Daði & Gagnamagnið "Gagnamagnið" aka “Think about things”
The first impression of this group is that they are rather eccentric! This is enhanced by their daggy DIY jumpers and instruments – which I think are purely for show. Vocally however, the song is very smooth and quite catchy with a great mix of synth-y beats and funk backing it up. The staging is fun and playful but very simplistic with their dorky dance moves making the whole vibe feel very ‘Napoleon Dynamite’.
Hildur Vala "Fellibylur".
Her song has a very dark and twisted feel to it and the costume and set design could have been played with a bit more to suit this. However the simple staging with lit up boxes and her abstract blue dress was a bit boring visually. I was ready to be blown away by her performance but unfortunately it never quite got there for me. The interpretive dancing and the soft chorus - which sounded off key at times, was just a bit too bland. The song itself is quite interesting and beautiful but unfortunately Hildur will not advance to the Grand Final.
Iva with "Oculis videre"
I had been looking forward to this performance since the song was leaked a few weeks back. She appears in a white gown surrounded by her back up singers also in robes. Her song begins and immediately I get a shiver down my spine – she is just that good. Although she looks nervous at first, she quickly finds her courage and absolutely smashes the performance. The staging is SO simple – just some fun LD lighting - but she doesn’t need anything fancy because the performance has you captivated 100 percent.
Nina Dagbjört "Ekkó"
Nina appears in a white ruched dress alone on the stage. She has a rather soft start and doesn’t seem to build until half way through. The performance has a lot of potential but I think it just needed to be bigger. The stage is a single set of 4 black stairs placed on the stage, which she does eventually walk up as her backing choir comes from side-stage. I personally love this song and she executed the vocals very well but I do hope she lifts it a bit prior to the Grand Final. Nina advances through as a surprise Wildcard.
Matti Matt with Dreyma.
He comes out dressed in a well-cut suit with a sleek black piano is placed on stage. He is vocally perfect and his backing vocalist adds a beautiful touch to their combined sound. The song is lovely and folky at times with the backing guitar and undulating melody but his performance is very strong. The staging is elegant but a bit boring, and this in combination with his slow song meant a bit of a sleepy ending to the evening’s show. Unfortunately Matti Matt does not progress through to the Grand Final