NORWAY: Wiwi Jury Reviews Mo with Heal

The Wiwi Jury – our in-house jury of music unprofessionals – was so taken with Norway that we decided on a tour of the beautiful fjords. While cruising we decided we’d give Mo and his song ‘Heal’ a whirl. Did he soothe our wounds or inflict worse upon us? Read on to find out.

Deban: It would appear that Mo is most comfortable when singing a song with ‘Heal’ in the title. He stormed his way into Norwegian televoters’ hearts with his rendition of Michael Jackson’s Heal The World four years ago. There is no doubt that he can deliver his notes. However, in this number he keeps fading into the backing track. In a contest where you have three minutes to grab the spotlight, Mo clings onto a shadow.

Score: 5/10

Katie: First of all, is Mo a man or woman? I really don’t know. It’s an alright song but kinda boring, it’ll be a toilet-break song if it goes to Copenhagen. It hasn’t got the power that a Eurovision ballad requires and the voice doesn’t carry the song through in the way that it should. In a word, mediocre.

Score: 5/10

Francheska:

This has a nice tempo. I like the piano going into the clapping and then the percussion. It’s not too sudden a change, yet it doesn’t stall and fall flat on its face. The lyrics sound real, not the usual “love song” stuff that keeps getting put out, it’s rawer. In a world surrounded by songs like “Blurred Lines”, “Teenage Dream”, and “Knew You Were Trouble”, this is refreshing to hear. Songs, in many ways, are like poetry, meant to touch on something emotional. Even though we have our guilty pleasure, non-meaningful songs, we need to be reminded of the poetry.

Score: 6.5/10

Shane:

Not a big fan of his voice, but it’s quite a powerful song nonteheless. I do think Norway will like this, it’s quite current and fresh.

Score: 6/10

Angus:

Mo like many in this year’s MGP has taken inspiration from ice Queen supreme Margaret Berger. ‘Heal’ is a gorgeous slice of dark and moody electro-pop. The effect isn’t as immediate or intimidating as ‘I Feed You My Love’ but the chorus anchors the song in strong contender territory. Considering the strength of the song all I’d ask for is a bit strength from Mo. I want to be taken to an even darker and more mysterious place. Maggie nailed that last year. If Mo can match her passion and minimalist stage craft then he is on to a very good thing.

Score: 7/10

Wiwi Jury Verdict: 5.9/10

You can keep track of all our reviews of MGP 2014 and the standings of the acts here. You can also keep up-to-date with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.