Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Encyclopedia
Iceland confirmed its presence at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. It was held in Moscow
, Russia
. Ríkisútvarpið
(RÚV), the Icelandic broadcaster, has decided to continue with a national final format, with members of the public being called to send in songs to RÚV.
Sixteen songs in total will compete in Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009, selected from the 217 songs submitted to RÚV. Four songs will compete in each semi-final, with eight songs in total competing in the final. The composers of the sixteen songs were revealed on 15 November 2008. Three of the thirteen composers revealed have composed two songs that have been accepted for the contest.
The first song of the night was "Dagur nýr" (A new day), performed by Heiða Ólafs, composed by Halldór Guðjónsson and written by Íris Kristinsdóttir. The song is a rock ballad, which Ólafs performs on stage in a black top and trousers. She was backed by a five piece band, featuring two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer and a keyboard player. The second performance of the night was by Ólöf Jara Skagfjörð with the song "Hugur minn fylgir þér" (My mind follows you), which was composed and written by Valgeir Skagfjörð. The song is a rock/pop ballad, which she performs in a red and black dress, backed by an accordion player. Edgar Smári was next on stage, performing "The Kiss We Never Kissed" which was composed by Heimir Sindrason and written by Ari Harðarson. The song is a pop ballad, which Heimir performs in a black shirt and jeans, sitting on a stool in the centre of the stage, backed by five backing singers, four female and one male, all in black. The final song of the first semi-final was "Is It True", composed by Óskar Páll Sveinsson and performed by Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir. The song is another ballad, featuring both pop and rock elements, which Guðrún performs on stage in a black dress, and is accompanied on stage by two female backing singers, a cellist and a guitarist, all in black.
Edgar Smári and Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir were the two artists to qualify to the final, to be held on 14 February.
The show was opened by Páll Rósinkrans, performing "Fósturjörð" (Motherland), composed and written by Einar Scheving. the song is a ballad, which Rósinkrans performed in a black suit and white shirt, and was joined on stage by a pianist, drummer, cellist and violinist, all in black. Second was Ingó, who performed "Undir regnbogann" (Under the rainbow), which was composed by Hallgrímur Óskarsson and written by Eiríkur Hauksson
. The song is a cheerful, which Ingó performs on stage with a ukelele, and he was accompanied on stage by three male backing singers in black, as well as female trombonist and drummer, dressed in white. the penultimate performance was by Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm, who performed "Vornótt" (Spring night), which was composed by Erla Gígja Þorvaldsdóttir and written by Hilmir Jóhannesson. The song is a mid-tempo song, which Holm performs in a black and white polka dot dress. She is accompanied on stage by a harpist, guitarist and two female backing singers, all in black. The final performer on stage was Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir with "Glópagull" (Fool's gold), composed and written by Einar Oddsson. The song is more rock in nature to the other songs in this semi-final, with Hrönn performing in a black and red dress, and joined on stage by two male and two female backing singers, all in black.
Ingó and Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm passed to the final, with Páll Rósinkrans and Erna & Lísa failing to pass through to the final.
First on stage was Seth Sharp with "Family", an up-tempo pop song. Sharp is joined on stage by three female backing singers, dressed in black, as well as a male and female backing dancers. Next on stage was Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur with "Easy to Fool", an up-tempo country song. The group were dressed in cowboy outfits, and were joined on stage by two female backing singers in black. The penultimate act was Kristín Ósk Wium with "Close to You", a jazz ballad. Kristín was joined on stage by a jazz band, including a pianist, bassist, trumpeter and guitarist, all in black, while Kristín performed in a black dress. The final song of the show was Kaja Halldórsdóttir's "Lygin ein" (A total lie), a modern disco song. Kaja performed the song in a black leather outfit, and was joined on stage by three male backing singers, dressed in black, as well as two female backing dancers who followed Kaja as she moved about on stage.
Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur and Kaja Halldórsdóttir qualified to the final, while Seth Sharp and Kristín Ósk Wium left the competition.
Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir was first on stage with "Cobwebs", composed by Heimir Sindrason and written by Ari Harðarson. Birna performs the mid-tempo ballad surrounded by a string quartet, all in black, with Birna singing from a microphone stand as well as playing the violin, dressed in a black dress. Second was Jógvan Hansen with "I Think The World of You", written by Hallgrímur Óskarsson. The song is another ballad, which Hansen, dressed in a white shirt and black waistcoat, performs on stage with two male backing singers, also dressed in black. Third was Electra's "Got No Love", a rock song composed by Örlygur Smári
and written by Sigurður Örn Jónsson. The two women of Electra perform the song and move about the stage, and are joined on stage by two female guitarists, who also provide backing vocals, as well as a female keyboardist and drummer. The final performance was Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir with "Roses", a mild rock song. Halla was joined on stage by two guitarists and a drummer, as well as two female backing singers, all dressed in black, while Halla was dressed in an orange top and black bottoms.
Elektra and Jógvan Hansen passed to the final from this semi-final, and Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir and Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir left the contest.
After each song had performed, the top two entries were revealed, being Ingó with "Undir regnbogann" and Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir with "Is It True?
". The winner of the contest was Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, who will represent Iceland at Eurovision in Moscow. RÚV later revealed the results and televotes of the top 4 songs, with "Is It True?" winning by a landslide majority from more than 69,000 votes cast.
on 17 April and the Eurovision Promo Concert on 18 April in Amsterdam
.
and preceding FYR Macedonia
. RÚV revealed that Yohanna was to be backed on stage by Friðrik Ómar
, one half of last year's entry Euroband
, and Hera Björk
, runner-up in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2009
and backing singer for Euroband last year. The song qualified for the final, scoring the highest number of points in the first semi-final with 174 points. It eventually finished 2nd with 218, equalling Iceland's best ever Eurovision performance set in 1999.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Ríkisútvarpið
RÚV
Ríkisútvarpið is Iceland's national public-service broadcasting organization.Operating from studios in the country's capital, Reykjavík, as well as regional centres around the country, the service broadcasts a variety of general programming to a wide audience across the whole country via radio...
(RÚV), the Icelandic broadcaster, has decided to continue with a national final format, with members of the public being called to send in songs to RÚV.
Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009
The final of the Icelandic national selection, Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009, will be held on 14 February 2009, with four semi-finals being held before-hand, on the 10, 17, 24 and 31 January 2009. Artists and songwriters were told that they had until 13 October 2008 to submit entries to RÚV. However, due to the financial crisis in Iceland, RÚV extended the deadline by one week, to 20 October 2008.Sixteen songs in total will compete in Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009, selected from the 217 songs submitted to RÚV. Four songs will compete in each semi-final, with eight songs in total competing in the final. The composers of the sixteen songs were revealed on 15 November 2008. Three of the thirteen composers revealed have composed two songs that have been accepted for the contest.
Semi-final 1
The first semi-final of Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009 was held on 10 January, featuring four songs in total. Two songs passed to the final, while the remaining two were knocked out of the competition.The first song of the night was "Dagur nýr" (A new day), performed by Heiða Ólafs, composed by Halldór Guðjónsson and written by Íris Kristinsdóttir. The song is a rock ballad, which Ólafs performs on stage in a black top and trousers. She was backed by a five piece band, featuring two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer and a keyboard player. The second performance of the night was by Ólöf Jara Skagfjörð with the song "Hugur minn fylgir þér" (My mind follows you), which was composed and written by Valgeir Skagfjörð. The song is a rock/pop ballad, which she performs in a red and black dress, backed by an accordion player. Edgar Smári was next on stage, performing "The Kiss We Never Kissed" which was composed by Heimir Sindrason and written by Ari Harðarson. The song is a pop ballad, which Heimir performs in a black shirt and jeans, sitting on a stool in the centre of the stage, backed by five backing singers, four female and one male, all in black. The final song of the first semi-final was "Is It True", composed by Óskar Páll Sveinsson and performed by Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir. The song is another ballad, featuring both pop and rock elements, which Guðrún performs on stage in a black dress, and is accompanied on stage by two female backing singers, a cellist and a guitarist, all in black.
