National finals

We have no idea who will win the second MGP semi-final tonight

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No, this is not a picture of Gandalf in his thirties. (Pic by NRK.) 

OMG, we’re loving the fact that NRK has brought the regional MGP semi-finals back and this weekend we get to see the top of the crop of what the Eastern part of the country has to offer. And if you think the most densely populated part of Norway offers fierce competition, think again! Perhaps NRK forgot to tell the real artists currently residing in and around Oslo about the submission deadline, but nevermind. Lucky for us we’re having a white January and are all set with a generous glass of chardonnay in front of the telly around eight to watch the usual shenanigans. Oh joy!

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Five reasons Raylee should win Norway’s first semi final

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Raylee. Pic by NRK

Yay, Norway fired up the concept of regional semifinals again and they are now ON. That will probably be a huge success, given the fact that outdoor Norway is pitch black and cold and boring at the moment and we are all broke after a way too long Christmas holiday of expensive food and alcohol every day, similar to Eurovision week, so there’s nothing left to do than to sit inside and watch the telly.

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MGP – awards of the evening

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We identify with this lady. One hundred per cent.
We identify with this lady. One hundred per cent.

Yeah, MGP went as expected. Norway gathered a lot of hobgoblins onstage, let the only good artist down and voted for a rubbish song. We are utterly disappointed we won’t be packing our sami flags and sølje jewellery in May. But at least we had a great party with Elin and her wood, got rid of Kristian Valen early and can still count of Hungary’s Joci for some ethnic vibe in Kyiv (that is if he is not bullied to silence first, shame on you, Hungarians).

Nonetheless. We have some awards to hand out:
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MGP 2016: Taking stock

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Holy cannoli, what just happened last night? That’s it then, after a string of fine entries placing us nicely on the left-handside of the ESC scoreboard, Norway officially lost the plot when selecting Agnete and her rather gloomy mash-up. Don’t blame us, we sent our televotes elsewhere, which was of course a waste of money. Can we please send Åse Kleveland instead? So while mentally preparing for what it will be like not to proceed from the semi-final in Stockholm, let’s take stock of the shenanigans that went down in Oslo Spectrum.

The wonderful planet named Eurovision. The gift that keeps on giving.


Most obvious wasted opportunity:
The very year Europe was ready to embrace a lesbian art collective singing about a dog in space, Norway decided NOT to send Laika to Stockholm. Continue reading

MGP 2016: When not making your mind up

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Agnete – «Icebreaker»

Don’t mess with chicks from Nesseby!

The average Eurovision fan sure knows to appreciate a familiar face, and Agnete already earned her fame as MGPjr winner and MGP runner up long before she never finished high school. Lately she has claimed her fair share of primetime TV exposure and proved that she can carry a tune live without caving under the pressure of knowing half the country is watching. Her dancing skills are not too shabby either it turns out, all of which is of course nice to know in case we accidentally manage to vote her all the way to Stockholm in May. Continue reading

MGP 2016: High School Musical edition

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Suite 16 – «Anna Lee»

The guys in Suite 16 hope their fake ID’s will get them into the afterparty on Saturday

We assume Suite 16 missed the application deadline for MGPjr, or clearly there’s been a misunderstanding somewhere leading up to them ending up in the MGP for grownups. We much rather prefer they stayed at home and kept their bedtimes on a Saturday night and recommend them to finish high school first before coming back. Continue reading

MGP 2016: Soon to be forgotten

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Elouiz – «History»

A sneak peak of Ellos’ next spring collection. Cardigans in fifty shades of blue!

We’ve never heard of Elouiz before and were kinda relieved that it was not a dansband from Hedmark. But when it turns out it’s a 20-year-old Swede who, according to her bio, never performed for a live audience before, we dunno what we would have preferred. Where do NRK find these people? Did they not find a single artist in the pile of contributions this year more worthy to make the cut? Somehow we find that very hard to believe. Continue reading

MGP2016: Eurovision by the numbers

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Laila Samuels – «Afterglow»

Laila Samuels, staring into the abyss

Laila Samuels ALMOST became a superstar in the mid 90s as the lead singer of a popband no one remembers. We’re positively beside ourselves with joy now that she’s FINALLY making her comeback. Or not really, but according to the hype NRK is trying to create, that’s how we’re suppose to feel at least. Continue reading