Iceland are on the hunt for a new hit song. Söngvakeppnin 2024 commences in just over a week, where ten acts will be competing for the title.
RÚV recently announced they were severing ties between Söngvakeppnin and Eurovision as an official selection. Instead, the winner will get to choose if they want to represent Iceland in Malmö or not. The decision was made due to building criticism in the country over Israel’s participation at Eurovision following the ongoing events in Gaza.
But that doesn’t stop us from posing the question: Who do you want to win?
If you haven’t already, listen to all the songs below. Then let us know who your favourites are.
Scroll down to vote in our poll
Söngvakeppnin 2024: Competing songs
Click on the song titles to listen to the Icelandic or English version of the song.
- ANITA – “Stingum af” / “Downfall”
- Bashar Murad – “Vestrið villt” / “Wild West”
- Blankiflúr – “Sjá þig” / “Love You”
- CeaseTone – “Ró” / “Flow”
- Heiðrún Anna – “Þjakaður af ást”
- Hera Björk – “Við förum hærra” / “Scared of Heights”
- MAIAA – “Fljúga burt” / “Break Away”
- Sigga Ózk – “Um allan alheiminn” / “Into the Atmosphere”
- Sunny – “Fiðrildi”
- VÆB – “Bíómynd” / “Movie Scene”
Poll: Who should win Söngvakeppnin 2024?
As always, you can vote for as many acts as you want. However, you only have one opportunity to cast your votes.
Who stands out to you amongst the Söngvakeppnin 2024 line-up? Who do you think has the best shot at taking the trophy? Let us know below.
This selection is reaching Belarusian levels of political insincerity and it’s quite a surprising thing to say about Iceland.
I feel very torn here. I’m not sure I should even consider this line-up a true selection. One name was announced two days before anyone else. And it was done officially by the broadcaster. I’d raise an eyebrow, but ultimately be okay with it if it was a newspaper leak. But no, RUV itself pretty much straightforward promoted one candidate before anyone else was even in the game. Usually I am quite sympathetic towards small countries, and Iceland in particular feels like an underdog who has often underperformed with some of the great songs it brought. Then again, I cannot… Read more »
Well actually, it was a newspaper leak – or better said: a news website leak. Visir (which is linked to an independent tv station – Stöð 2) published it first after they had been speculating about a rumour about it and then, half an hour later a news agent from ruv “confirmed” it on the ruv.is. Unfortunately. I believe that the news agent from ruv was out of his way there, they should have kept quiet. That being said, I am not sure Bashar will win. A big part of the fandom in Iceland, those who vote, are kids, mostly… Read more »
Vaeb have surprisingly got a lot of streams and views on their song on various platforms. I have a feeling they’re popular in Iceland because they’re like Jedward or some boy band and have the appeal live. Watch out for them, they are dark horses!
They do remind me of jedward.
I am on a train and i am bored but i dont have headphones so I Will have to judge the song by the title: into the atmosphere? Really atmosphere? IS that a good translation for Allheimin? I could be convinced by “into the universe” or “into the void” but atmosphere?? Not sure about this one. Love you… Really ??”love you” just like that? It must be a ballad… Nope, not sure… Next Wild West, country music or weird… Next. Scared of heights… Intriguing. Can be something. Does not sound too evident but a risky choice. I dont know what… Read more »
I havent listened to any of the songs and i wont do It but just based on the looks i choose the second one from the right on the bottom line…
I am gay btw… Dont mean she is more or less beautiful than the others but she seems nice. So send her, please.
I have to say I liked Wild wild west since the day i heard the song, its on my playlist. I don’t like the icelandic version though. I hope Bashar wins not only because i like his song, but because also it will bring great visibility to the Palestinian Cause. Iceland is not going to win the whole thing of course (because seems like 2024 is going to be a strong year) but his appearance in the contest will be a statement and that is what Palestine needs. Visibility. p.s. The Eurovision was always political. Zeros from Azerbaijan to Armenia… Read more »
You want visibility ?? Take them!!! Please …they can rape your woman’s and burn your baby’s.. we are fed up with this
All that political nonsense ruins the Eurovision.
