A cold front is forming. Iceland is looking to carve out a return to the Eurovision grand final for the first time since 2014. We now know the act that is heading to Tel Aviv to achieve just that. Hatari has won Söngvakeppnin 2019 with the song “Hatrið mun sigra”.
Hatari – “Hatrið mun sigra”
After two semi-finals, we were left with five acts to battle for the crown in Iceland.
The first round of voting involved an international jury and a televote, each worth 50% of the final score. This would determine the two acts progressing to the superfinal.
Söngvakeppnin 2019: First Round Running Order
- Friðrik Ómar – “Hvað ef ég get ekki elskað?”
- Kristina Bærendsen – “Mamma Said”
- Tara Mobee – “Fighting For Love”
- Hera Björk – “Moving On”
- Hatari – “Hatrið mun sigra”
In the end, it was both Icelandic-language songs that progressed to the superfinal.
It’s Hatari and Friðrik Ómar through to the super-final of #Söngvakeppnin. Who do you think will go on to win? pic.twitter.com/a2n1kpf2HS
— wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) March 2, 2019
Friðrik Ómar and Hatari both reprised their songs, and it was then up to the Icelandic public to decide who would go to Eurovision 209 in Tel Aviv.
In a change from previous years, each act did not start from a clean slate in the superfinal, but rather kept the televoting points they had earned in the first round.
Söngvakeppnin 2019: Superfinal
- Friðrik Ómar – “Hvað ef ég get ekki elskað?”
- Hatari – “Hatrið mun sigra”
The final result was then announced by none other than Eurovision’s executive supervisor Jon Ola Sand. It was anti-capitalist BDSM techno performance art group Hatari who prevailed. They’ll now be taking “Hatrið mun sigra” (“Hate Will Prevail”) to Tel Aviv.
In between all the results, Söngvakeppnin kept giving us musical gifts. We were treated with an Icelandic version of Lady Gaga’s and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.
Iceland’s 2018 representative Ari Ólafsson reprised his song “Our Choice”, as well as joining a tenor-trio to sing “Grande Amore”, Il Volo’s Eurovision 2015 song for Italy.
Finally Eurovision 2018 runner-up Eleni Foureira gave us a rendition of “Fuego” and “Tómame”. Fire and Ice y’all!
What do you think of the winner? Are Iceland going to return to the grand final? Let us know in the comments below.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS! That key change is EVERYTHING! I’m getting major Rise against the Machine vibes from this! Iceland has a very well deserved spot in my top 5: 1. Netherlands, 2. Italy, 3. Iceland, 4. Slovenia, 5. Azerbaijan. I really love the alternative rock, contemporary, and indie representation in this year’s contest! PLEASE, no more fast food music!
Wow, Island! First time I was laughing at the same time that I was enjoying the song. I don’t know anything about the song and if there’s a message behind it. But ESC need this kind of entries. Have a big smile on my face.
What is the song about?
Lycka till Island från Sverige <3
English translation of Hatrið mun sigra The revelry was unrestrained The hangover is endless Life is meaningless The void will get us all Hate will prevail Happiness comes to an end For it is an illusion A treacherous pipe dream All that I saw Tears ran down All that I gave Once gave I gave it all to you Multilateral delusions Unilateral punishments Gullible poor fellows The escape will end The emptiness will get us all Hate will prevail Europe will crumble A web of lies Will arise from the ashes United as one All that I saw Tears ran… Read more »
The bit definitely sounds like something, I feel like I’ve heard it before. Isn’t it from commercial or something like that?
BAD BAD BAD vibes…. WTF???? Bad different kind of…. music? It looks like coming directly from hell…..
It is a very interesting song I must say. It remains to be seen if they will manage to win or not. Having said that, I hope for a good result for my country, Cyprus. good luck to both countries anyway. P.s. the screaming is indeed a bit off-putting.
If this ends high, it’s not that good for the Eurovision reputation unfortunately.
Music is not fireworks, music is feelings … And I feel much anger and desperation, which fits the lyrics very well. You’ve done a great job , Iceland!
I like the lyrics very much. The message in them – it’s my favorite part. I like the song’s melody also. The singing of the dude with the unconventional haircut too (I don’t recall the name of it now). The camera movements as well. Very slick. The overall staging is very, very good. But… If I’m being honest, I can’t listen to the song many times since my head gets heavy because of the “harsh” sounding one. Still… My favorites are Hatari, Mahmood and Ester from Romania. Not considering my own country. Please don’t take a chunk out of me… Read more »
The best part of the evening? The Icelandic cover of “Shallow” (welcome back, Yohanna!) and the show-stealing performance of “Grande Amore” by Ari, Gissur and the other guy whose name I don’t know yet.
Can we agree now that Ari’s non-qualification was due to the song? I’m sure he would do better with another song that matched his incredible baritone power.
For the winner, bleh. To the garbage with Spain and Portugal for me.
Well, hopefully they will get banned from Israel, which I am quite sure Hatari wouldn’t even give a sh*t about, but that would completely prove their point and give publicity to their cause. I can imagine a lot of people in IPBC and the Israeli government are already sweating over this: let them sweat!
