Hold the press. Daði Freyr Pétursson has clarified that he is open to representing Iceland at Eurovision 20201 with Gagnamagnið — if Icelandic broadcaster RUV “wants to invite us.”
Daði suggested strongly that he would not be open to competing in the national final in 2021, writing on Twitter: “It would just feel weird to me to compete in Söngvakeppnin again.”
This new statement, issued on Thursday, will do much to calm the nerves of fans who worried that they may never see Daði or his signature mint-green sweater on a Eurovision stage again.
To clarify.
I would be honoured and proud to represent Iceland with a new Gagnamagnið song in Eurovision if @RUVohf wants to invite us.
It would just feel weird to me to compete in #Söngvakeppnin again.
Either way I will keep making more music, that's not going to change. <3— Daði Freyr ? (@dadimakesmusic) March 26, 2020
Will Daði Freyr Pétursson and Gagnamagnið sing at Eurovision 2021?
Thursday’s statement is a clarification to comments published on Wednesday.
Daði told Icelandic media Visir.is that he won’t return for Iceland’s Eurovision 2021 selection Söngvakeppnin. “We have won this competition once and if I went back then you would feel like people should just pick a person because we had won once and did not go to the competition,” he said. “It would then not come out well for me to re-enter and not win the race.”
He also made it clear in that interview that he was staying away from the national selection show as a singer, but would be happy to compose a song for other artists.
“I might be ready to compose a song, but I’m not going back to Söngvakeppnin.”
This led to a lot of very upset Eurofans, who dream of the Icelandic group dropping their quirky, uplifting vibes at ESC.
Could Iceland choose Daði og Gagnamagnið internally?
Daði’s willingness to be internally selected would, of course, mean that Iceland would have to either cancel Söngvakeppnin or re-format the show so that it focuses on them alone, rather than having the group as one among many competitors.
Söngvakeppnin is a staple of the Eurofan calendar and domestically it draws impressive ratings, with almost everyone in the country watching to see who Iceland will send to ESC.
The broadcaster would have to balance this well-established tradition with the hype and love the country feels for its would-be Eurovision 2020 singers, who, owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, missed their chance to build on their status as favourites to win Eurovision.
What do you want to see happen? Should Iceland stage Söngvakeppnin next year? Should they make it a one-act show starring Daði og Gagnamagnið? Or should they just choose the group internally and skip a national selection show altogether? Sound off below!
[…] Daði Freyr has previously clarified that he is open to representing Iceland at Eurovision 2021 with Gagnamagnið — if the Icelandic broadcaster RUV “wants to invite us.” […]
Yes, of course! They don’t have to go through this internal contest once again, they’ve already won it!
Everything is different with this pandemic, sure RÚV can adapt to this new situation.
Their music is so great, let them share it with Europe!
Why can’t every country just choose their artist for 2020 and then do what Romania and Israel did with their NFs.
Some national finals have very recognizable formats. For instance, in Melfest, The Mamas would have to make 28 new songs diverse in language and style and compete for 6 weeks against themselves. It’s easier for countries like Armenia, Poland, San Marino and France to do it, since their methods shift all the time anyway.
Yes, why not?
Yes, please do!
Iceland, RÚV, you know what eurofans want, now do your part and select him already!
Iceland would have to be nuts not to internally select the guy who had a pretty fair chance of winning this year had esc not been cancelled. Just saying.
Lithuania was better.
Please dont.
His song was so damn good! I hope they really think about things and select him internally. I actually think his 2017 (or was it 2018?) song from Söngvakeppnin was good as well, so if he gets chosen internally, I think his song will be amazing!
Simmple answer: yes.
I wouldn’t want to miss the chance with talented and charismatic artist who already made an impact even before the contest.
So, Dadi and Ulrikke would be willing to be internally picked, but not willing to participate in their respective national finals (even if their televoting numbers would probably be off chart)? On one hand, I can understand that. It’s like they graduated and someone tells them to take the exam once again. It feels redundant… On the other, it would be a risky choice for broadcasters to cancel their national finals. This is one of those cases in which I’d like to have my cake and eat it as well. In any case, Dadi and Ulrikke are both very talented… Read more »
Just hold in studios in home countries this year and we can all vote by phone. WE’LL DONE TO THE BBC FOR TRYING TO SORT THIS OUT
Why not? he should have gone again with the same song but swedish bosses dont want to score an 18th place with Mamas, it damages their (already damaged) reputation
Swedish mafia is stronger than you think. They get the job every single year. They should focus in their country that hasn’t done anything for Coronavirus and more and more people are getting sick #facts
Bye Rasmus aka Bjorkmans dog
OK, the Wiwi filters are getting really funky. Can I not mention any broadcaster by name now? I’ve had two posts get held off now with nothing controversial in them whatsoever, but I think mentioning the broadcasters got them filtered.
I presumably got filtered for mentioning the Icelandic NF name. You never know what causes it.
Sorry about the filters. We’ve had to have them turned up to the max ever since the incident with the Arilena/Albania super fan! We try to approve comments as soon as possible.
Given that, I totally understand
Between them and Hatari, Iceland have gotten more publicity for their entries in the last two years than they have for about a decade. When they’re very popular locally, steadily getting more popular internationally, and also happen to be from a not-terribly-big country (which has lots of talent, don’t get me wrong, but scouting it out isn’t always easy), it would make a lot of sense for RUV to pick them.
I want to have a regular Icelandic NF like every year since 2006 and I’m not ashamed of it.
If RUV is smart, they will choose him internally.
I know he can pull out another Think About Things song.
Also he has a lot of momentum now, I guess his presence will grow even larger if he continues to deliver which is an advantage.
Definitely! Even though it’s probably a tough choice to cancel Söngvakeppnin, but I think they have better chances to win if they pick him.
Unless Bjork’s going to do it, of course, I’d invite Daði to internally represent them. How many acts does Iceland even have with that level of uniqueness and international interest?
Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men, Kaleo, GusGus, Emiliana Torrini, Ásgeir… before Björk started her solo career, there were also The Sugarcubes, they were sort of popular back in the day.
Sigur Rós, Of Monsters And Men, Kaleo, GusGus, Emilíana Torrini, Ásgeir… before Björk started her solo career, there were also The Sugarcubes, they were sort of popular back in the day.
(Similar comment may pop up above, as the first comment got filtered.)
Fun fact, the guy who represented Iceland in 1989 (and got 0 points) is also a member of GusGus
Most unpopular opinion ever on here but I don’t care: I wanna have a regular Söngvakeppnin competition in 2021 and I’m not ashamed of it.
YESSS of coure yesss, please Iceland you had a great opportunity last year. Unfortunately it was cancelled, but they are still willing to go to ESC, the broadcaster and the country souldn’t lose this opportunity
We’ll see, but I hope for some one artist-several songs national finals like Israel and Romania this year in order to give some of the 2020 artists a second chance to represent while still have some kind of a national final show.
YES they should!! They were basically certain of a top 10 finish (and almost certain of top 5) if they want to have a memorable high finish surely they would send them right!? Im not sure if any song in songvakeppnin could even come remotely close to the hype this song has had and with them and their whole aesthetic Im actually pretty certain they will at least come close! Theyll have a year to write a song that works!
Even if you didn’t like his song for 2020, when you consider how viral it went I think Iceland would be crazy not to send him again for 2021.
Right? Same way I’d be shocked if The Roop didn’t get picked for Lithuania.