We were back in Iceland for another week on Saturday for semi-final 2 of Söngvakeppnin 2024.
Five more acts competed for a spot in next week’s grand final. The public chose Eurovision 2010 alum Hera Björk along with Palestinian singer-songwriter Bashar Murad to advance. Meanwhile, Sigga Ózk picked up a wildcard pass to the grand final.
This year’s show has severed its ties as the official selection for Eurovision, but the ultimate winner will get to decide whether they want to represent Iceland in Malmö.
Söngvakeppnin 2024: Semi-final 2 results
The public choose two of tonight’s acts to advance to the grand final. These were:
- Hera Björk – “Við förum hærra”
- Bashar Murad – “Vestrið villt”
A jury at broadcaster RÚV then had the right to give a wildcard to one of the six acts who didn’t initially qualify across both semi-finals. This wildcard also went to semi-final 2 act:
- Sigga Ózk – “Um allan alheiminn”
Non-qualifiers
- Heiðrún Anna – “Þjakaður af ást”
- Maiaa – “Fljúga burt”
What were your thoughts of the show? Do you agree with the results? Shout out in the comments below.
I guess Bashar will win the whole thing. If he manages to qualify to the final (not sure at all because the song itself if kind of boring and unexciting), he will get many votes from the juries because you know why…
Good luck Iceland!
Or maybe the juries like the song? Have you considered that Sherlock?
Oh wow! Is that a possibility, too? I wouldn’t know so thank you now and forever. I am marrying soon, can we also have a wedding cake or is that going to be toxic, too? ;p
Bashar has an incredible sound, some of his songs are definitely contenders to win Eurovision. This song, however, is bland and boring.
I would’ve loved it if he participated with something a little more impactful, and not just a standard pop song that doesn’t really go anywhere. I think this was a major missed opportunity for both Bashar and Iceland.
How is Iceland 4th in the odds? There’s barely any qualifiers in this selection!
Hate to say this, but the Icelandic preselection is perhaps worse than the Danish one. ;o
Consistently. The Danish one is a blandfest, but there’s hardly any offensively bad songs. The Icelandic selection is often hard to get through, but at least they often have a couple of outstanding songs making it look good.
Both countries lost their way with Eurovision, I am confident they will get back soon.
thats rude Poul. I like the danish entry.
I love Saba and Sand but let’s admit it, the level of the danish final is not consistent with the Danish music industry or Eurovision tradition. They should level up as high as they were before the pandemic.
Bashar EASILY deserves to win!
Crown the King!
We must hold our horses and keep with the Princes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy84LnL_ghA
Absolutely a great artist.
Iceland say if Israel participate in ESC 2024 they will maybe withdraw from contest , and on other side they push so hard Bashar to win national selection (if he is not from Palestina, other singer will represent Iceland in contest this year ).
Ireland may also withdraw from the competition if Iceland followed
No big loss with Ireland ;p
I enjoy Bashar’s song for its own musical merits, the guy is talented for sure but I’m not a fan of the narrative behind him, he doesn’t need that, Eurovision neither. If he’s selected obviously he will get a lot of coverages for sure, but not for the right reasons unfortunately which would be musical reasons only and nothing else in fact. No offense, each country approaches the contest as they want, as they feel, but personally I feel It’s an opportunistic move from Iceland, knowing the situation and using it to stand out in a musical contest, I don’t… Read more »
This reads exactly like one of those Israeli comments but trying to be inoffensive
Are u serious!? No, I’m not Israelian and I’m not jew neither, I’m atheist totally if you want to know, I only express my point of view about this particular situation and about Bashar, there’s nothing offensive here, Bashar is not a toy, and nobody should play with the sad situation we all know, that’s all, nothing more, nothing else.
I gave my point of view as a simple eurofan.
And I would say exactly the same thing for Israël if they send a political song about this sad war, NOBODY should play with this situation to get more attention in Eurovision and to try to divise, it’s certainly not the aim of Eurovision, UNITED by music.
Seems like Bashar copied Gunilla’s performance …
right, Gunilla the inventor of cowboy hats
well the songs are also quite similar if you listen closely tbh
Exciting news: in Israel today the Eurovision team came to the studio to work on the song “October Rain” Apparently a new version of the song with different lyrics will be recorded today. It seems that Israel will eventually participate.
So disrespectful to spam this under articles that have nothing to do with it.
Israelis do it on every thread. Not just this Roy person but many others. Can you imagine living in Israel and having to put with this uncivilized behaviour. No wonder the Pa1est1nians dont want a bar of them.
GET OUT!
Who cares??
Congrats to Hera.
Wild West to win here and win ESC!!!!!!!! such a great song
Didn’t you also say that about “No Rules”? For me it’s more likely that something gimmick-free and feelgood is going to cut through the Mayhem and win in May.