Outstanding… GREAT CHOICE Iceland…directly into my top 5:
1. Italy, 2. Iceland, 3. Belgium, 4. Croatia, 5. #bringbackMaruv
Oh what a beautiful and open country Israel must be than..
Normally I would be the first one in offer my support to any Rock/ Metal song on ESC (Like with AWS) but…seriously?
It’s not rock or metal. It is cybergoth industrial.
I still remember the many Wiwibloggs fans who were rooting for AWS to win last year. Just as a gentle reminder — they finished in 21st spot in the final (and 10th on semi final 2). Post-hardcore as a music genre did not do well in ESC. It did not do well precisely because the aggression was extremely off-putting. The same will be true for BDSM-rock as a music genre. Not to mention that if Hatari actually do go through with their nonsense and use the stage to spew some political agenda as they had promised, they might trigger various… Read more »
Imo, they’re very very different from AWS, which was aggressive for Eurovision maybe, but a normal hard rock song on itself. It was on my top 10 and I liked it a lot, but from a musical point of view it was a predictable typical composition of a rock song. Hatari’s performance is almost theatrical, and their song is kinda unusual with a big contrast from the two singers’ voices. I just love to watch it, especially the guy who does the growling, and his face mimics when he sings (very scary/aggressive when singing the verses, then dead serious when… Read more »
BDSM rock? It’s industrial. How does this sound anything like rock music.
Some people, every music genre that has some kind of noise in it, call it rock 😛
I hope the juries bury this in May. This year is becoming like a circus and people outside Eurovision will put a bad name on it just like the past. What’s the quality of this songwise?
You must live a very sheltered life
I live happily with quality music around.
I believe this song is better musically than 99% of Eurovision songs. Easily the highest quality music in the contest this year. People just can’t see past the costumes and the vocals and either champion it or hate it after the first 10 seconds.
Terrible, HORRIBLE…. Only bad songs won yesterday yaaawwwn…
I think you’ll find Croatia’s entry was selected a few weeks ago, not yesterday
The band isn’t going to do anything extreme to disqualify them. First of all, one of the members works for RUV. Secondly, now that they’ve realized how popular they are and actually have a shot at winning, I doubt they’re in much of a position to sabotage their country’s chances now. I think they’d rather try winning now that they know that it is possible. Also, …in their interviews and such you could see that much of what they do is satirical/a joke, so personally I don’t think we should take the threat of them doing something risky seriously.
EVROPA HRYNJA
I love the sound & production, but that growling singing is so off-putting. It kinda reminds me of a grittier “Feed You My Love”
It’s a very bad growling technique, actually. The lead singer should get some growling lessons ASAP or his voice will be severely damaged in a few months or years. There is a proper singing technique for growling, and most death metal vocalists must learn to do it from specialized vocal coaches, in order to avoid permanent damage to the vocal chords.
Well it’s not death metal so that’s the first thing. And he sounds just fine
Iceland national final wasn’t strong but the stand out won! I don’t know if there was a better choice for them but they will stand out for sure.Personally, I’m not a fan of the song and it’s among my least favourites.
Top 20??!!
Right decisions are catching up. So far I love that there are some daring and very interesting entries on the road to Tel Aviv. Celebrate diversity – let’s dream another year 😉
Very mixed feelings about this one. I love the music and the general structure of the song, as well as the chorus. But the screaming is just a bit too much for me. Although it’s growing on me after listening to it a few times, I am afraid they will not easily captivate people at first listen
Angry electronic body music! I llllove it! 12 points from Germany
Attention. Croatia without wings and not english version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6pkEgrX3C4 I like it. ?
Attention, this is Iceland
Did the wings get torn off by Hatari?
Well, I really like the song, much to my own surprise (I’m usually not that much into that kind of music). But the singer’s voice in the chorus seemed a little uneven during the live performance, and the costumes don’t really fit the mood and message of the song, imo. I’m afraid they’ll make it look like a joke act, which it isn’t. Still, it might just be one of my favourite entries this year.
i love all the different choices we get this year! something for everybody…
i just don’t find it very shocking… screaming in a mike and wearing a corsette? Lady Gaga has made a fortune with that 😉
Lady Gaga also had the songs. This is just the image.
only if u like her music… if not u could say that the fetish look is more authentic in this case…
i like Gaga btw… don’t get me wrong! edge of glory would be a wonderful eurovision track… 😉
Everyone: Eurovision is not a joke!!
Iceland: Introducing…. Hatari!!
I like the song is in Icelandic. And that’s actually the only thing I like about it.
I’m happy they won because I like the song but the live vocals are really quite atrocious. Between that and the 18+ costumes, I doubt think they have any chance of even coming top 5 in Tel Aviv, let alone winning. But still, it was the best of a bad bunch.
OMG! Why? Why? Fetishistic outfits should stay in bedrooms or sex clubs. The song itself is maybe too rough for ESC but I’d listen to it at home
everything is able to be a fetish… so no socks, no sneakers and no corsettes either???
