So, this is fun! I might gleefully embrace change at this Contest, and throw myself headlong at a contemporary entry, but Eurovision introduced me to a schlager, and at heart I am a schlager fan-boy. This takes schlager’s Scandinavian roots (let’s not quibble about the Dutch and German varieties) and adds another natively Scandinavian twist – the joik! The juxtaposition of the Sami style against the high pop makes this for me.
As a schlager fan-boy, I’m of course intelligent enough to know that schlager’s days are numbered, if not up, when it comes to Eurovision, and it’s often just the joy of national finals that still offer up this kind of treat. But this was such a runaway winner in Norway, I’m holding out hope that its appeal will be a little more universal.
There’s some work to do; KEIINO never really look convincing as a trio, and Fred will need to look considerably less angry while he’s joiking off in the middle bit. Many are wetting their pants in excitement to call this as 2019’s ‘Verona’. That may yet prove to be the case, but just like ‘Verona’, there’s a life for this on a Eurovision dancefloor, and we still have time to live in hope before the semi-final.
And whatever else happens, at least it’s not Alexander Rybak trying to patronise us again.
Monty’s score: 10 points