I think Bashar does not fit in the “bad Palestinians” & “”poor Israelis” narrative. It is why he is receiving so much hate. He is putting a face into over 30k victims, showing Middle Eastern or Arab people are not all extremists; some of them are artistic, they can sing, they can dance, they are creative. They can integrate into mainstream Western society. And this is not what some others planned. And we know Eurovision folks love to march behind the underdog. He will do well. Very well.
More importantly, he doesn’t actually seem to want to have those political labels associated with him. For Bashar, it’s purely about the music and staging of the song.
I think the outfit makes him look clumsy. Even though it is an uptempo song, there is too much going on on stage and there should be at least one minute where he just stands and sings.
I think the staging could be simplified.
We can’t see his eyes while his hat is on.
Quite a strong semi final. I honestly don’t understand the hype around the song from Bashar. It is a bland mediocre song. And come on…
Using the colors of the Palestinian flag? Why? It took the attention away from the song.
My fav: Maiaa
I am sure Bashar will win. Eurovision is not about music anymore.
I like his song quite a bit (a favorite on my playlist): though contrary to usual, I actually prefer the english language version.
Where were the colours of the Palestinian flag?
Red, white, green, and black.
Well, with the Wildcard not going to Blankiflur and instead Sigga, I think it’s officially for Bashar to take. Not upset at all, that performance was slick and the fall at the end totally shocked me.
I hope he wins. I quite like the song. I also liked Blankiflur’s song and staging (had hoped she would get the wildcard).
Go Tiffany
Reykjavík hold ’em.
The West is wild, the East is civilized. Also, the 7th of Oct. never happened.
I enjoy Bashar song, but i find the performance a bit woody at times(maybe cause of the outfit?), but
its nothing that cant be fixed. But please please keep the song in Icelandic, it’s much better than the english version.
I’m surprised that Icelandic televoters selected a singer who himself admitted that singing in Icelandic was a challenge.
Difficult, but he did it and even got praised for how well he did it. I think most people who watch the show can see that and find that endearing their language is being appreciated by people from outside to the point they want to participate in it.
Naturally it would be a challenge as Icelandic is not his mother tongue. Perhaps the voters appreciated Bashar singing in their native language.
Thank you Iceland and RÚV, I think that was the correct result tonight. I look forward to the final.
The song itself is not political, but judging just from the picture here, it almost looks like the red tassles represent dripping blood. Or maybe that is just my overactive imagination?
That was exactly what I thought when I saw it too
I guess if Eurovision can handle “October rain” it can handle some red colour representing (potentially) blood?
I feel like that might be part of the intention, or somethiung to do with veins since the heart reveal happens later.
But I also think they wanted to inclue red in his suit along with the white, because along with the dancers you also have black and green (flags and their costumes) to have the full Palestinian flags colors present without directly showing the flag.
I like his song, but do see lots of symbology throughout the performance (still thinking about it).
“Wild West” is 1000x more political than “October Rain”. I am not even talking about who is right Israel or Palestine. Just to be objective, you can’t qualify the israelian song as politcal if you don’t do the same with the icelandic one. If Iceland plays the pity card by sending a Palestinian with a song 100% about the conflict while politic is not allowed in the contest, it is clearly unfair and it will ruin everything. no one is going to agree obviously, if you do not agree it is because you do not know the difference between supporting… Read more »
How is Wild West political? Tell us please.
Wild West is not about war lol
The song is not remotely about the conflict, not even a tiny bit. You’re just projecting that upon it because it is how you define Palestinians.
Seeing this song as political is such a reach. There’s nothing about war in this.
Don’t let hatred blind you.
Is it the song or the staging that you find political?
Bashar is winning the whole thing!
Yeah, no matter they hate it, his song will win the whole thing, see yall in Iceland 2025
Basher is an Israeli citizen, a graduate of the Rimon music school who defines himself as Palestinian. Maybe he should be disqualified from participating in the competition on the grounds that it is too political?
Only if we disqualify Talli because she’s also part Israeli.
Israeli commenter here hating on Palestian singer, how shocking.
So simply participating as a Palestinian is somehow “political” ? Yet you will claim that October rain is not. Your Islamophobia is showing.
It was about time someone pulled the “islamophobia” card on this thread
If you’re only reason for thinking someone performing is “political” is because of their identity as a P alestinian muslim than yes I think it’s pretty clear that you are Islamophobic. After all any criticism of Israel is automatically antisemitic right?
They have chosen my least liked songs in each SF. Even the jury wildcard was my least liked act from the non-qualifiers bunch.
At this point, I don’t really care about Iceland. if they want to choose one of the blandest song in contest because of politics, then so be it. It would be so irritating if it ends up winning in May, though.
You clearly haven’t seen the performance. It was outstanding.
what was your favorite?