Edgar Smári and Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir were the two artists to qualify to the final, to be held on 14 February.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Composer - Lyricist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heiða Ólafs | "Dagur nýr" | Halldór Guðjónsson - Íris Kristinsdóttir |
| 2 | Ólöf Jara Skagfjörð | "Hugur minn fylgir þér" | Valgeir Skagfjörð |
| 3 | Edgar Smári | "The Kiss We Never Kissed" | Heimir Sindrason - Ari Harðarson |
| 4 | Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir , widely known outside of Iceland as Yohanna, is an Icelandic singer who was chosen to represent her nation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia, with the song "Is It True?", earning 2nd place.- Background and career:Jóhanna was raised in Hafnarfjörður,... |
"Is It True?" | Óskar Páll Sveinsson |
Semi-final 2
The second semi-final of Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009 was held on 17 January, featuring four songs in total. Two songs passed to the final, while the remaining two were knocked out of the competition.The show was opened by Páll Rósinkrans, performing "Fósturjörð" (Motherland), composed and written by Einar Scheving. the song is a ballad, which Rósinkrans performed in a black suit and white shirt, and was joined on stage by a pianist, drummer, cellist and violinist, all in black. Second was Ingó, who performed "Undir regnbogann" (Under the rainbow), which was composed by Hallgrímur Óskarsson and written by Eiríkur Hauksson
Eiríkur Hauksson
Eiríkur Hauksson is an Icelandic heavy metal vocalist who is educated as a teacher.Eiríkur is considered to be a talented vocalist, able to adopt various styles...
. The song is a cheerful, which Ingó performs on stage with a ukelele, and he was accompanied on stage by three male backing singers in black, as well as female trombonist and drummer, dressed in white. the penultimate performance was by Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm, who performed "Vornótt" (Spring night), which was composed by Erla Gígja Þorvaldsdóttir and written by Hilmir Jóhannesson. The song is a mid-tempo song, which Holm performs in a black and white polka dot dress. She is accompanied on stage by a harpist, guitarist and two female backing singers, all in black. The final performer on stage was Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir with "Glópagull" (Fool's gold), composed and written by Einar Oddsson. The song is more rock in nature to the other songs in this semi-final, with Hrönn performing in a black and red dress, and joined on stage by two male and two female backing singers, all in black.
Ingó and Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm passed to the final, with Páll Rósinkrans and Erna & Lísa failing to pass through to the final.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Composer - Lyricist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Páll Rósinkrans | "Fósturjörð" | Einar Scheving |
| 2 | Ingó | "Undir regnbogann" | Hallgrímur Óskarsson - Eiríkur Hauksson Eiríkur Hauksson Eiríkur Hauksson is an Icelandic heavy metal vocalist who is educated as a teacher.Eiríkur is considered to be a talented vocalist, able to adopt various styles... |
| 3 | Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm | "Vornótt" | Erla Gígja Þorvaldsdóttir - Hilmir Jóhannesson |
| 4 | Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir | "Glópagull" | Einar Oddsson |
Semi-final 3
The third semi-final of Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009 was held on 24 January, featuring four songs in total. Two songs passed to the final, while the remaining two were knocked out of the competition.First on stage was Seth Sharp with "Family", an up-tempo pop song. Sharp is joined on stage by three female backing singers, dressed in black, as well as a male and female backing dancers. Next on stage was Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur with "Easy to Fool", an up-tempo country song. The group were dressed in cowboy outfits, and were joined on stage by two female backing singers in black. The penultimate act was Kristín Ósk Wium with "Close to You", a jazz ballad. Kristín was joined on stage by a jazz band, including a pianist, bassist, trumpeter and guitarist, all in black, while Kristín performed in a black dress. The final song of the show was Kaja Halldórsdóttir's "Lygin ein" (A total lie), a modern disco song. Kaja performed the song in a black leather outfit, and was joined on stage by three male backing singers, dressed in black, as well as two female backing dancers who followed Kaja as she moved about on stage.
Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur and Kaja Halldórsdóttir qualified to the final, while Seth Sharp and Kristín Ósk Wium left the competition.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Composer - Lyricist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seth Sharp | "Family" | Óskar Páll Sveinsson |
| 2 | Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur | "Easy to Fool" | Torfi Ólafsson - Þorkell Olgeirsson |
| 3 | Kristín Ósk Wium | "Close to You" | Grétar Sigurbergsson |
| 4 | Kaja Halldórsdóttir | "Lygin ein" | Albert G. Jónsson |
Semi-final 4
The fourth semi-final of Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009 was held on 31 January, featuring four songs in total. Two songs passed to the final, while the remaining two were knocked out of the competition.Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir was first on stage with "Cobwebs", composed by Heimir Sindrason and written by Ari Harðarson. Birna performs the mid-tempo ballad surrounded by a string quartet, all in black, with Birna singing from a microphone stand as well as playing the violin, dressed in a black dress. Second was Jógvan Hansen with "I Think The World of You", written by Hallgrímur Óskarsson. The song is another ballad, which Hansen, dressed in a white shirt and black waistcoat, performs on stage with two male backing singers, also dressed in black. Third was Electra's "Got No Love", a rock song composed by Örlygur Smári
Örlygur Smári
Örlygur Smári is an Icelandic producer/composer. He wrote Iceland's Eurovision Song Contest 2000 entry Tell Me!. He also wrote the song This Is My Life which was the Icelandic entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. In 2010 he teamed up with Hera Björk to write the song Je ne sais quoi which...
and written by Sigurður Örn Jónsson. The two women of Electra perform the song and move about the stage, and are joined on stage by two female guitarists, who also provide backing vocals, as well as a female keyboardist and drummer. The final performance was Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir with "Roses", a mild rock song. Halla was joined on stage by two guitarists and a drummer, as well as two female backing singers, all dressed in black, while Halla was dressed in an orange top and black bottoms.
Elektra and Jógvan Hansen passed to the final from this semi-final, and Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir and Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir left the contest.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Composer - Lyricist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir | "Cobwebs" | Heimir Sindrason - Ari Harðarson |
| 2 | Jógvan Hansen Jógvan Hansen Jógvan Hansen is a Faroese singer and guitar player who won the first ever Icelandic version of The X Factor in 2007 with 70% of the popular vote... |
"I Think The World of You" | Hallgrímur Óskarsson |
| 3 | Elektra | "Got No Love" | Örlygur Smári Örlygur Smári Örlygur Smári is an Icelandic producer/composer. He wrote Iceland's Eurovision Song Contest 2000 entry Tell Me!. He also wrote the song This Is My Life which was the Icelandic entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. In 2010 he teamed up with Hera Björk to write the song Je ne sais quoi which... - Sigurður Örn Jónsson |
| 4 | Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir is an Icelandic television, film actress and singer.-Biography:Vilhjálmsdóttir graduated in 2004 at the Guildford School of Acting in Guildford, Surrey, she worked in this time for ITV and the BBC.-Movie career:... |
"Roses" | Trausti Bjarnason - Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir is an Icelandic television, film actress and singer.-Biography:Vilhjálmsdóttir graduated in 2004 at the Guildford School of Acting in Guildford, Surrey, she worked in this time for ITV and the BBC.-Movie career:... |
Final
The final of Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009 was held on 14 February 2009, and featured two songs that qualified from each semi-final.After each song had performed, the top two entries were revealed, being Ingó with "Undir regnbogann" and Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir with "Is It True?
