Hear Them Calling

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈratːɪrtnar] ; transl. "The Voices") is a song performed by Icelandic singer Greta Salóme. The song represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 held in Stockholm, Sweden after winning Söngvakeppnin 2016, Iceland's national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. [1] The song did not qualify for that year's Grand Final, only earning 51 points, managing a 14th place finish in the first semi-final. [2]

Contents

Composition

Greta described the song as a "mixture of indie/contemporary folk pop, mixed with symphonic elements and then a dance beat, which makes it into an exciting fusion." [3]

Release

The original song was released as "Raddirnar" (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈratːɪrtnar] ) on 11 December 2015, along with the release of all other songs competing in Söngvakeppnin 2016. [4] An English version of the song was eventually released on 19 February 2016. [5]

The Eurovision version of "Hear Them Calling" was released on 18 March 2016, with the music made to feel more dramatic, according to Greta. Violins were also added to the traditional Icelandic folk instruments. [6] Greta would report that the version was recorded with The North Iceland Symphony, with improvised violin parts. [3]

Eurovision Song Contest

Söngvakeppnin 2016

Söngvakeppnin 2016 was the national final format developed by RÚV in order to select Iceland's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. Twelve songs in total competed in Söngvakeppnin 2016 where the winner was determined after two semi-finals and a final. Six songs competed in each semi-final on 6 and 13 February 2016. The top three songs from each semi-final, as determined by public televoting qualified to the final which took place on 20 February 2016. [7] The winning entry in the final was determined over two rounds of voting: the first to select the top two via 50/50 public televoting and jury voting and the second to determine the winner with 100% televoting. [8] All songs were required to be performed in Icelandic during the semi-final portion of the competition. In the final, the song was required to be performed in the language that the artist intended to perform in at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm.

At Eurovision

Greta Salome during a rehearsal before the first semi-final ESC2016 - Iceland 04.jpg
Greta Salóme during a rehearsal before the first semi-final

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. [9] On 25 January 2016, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Iceland was placed into the first semi-final, to be held on 10 May 2016, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show. [10] Once all the competing songs for the 2016 contest had been released, the running order for the semi-finals was decided by the shows' producers rather than through another draw, so that similar songs were not placed next to each other. Iceland was set to perform in position 16, following the entry from Montenegro and before the entry from Bosnia and Herzegovina. [11]

The performance featured Greta in a long, black leather suit interacting with an LED screen behind her, with her controlling images of hands, birds, and people. [12] [13] Greta, in an interview with Wiwibloggs correspondent William Lee Adams, said that the outfit was to represent being strong and powerful, saying that "It's a statement piece, and for me, being a powerful woman, someone who can stand their ground. I want to be a role model, especially for woman who want to write their own music. I think it's an important thing." She also reported that the uniform was made to look like a bird. [14]

At the end of the show, Iceland was not announced among the top 10 entries in the first semi-final and therefore failed to qualify to compete in the final. [15] It was later revealed that Iceland placed fourteenth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 51 points: 24 points from the televoting and 27 points from the juries. [2]

Eurovision Again

In December 2020 the EurovisionAgain online series, endorsed by the EBU, held a contest for the best song eliminated in the semi-finals, and "Hear Them calling" won the vote. [16]

Charts

"Hear Them Calling"
Hear Them Calling.jpg
Single by Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir
LanguageEnglish
Genre Folk pop
Length2:59
Label RÚV
Songwriter(s) Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir
Producer(s) Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir
Greta Salómesingles chronology
"Fleyið"
(2015)		"Hear Them Calling"
(2016)		"Row"
(2016)
Music video
"Hear Them Calling" on YouTube
Chart (2016)Peak

