Iceland ICELAND 2015 - María Ólafsdóttir - Unbroken

[ag89]

No surpises about Iceland this year. That girl was terrible live (actually, this year is so strong when it comes to singing so I can hardly find anyone else who sang so bad) plus her song was just a typical sweet kinda stuff that doesn't keep you in love. Even before semi final I was sure Iceland will go home after semi final.

 

[musicfan]

Yes, Sweden takes ESC too far and I don't like how their song this year is relying on a gimmick just as much as Ukraine did in 2011. But that's not why Iceland and Denmark didn't qualify. Both of them were really weak this year. All the years of qualifying resulted in them with trying less, since they thought that they are certain qualifiers no matter what.
And since when do these countries have bidget problems? Especially Denmark.
Denmark sent a meh heard a 100 times before song, that was performed by a really smug singer and the song from Iceland is like a disneyfied version of the song that Ireland sent last year.

The Icelandic song had great punch to it actually but unfortunately for whatever reason the staging was limp. I hope they put a big enough budget into it because you need pyrotechnics in uptempo songs to have them stand out. The Danes didn't do much with the staging either, though that song was more an easygoing number, must say that I like it more that the cutesy and less well done Slovenian song.

 

[CatEye]

The Icelandic song had great punch to it actually but unfortunately for whatever reason the staging was limp. I hope they put a big enough budget into it because you need pyrotechnics in uptempo songs to have them stand out. The Danes didn't do much with the staging either, though that song was more an easygoing number, must say that I like it more that the cutesy and less well done Slovenian song.

You could have added 30 dancers, a golden glitter rain and shot up as many pyrotechnics as you want, it still wouldn't have qualified. She failed because of the poor vocal performance, which was by far the worst of the whole semi and the budget doesn't affect that. And that Slovenia qualified is the ultimate proof that the song does matter, since out of all songs this is the only one that didn't have a backdrop and any real special effects at all. You don't like it, but that doesn't mean that it was worse. And before you say something stupid about block voting. We only had Montenegro in that semi, while Iceland had Norway and Sweden, as well as other countries that have regularly given them points in the last few years.

 

[musicfan]

You could have added 30 dancers, a golden glitter rain and shot up as many pyrotechnics as you want, it still wouldn't have qualified. She failed because of the poor vocal performance, which was by far the worst of the whole semi and the budget doesn't affect that. And that Slovenia qualified is the ultimate proof that the song does matter, since out of all songs this is the only one that didn't have a backdrop and any real special effects at all. You don't like it, but that doesn't mean that it was worse. And before you say something stupid about block voting. We only had Montenegro in that semi, while Iceland had Norway and Sweden, as well as other countries that have regularly given them points in the last few years.

The Slovenian vocal was cutesy cringy stuff, couldn't make out the words even, not that good a performance at all, she looked just as nervous to me. The Albanian performance was weak and it qualified, and so on. People always pick apart the vocals in songs they don't like, but really the Icelandic performance wasn't bad, she started nervously but it was fine enough otherwise compared to some trashy songs that qualified ahead of it. I suppose you thought the Portugese one had a bad vocal too? lol Well constructed melodic songs just aren't often rewarded in Eurovision. People are more interested in splashy effects and gimmicks.

 

[toinou03]

You could have added 30 dancers, a golden glitter rain and shot up as many pyrotechnics as you want, it still wouldn't have qualified. She failed because of the poor vocal performance, which was by far the worst of the whole semi and the budget doesn't affect that. And that Slovenia qualified is the ultimate proof that the song does matter, since out of all songs this is the only one that didn't have a backdrop and any real special effects at all. You don't like it, but that doesn't mean that it was worse. And before you say something stupid about block voting. We only had Montenegro in that semi, while Iceland had Norway and Sweden, as well as other countries that have regularly given them points in the last few years.

Sure ! + Boring and dated song (sounded like 2000ish thing + terribly repeatitive ! (chorus repeated for ever and "One step at a time repeated endlessly in the couplet + chorus... euh ! And I'm letting GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO).

That was a bad song when chosen and was a bad song yesterday.

 

[CatEye]

The Slovenian vocal was cutesy cringy stuff, couldn't make out the words even, not that good a performance at all, she looked just as nervous to me. The Albanian performance was weak and it qualified, and so on. People always pick apart the vocals in songs they don't like, but really the Icelandic performance wasn't bad, she started nervously but it was fine enough otherwise compared to some trashy songs that qualified ahead of it. I suppose you thought the Portugese one had a bad vocal too? lol Well constructed melodic songs just aren't often rewarded in Eurovision. People are more interested in splashy effects and gimmicks.

