#NORWAY: Live blog of MGP SF2 from 19.50 CET

By John Stanton on January 21, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

Norway’s quest for another Eurovision win continues apace tonight, with NRK’s second semi-final of Melodi Grand Prix 2023. Seven songs will go in, and three will progress. Could Norway’s song for Liverpool come from tonight’s show?

We’ll be blogging all the action for you as the drama unfolds. You know what to do – hit refresh for out latest musings. All times are in GMT.

You can watch the action HERE.

20.18 – That’s all from this blog. The third Semi-final is next Saturday at the same time. Goodnight!

20.17 – So picking that apart, Elsie Bay, Jone and Swing’it have made it through the Grand Final on 3 February. Congratulations to them.

20.16 – The final qualifier is…Elsie Bay!

20.15 – The next qualifier is… Jone! A popular choice

20.15 – The next qualifier is… not Ella A. It’s not Bjorn Olav either

2014 – The first qualifier is… Swing’it.

20.13 – It’s results time…

20.07 – And the lines are closed.

20.01 – We’re seeing a retrospective of previous Norwegian MGP. It’s quite an eye-opener. And there’s the late great Jahn Teigen.

19.58 – Customary interviews in the Green Room. It’s awash with talented people.

19.56 – While the voting happens, we see people interviewed in Europe, asking for their views on Norwegian music. An interesting range of opinions.

19.50 – Voting is open. Let’s hope the right three qualify.

19.48 – B-O starts off on a white park bench on stage. His song is a slow number – end of the night at a school disco fodder. But he has a cellist to keep him company. Her cello is white, of course. Then they’re joined by a violinist. It’s an honest ballad which could catch the eye and ear. There’s even a key change for good measure. A nice end.

19.42 – Finally, Bjørn Olav Edvardsen sings Turn off my heart

19.41 – We’re off clubbing. Who’s coming? Ella wears very little as she wants people to see a certain bodypart. Her waist, that’s it. It’s very sultry, very dark and choreographed to withing an inch of its life. It could almost be Cypriot 😉 It’s a decent performance but maybe a bit too ‘out there’ to get much further.

19.35 – Song six is Waist by Ella A

19.34 – Elsie has the waif-like voice that is currently de rigueur. Her song is powerful and serious – little to laugh along with here. For all that, the lyric is quite profound and there’s quite a sophisticated production going on around her. It could do something. But it’s also a challenging song to perform.

19.28 – Song five is called Love you in a dream by Elsie Bay.

19.25 – This is the one for the flapper in every one of us. They’re a proper band in linen suits and straw boaters. Very refreshing. It’s a swinging song, as you’d imagine, with a heavy brass backing and catchy beat. I like the style but it’s definitely niche for those that like a tune with a bit of fun thrown in for good measure. Very good.

19.20 – Song four tonight comes from ensemble Swing’it. It’s called Prohibition.

19.19 – As you can guess, this has a more Latino sound to it. The guitar introduction gives it away. His staging is meant to be a small stage, as he’s surrounded by several instrumentalists – drums, guitar, trumpet, trombone. And then as shots widen we see our first flames of the night. It’s another catchy little number although perhaps not quite a stand out for this pleasing genre.

19.13 – Straight into song three. It’s called Fuego by Alejandro Fuentes.

19.12 – Sandra has dry ice surrounding her. She’s in a long white outfit à la Daniela from 1998 – and gives us an ethereal song. In true tradition, she ditches the hooded outfit revealing something more Xena Warrior Princess. It’s a serious effort and powerful as a midtempo number. Her backing, revealed towards the end, are on stilts and masks. It’s all very very mysterious. And very pleasing.

19.06 – Sandra Lyng sings song two. It’s called Drøm d bort. Sandra likes the countryside, although most Norwegians do.

19.05 – Young Jone is very blond. And tattooed. And he has a foot-tapper of a song that has the makings of a joik going on too. His song is very bouncy and upbeat. And a tad hypnotic. The joikess – if that’s a word – is off stage but we see her superimposed onto the screen. It’s a cracking opener and would be a welcome to any Eurovision disco. The Sámi element of Norway loves it.