Have you been sensing a certain sparkle in the air lately? It‘s probably reverberations of a special season in the Norwegian music industry. Melodi Grand Prix (MGP), the Norwegian run up to the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) kicks off each January with much glitter, theatrical smoke and fanfare.
Eurovision was created to unite Europe through song post-WW II, and now there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to its contestants. Originally, both Melodi Grand Prix and Eurovision were strictly judged on vocals and the song itself. Dancing was verboten, so that judges could not be swayed by a good stage show. That notion has since been scrapped, and the total package is where it’s at: a successful bid will usually have looks, musical talent, elaborate costuming, electric stage presence and an interesting floor show. It also helps to have a good personal story, or ties to multiple cultures.
One can argue that MGP and Eurovision songs are campy and formulaic. Similar to Netflix and Amazon creating programs that mirror audience feedback, many countries look for artists based on what has been successful in the past. Songs that generally do well at Eurovision are in English with a touch of another language or bits of folk music flavor, tend to have a dance beat, and a memorable sing-along portion. They’re neither too loud, nor too slow. Think of Norway’s 2009 Eurovision winner Alexander Rybak with his soaring vocals, traditional fiddle riffs, halling folk dancers and glamorous back-up singers. Despite Eurovision’s saccharine reputation, it’s not all pop music, according to the Sydney Morning Herald’s analysis, though over 50% of the winners have been in that genre.
The Norwegian music industry is serious about cracking the code in pursuit of the country’s next win, and annually gather a slew of composers at songwriting camps in Oslo, Bergen and Rena, to find the right combination of mood, beat, voice and lyrics. Sometimes this collaboration results in new supergroups of solo artists who team up for the competition, as in groups like Keiino, Subwoolfer, Umami Tsunami and this year’s country duo, Dag Erik Oksvold and Anne Fagermo- two singers who were previous rivals on The Voice Norway.
MGP’s organizers announced that Norwegian artists can make use of autotune in 2024. This pitch-correcting technology is prohibited at Eurovision, so any bobbles or vocal catches will be exposed in the final in Malmö. Artists need to be able to bring the goods without faltering in front of an average viewership of 180 million.
This year for the MGP preliminary heats, the results will be determined 100% by public voting. The MGP final will be based on 60% on public votes and 40% onvotes by an international panel of judges.
Ones to watch:
Heat 1:
Ingrid Jasmin – This border and genre-crossing dynamo mixes folk vocals from Telemark, Spanish lyrics with a memorable Middle Eastern hook. Bonus: Norwegian lyrics
Margaret Berger – Previous MGP winner who took 4th place at ESC 2013- she’s got powerful lungs and formidable stage presence.
Heat 2:
Farida – Peppy beat and strong vocals – danceable and percussive with an ABBA-like refrain
Gåte – This tune ranges from a whisper to a face-melting howl with rock backing. Opens with traditional Norwegian cow-calling.
Heat 3:
Ann Princess – From the velvety voice interspersed English and Norwegian lyrics, this one is a catchy bop.
Thomas Jenssen – Hand claps, percussive scat and vocal fireworks make for a fun romp.
Watch the semifinal heats and final Melodi Grand Prix on NRK TV’s website.
Listen to a snippet from each Melodi Grand Prix song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHieJv2gik4
Stream all of the MGP songs with this Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6szeJNVED8nklIcICJYzGg?si=c19bc3571ef94856