Iceland: Svala wins Söngvakeppnin 2017
The Icelandic representative at Eurovision Song Contest 2017 is Svala Björgvinsdóttir with the song "Paper", after she won Söngvakeppnin 2017
Tonight the national selection in Iceland took place "Söngvakeppnin 2017", organized by broadcaster RÚV. Seven acts competed for the honor of representing Iceland at Eurovision Song Contest 2017. The public and a jury voted for Svala with the song "Paper".
"Paper" is written by Svala herself together with Einar Egilsson, Lester Mendez and Lily Elise. All participants in the Icelandic final chose to sing their songs in English tonight.
Söngvakeppnin 2017 – results
- Svala Björgvinsdóttir – "Paper" (Superfinalist, winner)
- Daði Freyr Pétursson – "Is This Love?" (Superfinalist)
- Aron Hannes Emilsson – "Tonight"
- Aron Brink – "Hypnotised"
- Arnar Jónsson & Rakel Pálsdóttir – "Again"
- Rúnar Eff Rúnarsson – "Make Your Way Back Home"
- Hildur Kristin Sefánsdóttir – "Bammbaramm"
Svala
Svala Björgvinsdóttir (40) is from Reykjavík, Iceland. She is the daughter of the singer Bó Halldórsson, who represented Iceland at Eurovision Song Contest 1995.
Svala has been singing since childhood, and was only 7 years old when she sang backup on one of her father's albums. When she was 9 she had a hit in Iceland when she sang "Fyrir Jól", a Christmas duet with her father, and this was just the beginning. She had recorded several Christmas songs that became hits in Iceland.
She has recorded two albums in her own name: "The Real Me" from 2001 and "Birds Of Freedom" from 2005.
Söngvakeppnin 2017
Special guests during the intervalact were Måns Zelmerlöw , Alexander Ryback and Greta Salóme.
Måns performed "Wrong Decision"and "Heroes". Alexander Ryback performed his winning entry 2009 "Fairytale".
The superfinal was a battle between song 6 "Paper" and song 7 "Is this Love".
We will see Svala Björgvinsdóttir perform "Paper" in the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv.
Söngvakeppnin 2017 consisted of two Semi-finals and one Final.
- Semi-final 1: 25 February 2017
- Semi-final 2: 4 March 2017
- Final: 11 March 2017
12 songs has been picked to compete in Söngvakeppnin 2017 – Six songs for each Semi-final. Three songs from each Semi-final will qualify to the Final.
In the Final of Söngvakeppnin 2017 a combination of 50/50 televoting/jury selected two songs for the Super Final. The two super finalists performed their songs again, and here the winner was decided solely by televoting.
Iceland in Eurovision Song Contest
Iceland's debut in Eurovision Song Contest was back in 1986, and has been participating 29 times since. Best result are two second-places with Yohanna in 2009 and Selma in 1999.
Since the introduction of Semi-finals in 2004 Iceland qualified to the Grand Final 8 out of 13 times.
Iceland is the only Northern European country that has yet to win the Eurovision Song Contest.
