The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 37 competing songs in Eurovision 2025. Next we review Iceland, who have chosen VÆB with “RÓA”.
Are we excited to join the rowing duo? Read on to find out!
VÆB – “RÓA” (Iceland Eurovision 2025)
Review: VÆB – “RÓA”
Tom: Is “RÓA” an Icelandic sea shanty? A pop song? Rap? Who cares!? It’s a banger! It is fun, catchy and has an irresistible charm. I love the strings, the key change, the cheese, the classic bridge where they slow everything down before giving the final big chorus. Is this going to win Eurovision? No of course not, but VAEB are bringing the party and the good times. They allow us all to forget our problems and just have a good time for three minutes. Sometimes, that’s all we need.
Score: 8
William: Iceland’s entry is a nice throwback to Eurovision of the 2000s — it’s cheesy, loud, brash, and very silver. It also melds euro-dance with a difficult-to-identify instrument, forming the perfect Eurovision cliché from the era. Younger viewers will find a lot to love in the spirited delivery of the Nordic Jedward. Older viewers may think of simpler times, when a key change and a wind machine were enough to set pulses racing. As for me, this is not a song I would choose to play. Yet when it does, I can’t stop humming it for hours — and I’m OK with that. Call me a willing victim of a musical calamity.
Score: 4.5
Pablo: Epa-Dunk/Russ in Eurovision? Iceland got ahead of their Nordic neighbours! “RÓA” is unabashed fun and Gen-Z happiness channelled in the right way, presenting what could be a typical wacky Eurovision entry in a pretty authentic way for everyone involved. While it can feel a bit repetitive or shrill, and could do without the key change, it’s a fine piece of party pop that’s bound to put a smile on people’s faces. For its success, it needs to find a way to ensure control is kept through the stormy sea they traverse, as well as portray VÆB’s innate likeability. It’s impossible to not root for them!
Score: 7
Lucy: We have “RÓA” representing Iceland this year, and I can’t say I’m all aboard. I’ve never been a massive Scandi-banger person (don’t boo me!) so this fits right into the bracket of “not my cup of tea”. The vibes just give Jedward in 2012, or PeR in 2013 — neither result was exactly forgiving. I don’t know why this is opening the semi, it’s just a bit too full on for that role. Maybe their staging will save it for me, but I won’t be counting on it. I get why people love it, but I’m just not one of those people.
Score: 3
Iceland Eurovision 2025 ranking
In the Eurovision 2025 Wiwi Jury, we have 17 jurors but only have room for four reviews. The remaining scores are below:
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Andreas: 5.5 Antranig: 9 Bernardo: 5 Burak: 1.5 Cinan: 3.5 Deban: 6 Jonathan: 8 |
Jordi: 5 Ruxandra: 7 Scarlett: 3 Simon: 7.5 Suzanne: 3 Tomas: 6.5 |
We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a high of 9 and a low of 1.5.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 5.50/10
What do you think of Iceland’s Eurovision 2025 entry? Share your own score and review for VÆB’s “RÓA” below!
Good and fun, but is it enough?
Possible qualifier
Iceland 3/12
I really like this song. Good luck to Iceland! ?
This is a really fun four-chord song that is great for rowing across the sea. With the violin in the background, it essentially becomes a modern Irish jig with a Scandi twist. The four chords go through a key change towards the end, a half-step up. It’s really simple, so why do I like this song? To be honest, this is exactly how I felt when I was a teenager. I wanted to have fun and rebel by rowing away from my life, and at times I just wanted it all to be over. The lyrics at first say Væb… Read more »
Normally I would hate this kind of music, but it has really grown on me. I love the vibe and the energy. I’m afraid they won’t qualify, but I sure hope they surprise the bookmakers!
Don’t you mean you “love their vaeb” ?!? 😉
Surprise Surprise marked down by the Wiwi Jury particularly Lucy whom from previous reviews hates anything commercial pop. For that reason alone I hope the Jedward/ Billen Ted sea shanty goes through to the final.