position

Iceland (RÚV) [17] 17

Related Research Articles

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "Je ne sais quoi", written by Örlygur Smári and Hera Björk and performed by Björk. The Icelandic entry for the 2010 contest in Oslo, Norway was selected through the national final Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins2010, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection process consisted of three semi-finals and a final, held on 9 January, 16 January, 23 January and 6 February 2010, respectively. Five songs competed in each semi-final with the top two as selected by a public televote advancing to the final. In the final, "Je ne sais quoi" performed by Björk emerged as the winner exclusively through public televoting. Promotional activities for the entry included the release of a music video and album and performances of the song in Norway and at the UKeurovision Preview Party in London.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the song "Coming Home" written by Sigurjón Brink and Þórunn Erna Clausen. The song was performed by the tribute band Sjonni's Friends. Among the band members was Gunnar Ólason who previously represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 as part of the duo Two Tricky, where they placed twenty-second in the competition with the song "Angel". The Icelandic entry for the 2011 contest in Düsseldorf, Germany was selected through the national final Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2011, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of three semi-finals and a final, held on 15 January, 22 January, 29 January and 12 February 2011, respectively. Five songs competed in each semi-final with the top two/three as selected by a public televote advancing to the final. In the final, "Aftur heim" performed by Sigurjón's Friends emerged as the winner exclusively through public televoting. The song was later translated from Icelandic to English for the Eurovision Song Contest and was titled "Coming Home", while the band was renamed as Sjonni's Friends.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song "Never Forget" written by Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir. The song was performed by Greta Salóme and Jónsi. Jónsi previously represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, where he placed nineteenth in the final of the competition with the song "Heaven". The Icelandic entry for the 2012 contest in Baku, Azerbaijan was selected through the national final Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2012, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of three semi-finals and a final, held on 14 January, 21 January, 28 January and 11 February 2012, respectively. Five songs competed in each semi-final with the top two as selected by a public televote alongside a jury wildcard advancing to the final. In the final, "Mundu eftir mér" performed by Greta Salóme and Jónsi emerged as the winner through a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting. The song was later translated from Icelandic to English for the Eurovision Song Contest and was titled "Never Forget".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir</span> Musical artist

Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir, known outside Iceland simply as Greta Salóme, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, and violinist in the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. She represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in a duet with singer Jónsi with the song "Never Forget". They qualified from the first semi-final into the Eurovision final and eventually finished in 20th place with 46 points. She represented Iceland again, this time as a soloist, in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "Hear Them Calling".

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Ég á líf" written by Örlygur Smári, Pétur Örn Guðmundsson. The song was performed by Eythor Ingi. The Icelandic entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin 2013, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 25 January, 26 January and 2 February 2013, respectively. Six songs competed in each semi-final with the top three as selected by a public televote alongside a jury wildcard advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the seven competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Ég á líf" performed by Eythor Ingi emerged as the winner after gaining 67% of the public vote.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with the song "No Prejudice" written by Heiðar Örn Kristjánsson, Haraldur F. Gíslason and John Grant. The song was performed by the band Pollapönk. The Icelandic entry for the 2014 contest in Copenhagen, Denmark was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin 2014, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 1, 8 and 15 February 2014, respectively. Five songs competed in each semi-final with the top two as selected by a public televote alongside two jury wildcards advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the six competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "No Prejudice" performed by Pollapönk emerged as the winner after gaining the most public votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Prejudice</span> 2014 song by Pollapönk

"No Prejudice" is a song by Icelandic band Pollapönk. It represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Denmark. The song was initially performed in Icelandic as "Enga fordóma" at the Icelandic national final, but was translated into English for Eurovision. The song was co-written by American musician John Grant.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Unbroken" written by Pálmi Ragnar Ásgeirsson, Ásgeir Orri Ásgeirsson, Sæþór Kristjánsson and María Ólafsdóttir. The song was performed by María Ólafs. The Icelandic entry for the 2015 contest in Vienna, Austria was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin 2015, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 31 January, 7 February and 14 February 2015, respectively. Six songs competed in each semi-final with the top three as selected by a public televote alongside a jury wildcard advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the seven competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Unbroken" performed by María Ólafs emerged as the winner after gaining 55.89% of the public vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unbroken (María Ólafsdóttir song)</span> 2015 song by María Ólafsdóttir

"Unbroken" is a song performed by Icelandic singer María Ólafsdóttir. The song represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "Hear Them Calling" written and performed by Greta Salóme. Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir previously represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in a duet with Jónsi, where they placed twentieth in the final of the competition with the song "Never Forget". The Icelandic entry for the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin 2016, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 6, 13 and 20 February 2016, respectively. Six songs competed in each semi-final with the top three as selected by a public televote advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of regional jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the six competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Hear Them Calling" performed by Greta Salóme emerged as the winner after gaining 61.32% of the public vote.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Paper" written by Svala Björgvinsdóttir, Einar Egilsson, Lester Mendez and Lily Elise. The song was performed by Svala. The Icelandic entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin 2017, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 25 February, 4 March and 11 March 2017 respectively. Six songs competed in each semi-final with the top three as selected by a public televote alongside a jury wildcard advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the seven competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Paper" performed by Svala emerged as the winner after gaining 62.51% of the public vote.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "Our Choice" written by Þórunn Erna Clausen. The song was performed by Ari Ólafsson. The Icelandic entry for the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin 2018, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 10 February, 17 February and 3 March 2018, respectively. Six songs competed in each semi-final with the top three as selected by a public televote advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the six competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Our Choice" performed by Ari Ólafsson emerged as the winner after gaining 53.23% of the public vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Choice (song)</span> 2018 song by Ari Ólafsson