Repeat that to both, Israel and Ukraine.
It doesn’t matter. I always find something to like in Iceland, they gave us a gem in Dadi, but this is the most disappointing selection I ever saw from them. Go or no go, neither of these songs can qualify from a strong Semi 1.
Ceasetone’s voice is like Dadi’s, plus he’s worked with him!
I only really liked VÆB, but I don’t see them qualifying at Eurovision.
They are my favourite too, but they should stick with Icelandic. I think they’d have a chance.
Bombardment of R a f a really tests my resolve that Israel should stay.
What About Bombardment Of Whole Of Palistine ? Does This Not Matter ? You Are Teroristic …
The most interesting songs are those of Blankiflúr and Maiaa. Now let’s wait and see what they will be like live.
Your only chance is to send morad, not because he has a good song, at least you will get some mercy votes. With the other you are doomed
Never supporting Iceland again if they select Bashar, a disrespectful decision for their own country and for the contest as a whole.
and where are you from? Israel or Iceland?
If the winner doesn’t want to go to Malmo, then the RUV should give the option to the first runner-up. If that fails they should keep going down the ladder until they find one willing to compete in may.
I don’t think they will. It seems that the idea is that they decided to disconnect Söngvakeppnin with ESC representation, without withdrawing. Yet. They will hold Söngvakeppnin, crown a winner and then they will discuss with the winner if they want to go to Malmö. Given the backlash from the artistic community in Iceland I doubt that any of the artists will decide to go, with Israel still taking part, unless Bashar wins. It seems that RÚV is trying to force a… very specific situation. I’m wondering how do fellow Icelander fans feel about this.
Bashar could be impactful due to his background but also staging potential. The song could be about the West’s ignorance of Palestine and hence it’s become like the Wild Wild West. So staging wise we could have cowboys fighting each other and then some dark threat comes in at the end or some LEDS displaying each of the colours of the Palestinian flag at various points in the performance twinned with a pyro waterfall.
They wouldn’t be able to do that because this could be viewed as “political” gesture by EBU, which could even ban the song/performance. I hope they keep as less political as possible, although everything points to the opposite direction.
Do I like Bashar Murad’s song more then other of this bunch? Yes. Do I think he should win? No. Let’s be honest – he could be competing with the best song in the world and people would still be bashing him for getting only “pity votes”. Though it would be interesting to find out if Iceland would be fined if Bashar pulled out the flag like Hatari, my vote goes to Hera Bjork.
Not all the Israeli people who came to this article just to vote down others comments, that included Bashar. Just because they all are against a palestinian-icelandic person in this selection; so that they would be forced to show him on one of their national TV. What an humiliation for them.
C’mon don’t be so political about it.
He is Israeli, He have a blue ID (Israeli ID) and he is also went to “Rimon” a Israeli music school. And even in Israel, the ARABS hate him for being gay, not the Jews.. even his own people hates him, they even canceled his show because the Israeli-Arabs wanted to hurt him (Because he is gay).
Stop with the gross generalizations. I know Israeli’s are good at that, wanting to lump everyone in the same basket and tar everyone with the same brush. The only people I see hating Bashar are the extremist Israeli’s, who flood this board with their right wing propaganda that incidentally no civilized person is buying.
Why mention that he has a BLUE ID instead of simply saying he has an ID? He’s a human being, after all. Are you implying that branding him with a color makes him a lesser human being? Some people never learn. Stop this nonsensical rhetoric and focus on the music.
This person just meant that Bashar is a citizen of Israel, nothing else…
If he himself would focus on music that would be fine.
In Israel people love music of arab-israelis.
But Bashar makes everything political himself, see the green-red faced photo of him here in this blog.
