ESC+Plus has talked to Þórdís Birna Borgarsdóttir (feat. Guðmundur Snorri Sigurðarson), semifinalists of this year’s Icelandic national selection for Eurovision. The duet will perform “Spring yfir heiminn” at the second semi-final of “Söngvakeppnin 2016” to take place today.
ESC+Plus: Hello! First of all, thank you so much for your time and congratulations on having been selected to take part in the Icelandic national selection for Eurovision 2016!
Can you tell us about you, your musical career and important achievements?
I’m a 23 year old psychology student who loves singing. I haven’t done anything major though, I’ve studied some classical singing and done some school musicals and stuff like that, so this is all very new and exciting to me!
E+: What impelled you to take part in “Söngvakeppni 2016” with Guðmundur Snorri Sigurðarson?
When Júlí, the songwriter, asked if I would like to sing his song in Söngvakeppni 2016 I didn’t even know Guðmundur. The song had already been qualified when Júlí asked me to sing, and I was very happy to say yes because I really liked the song and I’ve always (secretly – until now) wanted to sing in Söngvakeppni.
E+: How did you feel when you knew you had qualified for the semi-finals? Did you expect it?
I wasn’t surprised to hear that Júlí had a song in Söngvakeppni, he’s very talented. It has taken some time for the fact that I’m singing in the semi-final to sink in, but I’m getting there and I’m really excited.
E+: What it would mean for you to represent Iceland?
I would be thrilled to represent Iceland!
E+: Can you tell us about your song “Spring yfir heiminn” (All over the world)? What is the story behind the lyrics?
Júlí wrote the part that I sing and Guðmundur wrote his own part, the rap. They had a different idea at first – Júlí wrote about a person in need to prove oneself and Guðmundur wrote about a struggling relationship. The two stories end up mixing together, so it worked out pretty well.
E+: Why do you think your song has to be selected for Stockholm? What are you strengths to reach the top in the competition?
The song is catchy, and it has rap in it! It’s different but I think many people are craving something new and fresh.
E+: Do you usually watch Eurovision? What are your favorite songs in the history of the competition?
I was a big fan as a child but when Selma didn’t make it to the grand final in 2005 and my favorite that year, “Angel” from Malta, didn’t win I decided I didn’t like Eurovision anymore. It was hard to avoid Eurovision though because my mom is a huge fan, and recently I’ve started to appreciate Eurovision again. My favorite song is definitely Euphoria, but I remember liking very random songs like “Wer liebe lebt” and “Die for you” from 2001 and “I’m not afraid to move on” from 2003. I also liked “A million voices” from last year.
E+: Besides Eurovision, what are your plans for this year?
I don’t have much planned out, except for getting my bachelor degree in a few months. I plan on taking a masters degree as well, hopefully starting next autum. I also hope that I will be doing some more singing.
E+: Finally, can you send a message for our readers and Eurovision fans?
Thanks for reading and happy Eurovision!
E+: Thanks for your time and good luck!