Review: “Söngvakeppnin 2023” (Iceland)

Iceland will select an artist and a song for Eurovision 2023 via the national selection “Söngvakeppnin 2023″.
10 artists will compete in 2 semi-finals. 2 artists will qualify directly from each semi-final to the final. However, the jury will have the option to grant a 5th ticket for the final, as a wildcard.
The semi-finals results will be decided by 100% public vote, while in the final the decision will be based on a 50% public vote and a 50% jury vote.
In this article, I will give my personal review of the songs:

Semi-Final 1

#1. Bragi – Stundum snýst heimurinn gegn þér / Sometimes the World’s Against Us

It is a mid-tempo power pop ballad.
The song starts with an instrumental part, composed of the piano playing.
Bragi sings the first verse with a considerably high and stable voice. There’s a soft percussion beat that accompanies the melody.
Pre-chorus is slightly faster
Something in the melody of the pre-chorus reminded me of “Unfaithful” By Rihanna.
The chorus is more “hymn”, and sounds like a boy band song. The presence of drum beat is greater in this part. We can hear some backing vocals as well.
The second verse shows more of his vocals. the structure is similar to the first verse.
The pre-chorus has a higher tempo this time.
Once again, we get the chorus. Thereafter, we get the bridge, which relies on piano playing and soft singing.
The song ends with one last chorus that fades slowly.
Overall, a decent effort to brings a radio-friendly song. However, I can’t find anything special about this song.

#2. Móa – Glötuð ást / Lose This Dream

It is a jazz ballad.
The song begins with the keyboard playing and Móa‘s thick and low tone of voice.
The first verse is slow, and puts the focus on her voice.
The pre-chorus is more mysterious, something in the melody becomes darker , however the production stays very simple.
The chorus sounds like the natural continuation of the verses. It is based on keyboards playing and pre-recoded secondary voice.
Immediately afterwards, we get the second verse, which is slightly faster. The production also includes some string elements,
Therefore, the last chorus has a more orchestral descent, and that’s where she reaches her peak as a singer.
Móa‘s voice in noticeable and special. The song succeeds in creating the emotional atmosphere.
However, it lacks something on the production level. It can be improved by adding more instruments at an early point of the song.
In general, it is a great song, but I’m afraid it doesn’t stand any chance in the competition.

#3. Benedikt – Þora / Brave Face

It is a mid-tempo electro pop song.
The song starts immediately with Benedikt’s singing.
The first verse is based on electric keyboards and bass guitar. He sings it with a mid-low voice.
The pre-chorus is faster, as the keyboards playing becomes more intensive. The production is richer, as we can hear some wind and percussion instruments.
The chorus relies on modern production and backing vocals. The melody is based on an electric keyboard and a mid-tempo beat.
The second verse starts with a sampling of bass guitar. It is quite short, and the singing is quite effortless.
The pre-chorus leads us to the second chorus, which has a greater presence of backing vocals. The melody is mainly based on electric keyboards and a faster beat.
The bridge relies on violin playing, and he brings the most remarkable moments, vocally wise.
Something about this song feels good regarding the production, It is modern and I would even say “social-media” friendly. However, something about the singing sounds flat.

#4. Celebs – Dómsdags dans / Doomsday Dancing

It is a disco-dance song with retro influences.
The song starts with a looped beat that’s composed of synthized keyboards.
The first verse starts with a singing by a male vocalist. His voice is a little bit shaky.
The pre-chorus is performed by a female singer with an alt voice. Towards the end of this part, her voice is processed by digital effects.
The chorus is danceable and catchy. We can hear at least 2 of them singing together. Vocally, it is more powerful and the melody is more festive.
The second chorus is performed in a reciting form. The melody is based on bass and guitar playing. For me, it is the weakest part of the song, especially coming after the chorus.
The following is much longer, and the structure is quite random. This part’s melody is based on guitar and keyboards with a dance beat
Thereafter, we get the pre-chorus, with a richer production which includes some precussion elements as well.
The song ends with 2 occurrences of chorus. The second one starts with a noticeable modulation. This is when the beat of the song hits the best.
Overall, a song that makes the listener happy and makes you want to dance. The chorus is the strong part of the song, as well as the whole prodiction. I think that the female singer is the one who carries the song

