So proud that we’re sending this to Eurovision. This is 100% Gåte and not created especially for Eurovision, they’re just doing their thing like they’ve been doing for 20 years as a band. And, Gunnhild is not using auto tune.
that's what I wanted to say, the fact that Norway allows auto tune does not mean that artists have to use it, and I would assume that Gunnhild doesn't need any auto tune :)
The instrument in the beginning is called "nøkkelharpe", and it was also used when Norway won in 1995 with "Nocturne". BTW, I don't think Gunhild (the lead vocalist) is using autotune
As long juries consists of pop 'experts' only, it has no chance with the juries. Which is a real shame because to me this song is the definition of music. It does something to me I can't describe, and probably to a lot of other people who are pretty sensitive, but those juries seem to be immune to genuine music especially when guitars are involved, brainwashed by all the modern pop sound.
The Norwegian national final had juries from 10 different countries. They ranked Gåte way behind Keiinos silly song. Gåte was saved by the peoples votes. So I expect the juries to ruin it for Norway once again. (And I don't understand why. The uniqueness, the quality of the song, the performance and the staging was on a completely different level to it's contenders- something I thought a professional jury would award, but nah🤔..)
I am SO loving this track - from first listen. It is my current no. 1. The blend of staging, vocals and instrumentation is so so good. It definitely gives me Bjork, Play Dead vibes. Can't wait to see this on the ESC stage. Fabulous to hear the Norwegian language. Love it! I hope the studio version is as good as this performance.
This is my favourite so far. Real instruments, an original rock song in which I recognise some melody and carachteristics typical of Nordic countries so it well represents their country. Great!
To me this is strong entree great production and vocals are amazing I must say one of the best entree of this Eurovision. I love the fact that she is singing in native language. Great job 🇳🇴❤️🇦🇱❤️
This is my winner this year, and there's literally no chance that anything can change that. As soon as I saw the live performance, I just mentally checked it in to the list of my favorite ESC packages of all time and didn't even ponder the possibility this could lose MGP. Like, in a sensible world, it shouldn't have even been close. The full studio version is even better. (She most definitely was no autotuned here, because you can hear the imperfections, but they kind of don't matter unless you're a hardcore voice coach nerd.)
I can see this as winner this year. In all ways it is just very very good. Powerfull and ancient primeval power that is all our heritage. I followed them since the first album and there is nothing like it. For the ppl who do not get the grip of the performance, do watch it 2 more times and find the details that is the foundation of the song. Thanks
Now THIS. This is EXACTLY what I live for in Eurovision, a song that represents the culture of the country, in its native language and that you never get tired of listening to. What a composition and the lyrics are based on an actual Medieval folk tale (HOW FREAKING COOL IS THAT?!) For it to come from Norway is even more awesome, especially since they know how to do this metal-folk mix and they've sent nothing but pop in recent years. Candidate for my winner, it definitely is for now
This is a splendid effort that's going to be elevated even more on the Eurovision stage. The way things are playing out this season, I'd be highly surprised if this song doesn't challenge for the win and I would be completely fine with it if Norway were crowned champions this year. I'm really enjoying the drama and epic nature of the performance.
Oh I love this song so much and I knew that you were gonna love this. I really hope Europe will appreciate this and that they will end up in the top 5.
This is a masterpiece. Best song ever. The more I listen to the song, the more it shines. It is so powerful, it almost puts me in trance, it gives goosebumps. It sends me back in time to the nordic ancesters and I can almost feel the witchcraft she wants to get rid of. Never has any song given me so much emotion. 11/10
When ive listened to this first time i got soo nostalgic. I used to listen to so much Scandinavian folk / folk metal when i was a teen, it immediately made me think of Lumsk or Eivor, and more but some band names I can’t even remember it’s been a while. But what an amazing performance! And the instrument is nyckelharpa or nøkkelharpe!
Knew you would like this one! I'm so happy we're finally sending a non-pop song and something in Norwegian. Don't get me wrong, I love pop, but this is so original! It's been a while since I've been so excited about a song from my own country. Gåte is a well known established band in Norway, so there's lots of their previous stuff to listen to if you want more of this.
