having the rest of the songs! It definitely lacked something that other bops like Akuvi had.
Give me Ekko inni meg or give me nothing.