Just pointing out that he’s not Palestinian-Icelandic, just Palestinian
Just Pointing Out You Arent Israeli-European You Are Just European
Israel claims anyone with Palestinian origins or living in Palestine is actually Israeli but it’s the other way around.
Israel belongs to Palestine.
None really, can we have some more options?
Exactly! What a poor selection, I am so sorry for Iceland, one of my fav countries in the contest.
I just want to point out that Bashar studied one year in Rimon, a famous music school in israel (Netta and Imri also studied there)
People somehow made Bashar a poor refugee from a poor palastinian viliage who had to flee the cruel Israeli regime.
He is more israeli than Luxemburg’s Tali, for that matter..
So can we stop bashing (or BASHARing!) Tali please! That’s the one person that doesn’t deserve the hate!
As an Icelander here I hope its VÆB, Maiaa or Blankiflúr who wins the ticket to Malmö!
Bashars a good artist, but Wild West just isn’t gonna go anywhere
but he is from Palestine, so you will get pity votes if you choose him 😉
He is from Israel, He also went to music school in Israeli, “Rimon”.
He is “P@lestinian” when it fits him…
You will find absolutely no Pa1estinian who would ever want to identify as Israeli.
This is a matter of definitions though and it’s not accurate. There are many Israeli citizens of Palestinian Arab background – one of them (Mira Awad) represented Israel rather recently in 2009. I guess the issue here is that RÚV has decided to heavily promote Bashar’s Palestinian background and this seems like a political choice.
just because you are going to a school in another country does not mean you are form that country lol
from*
Iceland thinks how to bash israel, not about the contest. At least if tgey knew what tgey are talking about, they so naive and clueless about the conflict that is ridiculous, they think that by supporting the weak side they are right…its like complaining that russia had killed also citizens while trying to eliminate tge nazis…you dont understand tge situation or what is ha mas? At least say nothing
Wiwibloggs isn’t going to censor the word “the.” XD
What naz-is are you exactly talking about here?
Germany na-zis in comparison to ha mas from ga-za that have such as evil ideology against the jews…
The weak side will always gets more support but it doesnt mean that this is how it should be…the important thing is to really understand who is the evil side and you dont have to be smart to understand what ha mas represents(the leaders of the palestinians) and what israel represents…just read ha mas agenda, see how they talk and look like, then come back and tell me that israel is the bad side…ridicoulus
My honest opinion on the current situation in district G is the israeli leadership are suffering under the Stockholm-syndrome.
Arent you folks seeing the inmense hardship and missery happening on the otherside of the fence?
yah, this reminds me indeed
i truly hope people don’t make this year a political one. Spend that money on donating to charities that work to aid those going through bad times in ‘you-know-where’. Because if you spend it on Eurovision to make it political you will just be wasting your money and helping no one.
Look up the song
“In Qatar its always sunny”
Its a fun song with superb lyrics thats talking about what you are saying.
Iceland should choose wisely, and not ruin the competition with a political choice, it is unfair towards the artists of all other countries. If they have problems with the participation of Israel they should drop out, that’s the best statement they can make, the same goes for the Olympics and all major sports events to come this summer.
and why give Israel that satisfaction? If anyone should drop out its the country on trial for war crimes and genoc1de at the International Criminal Court aka Israel.
Israel is on trial for one reason – South Africa wanted us there. It’s not like the ICJ decided on their own to bring us to trial. Also, will you ban anyone who’s on trial before the verdict? I mean, everyone’s guilty until proven otherwise. Just so you know, from a quick check up on the ICJ website, the countries standing trial who are also on Eurovision right now are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Italy, France and as we all know, Israel as well. Do you think the others should also be banned? They are standing trial at the ICJ. I’ll also… Read more »
Too bad I can’t edit… I meant everyone’s innocent until proven otherwise… My bad
International pressure is mounting towards the warcrimes being commited right now by Is rael.
We dont deny the terrible attacks happened on oct 7th.
But the world is seeing the on slaught happening now and will condemn it finally.