Australia is quite literally my number one this year. I also have Denmark, Finland and Germany in my top ten. But yeah, I deffo hate pop 😉
4. Iceland – Vaeb – ROA – 9/10 – this is such a lot of fun, the energy that oozes out of the track and Vaeb themselves is infectious. There is a very likeable quality to the melody and it taps into ancient human sensibilities. It’s going to be a great show opener and I hope they hook the audience and sail through to the final.
Iceland, get serious! Instead of Double Trouble, serve us your own Husavik or Jaja Ding Dong. Takk.
The selling points here are these enjoyable and cool performers, I really appreciate them, I really like to see them performing, their energy, their “joie de vivre”, but I love them more than the song itself I fear…
They are so fun, that I’d love to see them in the Grand Final.
ICELAND – I have always been a big fan of violin-based humorous Nordic party songs, but never has one actually won their NF until now. This is certainly my favorite Icelandic entry since 2021, and I can’t stop listening to it. What’s not to like? Enthusiastic and charismatic brothers lead you through their aquatic adventure in the North Sea and the Atlantic. They sing, and rap, and engage the audience. When they freestyle they are at their best. The chorus is immediate, and it has a hook I sing for days, despite not knowing Icelandic. The instrumental, especially the violins,… Read more »
We agree here as well! The brothers do need your votes so I am glad you will be voting there! Also I’ve been singing the chorus all the time as well in flawless Icelandic!
this song is so underrated. Iceland deserve to qualify
they deserve nothing and they will not qualify .
I hope you are wrong
11th place: Iceland: Italy has Tutta l’Italia and Iceland has Roa (or Tutta l’Iceland or something like that 🙂 ). This song is great fun and the brothers are iconic. The ethnic drop is memorable and catchy and this song in general always makes me happy when I play it, even after tough days. Of course, we are not talking here about a musical masterpiece, but Eurovision needs this kind of songs. I hope they qualify. Also what an epic show opener this will be!
Birgo should of won Songvakeppnin, Ég flýg í storminn would of got Top 10 if not Top 5 in the final. Wasted opportunity and back to back last places in Semi Finals for Iceland.
Like Latvia’s 2022 “Eat You Salad” it’s enjoyable but nothing more. I don’t even fin it funny at all. It gives good vibes and I can see this suprisingly go through thanks to the televote but it’s not my thing.
1. Lithuania (7.75)
2. Cyprus (7.5)
3. Czech Republic (6.75)
4. Spain (6.75)
5. Latvia (6.75)
6. Italy (6.75)
7. Australia (6.75)
8. Switzerland (6.75)
9. The Netherlands (6.75)
10. Greece (6.5)
11. Norway (6.5)
12. San Marino (6.5)
13. Poland (6.5)
14. Estonia (6.25)
15. Ukraine (6.25)
16. Slovenia (6.25)
17. Denmark (6)
18. Iceland (5.5)
19. Luxembourg (5.25)
20. Norway (4.25)
21. Israel (4)
better than esa diva
Iceland – I think this one is good fun! This is one of Iceland’s better entries over the past few years, but I always worry that it’ll still be a non-qualifier. There’s a lot to like about this one, and I’m glad to see that a lot of people like it. Do I think it’s amazing? No, but it’s not bad either. Just some great fun. 5/10
They deserve better imho. I really hope they reach the final. Definitely in my top 10 this year.
It’s endurable as a studio version but I have no need to ever play it and the live performance is really off-putting to me. These baffling outfits, the skiing googles… completely impersonal and pointless to me. Why vote for something impersonal? Not to mention the poor vocal skills. I don’t find this fun at all, just clumsy and awkward. Frankly, this would be embarrassing in Junior Eurovision where most children singers are quite talented and way more advanced than these two. Given the lack of quality songs in the Icelandic NF, this was bound to win, but Iceland has really… Read more »
This is one where i can never find a negative comment about it. I think it just suffers from being a bit forgettable so people prefer other songs over it. That’s why i don’t think it has a place in the final especially performing first in the semi. But the infectious positivity of the act is smth i rly admire so its about mid table for me and i would say this rating is pretty similar to mine.