What’s wrong with this? In reality, none of the people on stage were really showing any skin except for their faces and hands. Everyone in the group is fully covered. The dancing could be WAY more provocative than it currently is. Imo, Maruv’s performance was more sexual than this one is because it was deliberate in her outfits, lyrics, and choreography. I really don’t understand why leather needs to be immediately sexualized. They’re JUST harnesses. Why can’t that just be an aesthetic thing? Why does everything gotta be a sex thing to people? I really don’t see this guys purposefully… Read more »
Preach!
They risk to be disqualified if that was the case. The mossad is watching them closely. Israel is not France where the security let the BSD protesters get up on stage. They take that kind of things seriously. In fact they might not be allowed to enter the country and get turned back at the TLV airport if they are deemed a provocation risk.
Israel signed a contract with the EBU as part of the hosting deal agreeing to let all visitors and participants into the country regardless of political views and affiliations so Hatari shouldn’t have a problem getting in for the contest.
(I think the EBU has had this clause in the hosting contract since the 2017 Samoilova controversy)
Most, if not all Western Countries restrict entry to people who are deemed to be a danger to the country or its values. There are similar rules when entering Eurozone, and much stricture rules when entering the US or Australia. Do European nations need to modify their entry requirements before they are allowed to host the Eurovision – for example if there are people supporting overthrowing the government should the host nation be made to decide between letting them in or forfeiting hosting the event? There is no government in the world, no autocarcy, oligarchy, democracy, or any other government,… Read more »
Is Israel considers six performers dressed in leather and spikes as a legitimate threat, then Israel very badly needs to get its priorities straight.
What is wrong with being provocative? Are you afraid of different opinions?
I hope they get sent home . They’re hideous !
Multilateral delusions
Unilateral punishments , ha ha ha
My current Top, after yesterday: (from Italy)
1. POR
2. ICE
3. ITA
4. NOR
5. SLO
6. AUS
What a beautiful eurovision night (<3<3)
The only good thing about this entry is that they are singing in Icelandic (if those irritating voices can be called “singing”).
I don’t understand why people love this song so much and why bookmakers put them 4th.
I mean I’m not against the song (even if I don’t like it) but everyone atound me hâte this song. I would absolutely nobody who like it and would vote for it.
For me it will go through bit will stand at a low place in final.
All I can think of is how crazy it is that we have Hatari for Iceland and sweet Leonora for Denmark xD
This is absolutely hideous and aesthetically insulting
I think she doth protest too much. I bet it gets your juices flowing
Just to say, Iceland have risen up to 4th in the betting odds, so victory isn’t impossible.
Jamala : Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?
Mirror : Maruv
Jamala : Crimea is Ukraine?
OMG, IS THIS MUSIC…0/10
They will be last place.. horrible
Multilateral delusions
Unilateral punishments
Sorry but they are beyond bad… Just provoke with no good music…
We have a winner
For Eurovision!
Hatari will win!
Hatrið mun sigra!
2020 Reykjavík????
Love it! I just hope they go even crazier and more over the top on the stage in tel aviv
I am not a fan at all. Yet again I was not a fan of Finland 2006. I hope it qualifies but I certainly would not want this to be the winner. Points to originality and creativity though. Good luck Iceland
Iceland has two runner-up finishes, in 1999 (behind Sweden’s “Take Me to Your Heaven”) and 2009 (behind Norway’s “Fairytale”). As for 1989, Iceland finished dead last with 0 points. So, with this year ending in a 9, it could go very well for Iceland or it could go very badly.
I kinda like this song; it’s different from typical Eurovision fare and is bound to get people talking.
Can you imagine the trinity, with Maruv for Ukraine, and Drangsal for Germany?
What a missed opportunity. Ukraine and Germany did it so wrong this year 2019.
Yeah, I’m still pissed that we don’t have fierce female song of Maruv because of stupid politics!
Belarus and Georgia, send e-mails to Maruv to accept their offers.
Georgia didn’t send e-mail to Maruv …We choose singer by Georgian Idol.
Not true. Singer can not send application to two different countries in same year nor can present other country if it is in process of selection in one country.
It is not true. Some countries have it in their rules but i general it is not a problem to apply to more countries if the country allows it. Sweden is against as I know but in the past we had situations when rejected songs in national finals in one cou ntry later were qualified into national finals in another country (Napoli rejected i 2006 in Belarus later took part in Poland). What is more, Michal Wisniewski (Ich Troje Poland 2003) won NF in 2003 and later took part in German final in 2003 because he wanted to represent 2… Read more »
I think this is most likely to win Eurovision
I agree. I see a winner here
Really?! Poor Eurovision!
Yes, right, downvote, but I’m sure we will see a twist, now that they won.
One piece of a much larger warning, I think. The emotion works all ways, for all people. Sometimes the product of art is greater than its intention.
This was a reply to a comment that has since been deleted. I don’t know why whole threads don’t get deleted whenever that happens. It’s weird.