On 25 February, RÚV confirmed Iceland's participation at the 40th edition of ESCT. RÚV opened applications for the upcoming national final immediately following the latest Söngur fyrir Ísland Final. 75 entries were submitted to RÚV. A panel of expert juries narrowed down the 75 songs submitted to 10 lucky finalists that will compete for the chance to represent Iceland at ESCT.
On 26 February, Icelandic head of delegation Elísabet Ormslev is happy to reveal the names of the 10 artists that have been selected to compete in Söngur fyrir Ísland:
Banglist
Cell7
Draumfarir
GDRN
Hatari
Logi Pedro
MIMRA
Regína Ósk
Sigrún Stella
Tómas Welding & ELVA
Over the coming days/hours, RÚV will reveal more information regarding the songs.
Composer(s): Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir, Per Tore Løberg Monstad, Pétur Karl, Ylva Øyen Brandtsegg
Banglist is an Icelandic & Norwegian band based in Berlin. Drummer Ylva and bass player Per are from Norway, and Ásdís, lead singer and Pétur on guitar are from Iceland. All band members grew up in small communities close under the arctic circle with dark winter nights and endless summer days.
Female empowerment is an important topic for Banglist and their songs reflect that. Being decisively open about matters like love and sexuality, the lyrics touch on subjects like heartbreak, loneliness and the search for love in times of tinder, all told in the first person narrative of a female protagonist.
They will be competing with the song, "Turn the Lights Down".
Composer(s): Gnúsi Yones, Friðfinnur Sigurðsson, Kelly Hibbert, Ragna Kjartansdóttir
Ragna Kjartansdóttir, better known by her stage name, Cell7, is an Icelandic rapper, songwriter and audio engineer. Kjartansdóttir is an international woman: her father grew up in Denmark; her mother is from the Philippines. Ragna broke into the Icelandic musical scene in 1996 with the band Subterranean.
As a veteran of the Icelandic rap scene, Cell7 is constantly cited as an inspiration for established artists and women just breaking into the genre. There is real soul, strength and insight here, all of it steeped in infectious grooves and melodies and a full frontal arsenal of rhymes that show that Cell7 is ready to decimate any preconceptions of what Icelandic music should sound like.
She will be competing with the song, "City Lights".
DRAUMFARIR
"Ást við fyrstu Seen" (Love at first sight)
Composer(s): Birgir Steinn Stefánsson, Kristinn ÓIi Haraldsson, Ragnar Már Jónsson
Draumfarir are a relatively new duo to land onto the Icelandic music scene. Composed of Söngur veteran Birgir and newcomer Ragnar, the two hope to make a splash together.
They will be competing with their Icelandic-language song, "Ást við fyrstu Seen", which translates into "Love at first sight".
With her hypnotizing voice, and soulful melodies, 25-year-old GDRN has rocketed on to the Icelandic music scene. Swirling in a sea of luscious harmonies and sleek, modern trap beats, GDRN’s music is slightly anachronistic and highly addictive. GDRN played classical violin for over 10 years until she began studying both jazz-singing and jazz-piano which ultimately lead her to start a singing career in 2017. Her debut album won Album of the Year at the Grapevine Music Awards and the album was nominated for the annual Nordic Music Awards, which honors full-length albums from the Nordic countries.
She teams up with Icelandic rapper Floni and producer ra:tio with her song "Lætur mig".
Composer(s): Einar Hrafn Stefánsson, Klemens Nikulásson Hannigan, Matthías Tryggvi Haraldsson
HATARI is an Icelandic multimedia performance project that unveils the relentless scam that is everyday life. The project has been awarded "Best Live Band" by The Reykjavík Grapevine for two consecutive years, with the panel stating that "their brutality is matched only by their mystery". HATARI took the Icelandic scene by storm after Iceland Airwaves 2016, drawing attention not only to their music but also their explosive performances, where the likes of The Guardian stated: "You don't know whether to laugh or alert the authorities". Consequence of Sound recently defined the project as “part David Lynch nightmare, part goth dress-up party and part industrial love letter, HATARI are a sight to behold.” HATARI deliver an unrivaled blast of bondage-pop, techno-punk and industrial-goth.
