The Wiwi Jury reveals their favourites in Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix 2022

After four semi-finals and a two-part second-chance round, Norway is finally ready to decide. The grand final of Melodi Grand Prix 2022 will take place on tonight, where ten acts will compete to be Norway’s act for Eurovision 2022. But who should win the ticket to Turin?

The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — have listened to the ten finalists and ranked our favourites. Who are our favourites in the MGP? Read on to find out!

Natalie

1. Maria Mohn – “Fly”

Omg. This song is epic as hell. When Nordic folk music is combined with modern music, I’m right there, and this one takes that formula to new heights. Rather than the overwhelming dance beats of Keiino, Maria Mohn uses minimalist electronic music and undercuts it with Norwegian drums and strings. Then, combined with her silvery voice and delicate lyrics, creates the most enchanting experience. Honestly, this song not getting the same attention as Elsie Bay is the biggest crime of the national final season for me. There’s so little to fault. I hope we see a lot more of Maria in the future.

2. Oda Gondrosen – “Hammer of Thor”
3. Subwoolfer – “Give That Wolf a Banana”
4. Anna-Lisa Kumoji – “Queen Bees”
5. Sofie Fjellvang – “Made of Glass”

Oliver

1. Elsie Bay – “Death of Us”

Throughout a tough-to-stomach, painstakingly long national selection, less than a handful of Eurovision qualifier contenders have arisen from Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix. Elsie Bay stands head and shoulders above the competition. Despite some overly-pretentious lyrics and subtext, “Death of Us” is a well-crafted piece of songwriting, with emphatic swells and intriguing progressions. Elsie seizes every opportunity to show off her vocal, but to really capture a voter’s attention she’ll need to upgrade the minimal staging to match the dynamism of the track. Nail it, and she’s got a real shot at the Norwegian ticket to Turin.

2. Subwoolfer – “Give That Wolf a Banana”
3. Anna-Lisa Kumoji – “Queen Bees”
4. Oda Gondrosen – “Hammer of Thor”
5. Farida – “Dangerous”

Pablo

1. Subwoolfer – “Give That Wolf a Banana”

The level of creativity this whole package has is simply beyond this earthly realm. Subwoolfer offer the right amount of zaniness accompanied with a song that’s unique, yet universal: This doesn’t feel off-kilter for the sake of it, this is on par with Hatari in terms of world-building and conceptualism. There is word that this song is about vaccination. I don’t believe it’s the case beyond possible inspiration, but who cares? We got trillion-years old canids bringing their music from the moon to Eurovision. Work.

2. Maria Mohn – “Fly”
3. Elsie Bay – “Death of Us”
4. Oda Gondrosen – “Hammer of Thor”
5. Anna-Lisa Kumoji – “Queen Bees”

Robyn

1. NorthKid – “Someone”

This is a sweet song and NorthKid deliver it well. And, ok, is seems a little inspired by Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” — but the Scottish singer certainly doesn’t have monopoly on heartbreak. NorthKid brings a relatable energy to the performance and frontman Bilal is able to handle both the big loud notes and the more subtle moments of the song. Maybe the overall sound is ever so slightly dated but the overall performance elevates the song beyond just the impact of the audio. It’s a fresh sound for Norway.

2. Subwoolfer – “Give That Wolf a Banana”
3. Frode Vassel – “Black Flowers”
4. Sofie Fjellvang – “Made of Glass”
5. Maria Mohn – “Fly”

What do you think? Who is your favourite in Melodi Grand Prix 2022? Who should represent Norway in Turin? Sound off in the comments section below!