It’s not uncommon to see Norway in the Eurovision final, nor is it uncommon to see the nation reach the Top 10. Hoping to continue with that trend is Subwoolfer, who will sing ‘Give That Wolf a Banana’ in the first semi-final.
Anita
Song and Vocals
There were certainly a few good options in the Norwegian selection this year, however it was clear that the nation would opt for the charming and mysterious Subwoolfer. The duo, who still remain ‘unknown’ are taking Europe by storm. The mystery surrounding the faces behind the wolf masks is promotional gold, as it adds an extra talking point around the song.
Mystery aside, there’s no denying that this is a catchy song. I think many will classify this as a ‘joke song’, and while there is certainly the element of humour, there is still a strong song behind it. The lyrics make you laugh, but you are left singing the melodies well after the song concludes. The songwriters, whoever they are, know what they are doing. Their live vocals aren’t as good as the studio, but they certainly could be worse. I can’t imagine it’s ideal singing with a mask on either.
Performance and Act
One thing Norway is extremely good at is creating a complete image. In this case, all the branding and performances have been consistent. Even with full costumes, the performance has a clear identity, and that will be consistent at Eurovision as well. With that said, we know what to expect on stage. For those who have followed the act since the national final season, the performance should not come as a surprise. As a first time viewer, this will have all the novelty to remain in the minds of the voters.
Conclusions
Norway will be a qualifier this year, just based on televotes alone. It’s likely that the group will fail to impress the juries down to the fact that it is a novelty song, but I don’t think that will be enough to prevent Norway from achieving another strong Eurovision result.
Rating
9.5/10
Dennis
Song and Vocals
With this gimmick song Norway wants to win over the hearts of the televoters again in May, and they have a good chance. The song is fun, catchy and has a strong hook/theme to it. Surprisingly, the vocals in the live performance are stronger than I expected when I first heard it in the studio. However, I don’t think that is enough to save it from being voted down by a jury.
Performance and Act
The performance, clothing and staging is perfectly executed. This song will stand out because of it and people will surely remember this, with a dream starting slot in the semi final as well. Norway makes an impact, yet again, and will probably get a lot of points in the televote with this performance in their wolf costumes and slick dancing routine.
Conclusions
Where Sweden has struggles throughout the last year to win over the televote, whilst doing good with the jury, their neighbours from Norway have this the other way around. And once again I expect this fun, standing out act to be rewarded with an extreme amount of points in the televote sequence. Probably they have not been rewarded as high in the jury vote, as they may see this entry as kitsch/gimmick/mockery.
Rating
8/10
Team Scores
Steef: 8/10
Erik: 10/10
Josh: 7/10
Heath: 7.5/10
Kaitlin: 2.5/10
Selim: 1/10
Morena: 9.5/10
Average Score: 7/10
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