🇳🇴 Sneak Peek: Melodi Grand Prix 2023 Heat 3

Image Credit: NRK

We’ve reached the third and final heat of Melodi Grand Prix!

Heat 2 saw Swing’It, Elsie Bay and JONE qualify for the final, and with just 3 spots left, this week’s artists will be doing all they can to gain a spot in the final on February 4th 2023.

Here’s all you need to know about the artists and songs competing in Heat 3.

Akuvi – ‘Triumph’

Welcome back Akuvi! After reaching the final of MGP 2020 with ‘Som du er’, she returns for another go at the contest with ‘Triumph’. She started exploring her musical style whilst studying in South Africa, using both the Norwegian and English language in her songs. Aside from music, she’s also a prominent voice actor, dubbing voices into Norwegian for Disney & Netflix. Her sister is Anna Lisa Kumoji, who you remember from MGP 2022 with the song ‘Queen Bees’.

This year, Akuvi’s song ‘Triumph’ is an upbeat number, which she describes as ‘’merging elements of Eurovision pop and Nordic folk, with west African rhythms and flow’. We know she is a strong performer and dancer, making the wait for her performance all the more exciting. You can hear the song below:

Tiril – ‘Break It’

From ballet to acting, and now MGP, Tiril Beisland has clearly found her feet in performing. Hailing from Lillestrøm, the 21 year old has dreamed of becoming an artist since she was a little girl, spending a year at the pop music school LIMPI. She’s inspired by pop powerhouses Adele and Christina Aguilera.

‘Break It’ is Tiril’s debut single, which discusses giving your heart to someone despite knowing they’re likely to break it. It’s written by fellow Norwegian artists Emelie Hollow and Emma Steinbakken. Her ethereal vocals convey the emotional element of the song perfectly, and it’s gaining a big fanbase. You can hear her song below:

Skrellex – ‘Love Again’

Skrellex has been a TV regular in Norway, appearing on All Together Now in 2019, Drag Me Out in 2022 and was a member of the TV2 reality show Drags, which explored the ins and outs of the drag community in Oslo. Skrellex is the drag persona of Kai Thomas Larsen, who’s 2010 song ‘Be Proud’ became Mr Gay Europe’s official theme song. Kai himself also once held the title for Mr Gay Norway.

Skrellex’s song, ‘Love Again’ is a big club number, one that’s sure to get you up and dancing. She says she’s nervous, yet very excited to “give it all [she’s] got”. You can hear her song below:

Eline Thorp – ‘Not Meant To Be’

Eline Thorp, from Hamarøy, launched her career in 2011, performing in festivals across Norway such as Hovefestivalen and Buktafestivalen. She released the single ‘The Game’ in 2013, achieving moderate success across radio stations in Norway and the UK. She now turns her sights onto Melodi Grand Prix.

Her song is called ‘Break It’, and explores the themes of a desire to end a relationship. It also features some spoken word after the second chorus. You can hear her song below:

Stig Van Eijk – ‘Someday’

Viewers of Eurovision 1999 will remember Stig Van Eijk – he represented Norway with the classic 90s pop song ‘Living My Life Without You’, placing 14th. His album, released in the same year, went platinum and he has since become a successful song writer and producer. He was born in Colombia, and enjoyed some success there in the 2000s.

‘Someday’ is a reggae track that represents Stig’s current musical style. It begins and ends with a child’s voice before the beat kicks in and we hear Stig’s familiar vocals. Could he once again achieve success at MGP, 24 years on from his last win? You can hear his song below:

Maria Celin – ‘Freya’

From the theatre stage to the MGP stage, Maria Celin is set to return to Norwegian TV after her participation in The Voice Norway back in 2017. Her covers from the show have seen success, with her version of ‘Runnin (Lose It All)’ by Beyoncé reaching 3.5 million streams.

‘Freya’ is Nordic folk mixed with heavy drum beats and electronic production, relating to Norse mythology of Freyja, Goddess of love, fertility battle and death. This song is a huge fan favourite, and should it win, will be the first time Norway has sent a song with (some) Norwegian lyrics since ‘Alvedansen’ all the way back in 2005. Could we be seeing Maria in Liverpool? You can hear her song below:

Atle Pettersen – ‘Masterpiece’

Skien native Atle Pettersen is back for his second Melodi Grand Prix, after he was an automatic qualifier in 2021 with ‘World On Fire’. He’s been known to Norwegian audiences since 2003 when he competed in MGPjr with ‘Hekta på brett’, but is probably best known for coming 2nd on The X Factor Norway in 2010. Since then, he’s become a regular on TV in the country, winning Skal Vi Danse (Dancing With The Stars Norway) in 2011, and has appeared on stage in productions like The Jersey Boys and Singin’ In The Rain.

‘Masterpiece’ is a mid-tempo track, which discusses his love for his daughter, with some nice vocals from Atle. You can hear his song below:

Heat 3 of Melodi Grand Prix will take place live on NRK at 19:50 CET // 18:50 GMT.

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