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Johanna talks to esctoday.com
Iceland Eurovision entrant's first interview
Jóhanna, congratulations on winning the national final tonight, why did you decide to enter the competition?
"I've been working with the man that wrote the song for some time. He sent me the song and i listened to it a couple of times. I really liked it but I wasn't sure about entering the competition. He talked to me a lot and convinced".
This is the first time you've competed in a televised show. How did it feel?
"This was a totally new experience for me and i loved it. I love working with lots of people and the production was fantastic. I love being a part of this and the team spirit has been great with everyone".
You will represent Iceland in Moscow, what does that mean to you?
"I've been pushing these thoughts away for weeks because I didnt want to think that far ahead. All I thought about was doing my best in the competition. It's truly overwhelming, I'm so excited now, it feels great".
Iceland normally sends a fast song to the Eurovision Song Contest, did you think that having a ballad would be a disadvantage?
"I did think it would be a disadvantage, yes. The people in Iceland think that a typical Eurovision song should be fast so they normally send something like that, I'm really happy to have won with a ballad".
What will happen in the next few weeks?
"I really don't know yet, it's too early. I didnt plan for winning, so I will have to work all that out in the next few days I guess".
Will there be a single release or an album to come?
"I still don't know, but I guess there will be now but I've not had it confirmed as yet. I really hope so".
The esctoday.com readers gave you a runaway victory in the Icelandic final poll. Do you have a message for them and the rest of Europe?
"Thank you. Thank you. I'm just looking forward to coming to Moscow now and I hope people will like the song we are bringing there".
esctoday.com also spoke to Fridrik Omar, who represented Iceland in 2008 as one half of Euroband. We asked him what he thought of the song that will take over from This is my life as the next Icelandic entry:
"What can I say, I think Jóhanna is a great performer and a great singer. the song is quite unusual for Iceland because we usually pick uptempo songs, so I'm thrilled that she will be our artist this year".
esctoday.com would like to thank Johana and Fridrik for their comments tonight.
Related polls
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Melodi Grand Prix
- Azerbaijan: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Milli Seçim Turu
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the final of A Dal
- Iceland: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Songvakeppni Sjonvarpsins
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the second semifinal of A Dal
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the third semifinal of Melodi Grand Prix
- Sweden: Vote for your favourite act in the first semifinal of Melodifestivalen
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the semifinal of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Bulgaria: Vote for your favourite act in the Bulgarian national final 2012
- Latvia: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Eirodziesma 2012
- Belarus: Vote for your favourite act in the final of EuroFest 2012
Go directly to the reactions
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"It's True" the best song by a clear mile this year so far..
I don't understand people who think the UK is good.... please go to a westend musical if you like that kind of song, it's not for eurovision.....
This is my absolute favorite so far. It is so beautiful! I could hear this song non stop for a long time 
Well done Iceland, you surely will get my 12points if you go to the final (which would be terrible if it didn't)
night editor
you are malakas my dear
Whilst I think it'll score quite well I can't hear myself listening to it much on my iPOd
It sounds like Dido at the beginning... It's the best out of the "conventional" ballads so far this year, just France is better 'cos more "unconventional" and creating magical atmosphere.
Iceland now #2 on my list. Beautiful song, pretty girl 
i love this, and it's topping my list.
ALSO they actually have some sort of emotion in them! ALL the uptempo songs so far this year have no emotion in them at all, they are just SOUND
Owen,
that's the difference between ballads and dance songs 
Good song! But the last year's entry was the way better. This is the year of ballads... I am just bored 
I'm actually really happy that a lot of songs are ballads! it makes a change to the crappy uptempo songs that we have had for the last few years, and the good thing is they are mostly GOOD ballads! Poland, Iceland, UK, Lithuania, France! they are great great songs!
To call it a "funeral" is just either an exaggeration or stupid! so what if the songs are slower! they are much better than the uptempo songs this year! ALSO they actually have some sort of emotion in them! ALL the uptempo songs so far this year have no emotion in them at all, they are just SOUND!
Well this is the best song of the evening!
But so many ballads in a year? This is gonna be a funeral, not a Eurovision night! :-((
Well what a year for the fantastic ballads
A year of the song and not the performance
A real nice and good song from Iceland, I think it should have good chances to past to the finale....
Well done dear Iceland!
Funny how the greeks on here hate the Brits. Well for that you ain't getting your marbles back
I wish people didn't generalize as much. Noone hates the Brits and if you happened to meet a couple of Greeks who did, don't make it sound like we all hate the Brits! Although, not liking a country's song doesn't mean you hate the country, does it? Because in that case everyone hates Belarus..lol
And leave our marbles out of it, you know it and we know it that the right thing would be to give them back 
i am sorry but really too overrated cause it comes from iceland which nobody has something against them.
Huh is that a logical way of reasoning? Because nobody hates Iceland it's overrated?
CoStAkIs (pakoukos) [40092]
My ballda ranking:
1.Lithuania (great song, hope it remains in Lithuanian)
2.France (meaningful lyrics, unbelieveable voice)
3.Cyprus (a very nice ballad)
>>>>>
Hmmmm..... No3 Cyprus? Really. Have you listened to the song and performnce? It is TERRIBLE. Oh wait a minute - your Greek. Of course.
I'm usually a fan of the entries from Cyprus but this is awful.
Equally, your comment on the UK this year just shows a similar bias. This one an anti bias.
Question - Lithuania & France - both songs are far too long for ESC. How do you think they will edit them?
E.g. France - will they edit out some of those "meaningful lyrics"? If they do, they can not be that meaningful. LOL. That's because the lyrics are pretentious nonsense. Agree she has a great voice and sound but her lyrics are school standard attempts at being clever.
i think the Azeri entry is the best till now , ( my opinion with little part of song)
To me "Is it true" is the best ballad and it's also one of my favourite entries this year. I don't consider Denmark a ballad
i think iceland was better last year but good luck
Funny how the greeks on here hate the Brits. Well for that you ain't getting your marbles back!
it will be sweden 2008 it isnot good but overrated
a nice decent entry yet again from Iceland.. though last year's singers were much more professional.. I think this can either be a Norway 2008 or a Poland 2008.. it will depend much on the running order but surely this is above many many craps!
I still think there were better entries in the Icelandic NF, "Lygin Ein" mostly, but Ingo who was the superfinalist would have been a brighter and more audacious esc entry! oh well!
who knows when will juries vote? after the final before televoting starts????? and who knows how they will give points like 12,10,8 .... or they will just vote for their favourite song????????help me pleaseeeeeeeeee, pleaseeeeeeeeee
Here is my ranking after last nights songs:
1. Poland (probably my favourite Polish song in a LONG time)
2. Iceland
3. Lithuania
4. United Kingdom (and its not me being nationalistic I seriously think we have done a good job this year, dispite what the forever hate the UK club think)
5. Albania (I think it really has potential)
6. Moldova
7. Finland
8. Denmark
9. Montenegro
10. Turkey
11. France
12. Germany
13. Slovenia
14. Netherlands
15. Malta
16. Romania
17. Armenia
18. Cyprus
19. Andorra
20. Belarus
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Nothing special...the song last year was much better.
who knows when will juries vote? after the final before televoting starts????? and who knows how they will give points like 12,10,8 .... or they will just vote for their favourite song????????help me pleaseeeeeeeeee, pleaseeeeeeeeee
so far this song is my favorite ballad! congratulations Iceland for again a beautifull song from your country ! She has a very beautifull voice and she looks great! this song is one too watch
i am sorry but really too overrated cause it comes from iceland which nobody has something against them. i agree with the ones who say it is just an average ballad
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