Norway: Wiwi Jury reviews In Fusion with “Nothing Ever Knocked Us Over”

C’mon, forehead earring! The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — recently gathered in Oslo to review the ten songs competing in Melodi Grand Prix, the national selection for Norway at Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv. Today we turn our attention to In Fusion and their song “Nothing Ever Knocked Us Over”. Is Norway destined for triple trouble if this song goes to Eurovision? Read on to find out…

In Fusion – “Nothing Ever Knocked Us Over”

“Nothing Ever Knocked Us Over” reviews

Zakaria: This is such a throwback naughties Eurodance tune and it’s oh so satisfying! Sometimes it’s nice to go back and reflect on how cheesy and innocent music was back then. In Fusion is all about that and they come out as very refreshing in a NF season full of depression-inducing ballads. The song offers a lot of fun stage presentation possibilities but the biggest issue with this type of entry is how different it sounds live compared to the studio version.

Score: 8/10

Chris: Is this what Dolly Style look like when you take the wigs off? This feels too serious for what is, ultimately, a cheap ’00s pop song repackaged for today. There needs to be a sense of joy somewhere in this, because right now it feels too cold and calculated. Maybe on stage this one will be a bit more lively, but In Fusion have a lot to do if this wants to make it to Kyiv.

Score: 5/10

William: They aren’t just In Fusion — they are nuclear! “Nothing Ever Knocked Us Over” sets perseverance to a heavy EDM beat, but remains light and airy owing to the ladies’ soaring vocals, which have a delightful country twang. Packed with positivity and feel-good spirit, this brings energy, life and optimism. Caution: If the stage feels empty during their performance (think Cascada at Eurovision 2013), then this will fall flat. But if they figure out a way to fill the stage with more than just their sound, this will slay the pack and challenge for the win.

Score: 8.5/10

Robyn: I have a theory that this song is written for people who feel nostalgic for the Eurovision of a decade ago. So while the lyrics are about looking back at long gone golden years, the music serves that exact style of music that Eurovision used to be about. This is a little cozy corner for those who still want to party like it’s 2009.

Score: 6.5/10

Angus: Coco Chanel once said that before you leave your house, you should look in the mirror and take one piece off. Had In Fusion taken that sage advice before leaving the studio, they might have a better song on their hands. Instead “Nothing Ever Knocked Is Over” is an overproduced mess that lunges from one lazy 00s dance cliche to another. My advice is to invest in a crash mat: these ladies are set for a big fall in Oslo.

Score: 3/10

Forrest: In Fusion appears to be Norway’s answer to Denmark’s 2016 entry, Lighthouse X.  Just like “Soldiers of Love”, “Nothing Ever Knocked Us Over” is slightly anthemic with a pleasant trio of harmonies — I can already picture the light beam staging.  Interestingly, this song seems to have remixed itself, with the post-chorus sounding like it was ripped from a Dolly Style track.  As a fan of “Soldiers of Love”, I rather enjoy this, although I’m well aware it would get eviscerated at Eurovision.

Score: 6.5/10

Jason: Hey, In Fusion: the noughties called and it wants all of its cheap dance music trends back. “Nothing Ever Knocked Us Over” tries to squash a lot into three minutes, and the result is a loud thumping mess. This wouldn’t have done well ten years ago, never mind in 2017.

Score: 3.5/10

Kristin: It’s like Cascada took a chill pill and decided to increase the rhythm, then enter MGP. This has a major nostalgic feeling to it, and its easy to nod your head and tap your feet to it. However, their voices, although sounding lovely and harmonised, get drowned in the music. That could be a problem when it comes to the live performance. If In Fusion succeeds in giving strong and on point vocals, this just might edge its way to the super finals. But it’s a big “if”.

Score: 6.5/10

Our jury for Melodi Grand Prix 2017 contains 20 jurors, but we only have room for eight reviews. The remaining 12 scores are listed below.

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 2 and a high of 9.5.

WIWI JURY VERDICT: 6.39/10

See all our Melodi Grand Prix 2017 rankings here

READ MORE NORWAY EUROVISION NEWS HERE