Hi Rachel, Gunhild is more than capable… she’s been singing this folk style singing since very young (I remember her (and her brother on fiddle) performing at school at around age 9). One of my most memorable musical experiences was also when Bobby McFerrin performed in the Nidaros cathedral in 2008 randomly picked Gunhild from the crowd to improvise with him 🤯
The instrument is called Nøkkelharpe (Keyharp). Both Norway and Sweden use it in folkmusic. The name of the singer is Gundhild Sundli and her brother, the founder of the band is Sveinung Sundli, the guy in the skirt who plays the guitar. Good review :)
I absolutely adore this entry especially cause it introduces these ethnic elements (key harp, kveding), love that. Also love that it's more Rock/Metal-ish. Plus the amazing vocals my god, did you notice the growly type background vocals in the last repetition of the chorus? When you speak of the chords of a song: Do you mean that the notes of all the instruments played and the sung melody add up to e.g. a Fmin chord? If so how the hell can one hear that? I've been trying to learn music theory for a while now but can't wrap my head around that
Hi Rachel, I believe that the singer (Gunnhild) stated she wasn’t using auto tune in this performance as it doesn’t suit her style of singing so no need to worry! Glad you like it as much as you do
Here’s me dutchie thinking the nyckelharpa (hope I wrote that down correctly) was of swedish origin? Anyway, love Norway and Sweden equally. Brilliant to see this in eurovision. This sound brings me home to my metal roots and I hear Qntal (Germany, pay attention here and ask them for Eurovision..) Niko Valkeäpää (How beautiful to hear joik and Saami language in Eurovision one day?!?) and our own dutch colleagues Within Temptation and The Gathering (her voice is really like Anneke van Giersbergen!! Best dutch vocalist!!) my vote goes to Norway this year. I love our Joost to death but hey, can’t vote for him can I? Brilliant and already put Gåte in my playlist. Takk Norway!
@@AnChloe Gunhild started singing in what became this band at age 13. I can guarantee you that she don´t use or need auto-tune, best proof is in her albums before auto-tune was even invented.
@@TheNorseman that is not what I was saying, as a fellow trained singer I hear her technique very well, she is amazing. Just praised the song and love the nyckelharpa being used, wonderful instrument!
I don't understand the whole autotune thing, I mean she didn't need it for 20 years, her voice is flawless. But yes this is my 2024 winner already. This song does things to me I can't describe, this is what music is all about !
This is my favourite Norwegian entry for some time (sorry Tix and Ben from A1). Her voice is amazing, and certainly doesn't need the dreadful autotune that some of the other singers probably had going on. The raw power of the song comes through when it's just her. Does anyone else think she looks like a 1977-era Stevie Nicks here? This performance takes me back to 1995, which was the last time Norway sang in their native language (not that there was much singing in that song) AND used a nyckelharpa in the same performance. They did rather well that year, I believe 🙂
@@neilonaniet No, they had Hardingfele, which is something others than violins. Nøkkelharpe is the Swedish national instrument, hardingfele is the Norwegian.
For me this has ancient roots to it. Reminds me of some of the contemporary sounds coming from the Hebrides and sung in Gaelic. I’m thinking of bands such as Niteworks.
As a Norwegian, I've been waiting for us to send something like this. It was about damn time we sent something cultural that was not a pop song in English. In fact, this is the first Norwegian song at ESC since "Alvedansen" in 2006 - 18 years ago! (And no, Gunnhild is not using autotune on her voice. Gåte is a well-seasoned band that has been around since 1999, and this style of mixing Norwegian folk music with rock/metal and electronica is their trademark.)