Is It True?
"Is It True?" is a song by Icelandic singer Yohanna and was the Icelandic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia. The song was composed by Óskar Páll Sveinsson and won second place in the contest...
". The winner of the contest was Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, who will represent Iceland at Eurovision in Moscow. RÚV later revealed the results and televotes of the top 4 songs, with "Is It True?" winning by a landslide majority from more than 69,000 votes cast.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Composer - Lyricist | Televotes | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur | "Easy to Fool" | Torfi Ólafsson - Þorkell Olgeirsson | ||
| 2 | Jógvan Hansen Jógvan Hansen Jógvan Hansen is a Faroese singer and guitar player who won the first ever Icelandic version of The X Factor in 2007 with 70% of the popular vote... |
"I Think The World of You" | Hallgrímur Óskarsson | 9,693 | 4 |
| 3 | Kaja Halldórsdottir | "Lygin ein" | Albert G. Jónsson | ||
| 4 | Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm | "Vornótt" | Erla Gígja Þorvaldsdóttir - Hilmir Jóhannesson | ||
| 5 | Elektra | "Got No Love" | Örlygur Smári Örlygur Smári Örlygur Smári is an Icelandic producer/composer. He wrote Iceland's Eurovision Song Contest 2000 entry Tell Me!. He also wrote the song This Is My Life which was the Icelandic entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. In 2010 he teamed up with Hera Björk to write the song Je ne sais quoi which... - Sigurður Örn Jónsson |
10,214 | 3 |
| 6 | Edgar Smári | "The Kiss We Never Kissed" | Heimir Sindrason - Ari Harðarson | ||
| 7 | Ingó | "Undir regnbogann" | Hallgrímur Óskarsson - Eiríkur Hauksson Eiríkur Hauksson Eiríkur Hauksson is an Icelandic heavy metal vocalist who is educated as a teacher.Eiríkur is considered to be a talented vocalist, able to adopt various styles... |
10,696 | 2 |
| 8 | Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir , widely known outside of Iceland as Yohanna, is an Icelandic singer who was chosen to represent her nation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia, with the song "Is It True?", earning 2nd place.- Background and career:Jóhanna was raised in Hafnarfjörður,... |
"Is It True?" | Óskar Páll Sveinsson | 19,076 | 1 |
Promotion
Yohanna promoted her entry in various countries before competing in Moscow. Yohanna performed at both the UKeurovision Preview Party in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 17 April and the Eurovision Promo Concert on 18 April in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
At Eurovision
Iceland participated in the first semi-final of the contest on 12 May 2009. Yohanna performed 12th in the running order of the semi-final, following BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and preceding FYR Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. RÚV revealed that Yohanna was to be backed on stage by Friðrik Ómar
Friðrik Ómar
Friðrik Ómar Hjorleifsson is an Icelandic singer probably best known for representing Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.- Career :...
, one half of last year's entry Euroband
Eurobandið
Eurobandið is the name of Icelandic technopop and dance duo Friðrik Ómar and Regína Ósk, who together represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. They performed the song "This Is My Life" in the second semi-final, on 22 May 2008 which won them a place in the final...
, and Hera Björk
Hera Björk
Hera Björk Þórhallsdóttir is an Icelandic singer. She participated in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2009 with the song "Someday", placing second, and won the OGAE Second Chance Contest 2009. She represented Iceland at Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "Je ne sais quoi"...
, runner-up in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2009
Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Denmark participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 held in Moscow on 16 May 2009. Denmark was represented by Brinck with the song "Believe Again"...
and backing singer for Euroband last year. The song qualified for the final, scoring the highest number of points in the first semi-final with 174 points. It eventually finished 2nd with 218, equalling Iceland's best ever Eurovision performance set in 1999.