Bashar has a good song but performance was quite bland, not sure who’s going to win this
Very strong semi. Very suprised Sigga was the wildcard and not a direct qualifier! Bashar is taking this! Excellent staging that puts ‘Hope’ from 2022 to shame!
I feel sorry for, Maiaa. I really like that song…
If he wasn’t a palestinian he wouldn’t have made it, if that isn’t a political jester I don’t know what is!
An obscenely racist remark!
I trust Icelanders to be educated enough to vote for a song to be selected for a song contest.
I can’t believe Sigga needed a wildcard
what is this? everyone hated the song before the performance, now everyone wants it to win, what is happening?
I don’t want it 😀
ngl, im kinda glad i can finally stop pretending to hate the song
Has it ever occurred to you that the people who hate the song and the people who want it to win are not the same people?
but the comments that said that it should win were heavily downvoted, now they have a lot of upvotes
Bashar to the final! The choreography, the lyrics and his freaking performance in icelandic is just staggering. It‘s a once in a life time chance to bring such a talent to the finals.
Song is mediocre, performance is mediocre. At least 3 better options in the final.
Yeah… TV turned up for the replays and still: Sigga/Maiaa (with a little work on the opening vocal and some more base)/Hera
Didn’t bind with Bashar, and Heiðrún Anna was too flat/linear.
Anywho… Enjoy your weekends all. Thanks for the company.
#bekind
I think Sigga and Bashar should go through, and the jury will give Hera the wild card ticket.
Nearly agree, I think it will be Sigga Hera … Bashar
BOOM!!! 🙂
Well i had the right 3 but had the wrong one as the wildcard lol
You mean one qualifier???
Because Bashar has already won the Iceland Final….
They can’t ”hide” their lust!
Cudos
Look at those kids in the audience . I love these smaller shows… You get a sense of the ‘local’.
It’s actually going to be difficult to pick two qualifiers tonight. There could be an upset here.
N.B. Bashar just spoke briefly (but openly) about “the situation.” That’ll be picked up on.
I think there is a lot to be said about the „situation“ and he mastered it, calm, steady and confident
But if any Israeli would have spoken about it in Eurovision, people would say it’s propaganda.
The hypocrisy is celebrating
Well it’s not Palestine who sl4ughtered 15 000 children.
Well yes people typically have more sympathy for victims than perpetrators
I do love a retro ESC type Songz and skng 5 (Hera) served that.
For my ear – based as always only on tonight (I don’t pre-listen): Sigga/Maiaa/Hera.
Hera Björk (“Við förum hærra”) – Yasss!! Hera you still have it! This song is even better in English, so I really hope this qualifies. I love this bop!
Hera Bjork brings the feels as well. I think Iceland is joining Finland as a place I want to live. They all seem so happy!
Bashar spoke in English during his introduction. But he spoke rather well. There was NO mention of the ‘P’ word or of the current political situation. Instead, he spoke about uniting people and how his song’s message was about breaking the barriers between countries. It’s truely a message of peace in my view.
Not sure if it was good idea to compare himself with Celine Dion
Lol, he didn’t, he just gave an example for a foreign artist representing another country.
That’s what I meant, Sh1ft_key
Song 4: nooooice… The little string instrumental was a nice touch… This could do well. I liked it.
Bashar’s song clearly is the favorite, and rightfully so. In a Songvakeppnin edition where there’s almost zero variety, his entry is the one that stands out the most. I adore the western vibe, it’s catchy and definitely memorable. His performance was fantastic. Honestly, one of my favorites of Eurovision so far. “Wild West” is musically simple but it works beautifully.
Did you listen to it in english?
Bashar’s performance was amazing! The choreography is ESC-worthy.
Fljuga Burt is a lovely track as well.
Iceland is bossing it tonight.
4. Maiaa (“Fljúga burt”) – Sounds like it could be a nice song, but there are issues with the vocal balance (sorry). Plus the Icelandic lyrics really “get in the way” of the melodies. This one is at risk, in my opinion.
WOW! Bashar is winning Söngvakeppnin!
if you posted this exact same comment on the day that the songs came out, it wouldve been heavily downvoted
I wouldn’t count on the upvote/downvote system here or anything in Wiwibloggs really as a measure to one’s support.
This is a literal bubble of a specific audience
Not just a bubble but there’s always been heavy upvote/downvote bot activity and voting bot activity for the polls for like… 6 years now at least, probably longer, that’s just how long I’ve been reading the news here and its always been present.
Song 3: liked the music and dance, not so much the ‘song’… Was a bit ‘steady-state’; never really ‘exploded’.
Bashar Murad (“Vestrið villt”) – Ohh, this is fierce. Much better live than I was expecting. I’m a little nervous about what the “message” of the song will be ultimately, but I enjoyed what I heard tonight. It’s a good start.
Bashar’s song is growing on me, it’s just so different from everything else we’ve got in the competition. He spoke very well in the VT beforehand as well