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Part eighteen
Introducing the 2009 entries: Iceland
Basic information
| Performer: | Yohanna (Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir) |
| Song: | Is is true? |
| Language: | English |
| Music: | Óskar Páll Sveinsson, Chris Neil, Tinatin Japaridze |
| Lyrics: | Óskar Páll Sveinsson, Chris Neil, Tinatin Japaridze |
| Draw: | 12th in the first semi final |
The song
Is it true? is a classic ballad with a slight Celtic feeling. Through the lyrics of the break-up song, the singer asks her companion her if the relationship is really over (which is more of a rhethorical question) and whose fault it was that it did not work out:
So tell me about the rumours
Are they only rumours?
Are they only lies?
Falling out of a perfect dream
Coming out of the blue
Is it true?
Is it over?
Did I throw it away?
Was it you?
Did you tell me you would
Never leave me this way?
The singer
Jóhanna was born in Denmark, but her family moved to Reykjavik when she was two years old. Having successfully taken part in a singing competition, she entered a music school for children. Her talent was spotted early and she released her first album when she was only ten years old. The record turned out to be a success and a second album followed in 2001. Her last album for a few years, which included a collection of Christmas songs, was released in 2003 and she then took a break from the music business.
After years of training, in 2008 the singer launched her fourth album Butterflies and Elvis, which was a collaboration with British songwriter Lee Horrocks. In 2009, she entered the Icelandic national selection for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest and could win it with the song Is it true?. She is the 22nd Icelandic representative in the competition.
The national selection
After a mammoth selection in 2008, Iceland held back a bit for the selection of the 2009 entry. Four semi finals were held with four songs each and the top top of each heat were chosen by televoting to reach the grand final. Jóhanna won the selection by a landslide getting 19076 votes, 8380 votes more than runner-up Ingó.
Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Iceland was the last Nordic country to enter the Eurovision Song Contest in 1986. After poor results in the first four participations, Iceland finished fourth in 1990. This was the first of only four top ten placings for Iceland, most notably the second place in 1999. In 2008, Iceland made it to the final again having been eliminated in the semi finals three years in a row between 2005 and 2007.
Við óskum Jóhönnu góðs gengis og alls hins besta í Moskvu!
Videos
Live in the national final (preview video):
Yohanna with I miss you:
Performing Butterflies and Elvis live:
Lose myself:
Other parts of this series
- France
- Portugal
- Romania
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Cyprus
- Latvia
- Ireland
- Malta
- Armenia
- Germany
- Serbia
- Belgium
- Greece
- Croatia
- Poland
- Czech Republic
Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Moldovan entry.
Related polls
- Iceland decided: How much do you like Je ne sais quoi?
- esctoday.com National Final Awards 2010: Best PERFORMANCE not to qualify in ICELAND?
- esctoday.com National Final Awards 2010: Best SONG not to qualify in ICELAND?
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Reactions
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Aaah... that Goode Olde Celtic Sound. Never fails does it. 
I like this song, but it simply lacks something. Yohanna doesn't convince me.
300 posts.
250 of them are off topic. typical.
well done iceland.... ur song is amazing. best ballad along with bosnia and malta.
I like this song very much !! For me it is one of the best songs from the first semi final. I hope to see her back in the final, so I can vote for her too !! Good Luck Iceland !!
Eurovizz/Nordic Sheep
Thanks 
I was about to do the Swedish one but now I don't have to.
I totally adore this song... very good ballad!
@Eurovizz 09
Totally agreed 
Shiri Maymon totally rocks
good luck iceland! you have my vote in may i love this song
One of my favs, best ballad 2009 and 100000000000 times better than the Webber hype. If Webber should do better than Yohanna, it will ONLY be because of his name and a cheating jury!!
murray will win and the djokovic will lose in the final cause he will be again sick LOL
ecn?ive just made it up 
@ Marko
totally agree.if Murray battles through to the finals i doubt Djokovic will win.but if its gonna be Del Potro vs Djokovic i think Djokovic can make it.
hahahah thanks Marko.u r so cool too n its great to have a member who loves ecn&tennis passionately 
hmmm well on his day Murray may beat a tired Del Potro but this guy is full of surprises so i think Del Potro can make it.
whos gonna take the title accordin to u?
@ Marko
OMG i cant believe it 
Federer is becomin safin or what hehe
truly Federer is known for controllin himself i have to see a video of that moment.things are not goin as well as he planned imo n as Rg is comin closer he feels the pressure more than ever 
no surprise if Djokovic beat him.hes another champion who wont forgive a concentration problem like this.well done Novak
@ Marko
nope i havent seen what did i miss
@bagpuss
and I'll send Slutlana a few cuttings of mine too..LOL
goodnight!
@ Layla Al-Magnuna
haha once again im glad u r here hehe
plus im used to ur disappearin posts so much that i always wait for the second one
@ Eurovizz 09
i mean its too repetative
is it true is it true over blah blah
then we go again is it true etc etc
i say yes its over n switch the song
@daniel bagpuss
oh lord! one minute talking about the Icelandic entry the next minute hairiness..I myself love natural hairiness in people (myself included..hairy one..), but I think you just started a discussion topic on pubic hair...jeje...great! I myself have a pretty good bush of it which I have to cut pretty regularly...anyway, sure there will be more comments on it soon, myself am off to Bed(fordshire), cause tomorrow morning I'm playing tennis (Barcelona club), will compare shower pubic hair for update soon! night night! ps love your comments!
like ive said before this song is boring n septic
how many times does she have to ask
yes it's over woman go back to Reykjavik hehe
just kiddin its a nice ballad but a bit boring so "been there done that"like it makes echoes in ur head"is it trueee,is it oveeer"
but i usually like the Icelandic entries so good luck
@aniel bagpuss
LOL! don't worry, u don't have to mention your age at all..depends where your "thick hair" too is I guess..I'm 41, proud of it and looking better than ever! not much hair on top these days but plenty elsewhere still ! there, I said it, in front of millions of eurofans! LOL...!
she is really cute and the song is nice though im not a fan of it, i think that will be in the final good luck to sweetie
Marko is "Run and hide" your favourite entry of 2005? okay no problem with that I still like you, I still think you're a sexy BOM too.
hey guys take a look at this:
http://tinypic.com/v(...)p?pic=b71bf9&s=5
this is the signature that I use on the portuguese eurovision fans website... and it was made by a friend of mine I like the icelandic landscape behind her in the signature
@daniel bagpuss
only if you're of the Bagpuss era u must be a similar age to me (I'm 41 and may I say, still looking well..jeje) your age is not specified (don't worry I checked...!) just to see if I was THE oldest member here....LOL!
That song is just.....PERFECT !
2005 - a year with so many good songs, but this year is not bas too
@daniel bagpuss
I so agree with you on everything....must be a generation thing! Shiri had a certain quality to vote for it that Iceland doesn't have..
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