This is the first song I instantly fell in love with. And my thought after the first listening was: there we have the winner...for me it is a great entry, ethereal and captivating
I highly doubt Gunhild uses any autotuine... She's been on stage with this band since she was 14... She's been breathing folkemuikk since she was born. She don't need any autotune. It would probably just be in the way for her
This song has such winner vibes and I can’t wait to see it in Eurovision! I’m sad Keiino wasn’t able to go through and man MGP was so good this year but having said that Gäte definitely deserved to win!👏👏👏
I've seen them live before. And it's been folk/rock/metal.. and not an autotune in sight. I am only following the ESC this year because of Gåte. When that is over and done with, I will see them live at my favourite metal festival - Midgardsblot 😂
Gunhild is singing in a mix of dialects and some very old style Norwegian, but with a 1000 year old poem as a base it is no wonder. And they dont use autotune the style of Norwegian folk she sings(kulokk/calling)you cant use it even if you wanted to. But the fact is this is all her. Gåte has been doing their own style of music for 20 years and they are amazing live. When i heard they where entering i knew they would win because they are very popular here in Norway. and i am so glad the "expert" jury did not ruin it
this is one of my favorite songs this year, thank you for your reaction. If you still like Käärijä I would recommend that you check out his UMK performance of his new song Ruoska(if you have not already seen it) I think you will love it
Great analysis, really like your associations. You managed to explain why I found this so musically interesting. Gåte is a band that started in 1999, when singer Gunnhild was only 13 (according tho the Norwegian wikipedia page), and is known for great live performances. No autotune problems here. The band has always been inspired by traditional Norwegian folk music and rock. Even if I'm Norwegian, I had to research this. The opening is an old Norwegian herding call, which is developed in the chorus. The verses are heavily inspired by the Norwegian medieval ballad «Møya i ulveham». There are several lyrical variations of the ballad and the melody was lost. There are also old Swedish and Danish variants of the same ballad. Gåte's lyrics in Ulveham is based on the first part: A young maiden is transformed by her evil stepmother into a needle, a knife and a sword. The good disposition of the maiden prevails, even if she is a transformed being, and all the most virtuous people appreciate the needle, the knife and the sword. To punish the maiden even more severely, the stepmother then turns her into a wolf and curses her to walk alone in the forest until she has drunk her brother's blood. Which is where the text of the Eurovision lyrics ends. (The middle age ballad however has a darker ending, and I get associations to old original Brothers Grimm fairy tales: After a while, the stepmother is having a child. The wolf attacks the stepmother on her way to church, and drinks her heart's blood. Thus the curse is broken, and the virgin stands forth and is just as good.) Source, published by the National Library of Norway (in Norwegian): www.bokselskap.no/boker/naturmytiskeballadar/tsb_a_19_moyaiulveham
I totally admire Norway sending this to Eurovision. I think I'm a bit less optimistic about the winner potential some people see, but it's still in my top half of the songs we have so far. But of MGP, I absolutely loved Green Lights by Miia and Judge Tenderly of Me. (Which made the televote reveal sequence of those two scores being so low and then My AI being so high really painful.)
@@TheManInBlueFlames agree to disagree, to me popularity or stream numbers shouldn't have as much bearing on song competitions as they do, I understand why that's the case but I don't think it's a good thing
Hi Rachel. I was waiting for you to review this one as I was sure you would love it. I love it too and would rate it #1 at this stage. I'm glad that Keiino did not win (review that when you have a chance; the entire MGP final was full of good songs). I don't know what that instrument was either.
every year there is one entry that everybody seems to love but I absolutely can't get my head around and have an almost physical repulsion to. After space man two years ago and tattoo last year it's this one this year.
No autotune here - this is Gunnhild's own natural voice all the way. The name of the group is pronounced approximately GAW-TEH. (the Å sounds like the A in the English word TALL). They've been at it for a quarter of a century (they did have a several years long break, but still) - Norwegian folk rock at its best.
I’m a bit split about the use of autotune: on the one hand of course it shouldn’t be allowed to artificially enhance your performance, on the other hand for some artists it is part of their style and it’s almost used like an instrument (Cher, Blanco…)
Hah, didn't know autotune wasn't allowed at ESC. No autotune in this though, she's simply purely skilled vocalist - who is intentionally a bit rougher on the edges than a traditional folk singer - controlled chaotic if you will 😉
You pronounced Ulveham almost perfect. But not Gåte however. The letter "Å-å" is pronounced like the first A in Always. (Does Gaw-te / Go-te make sence?) That Instrument is a NØKKELHARPE - KEY HARP. Several hundred years old folk music string instrument used in Sweden and Norway. Gåte started 25 years ago spescialising in Norwegian folk music, folk songs that were several hundred years old. This song is typical Gåte-style, and they have lots of videoes on RU-vid. Gåte has never used auto-tune. This is Gåte as they sound and as they typically perform on stage.
Gunhild favorite singer / band is BJØRK. haha... They did not use auto tune in MGP. Gunhild is singing live. Her voice has never been better.... I love your reastion to GÅTE and Ulveham. Norway has given it 12 points. Now its Europes turn to award them the 12 points...
I think she is better than BJØRK in terms of control, depth and range.....you probably know this ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QG07d1CJNe8.html
Norway had four or five really good songs in their NF this year and this was the one the fandom were supporting overwhelmingly, so you can tell people will be happy about this! This will definitely qualify but for me I'm not so sure about how it will do in the final. Last year, three rock songs got lost and cancelled each other out in terms of the televote and then also the ethnic elements of the song could be lost in translation like France's song from 2022. I don't think the casual audience will be able to connect with this. The chorus, if you look up the lyrics is literally just 'screaming'. I don't know how they can translate their message to the ordinary Eurovision public.
