We may not get to see our 2020 favourites take to the stage, but that doesn’t mean we can’t reminisce on our Eurovision favourites. This series is aimed to discover the team’s favourite entries from the 21st century, from 2001 to 2019.
In collaboration with ESCDaily, we will be reviewing some of their 21st Century favourites, while over on their site, you will find their reviews of our favourites!
Below our reviews, you will find a poll where you can vote for your favourite Eurovision entry from the 21st Century.
Norway
Anita Reviews Dennis’ 21st Century Favourite
Christine Guldbrandsen – Alvedansen | 14th place, 36 points (Final)
There are so many great songs from Norway, especially in the 21st Century, but do I consider Alvedansen one of them? In many ways, I am not surprised that Dennis selected this song as his favourite. There are a lot of redeeming features about this song, the first of which is the language. The previous time that a Norwegian Eurovision entry was performed in Norwegian language was back in 1998, and it hasn’t been done since Alvedansen. It’s a refreshing change to hear something that has a stronger cultural tie, and it works well with this style of song. The song is very charming, and the melody is nice from the verse to chorus. The stage show is incredibly slick, as per usual Norwegian standards but even with all that said, this isn’t a song I would actively seek out to listen to in my own time. I think there was potential with this, but by the end, it falls a bit flat.
Joshua Reviews Brandon’s 21st Century Favourite
Maria Haukaas Storeng – Hold On Be Strong | 5th place, 182 points (Final)
It takes a little time for this song to get going, but once you reach the second chorus it is hard not to be singing along. I often like when countries do not opt for the big stage show, and instead focus on the song itself. ‘Hold On Be Strong’ has an infectious melody, and a simple but effective message. Maria makes the song shine with her effortless vocals, too. 5th place is fair, in my opinion.
What does the ESCDaily team think of our 21st Century favourites? Make sure to head over to escdaily.com to find out!
Vote for your favourite entry from Norway below: