There’s a big freeze over Scandinavia currently, and just before Norwegian TV crossed over to the reval of the 18 Melodi Grand Prix artists, the weather update was of record low temperatures in Kautokeino for this millennium, hitting -43.5℃. And with temperatures this low, can we find a hero to break away the night?
Hello again, KEiiNO.
A Welcoming Community
I consider it a miracle that KEiiNO still exists. The group were created in 2018 as a supergroup to get to the Eurovision Song Contest, a dream for Tom, Alexandra and Fred. This purpose-made musical creation was set up as a one-hit wonder, a fever dream that started with Tom’s desire to write a winning Eurovision entry that spoke out about the struggles for equality.
But the success that followed the televote winner and the people’s champions of the 2019 Song Contest meant that KEiiNO kept working together and releasing new music. Eurovision’s fandom in this era is sufficiently large that their oh-so-Eurovision brand of music could self-sustain tours around the globe and various appearances on the Eurovision circuit.
Their love of all things Eurovision is endearing to many of us in the community. They represent common-day heroes; their televote success in Tel Aviv seen as a triumph of the little man with a dream against those from the more mainstream commercial type of music.
That shone through when they appeared in Melodi Grand Prix again in a pandemic-struck 2021. ‘Monument’ didn’t win the Melodi Grand Prix. Still, it was a worthy effort with gushing grandiose melodies interwoven with Sami language rap. This song felt created to try and bridge the gap between KEiiNO’s 1st place with the public and 18th place with the juries in Tel Aviv 2019. We may critique the concept of a purpose-written Eurovision song for many acts, but for many, KEiiNO was given a free pass. Both of those attempts have been earnest, genuine attempts to win the hearts of the continent and bring the competition back to Norway—clearly for the love of the Song Contest and what it represents.
And now they return once more.
Is The Third Time The Charm?
‘Damdiggida’ is the name of the song. It has that classic KEiiNO combination of musical moments, giving Fred, Tom and Alexandra their personal moments to shine; and it’s all mashed together in a Eurovision-ready mega-pop production. Their biography within the artist launch for MGP has the group speak about how Eurovision is the European Pop Championships. When this song was created they thought it would engage fans across Europe and allow them to make another attempt to bring home the victory.
Yes, this screams a genuine attempt to win the Eurovision Song Contest. But earnest?
Hooks And History
Much of my reaction arises from Fred, the Sami rapper from Kautokeino, and his role in this frantic number. In his previous Eurovision attempts, his highlights have been a rousing joik that captivated the entire audience to joik alongside him, a mystical Sami language rap that enchants the listener. Now Fred has been clear to say that the word ‘Damdiggida’ is one created from Sami influence, a composite word from the language where repetition is a common part of joik artistry.
I doubt that will translate to listeners outside of Sami culture. I fear the end result of Fred’s moment is one where Europe will draw comparisons more to Crazy Frog than of any cultural significance. Any influence from the Sami language and culture is too far away from the sound Fred creates for many to latch onto.
Don’t get me wrong, this is the catchiest hook I’ve heard all season, and should it go to Malmö it will be remembered and will get the continent bopping along. But I don’t just look at KEiiNO as a source of musical joy, I put weight on them—arguably too much weight—to lift up the Sami culture in a world-appropriate way for each and every MGP participation. I fear any success this song may find will create a reductionist cultural regression on all the good the group have done to that cause.
That’s why I hold back some of my adoration for this track at the moment. KEiiNO has created an effective pop sound and is entering MGP because they think Europe will love it. I, and I suspect many others from the community, look at the group to create something of so much more meaning. Instead ,it feels like the group have heard their Head of Delegation’s Stig Karlsen’s desire to push Eurovision voting power more towards the populist televote, and the group has found a way of reducing the KEiiNO sound to the lowest common denominator in a quest to be people’s champion once more.
I wanted highbrow, and they went low.
Super Rob and Erika Norwich, the duo competing with the song ‘My AI’ in MGP 2024 (Photo: Julia Maria Naglestad, NRK)
You’ve Got To Score As Many Points As You Can
It would be simple enough to accept my heroes taking this route if I knew it would find success, if I knew that their crazy hooks would captivate Norwegians, if I knew ‘Damdiggida’ would bring KEiiNO to the world once more.
In the battle of who can outdo each other in the Aqua-esque, 90s-throwback cheese stakes, there is an elephant in the room. The Gods of Kantukeino have released a ten-foot-tall pink robot from their frozen slumber, ready to use every musical meme on social media to slay KEiiNO’s quest to win MGP.