Rúnar Make Your Way Back Home

Earlier today, the Wiwi Jury – our in-house panel of music unprofessionals – waited patiently for Geysir to erupt. When it did, we had a deep discussion about Rúnar Eff and his entry for Söngvakeppnin 2017, “Make Your Way Back Home”. Read on to find out what we thought.

Rúnar Eff – “Make Your Way Back Home”

About Rúnar Eff

Rúnar is a newcomer to Söngvakeppnin. Rúnar wrote the song himself, and has dedicated it to his wife. His background lies in country, but here he breaks into the realm of gentle rock.

“Make Your Way Back Home” reviews

Robyn: The first time I heard this I was really impressed with it, but it hasn’t quite held up. Still, it’s one of the best songs in Söngvakeppnin this year. Rúnar gives a strong and emotional performance, in that unmistakable Icelandic way. The song has a folky gospel sound that promises to really come alive in the live performance.

Score: 7/10

Jason: This is not my usual cup of tea, but Rúnar’s voice is just so sexy appealing. It is true that the final 30 or so seconds greatly help this song, but to be honest, I could listen to Rúnar sing a cappella for about an hour with ease. While I don’t think “Make Your Way Back Home” will win, I would not be angry if it did.

Score: 7/10

Chris: I actually didn’t realise I was listening to this song when I hit play: it just fades in to the background so easily. It’s not until the climax of the song that something happens. Sure, it’s great when it happens, but will people have zoned out by that point — especially at Eurovision? They didn’t stick around for “Made of Stars” and I doubt they would for this.

Score: 5.5/10

William: Rúnar’s voice is strong enough to send seismic waves all the way to California! Deep, melodic, rich — he could seduce the pants off of a mannequin! Unfortunately the song is less convincing. Minimalism is one thing, but this just feels boring and somewhat empty until the final thirty seconds. In a tough contest with a number of stellar singers, I’m not sure that’ll be enough.

Score: 6/10

Sami: What a sexy voice! I also like the mystical atmosphere and it’s even stronger in the Icelandic version. The last thirty seconds are very important for the song, as they really elevate it. I don’t think this will win Söngvakeppnin, but it is a perfect song for rainy, grey days (of which we have plenty in Finland).

Score: 8/10

Matt:  This song has mileage. Runar definitely has it all going on — just listen to those slick vocals! I think that both the Icelandic and English versions could do really well with the Eurovision juries. It does have a few issues, however, as it doesn’t get get going until quite late into the song. But if he can make things come to life a bit sooner it could be a dark horse in this Songvakeppnin.

Score: 7.5/10

Josh: I don’t mind this dreamy rock style of music when it’s done well (for example, Coldplay), but “Make Your Way Back Home” bores me. Rúnar has a lovely voice to listen to and guuurrrlllll, those eyes pierce my soul. But I need music to have a hook to grab my attention and unfortunately this falls short.

Score: 5/10

Mikhail: This song has a really beautiful melody, but it feels as if it is stretched like chewing gum (you know, when you hold one end of it in your teeth and pull the other end). Throughout the whole song I was waiting for some drums to erupt, to blow everyone away with energy. Alas. A bit disappointing for me, if I am honest.

Score: 6/10

In our Söngvakeppnin 2017 Wiwi Jury, we have 20 jurors but only room for 8 reviews. The rest of our scores can be found below:

Antranig: 6.5/10

Bernardo: 6/10

Dayana: 6/10

Deban: 6/10

Florian: 7.5/10

Forrest: 6.5/10

Jordi: 6/10

Kristin: 9.5/10

Luis: 7/10

Patrick: 4.5/10

Sinan: 7/10

Steinunn: 4/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before calculating the average score, the highest and lowest scores are dropped. This is to remove outliers and reduce potential bias. We have removed a low of 4 and a high of 9.5.

Wiwi Jury Verdict: 6.39/10

SEE THE FULL LIST OF SÖNGVAKEPPNIN 2017 RANKINGS HERE

READ MORE ICELAND EUROVISION NEWS

3 Comments
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AngieP
AngieP
7 years ago

I really like this song. And his voice is great!

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

Remarkable voice, stunning talent … and far more important … a GREAT REAL song competing for the right reasons … learn from this … you know who!

Colin
Colin
7 years ago

Runar has an exceptionally good voice, the song is calming and charming. I wouldn’t mind this representing Iceland at all. 🙂