Norway 2021 - Keiino - Monument

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Them juries are a tricky beast to try and second guess. Many a brave act have attempted to court them over the years, only to falter in the mid-table hinterland. The voters at home are a much more uncomplicated animal. They'll forgive imperfections and oddities if a song's got heart and honesty. But if you think to much with a jury kind of head on you could very easily chase the punters off and get yourself into a proper pickle.

So in attempting to court the dread jury vote I'm just a little bit cautious that Keiino may have shot themselves in the immaculately booted foot a little. Don't get me wrong, it's a cracking song. The atmosphere and the build are immense, and Fred's intro sends an expectant shiver down the pine every time. But it lacks those winning hooks that made the televoters pick up their phones by the thousand in 2019.

And far from it being the second coming that much of fankind suggests, I've got a horrible feeling that it might have a battle on its hands to even win the Norwegian ticket to wherever the heck they'll be performing from this year. It's a pretty strong selection in the old MGP this year, and the massive local appeal of the singer Tix must surely not be discounted, however uninspiring his song may be to the rest of us. But one thing's for certain, in 'Thunder and Gloria' we've already got our first catchphrase of the year!