Introduction

• Participant(s): Systur
• Song: Með Hækkandi Sól
  
• Writer(s): Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir
  
• Composer(s): Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir
• Broadcaster: RÚV
• Social media:      
  
• Team review: 

For Iceland it’s the 34th time participating in the Eurovision Song Contest. This year there has been a national final again, which is called “Söngvakeppnin”. Out of ten entries the Icelanders have chosen the girls from Systur, namely Sigga, Beta and Elín, three sisters. In a tight race with Reykjavíkurdætur, Systur could gain the majority of the votes, hence won the ticket to Turin.

The three sisters Sigga, Beta and Elín have been singing together since their childhood. There is a recording from 2013 “Bounce From The Bottom” which show the style of music Systur is into. They are having a famous father Eythor, who was a member of the Icelandic jazz-funk band Mezzoforte, which has been recognized worldwide.

The most known song is “Garden Party” . In 2017 the sisters were named Sísí Ey and together with DJ Oculus they have released “Ain’t Got Nobody” , which has been #1 in the Icelandic charts. Beside of their music career, the girls from Systur are showing huge commitment marginalised people, trans children rights, etc.

Systur have announced that their mother Ellen will support them on stage vocally and their brother Eythor is going to play the drums. Great to see a whole family on Eurovision stage.

The song is called “Með Hækkandi Sól” which means ‘With The Rising Sun’ and will be sung in Icelandic. The lyrics can also be taken as metaphor that sun will always come after dark times, which we are facing nowadays:

The darkest winter, waits for spring
To warm our embraces again
Darkness of winter closing in
Forcing every single breath they take
With growing hope for brighter days
The ice and shadows will give way

It’s a calm song and it’s not that catchy by first hearing, it will develop after that. There are some country elements in that song, a bit spherical dreamy notes, which also might be not too accessible for people outside of Iceland.

History

• Debut: 1986
• Participations: 34
• Victories: 0
• Finals: 26
• Top 10: 7

The Icelanders have always followed the ESC with great enthusiasm, it was broadcasted a long time ago in Iceland, but they had to wait until 1986 when the technical preconditions were ready for a live transmission. So Iceland made its debut with "Gleðibankinn" by the group Icy. This song has already become a cult entry and it's being sung on almost every Eurovision party, especially in Iceland. Great to see that Iceland has become a solid contender with great energy and good songs.

Iceland was able to reach the final 26 times and reached the Top10 seven times! The chances to reach one of the Top10 places are 21%. Two times Iceland has made the fabulous second place in 1999 and 2009. In recent years Iceland was quite successful and reached the Grand Finals, but this cannot be taken for granted. Despite of Corona infections of the some band members of Daði og Gagnamagnið, the Icelandic group had to be isolated in the hotel, but reached another great 4th place, thanks to the back-up video, which has been shown instead the live performance.

The most fascinating fact is that the creativity in this small country with about 330.000 inhabitants so enormously high and that music from Iceland has become really popular worldwide. The most popular Icelandic singers in general are Björk, Sigur Rós, Mezzoforte and GusGus (better known as Daníel Augúst Haraldsson, who sang “Það Sem Enginn Sér” in Lausanne 1989).

Biggest successes

• 2x 2nd place
  “All Out Of Luck” | Selma Björnsdóttir (Jerusalem 1999) 
  “Is It True?” | Yohanna (Moscow 2009)
• 2x 4th place
  “Eit Lag Enn” | Stjórnin (Zagreb 1990)
  “10 Years” | Daði og Gagnamagnið (Rotterdam 2021)
  
  

Video Nostalgia

• “Sókrates” | Beathoven
  Rank 16, Dublin 1988
  
• “Nætur” | Sigga
  Rank 12, Millstreet 1933
  
• “Heaven” | Jónsi
  Rank 19, Istanbul 2004
  
  

First Rehearsal