Out of proportion are the just words here.
The ICJ rejected SouthAfricas request for a ceasefire.
The ICJ decided that Israel can go on with the fight against hmss.
I am truly curious, for those who voted for Bashar in this poll, do you genuinely like his song and want it to win for that reason? Or is it more about making a statement? Personally I don’t dislike his song. It certainly isn’t my favourite but I don’t think it’s terrible. I’m also a huge fan of his other song with Hatari. Anyway, I noticed it also ranks high in the poll on the eurovisionworld site, but is second to last in the myeurovisionscore app rankings.
I’m pretty sure most of those are political votes.
This song is bland… Klefi, on the other hand, was good.
I like it. It has a pulsating baseline and Bashar has decent vocals. It will be fun live with cowboys.
Ceasetone for me. He was awesome playing guitar on Dadi’s recent tour!
Agreed
Blankiflur is my number one. So hypnotized by that tune…
If I wanted to talk about politics, I would have gone somewhere else not here.
Wait why should we care about this again…?
You cared enough to comment, bozo.
Sunny and Ceasetone for me. Nothing else
I actually like Bashar’s song. It’s pulsating baseline and Western vibes gives it so much potential for staging. I reckon Bashar will get a good number of votes. An acoustic song last year did well so why not Bashar? Also, I think Vaeb will do well. They seem to have a Jedward kind of following where young people will be interested in seeing them win. They will certainly have good stage presence.
Das Deutsche Final 2024 compared to Söngvakeppnin 2024 is 100× times better.
Barely 1.5 times.
I think the Icelandic preselection is competing with Dansk MGP for the worst preselection of the year.
If people vote for someone just based on their identity, they will be contributing to turn the contest into something political, just as much as that country that should not be taking part this year. Please, focus on the music, not the face or identity of someone. Do not behave like them. The other singers in this NF who have better songs do not deserve to be mistreated.
Bashar actually has a good song though!
Don’t worry – I also like his song. Unfortunately I don’t think it’s possible to separate the song from any political conotations.
Just think of him as an Israel, then everything Fades to Black as one Azerbaijani said.
Honestly, the most mediocre NF of the season, alongside Denmark’s. Whoever wins, congrats, I guess?
Bashar Must To Reprent Palestinian Identitities On The Eurowision Stage Because Ewery Year It Is Show Filed To The Top From Izrael Propganda . Its Disgusting Ewery Year We Sit Through Izraels PinkWash Propganda As They Commit Crimes Against Inocent Ciwilins …. I Think Hatari It Was A Sinful Preformance But At Least They Speak Up For What Is Right
To The People Juging Bashar Because He is Palestinin – You Are A Racists , He Is More Than His Skin But You Only See Colour
If Some Other Person Then Bashar Wins I Hope They Use This To Share Awarness For Palestinian . Or Refuze To Preform If Izrael Precitipates , Island Its The Only Country Not Corruputed
How to describe an individual brainwashed by politics in three comments:
Maybe instead of having a go at people who don’t like Bashar’s song, you should’ve taken the time typing these comments learning how to spell.
The best song should win, it is the European Song Contest, not the European Political Contest. When Iceland chooses the Palestinian singer they ruin the complete competition, and it so disrespectful towards all other singers.
Ngl, I had a stroke reading your comments.
So you see Hataris performance as sinful? Please explain.
Putting bashar at the top of a list is actually proof that people are lead by politics and not the music taste. His song is solid but definitely not the best one. Im afraid icelandic people will choose him only cuz he is palestinian and ignoring quallity they have in their national selection.
Actually, from my research, Bashar isn’t number one on any other poll (e.g., Eurovisionworld & Misja Eurowizja). The only thing that Bashar being number one in this poll proves is that the Wiwibloggs community sucks.
This is your subjective opinion. People have different music tastes. I love his song the most and I have it on repeat since its release. You should also be open to the idea that others can love something different.
His song is decent.