#5. Diljá – Lifandi inni í mér / Power

This is a powerful country pop ballad.
The song starts with electric guitar stringing.
The first verse gives us the impression, it would be a dark pop song, but later on it becomes clear it won’t be. The first verse relies on guitar playing, and the focus in on Diljá‘s excellent voice. She sings it in a a mid-high voice.
The chorus starts with a very powerful singing, that even sounds like an outcry. In the background, we can hear some backing vocals.
The chorus outtro starts with drum playing and an electric beat.
The second verse relies on electric guitar and percussion beat.
Thereafter, we get the second chorus, which is more upbeat and of the pop genre. The chorus includes some backing vocals.
The bridge includes pre-recorded backing vocals, alongside higher pitch singing.
The last part of the song is again the chorus.
The song is catchy, mainly due to its chorus. Diljá‘s elevate this song to several levels. It makes it from a standard radio-friendly pop song to a meaningful, emotional song.

My Personal Ranking (Semi-Final 1)

Diljá – Lifandi inni í mér / Power
Celebs – Dómsdags dans / Doomsday Dancing
Benedikt – Þora / Brave Face
Móa – Glötuð ást / Lose This Dream
Bragi – Stundum snýst heimurinn gegn þér / Sometimes the World’s Against Us

Prediction (Semi-Final 1)

It looks like the qualifiers will be 2 of the following:

Celebs – Dómsdags dans / Doomsday Dancing
Diljá – Lifandi inni í mér / Power
Bragi – Stundum snýst heimurinn gegn þér / Sometimes the World’s Against Us

Semi-Final 2

#1. Kristín Sesselja – Óbyggðir / Terrified

It is a mid-tempo indie-alt pop ballad.
The song was created by Kristín Sesselja and Tiril (who participated in “Melodi Grand Prix 2023“)
The first verse is based on a dark mysterious keyboard playing. Kristín sings it with a mid tone of clear voice. The emphasis is on her voice (which might be delivered with some echo/reverb effect).
The pre-chorus is slower and she sings it with a higher tone of voice.
The chorus is fragile and yet powerful. This is performed with a consierablty high note. The melody is based on a sampling of string elements. At this point, the song starts pathing into the electronic direction.
The second verse is based on a drum beat, alongside the background music from the beginning. She sings it with a mid-low tone of voice.
The pre-chorus brings back the background music from the beginning. It is intentive and prepares us for the chorus.
The second chorus is even more powerful, she sings it with an even higher pitch (and it is impressive). The melody is based on a combination of keyboards and string elements, and we can hear some backing vocals.
The bridge starts as an ouyyro of the chorus, and relies on backing vocals.Thereafter, we have a modulation with an impressive long high note.
The song ends with a short instrumental part.
The song caught my ear from the first time. It is captivating and develops in a surprising direction. Even though it isn’t a standard ballad, the song is emotional.
The song sounds challenging to perform, so I am holding my fingers for the live performance.
If it is staged wisely, it can take Iceland to a top-tier achievement.

#2. Langi Seli og Skuggarnir – OK

It is a swing song with wide influences of the 1960’s music.
The song starts with a long instrumental part (around 43 seconds). This part is composed of wind, string and percussion instruments.
The first verse relies on guitar playing and wind instrumnets.
It ends very quickly, and then we get the chorus which mostly includes the work “OK”.
It continues in a predictable typical way to songs from this genre.
Thereafter, we get another instrumental part.
Towards the end, the wind instruments take over the melody.
Overall, no surprises here and I would even say the song is annoying at a certain point. Why should lyrics creating be so lazy?

