As Iceland prepares to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Söngvakeppnin, the broadcaster RUV has revealed the 12 competing songs in this year’s national selection.
The songs all have Icelandic lyrics and will be performed in Icelandic at the semi-finals, however, the songs that make it to the final must be performed in their intended language for Stockholm, so we can expect to hear some switches to English.
The 2016 line-up includes some familiar faces: Greta Salome Stefánsdóttir (Eurovision 2012 with Jonsi), Erna Hrönn (backing vocalist for Yohanna in 2009), and Pálmi Gunnarsson (Eurovision 1986, as part of ICY). Also in the line-up is Alda Dís Arnardóttir, who won the second series of Iceland’s Got Talent last year.
Six songs will compete in each of the semi-finals, held on 6 and 13 February. From there the top three from each semi and one jury wildcard will progress to the grand final on 20 February.
Alda Dís Arnardóttir “Augnablik” (Moments)
Elísabet Ormslev “Á ný” (Again)
Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir & Hjörtur Traustason “Hugur minn er” (My mind is)
Erna Mist & Magnús Thorlacius “Ótöluð orð” (Unspoken words)
Sigríður Eir Zophoniasardóttir and Jóhanna Vala Höskuldsdóttir “Ég sé þig” (I see you)
Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir “Raddirnar” (The voices)
Helgi Valur Ásgeirsson “Óvær” (Uneasy)
Ingólfur Þórarinsson “Fátækur námsmaður” (A broke student)
Karlotta Sigurðardóttir “Óstöðvandi” (Unstoppable)
Pálmi Gunnarsson “Ég leiði þig heim” (I lead you home)
Sigga Eyrún “Kreisí” (Crazy)
Þórdís Birna Borgarsdóttir & Guðmundur Snorri Sigurðarson “Spring yfir heiminn” (All over the world)
Which songs are your favourites? Are there any that could lead Iceland to its first ever Eurovision victory? Share your thoughts below.
The rap song caught me completely off guard and I absolutely LOVE that it did that! It grasped my attention and I loved every second of it. Sigga and Greta are also fabulous
Would be disappointing if Karlotta comes through, pretty generic/monotonous song.
Loved Palmi Gunnarsson but does these kind of songs ever win..? Needs all the charm he can muster, but who knows..
Liked the Ingolfor entry and Sigga has potential in terms of stage show etc.
Looks hard to call the winner, Greta in with a shout too
I thought that Iceland was among the happiest countries in the world. What the hell are these songs? None. Iceland WILL stay in its semi.
As much as I like Greta,
I have to go with Alda, Helgi, or Ingolfur.
But I could see Karlotta being the one to go to Stockholm.
This is the worst Songvakeppnin in history. Karlota’s the only decent one and it does need a brush all over it…
Gotta say, pretty decent selection. There’s nothing overly amazing about any of the songs but majority I’m happy to listen too.
I’m surprised to say that I like Palmi Gunnerson’s song. It sounds like the radio version of 90’s Disney song. But I feel like Karlotta has the best chance of winning.
Really beautiful melody in Ótölud Ord. My favorite icelandic song this year.
These are all songs you’d hear in a coffee shop
I kind of like it
Nowhere close to Eesti Laul or UMK but still a decent selection
Just like Albania had the electric guitar, Iceland really overdoes the acoustic guitar. Most of these songs as boring! I don’t see either of them advancing to the final, and it’s NOT because it’s not English. I have many ESC favs from other languages.
No final for Iceland with this national selection this year. They had better song in last few years.
For me best song and only song have chance for final Karlotta Sigurðardóttir “Óstöðvandi” (Unstoppable)
2 nd place for me Helgi Valur Ásgeirsson “Óvær” (Uneasy)
3 rd place for me Sigga Eyrún “Kreisí” (Crazy)
Sigga Eyrun’s entry is the most potential to be Iceland’s representative and it’s my favorite from all the entries. However, listening to this song is like waiting a bomb to explode, but it doesn’t explode in the end. Maybe a little addition of upbeat stomps or high-notes will help. Well, still my most favorite.
While everyone is talking about Karlotta Sigurdardóttir’s entry, I do not like it much. It’s like a mixing of Adele’s Rolling In the Deep and Alexander Rybak’s Fairytale.
”A Ny” and ”Ostodvandi” are seriously good, there’s a lot to pick from this selection, hopefully they will pick the best song this time
I like ‘Augnablik’. 🙂
I really like unstoppable but it should definitely be sung in English.
No, it’s not “Hugur Minn Err”, but “Otolud Ord” that I was talking about. Wooh, Icelandic is hard.
My favourites are “Augnablik”, “Spring Yfir Heiminn”, and “Hugur Minn Err”. I don’t know but IMO, “Spring Yfir Heiminn” somehow reminds me of Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again”, it has the same kinda vibe in it. And I have this image of starry night in the middle of Icelandic winter while I’m listening to “Hugur Minn Err”, it is very calming.
Kreisí is so enchanting!
Wait, Greta sounds good too.
I would’ve loved to see more variation in the selection, because everything is so damn slow. Augnablik is the one I will be rooting for and maybe some others.
Ughhhh they’re all so boring, since when did hipster soft music replace dancy pop, looks like we’ll be asleep in stockholm
Palmi Gunnarsson for me
those other songs are crap
Á NY is the best,but I don’t like how slow it is to get going. The only exciting g part was the end. I actually (for once) think it should definetly be changed to English because at least that would make it memorable.
GRETA SALÓME STEFÁNSDÓTTIR “RADDIRNAR” ! <3
Disappointment, Songvakeppnin is your name…
I like Sigga Eyrun – Kreisi (let’s be honest, it’s a dead cert to become “Crazy”) and Karlotta Sigurthardottir – Ostothvandi the most.
I don’t understand why I seem one of the few to really love Greta’s song… It’s briljant, makes me really happy. But we’ll, it won’t go to ESC -.-
Erna Mist & Magnús Thorlacius and Elísabet Ormslev are the best!
Greta song is not so great,”Never forget” was miles better.
Sigga Eyrún is the only one stands out for me. Iceland should send some real icelandic whimsical vanguard music instead of dry boring pop.
Iceland as always has great songs in their national final. My favourites are:
1. Elisabet Ornslev
2. Greta Salóme
3. Erna Mist & Magnus Thorlacius
4. Karlotta Sigurdardóttir
5. Sigga Eyrun