The chorus is not just screaming. It is traditional cow luring, a special technique that reaches far, and which the animals can hear. The words used are usually "come on, cows". In Norwegian dialect something like "Å korna, komma no", but usually the words are abbreviated, so it is difficult for outsiders to understand what is being sung. The chorus is inspired by the stanzas you can hear at the very beginning of the song, a 70-year-old recording of a woman luring - which is approved for use by Eurovision.
Correction - it is a Scandinavian key harp/keyed fiddle. It is traditionally used in both countries, and the origin is unknown. It has been preserved in Sweden, though, and is Sweden's national instrument.
It`s not pronounced GOAT but more like "go-te". The "te" is like the first part of the "te" in "tender". Not "tea" or "tee". TE like "the" but without the H. It`s very difficult for people outside Scandinavia to get it right and for us to explain how to say it in text, but Go-te is better than Goat.
I'm personally not getting the hype around this song. Whilst it is unique and folkloric I am struggling with the melody in the chorus to really grab me. Only my opinion.
I can understand. I'm Norwegian and hate ESC, but I kinda like this song bc it makes sense to me. It has folk, it has metal, it has "our" soul. It speaks to me. So it might feel special to us, and mayby a few of our neighbouring countries. But I can see it doesn't have the same impact on others. I am glad we finally have a song in Norwegian. I love when bands represent in their own language. Always!
I tink hte lyric is very horrible ! Norway Gåte Ulveham ,Many people are not aware of what she actually sings, which in my opinion is a cruel text from the old days. And i am from Norway ! The text copied from newspaper today: She summarizes "Ulveham", based on an old medieval ballad, as the story of an evil stepmother who casts a curse on her stepdaughter - who turns into a wolf running in the forest forever. She only loses her wolf's hide if she drinks her own brother's blood. "There will be a kind of happy - but cruel - ending when she meets the stepmother on horseback in the forest, throws herself at her, rips out her heart and drinks the blood. Because the stepmother is pregnant with her brother - thereby the curse is lifted.
It's too much shouting, too little folk imo Wardruna is doing similar music (they are from Norway too) and it's much, much better, but they probably wouldn't fit to Eurovision and probably don't even want to go to Eurovision
Wardruna is indeed great, but they are just vaguely in the same genre and comparing them is meaningless. They are both quality artists producing quality music. The one guy playing the folk instrument for Gåte, also plays with Wardruna. If you like Wardruna, I recommend that you check out Svarteboka by Gåte.
Too me, Wardruna is a whole different "animal". I see no similarities whatsoever, besides that they could both play the same festival without someone having a fit. Folky yes.. but Wardruna is more of a ritual. I do look forward to experience Gåte live now (last time, she was 16 I think). So looking forward to the growth.
Peccato, mi dispiace che non ti arrivi. Io trovo che questa sonorità sia in grado di trasportare in un’altra dimensione, dove natura ed energia si fondono in modo profondo fino a toccare le corde dell’anima. Tutte le volte che sento questa canzone provo brividi e piango senza capire il perché del significato.
I feel sorry for you to not be able to see the greatness. Music is a little bit like languages. If you can’t understand them, you can’t enjoy them. So it is all anout putting in time to find the key to learn them. Like jazz which is something many don’t like, but which has so much gold in it to find.
@@th5841 no need to feel sorry. There are probably some songs I love that you won't enjoy. I think it sounds awful, and nobody else has to think that, although I know at least a few do. My husband thinks it's great.
I'm not even in Europe so my opinion matters 0, and maybe it's because I'm not European but this is nails on a chalkboard for me. They had said they wouldn't go if Israel was allowed to participate - did they change their minds?
they had to change their lyrics a few days before the mgp finals, and it is exactly what the song needed, a touch of who gåte is. in the studio recording and semi final performance, the energy wasn't there and a 1000 year old poem for lyrics isn't exactly meant for a eurovision stage. but now, oh it's a top 5 finisher for me. it oozes culture and feels so raw, definitely understand the hype behind it
Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🌸🌼 Gunnhild doesn’t need any auto-tune, so that’s not any further topic. It would not work so well with auto-tune anyway due to the ethnic vocal style. I will be proud how ever. Gåte is the most authentic Norwegian band we ever have sent to Eurovision.
I knew you'd love this and I'm happy you took the time to listen to it. This is simply wow. Definitely my N.1 this year, despite my country having selected a masterpiece. Love from 🇮🇹
I was a fan of them before eurovision, so i was shocked when there where announced for mgp. I was sold out the moment i heard the song the first time and when the live performance came...I was spechless. So far my favorit by far.
