Marcus & Martin – Unforgettable
(Jimmy ‘Joker’ Thörnfeldt/Joy Deb/Linnea Deb/Marcus Gunnarsen/Martinus Gunnarsen)
The Swedish participants are Norwegians. And twins. And the only participants this year who have already published an autobiography, Our history. When they were fourteen. And then one more, Our worldwhen they were fifteen.
Now they are twenty-two, singing Unforgettableand to introduce them we have to mention rows and rows of career highlights.
The very beginning, 2012, winning the Norwegian Junior Song Contest with Two drops of water.
As
– such as (2012) the very beginning, their win at the Norwegian Junior Eurovision Song Contest met Two drops of water (‘Two peas in a pod’): ‘On a late February evening we arrived at the hospital in two peas in a pod. That was fun!’,
– such as (2015) the number one song with which the career really ignited itself – 66 weeks in the top ten – Electric (‘Electric’): ‘You are electric. What are the chances if I smile at you?’,
– like (2016) the first English-language hit, Girls: ‘Every girl in the world mesmerizes me’,
– such as (2016) their performance during the Nobel Peace Prize Concertalongside greats like Halsey and Sting,
– such as (2017) a cinemadocumentary and a TV series that was made about them,
– like (2017) it passing on the Eurovision points for Norway,
– like (2017) it performance on the fortieth anniversary from the Swedish crown princess Victoria,
– such as (2018) winning the MAD Video Music Award for ‘Best International Act’,
– like (2022) it winning from the Swedish one Masked Singer,
– like (2023) second be included in the Swedish Eurovision preliminary round,
– in (2024) first.
Marcus & Martin – Air
(Joy Deb/Linnea Deb/Marcus Gunnarsen/Martinus Gunnarsen/Jimmy ‘Joker’ Thörnfeldt)
Highlight
But after all those successful peaks, M&M call the win in the Swedish preliminary round the highlight of their career. Martinus: ‘When we won in Sweden I could only cry and scream, and when I looked into the audience I got goosebumps all over, because I realized: these people are sending me to Eurovision.’
By the way, they were already close in 2023. They came second with the song Air [zie kader]but yes, Loreen also took part, and she would later tie a Swedish bow around the entire Eurovision edition.
Sleek & convenience
As with many other Swedish songs, the same name as songwriter always appears on M&M, namely that of Jimmy ‘Joker’ Thörnfeldt – he was partly responsible for Loreen’s Tattoofor Airfor five other Eurovision songs from recent years, including Austria’s this year, and therefore also for Unforgettable. Which is again a typical Swedish pop contribution: easy title, easy chorus, tight production, tight act.
Relativize
It is all the more remarkable that Marcus and Martinus are about the last to show star allure. Behind the scenes of the Eurovision run-up they are constantly making friends, are genuinely interested and put the hype into perspective when it is healthy and go along with it when it is funny. When they once again realize that they spend more time in Swedish hotels than at home in Norway, they start playing football (they are both good, but Martinus is a little better than Marcus). Or Playstations – Marcus takes a suitcase with him everywhere, containing not only the console, but also a large screen. Or they call Nora, who is Marcus’s girlfriend and at the same time is called ‘my best friend’ by Martinus.
To dream
Oh, and what are the plans for after the Eurovision Song Contest? ‘Continuing to play big shows, that’s what we dream of.’
But how do they stay even then grounded and calm? “Because of our father,” they say. He almost always goes with them. ‘If he weren’t there,’ says Martinus, ‘we would be divas.’
Sweden – present at the Eurovision Song Contest since 1958 – is one of the highest scoring countries, and also one of the countries where the Song Contest is the most popular. This is mainly due to a legendary preliminary round, Melodifestivalen, which is highly viewed (sometimes better than the international final round) and in which major artists like to participate. Sweden achieved many podium finishes: third six times, second once and first seven times – equaling Ireland. The seven wins came, in reverse order, from Loreen for the second time (2023, Tattoo) Måns Zelmerlöw (2015, Heroes), Loreen (2012, Euphoria), Charlotte Nilsson (1999, Take me to your heaven), Carola (1991, Captured by a whirlwind), Herrey’s (1984, Diggi-loo diggi-ley) and of course ABBA (1974, Waterloo). That group, consisting of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstadt, is still the best-known act to ever emerge from the Eurovision Song Contest, and Waterloo has most famous song