What’s funny for me personally is that my two clear favs are on the top and at the bottom of this poll at the moment of writing. I think Bashar Murad has a good song, and I simply love Heidrun Annas beautiful electropop song. A bummer that they’re in the same semi, but I hope they are the two soings that qualifies directly for the final.
I love Hera and Sigga, but would also be fine with Bashar winning
Whoever winds I hope they sing in Icelandic!!!
Wins*
Hopefully they will not participate as they promised.
Bashar pls, Wild West is so good
CeaseTone and Hera are my favorite entries this year. It’s such a shame that Bashar, who has no real connection to Iceland whatsoever, is set to win this selection with such a bland song just for some virtue signaling stunt 🙁
Fan of Ceasetone here. Bashar has lived in Iceland for some time now and has connections to Hatari. He was educated in Israel so any anti-Israel comments he makes are part of a joint effort with Hatari whom he collaborated with for that campaign a few years ago. So far he hasn’t said anything. I myself AM a fan of his song – I like it’s pulsating baseline. In 2019 we had the political Hatari who ended up being a hit at Eurovision and in 2022 the women sent there had connections to a certain movement trying to accept everyone… Read more »
Am i understanding right. None of the performers want to go to Malmo due to Israel competing? Then why go ahead with this process. RUV should either withdraw or carry out an internal selection and save the money spent on this staging.
I think the only hope of Iceland being there is if Bashar wins. Anyone else will be pressured to withdraw, whether they want to or not. Bashar has the credence to actually go without being accused of turning a blind eye to what’s going on.
More proof of how incredibly unfair this is to the Icelandic performers. Imagine someone wins their NF by merit and they of course wanna collect their prize but feel like they are not allowed by society. It’s heinous.
The format itself is unnecessarily long, but I think RUV has to carry on bc they already signed in. But yeah, if that’s the case they should’ve selected Bashar internally and save themselves all that money and time
If any of the non plstnian artists dares to go to eurovision this year they’ll probably get casted out of iceland with torches and pitch forks.
Why would they withdraw tho? I’m sorry that would be such a stupid decision
Literally the politics has invaded ESC to the extent that every year became unstable and prone to having “political victory”, will we wait until complete peace in the world to have a proper song contest? I’m sorry I don’t want to wait.
I think a bigger statement can be created if they sent Bashar donned in Palestinian colours with a message in the lighting that is hidden for many.
Political statements are not allowed in Eurovision.
Keep those statements out of the music festival. Please.
They detached Söngbakeppnin from Eurovision just recently. It’s a contest in its own right.
For me, it’s the worst Icelandic preselection in years. No song is bad, they are all so mediocre, unexciting, blant. I am sorry, Iceland but I will not be watching the final this year.
I can count at least three good songs. The rest are 90s Europop trash.
I am sorry, I can’t find any song that is at least bearable to my ears. To be fair, no song is trash but they are all so safe, blunt, indifferent, that I can’t bother. And that breaks my heart as Iceland is one of my fav countries in the contest.
Bashar should have saved his track ‘Intifada on the Dancefloor’ for Söngvakeppnin. That song had a killer hook!
If you took even a second to research him you’d know how ignorant this is.
I guess you have the same problem with Luxembourg choosing an Israeli? Oh, thought not ?
You dont know, maybe Talli’s family left Israel because they didnt agree with what happened? Whatever the case, she no longer lives there, so let’s not bully her.
Who is bullying her? I’m just asking why it’s a problem for a country to pick an artist from Palestine, but the same people are fine with Israel participating, or other countries picking Israeli artists
Bushy wins no need for a contest.
The only hope they have of winning here is through politics.
No runner from this bunch unless bushy can rattle some leaves
Let’s be real, Bashar’s song isn’t that good and he should be primarily rated based on the song. Anita or Hera for me, but Anita’s song is more catchy to me and sounds better.
