They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And on Wednesday Norway’s JOWST followed that mantra, delivering a tweaked, but not totally revamped performance that mirrored their stage show from Melodi Grand Prix 2017.
As in Oslo lead singer Alexander stands centre stage wearing a white button-up and a wide-brimmed hat. DJ Jowst — still masked — stands at back at his turntable. But this time he wears a mask that illuminates with white lights, rather than one that smacks of Silence of the Lambs (and likely scares small children).
The dominant colour — which comes through in the LED — remains purple. But it now alternates to black and grey, helping add mystery. On-screen effects include purple TV static and images of animals. They blot out the surroundings but never the singer, and add some dynamism to this rather linear track.
Vocally The Voice of Norway alum was as steady as ever. His voice remains smooth with just the right amount of grit, which adds a flash of sexiness and intrigue.
JOWST ft. Aleksander Walmann — “Grab the Moment”: Reviews and Reactions
Norway: First Rehearsal at Eurovision 2017
Norway: First Press Conference 2017
Read all of our Eurovision rehearsal reviews
Read all of our Norway Eurovision news here
Photo: Eurovision.tv (EBU)
My favorite this year
I like this! The staging actually appeals to me.
Are they using Björkman-esque recorded backing vocals?
If so, it’s nil point from me. Never forget Doris.
I really enjoed this performance! I have to say it has grown on me a little.
They changed few things but the general concept is similar to the NF. I also like the colours.
They will qualify.
Nothing wrong with Norway. Worked well in their final. Do it again. Song will stand out!
I think it looks good on stage, much better than in MGP. It’s simple, but focused; they give the impression of Alexander being alone in a huge stadium, living his moment. It goes perfectly with the song.
This song is OK…problem is that very unmelodic interlude when it goes all sci fi and off key for 15-20 secs which will really alienate more traditional listeners. I reckon this will be 8 to10 and squeeze through and get mid to lower position in final.
Most underrated entry of the year. A true dark horse.
What do you think about JOWS’ tweet targetting Bulgaria’s entry?
Some context for those who don’t know yet: Jowst sent a tweet of a video of “Woodkid – Iron.” Jowst’s tweet read: “I love the music video of @KristianKostov_ song! I also like this: Woodkid – Iron.” Jowst generally has quite an abrupt sense of humour on Twitter – he echoes Trump on at least one occasion. So his whole persona can be read as divisive. However, I don’t think he should be read too seriously. I know he has been friendly with the Bulgarian delegation behind the scenes and is a big fan of Kristian Kostov. Jowst was just… Read more »
Screenshot of the actual tweet:
https://mobile.twitter.com/eurovisiontom/status/859033460459134977/photo/1
The shade of it all was too thick, I laughed in Norwegian
How do you “laugh in Norwegian?” :S
I comment this on another article and they said it’s “Italian propaganda” against Bulgaria.
Actually I don’t know why the press reacted so negatively to Norway’s staging today. I just saw it myself, and it looks great! 🙂
Hmmm. Perhaps they were all too blown away by Croatia beforehand?
Please can we talk about the pre-recorded vocals, or “voice sampling?” One of the press told ESCKaz that Norway has been allowed to use “voice sampling” this year. Technically this goes against the contest’s rules that all vocals have to be live – but is “voice sampling” considered live vocals or live instrumentation when it’s used in a beatboxing context? I’m not sure. “Beatboxing” is becoming more and more popular as time goes on, and it uses voice sampling that is then deployed using live button controls – this is an important grey area for the contest. Yes it is… Read more »
I wonder if it’s the case that so long as the sample has been taken from that actual performance it features in, then it is able to bend the pre-recorded vocals rule. If they sing out of tune or time on stage then then sample will be completely off throughout. They’re going to need come up with some kind of concession given how popular live sampling has been for years now, not just in beatboxing, but in solo singer song writer performances.
This isn’t beatboxing, it’s vocal cutting – a common technique for DJs and producers. See musicians like Diplo, Kygo and Alan Walker (the latter two from Norway) have made it more popular. I think they regard it as a sound effect as opposed to vocals, as the two can be distinguished. It would otherwise mean having to hook the microphone up to the sampler and use live vocal editing (no live instruments though…)
Ahh. Thank you ADAK. I didn’t know that. “Vocal cutting” it is. 🙂