Akuvi: «Triumph»
Lyrics and melody: Beatrice Akuvi Hosen Kumordzie, Andreas Stone Johansson, Anderz Wrethov and Konstantinos Vlastaras.
“Don’t bore us, get us to the chorus”, a famous person said. Akuvi also has no intention of walking around the porridge. This genre-crossing affair has both a chorus and a comp that kicks off useably. It’s about reggaeton combined with sly R’n’B and a relatively forward-leaning production. Akuvi has a purposeful timbre with a pleasing crunch that suits the format perfectly. “Triumph” is catchy and immediate, if not startlingly original.
Tiril Beisland: «Break it»
Text and melody: Emma Steinbakken, Lars Rossnes, and Benjamin Pinkus.
Tiril is both an actor, dancer and singer, which is a good combo when participating in a competition of this format. Her song is of the traditional kind – a harmless and unobtrusive pop ballad that screams for a good melodic hook. Unfortunately, very little happens here. “Break it” never manages to become significantly engaging before it fades into oblivion. It’s a bit of a shame because Tiril actually has quite a lovely voice.
Skrellex: “Love again”
Lyrics and melody: Kai Thomas Ryen Larsen, Michael James Down, Will Taylor, Primoz Poglajen, and Jonas Gladnikoff.
Drag artist Skrellex aka Kai Thomas Ryen definitely knows what he’s doing. In terms of singing, it’s not the weird stuff, but Skrellex has both character, energy and delivers a sky-high MGP factor. Eurodance in the old fashion is probably not the thing that tugs at the musical nerves the most, but if you take into account the show factor and entertainment potential, I think this one can go a long way.
Eline Thorp «Not Meant to Be»
Text and melody: Jonas Holteberg Jensen, Andreas Stone Johansson, Elsa Søllesvik, and Eline Thorp.
Eline has struggled with stage fright, which caused her to withdraw from the limelight. Now she is making a return trip and debuting in MGP. She does this with a relatively straight-forward pop song that is high and low dynamic – from the slow verses to the decidedly more ostentatious chorus. It’s not bad at all, just very unremarkable. Parts of “Not Meant to Be” sound like something that could have been left on the floor after a songwriting session with Sigrid. In short – this contribution sounds a bit second-rate.
Stig van Eijk: «Someday»
Text and melody: Stig van Eijk and Beate Helen Thunes.
Stig van Eijk is an old ring fox in the MGP context. The song “Living My Life Without You” became a smash hit after he participated with it in MGP 24 years ago. Now van Eijk is back with “Someday”, a song that, with its reggae tones, sends you at express speed to the Caribbean and white beaches. Stig is a competent songwriter and this is both hummable and swings well. Whether a song of this caliber manages to hijack the MGP train is another matter. On top of that, it is possibly too exotic and summer-warm to spark commitment in a winter-cold Norway?
Maria Celin «Freya»
Text and melody: Sindre Timberlid Jenssen, Anna Timgren, Gaute Ormåsen, Benjamin Alasu, and Erik Fjeld.
Finally some power and pathos with purpose and meaning. Maria Celin delivers hard electronica with a hint of Norwegian folk music without it coming across as clichéd. The chorus sticks immediately and the fiddle nod in the middle of the song is portioned out in suitable doses. Maria Celin also has a cool voice. The simple is often the best and this is a song that wins by not making itself too complicated. Pure words for the money, quite simply.
Atle Pettersen: “Masterpiece”
Text and melody: Andreas Stone Johansson, Hannah Dorothy Bristow, and Atle Pettersen.
From “X-factor” to “Beat for Beat” and everything in between, Atle Pettersen has done most things in the last 20 years. There has never been any doubt that he is a good singer. Whether you like his sugary approach is a matter of taste. “Masterpiece” is a suitably bloated semi-ballad where he gets to use a lot of his voice, but the melodies themselves are far too forgettable to stick in your head. There is too much in one ear, out the other feel all over. Not a masterpiece, then.