"Our Choice", originally released as "Heim", is a song by Icelandic singer Ari Ólafsson. It represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal, after winning Söngvakeppnin 2018, the Icelandic national final for the contest. The song competed in the first semi-final, where it failed to qualify, finishing last (19th) with only 15 points.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Hatrið mun sigra" written by Einar Hrafn Stefánsson, Klemens Nikulásson Hannigan and Matthías Tryggvi Haraldsson. The song was performed by the group Hatari. The Icelandic entry for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin2019, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 9 February, 16 February and 2 March 2019, respectively. Five songs competed in each semi-final with the top two as selected by a public televote alongside a jury wildcard advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the five competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Hatrið mun sigra" performed by Hatari emerged as the winner after gaining 57.71% of the public vote.

Iceland planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, which was scheduled to be held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) held a televised selection process, Söngvakeppnin2020, to choose its entry for the contest. Following two semi-finals and a final, "Think About Things", written by Daði Freyr Pétursson and performed by Daði og Gagnamagnið, emerged as the winner of the event in February 2020. In mid-March 2020, due to the spread across Europe of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced the contest's cancellation, with Daði og Gagnamagnið subsequently announcing that they would represent Iceland at the 2021 contest.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) chose Daði og Gagnamagnið to represent the nation with the song "10 Years", written by Daði Freyr Pétursson. Daði og Gagnamagnið were due to compete in the 2020 contest with "Think About Things" before the event's eventual cancellation, having won the 2020 edition of Iceland's national selection Söngvakeppnin. For the 2021 contest, RÚV decided to continue its association with Daði og Gagnamagnið, with the group's 2021 entry being selected internally and as such, no edition of Söngvakeppnin was organised for 2021.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy, with "Með hækkandi sól" performed by Systur. The Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) organised the national final Söngvakeppnin2022 in order to select the Icelandic entry for the contest. The national final consisted of three shows: two semi-finals on 26 February and 5 March 2022 and a final on 12 March 2022.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, with "Power" performed by Diljá. The Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) organised the national final Söngvakeppnin2023 in order to select the Icelandic entry for the contest. The national final consisted of three shows: two semi-finals on 18 and 25 February 2023 and a final on 4 March 2023.

Iceland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "Scared of Heights", written by Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir, Ferras Alqaisi, Jaro Omar, and Michael Burek, and performed by Hera Björk. The Icelandic participating broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) organised the national final Söngvakeppnin2024 in order to select its entry for the contest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scared of Heights</span> 2024 song by Hera Björk

"Scared of Heights" is a song by Icelandic singer Hera Björk, written by Ferras Alqaisi, Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir, Jaro Omar and Michael Burek. It was released on 28 January 2024 by Alda Music. The song represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

References

  1. ↑ Escudero, Victor M. (20 February 2016). "Greta Salome to represent Iceland!". eurovision.tv. EBU.
  2. 1 2 "First Semi-final of Stockholm 2016". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. 1 2 Laufer, Gil (18 March 2016). "Eurovision Iceland: Eurovision version of 'Hear them calling' released". ESCToday. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Iceland: Söngvakeppni 2016 semi-finalists revealed, Greta Salome among them". wiwibloggs. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  5. ↑ Gallagher, Robyn (19 February 2016). "Iceland: Greta Salóme releases "Hear Them Calling" with English lyrics". Wiwibloggs . Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  6. ↑ Gallagher, Robyn (18 March 2022). "Iceland: Greta Salóme releases final version of "Hear Them Calling"". Wiwibloggs . Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  7. ↑ Escudero, Victor M. (15 October 2015). "Iceland opens selection process for 2016". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Escudero, Victor M. (11 December 2015). "Iceland: Söngvakeppnin 2016 contestants revealed". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  9. ↑ Jordan, Paul (21 January 2016). "Semi-final Allocation Draw on Monday, pots revealed". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union . Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  10. ↑ Jordan, Paul (25 January 2016). "Allocation Draw: The results!". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union . Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  11. ↑ Jordan, Paul (8 April 2016). "Running order of the semi-finals revealed". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union . Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  12. ↑ Nilsson, Helena (3 May 2016). "Second day of rehearsals at the Globe Arena". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union . Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  13. ↑ Halpin, Chris (3 May 2016). "Iceland: Greta Salome plays on shadows during first rehearsal". wiwibloggs.com. Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  14. ↑ ""Hear Them Calling" interview @ Eurovision 2016 | wiwibloggs". YouTube . 3 May 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  15. ↑ Roxburgh, Gordon (10 May 2016). "We have our first ten finalists". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union . Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "Hear Them Calling wins Eurovision Semi final special". Eurovision Song Contest. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  17. ↑ "RÚV - Vinsældalisti Rásar 2". RÚV . Retrieved 2 April 2016.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.