It should always be the song and performance alone that they get judged on.. everything else is a disrespect to the contest which was actually created after WWII to connect Europe again by being together to enjoy something that speaks to everyone across culture, language and nationality.. MUSIC
It was made to bring countries together forget about wars and forget about politics for one evening.. and look what it has become.. ?
Hera’s song is trash. Anita is acceptable.I think Ceasetone and Vaeb could do really well. However, Bashar’s song is underrated based on the fandom’s reaction.
I’m very concerned when I read the comments sometimes. I saw a lot of people saying that the German selection was uninteresting and bland while I thought it had great songs and here I see that people seem to be happy with what Iceland proposes while I hate this selection and fing it quite bad. Not that the songs themselves are all bad, just very forgettable.
As I said before there are some preferences, among ESC fans, unfortunately. Like, Italy is being considered always ”the best”, even when their songs are boring Or Germany is the black sheep of the contest. Sure, Germany has sent some bad songs but over the years had also good songs. This year, Das Deutsche Final is next week, 16 Feb. They have spent more time with the preparations of the songs. The live won’t be glamorous, as Germans aren’t into this stuff. The songs are better from last year, but I hope next year will send a top 5 song,… Read more »
I get that feeling a lot.. im not sure if its related to fans being hyped for specific countries already so they tend to be more positive towards their selection at first listen.. I see it with my country aswell.. we have had some bad years but not every song has been awful or deserved a non qualification But every year the reveal of the Danish line-up has been met with “boring” “meh” “expected more” bla bla.. while there are both great songs and forgettable ones both this year and has been the past years. Then jury ruined it last… Read more »
Sigga and Anita for me, loving both of these entries!
I’m obsessed with Blankiflur.
This is actually a decent selection compromised by the obvious. I like Anita, Blankiflúr, and Maiaa mostly but most of the songs would be good choices for Iceland. Shame that their choice will most likely not be based on musical criteria.
Correct me if I’m wrong here but Bashar is actually singing about himself taking 30 years fit in. Having to leave the place he was from to find himself. Not sure where the lack of musical criteria is meant to be? The song in English is pretty good….much better than the Icelandic version. There’s nothing political in his lyrics other than Bashar himself being a Palestinian. He’s not singing about Palestine or their plight. I don’t understand the hate he’s getting. Jamala had a song that was more political and nobody said anything. I think that people are just mouthing… Read more »
So fair and square that RÚV announced his name 2 days before all other artists in an article with the title “Palestinian singer in Söngvakeppnin” (https://www.ruv.is/english/2024-01-24-palestinian-singer-in-songvakeppnin-403317) and then posted another article that Iceland climbed the odds because of that (https://www.ruv.is/english/2024-01-26-iceland-second-in-eurovision-bet-rankings-403415). If anyone has brought to attention the fact that he’s Palestinian it’s RÚV itself and this is unfair to all other contestants.
I understand this frustration but would like to point out that it was not RÚV that announced this first. It was only done following news from other news agents, for example Vísir (Visir.is) which is the news site linked to Stöð 2 – the other “big” television network, which is sort of a competing network against RÚV. In fact, the director of RÚV was asked about this a couple of days before the introduction show and he was very adamant that he could not confirm certain participants at this points (I think it was the same evening after this news… Read more »
I’m copying and pasting my reply without the links because my comment is awaiting for moderation with the direct links from RÚV included (you can easily find the articles though):
So fair and square that RÚV announced his name 2 days before all other artists in an article with the title “Palestinian singer in Söngvakeppnin” and then posted another article that Iceland climbed the odds because of that. If anyone has brought to attention the fact that he’s Palestinian it’s RÚV itself and this is unfair to all other contestants.
PS. Just to clarify my comment, I have no issues about the fact that Bashar is Palestinian. I respect him as an artist and I really enjoyed his collaboration with Hatari. I’m extremely annoyed with how RÚV is using him in order to get attention. It’s really despicable and I’ve lost any respect for the Icelandic broadcaster.
I totally understand your point and I appreciate your reply.
Hera Björk or Blankiflúr for me