#3. Silja Rós & Kjalar – Ég styð þína braut / Together We Grow

This is an electro-indie mid-tempo song.
The song starts with a comforting and soft electronic element, the melody is based on electric keyboards.
Kjalar is the first one to sing, he performs this part with a low tone of voice. Silja Rós sings the second half of the first verse. She sings with a mid-high tone of voice.
The pre-chorus is performed by the two of them simultaneously.
The chorus is dreamy and captivating melody wisely. They use vocal improvisations and manners to “decorate” the singing, which elevates the chorus.
Silja opens the second verse, it is slightly faster, and later on she is joined by Kjalar. The melody is richer this time, having violin in the production as well.
The second chorus continues along the same line, this time with pre-recorded backing vocals, and much more powerful singing.
The bridge is the direct continuation of the chorus, this time Kjalar as the opener. As it ends, the electronic effects are getting more dominant.
The song ends with soft singing and light electronic elements.
Overall, they have done very well with this song. It relies on electronic elements, but doesn’t kick too hard (in a good way). Their vocal abilities are being well reflected.

#4. Úlfar – Betri maður / Impossible

It is a mid-tempo pop ballad.
The melody is based on piano playing.
The first verse is slow and simple, the second verse has the same flavor.
The pre-chorus is shorter and emotional. We can hear more elements in the production.
The chorus is the powerful part of the song, even though it is quite predictable
The third verse gives us more opportunities to showcase his voice
The second chorus is richer, as it also relies on string elements
In the bridge, the tempo of the song becomes higher. You can hear him singing powerfully, with a support of backing vocals
Úlfar sings it accurately with a mid-high tone of voice.
Overall, it is a decent effort, but nothing new under the sun.

#5. Sigga Ózk – Gleyma þér og dansa / Dancing Lonely

It is a pop song with some influences of the 1990’s-2000’s music.
The first verse is based on keyboard playing and warm singing. We can hear the light effects of dance pop in the background beat.
The pre-chorus is faster, and includes some backing singing as well. She uses some manners as well.
The chorus is uplifting and creates a happy vibe in general. In addition, guitar playing is part of the melody as well.
The second verse is faster, as it relies on keyboards, bass and guitar. The dance beat is more upbeat.
The second chorus is more effective, and its flow sounds like a good fit for the whole song.
The bridge suggests a melodic change that allows Sigga to showcase another dimension of her voice.
The second and last chorus relies on a different production, more unplugged but still with guitar playing.
Thereafter, we get a high note and modulation that also fastens the chorus.
When we talk about teenage radio-friendly pop, we talk about this song. It is fun and easy to listen to, but at the same time isn’t competitive enough.

My Personal Ranking (Semi-Final 2)

Kristín Sesselja – Óbyggðir / Terrified
Silja Rós & Kjalar – Ég styð þína braut / Together We Grow
Sigga Ózk – Gleyma þér og dansa / Dancing Lonely
Úlfar – Betri maður / Impossible
Langi Seli og Skuggarnir – OK

Prediction (Semi-Final 2)

As I see it, the following 2 songs have the best chances to qualify directly for the final:

Kristín Sesselja – Óbyggðir / Terrified
Silja Rós & Kjalar – Ég styð þína braut / Together We Grow

My Personal Ranking (Overall)

Kristín Sesselja – Óbyggðir / Terrified
Silja Rós & Kjalar – Ég styð þína braut / Together We Grow
Diljá – Lifandi inni í mér / Power
Celebs – Dómsdags dans / Doomsday Dancing
Benedikt – Þora / Brave Face
Móa – Glötuð ást / Lose This Dream
Sigga Ózk – Gleyma þér og dansa / Dancing Lonely
Úlfar – Betri maður / Impossible
Bragi – Stundum snýst heimurinn gegn þér / Sometimes the World’s Against Us
Langi Seli og Skuggarnir – OK

Prediction (Overall)

Relying on Iceland’s choices in the history of “Söngvakeppnin“, I would predict the following songs as possible winners. It doesn’t mean they are the best ones:

Bragi – Stundum snýst heimurinn gegn þér / Sometimes the World’s Against Us
Celebs – Dómsdags dans / Doomsday Dancing
Silja Rós & Kjalar – Ég styð þína braut / Together We Grow

Iceland will compete in the first half of semi-final 2 at Eurovision 2023.
Don’t forget to visit our full guide to Eurovision 2023: Our Eurovision 2023 homepage