So Marjetka's voice is cutesy cringy, but a 22 year old dressing like an 15 year old girl from a fairytale isn't cringy? Sure....
How much I have read, people said that Albania had a good jury rehearsal, so maybe it was the jury who in the end saved her. Would be quite ironic and we'll soon find out.
Portugal had a good performance and it sounded way better live than in studio, but the song didn't go anywhere after 2 minutes and it was forgotten. Same with Malta and Switzerland, who both used all of those precious "splashy effects and gimmicks" and it wasn't enough in the end.

 

[musicfan]

One of the biggest gimmicks is the Slovenian headphones, and that song really doesn't go anywhere. There really isn't much feeling to it actually. And that matters to me more than it does to most it seems, as some songs with real feeling haven't qualified.

 

[CatEye]

The headphones aren't a real gimmick, but the duo's trademark and they always wear them. So it's not something that they used just for ESC. Also calling this one of the biggest gimmicks? Sure, the thing that tops all the gimmicks that have so far been used at the ESC is a singer that wears headhpones. Well at least that is something that didn't require the big budget that you complained about a few posts above

Sure ! + Boring and dated song (sounded like 2000ish thing + terribly repeatitive ! (chorus repeated for ever and "One step at a time repeated endlessly in the couplet + chorus... euh ! And I'm letting GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO).

That was a bad song when chosen and was a bad song yesterday.

Yeah, you could replace the whole thing with this and just repeat it 8 times....

One chorus at a time,
repeating the same sentances,
again and again,
until the song's O-OOOOOOOOO O-OOOOOOVEEEER

 

[musicfan]

But this song has passion that carries it through, the Slovenian song for instance is pretty much dependant on it's one hook, but not much feeling there.

 

[Halldor]

But this song has passion that carries it through, the Slovenian song for instance is pretty much dependant on it's one hook, but not much feeling there.

There is no passion in the song, it was written in a few hours...

And now that we failed horribly Iceland might finally realize that we should take a chance in our selection and not send "safe" "eurovisiony" entries...

 

[martin]

Still sad that this song flop in Eurovision. But Maria voice was not good enough and song fall because of that.

yet this is my number 1 this year and for me Unbroken is amazing

 

[Terence]

But this song has passion that carries it through, the Slovenian song for instance is pretty much dependant on it's one hook, but not much feeling there.

What passion?! This is as lifeless as a dinosaur!

 

[musicfan]

What passion?! This is as lifeless as a dinosaur!

Many have little clue about feeling in pop music now. That's why the lifeless Estonian one was considered 'modern', the kiddy vocal of the Slovenian one as well. And the cliched Italian one seemed more about whether people found them cute looking or not, not dissimilar to the overrated Swedish one actually which was also purely about empty image.

 

[Terence]

Sorry, I beg to differ. It sounded wonderful in Icelandic, and then along came the english translation. 'One step at a time' repeated ad infinitum, add to that weak vocals and I still can't see where's the passion. Each to their own I guess, but you could feel the power from the Italian song but this one just leaves me cold. And I, for one, always have a soft spot for Icelandic entries.

 

[musicfan]

I preferred it in Icelandic of course. The Italian one left me very underwhelmed for a song that was put at the end.

 

[Milos-BC]

I was certain it will not qualify from the first moment when I heard it. It's too bland, flat and monotone. The performance itself was also quite weak and even messy at times.


I am sure that will learn its lesson and come back stronger than ever next year.

 

[Uto]

Why? Why-ay-ay-ay didn't you just go for Fjadrir? That was one awesome song.

I had the feeling she wasn't going to get her stuff together. She was shaky during the Icelandic final and that just doesn't bode well. I felt sorry for her in the end, she obviously did her best and it wasn't horrible per se, but, well, it was horrible...

 

[musicfan]

I thought this was the best song in the Icelandic preselection. She got nervous, it happens. Others got nervous, like the Hungarian singer in the final.

 

[Joni]

I wish they had chosen the young girl with the guitar instead of this. I liked Maria at first but then for some reason totally lost interest in this song.

 

[GRE]

There is still some justice in the world.
Next year Iceland, please come with a song that is not 15 sec. x 12 times.