Norway: The competing entries of the Melodi Grand Prix 2023 First Semi-final show are out!
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The songs that will compete in the first semi-final of the Norwegian selection for Eurovision 2023, MGP 2023, are out!
Ahead of the first semi-final heat of Melodi Grand Prix 2023, which is kicking off this Saturday NRK has released the songs that will be competing in the first round of the Norwegian national selection.
The line-up of the first semi-final includes some names that are familiar to the Eurovision audience as they had participated in past editions of Eurovision. Ulrikke who won the MGP 2020 but never got the chance to complete her Eurovision journey as the contest was cancelled due to the pandemic, is now making one more try to fly the flag for Norway. Also Kate Gulbrandsen who represented Norway back in 1987 with her song 'Mitt Liv' is giving another shot for Eurovision while Jowst who represented along with Aleksander Walmann the nation in Ukraine in 2017 is now back but with Byron Williams Jr on his side. i
He is the semi-final 1 line-up of competing acts and entries:
- Ulrikke — “Honestly”
- Eirik Næss — “Wave”
- Kate Gulbrandsen — “Tårer i paradis” (Tears in paradise)
- Rasmus Thall — “TRESKO” (CLOGS)
- Alessandra Mele — “Queen of Kings”
- Jowst & Byron Williams Jr — “Freaky for the Weekend”
- Umami Tsunami — “Geronimo”
All song are available to listen to here.
Melodi Grand Prix 2023
Fewer semis and contestants
In the 2023 MGP the semi-final heat will be reduced from five rounds that we saw the previous editions down to three. The second chance semi-final will also be removed from the next national selection.
In addition no prequalified acts for next year's competition. During the three semifinals 21 acts will all have to compete for a spot in the Grand final and we won't see six prequalified acts having reserved a spot in the final.
Semis without duels
In the three semifinals 21 acts will take part, but instead of competing in duels as in previous editions the will compete against each other in sets of 7. In each semi final round out of the seven contestants the top three with the most votes will advance to the Grand final.
Also for the first time the final will not take place in Oslo but will be transfered to Trondheim which will be hosting the next edition with the grand final set for February 4, 2023.
The results
Unlike previous edition, MGP 2023 will see the return of the international juries, as an effort to increase the chance of winning the Eurovision Song Contest. The jury will be made up by music experts from a number of countries.
The timeline
On January 4, 2023 we will have the chance to find out the artists that will be participating in the Norwegian national selection while the songs of each semi final will be released the Monday before each show. MGP 2023 will unfold according to the following schcedule:
- 1st Semi-Final – January 14
- 2nd Semi-Final – January 21
- 3rd Semi-Final – January 28
- Grand Final – February 4
Norway in Eurovision
Norway has been taking part in the Eurovision Song contest since 1960 and has won the contest three times, in 1985, 1995 and 2009. However the country has marked some records , as it has finished in the last place most times than any other country, finishing in the last placing on the scoreboard 11 times. A total of four times it has received zero points, while in 2009 victory it received the remarkable number 16 sets of 12 points and was voted by every single country, reaching the impressive winning score of 387 points! Norway hasn’t qualified two times in the final the last decade, in 2011 with Stella Mwangi and in 2016 with Agnete
In 2019 the three member group KEiiNo with their entry “Spirit in the Sky” defended the Norwegian colors in Tel Aviv achieving a remarkable 1st place in the televoting while they finished 6th on the overall scoreboard.Ulrikke won Melodi Grand Prix 2020 and was set to go on and represent Norway at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with her entry “Attention” .Unfortunately the contest was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic and the female act never saw her Eurovision journey completed. Last year TIX was crowned winner in the national final with his song 'Fallen Angel' which he performed on Rotterdam Ahoy's stage achieving to qualify to the grand final, where he finished 18th.
Last year, Subwoolfer were crowned winners of Melodi Grand Pirx 2022 with the song 'Give that wold a banana' and flew the flag in Turin where they achieved to finish 10th with 182 points in the overall score.
Image: JULIA MARIE NAGLESTAD / NRK
AUTHORS
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Angelos D.
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