Nótt just another ballad.

One of the biggest surprises of this year’s National Finals season is the return of Yohanna in the Icelandic selection ‘Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins’. We all know and love Yohanna for the 2009 Icelandic entry Is It True?, which was the ballad of the year in my opinion and garnered Iceland it’s second silver medal and biggest points haul ever. Her lovely voice and beauty paired with such an amazing song had Iceland sailing to the top of the scoreboard. Yohanna proved to be a tough act to follow. So when her return was announced, just a mere two years after her triumph in Moscow, I knew that she would not do so without a song that was just as special, if not more, than Is It True? Her 2011 effort Nótt is  a beautifully crafted, uplifting ballad. Check it out below:

Meaning ‘Night’, it’s sung entirely in Icelandic but could very likely be translated to English should victory be in the cards. Many in the Eurovision blogosphere have been divided over Nótt, claiming it’s just another dull ballad, saved only by Yohanna’s voice and that, should it go to Düsseldorf, Iceland won’t do well. I can only laugh at these statements, because those are the EXACT SAME THINGS people said about Is It True? and look how that turned out. Personally, I love it. There’s something about the chorus and melody that just grabs me everytime I listen to it.

So for now, I say go Yohanna! Nótt is clearly the best song in the Icelandic selection thus far. And hey, Dima Bilan finished second in 2006, returned two years later and won it. Could this be a case of history repeating itself?

 

---