They will be competing with the song, "Klámstrákur".
LOGI PEDRO
"Mann setur hljóðan" (One sets the silence)
Composer(s): Glenn Schick, Logi Pedro Stefánsson, Magnús Jóhann Ragnarsson, Sæþór Kristjánsson
Icelandic-Angolan artist and producer Logi Pedro is often described as a culture curator. First known as a member of legendary Icelandic world-pop band Retro Stefson he became a sought after producer with credits for some of Iceland's biggest names (GusGus, Sturla Atlas, Floni, Emmsjé Gauti). Having made a name for himself in Iceland’s flourishing hip-hop scene on the sidelines in the past few years, Logi released his first solo album in the summer of 2018 to critical acclaim and is set to release his second album in full length this summer.
He will be competing with the song, "Mann setur hljóðan".
Composer(s): Bjarni Bragi Kjartansson, María Magnúsdóttir, Stefán Örn Gunnlaugsson
MIMRA, the solo project of María Magnúsdóttir, first captivated audiences with her eclectic and vocally enchanting music in 2014. Ever since she has created rich sonic layered music with delicate but complex blend of alternative folk-pop with a pinch of electronics, jazz and soul. Radiating with strength and passion, MIMRA awes with a magical vocal dexterity and range.
Released to critical acclaim both within Iceland and abroad, MIMRA’s debut album „Sinking Island” saw daylight in 2017. Self-recorded, produced and mixed by the artist, the album was part of María’s studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she mastered her technical skills and knowledge of popular music.
She will be competing with the ethereal, "Vindurinn".
Composer(s): Regína Ósk Óskarsdóttir, Karl Ágúst, Sveinbjörn Bjarka, Togga
She has been singing as a professional singer for 22 years and singing in big productions in Iceland in their concert hall Harpa. She has been in big concerts like ABBA tribute, Carpenters, Tina Turner, Freddie Mercury etc. Then in 2008 she represented Iceland with her friend and colleague Fridrik Omar and together they were Euroband. Their song "This is my life" finished nr 14 on the final show. She has released 5 solo albums and sung in hundreds of other albums and singles with many Icelandic artists. She is performing all over Iceland in concerts and all kinds of happening. She has been working with children and teenagers for many as she runs a singing school with her career.
She will compete with the throwback disco track, "Fædd til að dansa".
Composer(s): Michael Dilauro, Sigrún Stella Bessason
Sigrún Stella is an Icelandic/Canadian singer-songwriter. She is from the town of Akureyri in northern Iceland and moved to Toronto in 2001. She has her feet planted firmly in both countries but retains a special fondness for her distinct native culture. Influenced by such acts as Brandi Carlile, Mazzy Star, and Joni Mitchell, her music is moody and intelligent, with strong folk and jazz influences framing a powerful but haunting voice.
She has opened up for such acts as Of Monsters and Men, Lay Low, Kinnie Starr, and Svavar Knútur and has achieved extensive radio airplay in Iceland. Sigrún Stella has placed songs in feature films, including The Saver, which has been nominated for Canadian film industry awards.
She will be competing with the song, "Let It Burn".
Tómas Welding is a 22 year old artist from Iceland with Tourette Syndrome & an obsession for creating new things. He has observed musicians through the lens ever since he got his first camcorder on the day of his confirmation. But it was only a year ago that he felt like holding the microphone himself. Not taken seriously by his friends to begin with, it was when he nailed the vocals for his debut single ’Sideways’ in one take – even improvising the lyrics on the spot – that they realized his talent. With seventy demos on his hard drive, he’s sure to persuade the rest of us before long.
He will be joined by his girlfriend Elva with the song, "Lifeline".
