Charmed

Formation and Eurovision Success (2000)

Charmed is a Norwegian pop girl group formed in 2000. The trio consisted of Hanne Kristine Haugsand, Oddrun Valestrand, and Lise Monica Nygård. Three performers in their mid-twenties with strong entertainment backgrounds. Valestrand was a professional dancer and violinist. Nygård was a songwriter and two-time Norwegian freestyle disco dance champion. Haugsand was a trained dancer and singer who also worked as a costume designer. They joined forces through a shared passion for music and quickly made their mark on the Norwegian pop scene.

Charmed’s big break came at Melodi Grand Prix 2000, Norway’s national selection for Eurovision. With their catchy upbeat song “My Heart Goes Boom”, the trio charmed the audience and won the competition with top scores from all regional juries. This victory earned Charmed the opportunity to represent Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 in Stockholm. There, the group was initially considered one of the favorites. Several betting agencies even ranked “My Heart Goes Boom” in the top three before the contest. In the Eurovision final, Charmed delivered an energetic performance amid a flashy, dance-filled stage show. Ultimately, they finished in 11th place out of 24 entries. 

Debut Album and Public Appearances

Riding the momentum of Eurovision, Charmed released their debut album, titled Charmed, in late 2000. The album was produced by the noted Norwegian producers Eivind Skovdahl and Tomas Siqveland. It featured 12 pop tracks that showcased the group’s vibrant style, mixing original songs with fun cover versions. Notably, the tracklist included their Eurovision hit “My Heart Goes Boom” alongside upbeat songs like “Loveshock” and covers of classics such as Cher’s “Dark Lady” and Katrina & The Waves’ “Walking on Sunshine”. The “My Heart Goes Boom” single itself became a domestic hit, reaching #3 on the Norwegian singles chart in 2000. The album Charmed also achieved moderate success in Norway, selling about 16,000 copies in its run. 

One highlight of Charmed’s post-Eurovision media tour was a guest performance on Swedish TV. In early 2000, after Eurovision, the group performed on Scandinavian shows and at the large VG-Lista concert in Oslo, introducing their music to a broader audience. They were frequently featured in Norwegian press that summer, and their signature track received extensive radio airplay. Furthermore, Charmed appeared in various public events, meet-and-greets with fans (especially children who loved their song), and TV interviews that highlighted their uplifting pop image. These appearances kept their profile high through 2000 and helped their single and album maintain chart presence for several weeks. Despite the burst of popularity, sustaining long-term chart success proved challenging once the Eurovision buzz faded.

Break-Up and Aftermath

By the end of 2000, Charmed’s whirlwind run began to slow down. Lise Monica Nygård decided to leave the group later that year to pursue a solo music career. Her departure was a turning point that effectively brought Charmed’s group activities to an end. Without all three members, the band dissolved after a short active period. This break-up came not long after their album release. The members had experienced a rapid rise to fame, but the pop market was competitive, and they struggled to find a sustainable follow-up hit beyond their Eurovision song. In total, Charmed had sold around 7,000 singles and 16,000 albums in Norway before disbanding. It’s a respectable outcome for a newcomer act, but not enough to ensure the group’s continuity. However, the story did not end there for the three women, who each went on to forge their own paths in entertainment.

Even after splitting up, the members of Charmed remained on good terms and occasionally reunited for special appearances. In 2010, a full decade after their Eurovision moment, all three singers joined together on stage once more in Stockholm. They performed “My Heart Goes Boom” as an interval act during the Swedish Melodifestivalen 2010 finals (Sweden’s Eurovision selection). The trio’s 2010 appearance showed that they still had chemistry and stage presence, even years after their official break-up. In interviews following that show, Charmed did not rule out the possibility of future collaborations or one-off comebacks. Aside from that reunion, the ex-members have also collaborated behind the scenes on a few projects: for instance, Oddrun and Hanne teamed up to release new music together years later, and Lise Monica even worked as a stage director for one of Oddrun’s theater pieces. 

Solo Careers and Current Status of Members

Hanne Kristine Haugsand

Hanne Haugsand continued pursuing music actively after Charmed. In the mid-2000s she tried her luck as a solo artist in Melodi Grand Prix again, competing in 2006 and 2010 with her own songs. Her 2010 MGP entry was titled “Don’t Stop.” She also explored new musical directions. In 2006, Hanne and former bandmate Oddrun formed an electronic duo called Tundra Mode, blending electro-pop with ethereal vocals; they released an album titled Modus in 2008. Hanne has since worn many creative hats: she writes and produces music for both her own projects and others, ranging from composing ceremonial music for a World Ski Championship event to creating hardcore electro tracks. She became active in the electronic music scene, performing as a DJ in house and “Nordic disco” genres.

Moreover, Hanne has worked as a vocal instructor, sharing her experience by giving singing lessons and lectures on finding musical inspiration. She has even delved into fashion design and graphic arts on the side. As of today, Hanne Haugsand continues to release music and perform at events. She has embraced a versatile role in the arts, balancing live performances, studio production, and creative design projects.

Oddrun Valestrand

Oddrun Valestrand transitioned from pop singer to a multi-faceted acting career after Charmed. Before joining the group, Oddrun had formal training in drama and had performed in musical theater productions in England and Germany. After 2000, she leveraged that background to establish herself as an actress in Norway. Oddrun took on roles in several Norwegian television series and films. Notably, she landed acting jobs on popular TV shows like the comedy “Helt perfekt” (TVNorge) and the crime drama “Spesialenheten” (TV3), as well as a part in season 2 of the acclaimed series “Dag”. She also appeared in short films and TV commercials, gradually building a diverse acting résumé. In addition to screen roles, Oddrun remained active on stage. She performed in various theater productions, including works at the Rogaland Teater in Stavanger. Over the years she has played everything from classical plays (like Molière’s Tartuffe) to experimental site-specific theater in Oslo.

Oddrun’s versatility in dancing, singing, and acting made her a sought-after talent in live shows and children’s theater as well. Outside of performing, Oddrun has been busy with family life. She is a mother of three, and she often balances acting projects with parenting. Impressively, she has managed to continue working in the arts while raising a family, showing strong dedication to her craft. In recent years, Oddrun hinted at possibly recording a solo music album in Norwegian, bringing her journey full circle back to music. For now, she remains an active actress on Norwegian stages and screens.

Lise Monica Nygård

Lise Monica Nygård (sometimes known simply as Monica Nygård) initially set out on a solo music path after leaving Charmed in 2000. She spent the early 2000s writing her own songs and performing whenever possible. In 2007, Lise gained national attention by participating in the television show Idol Norge (the Norwegian edition of Idol). Her appearance on Idol reintroduced her to the public, although she did not reach the final rounds of the competition. Undeterred, Lise formed her own live band (cheekily named the “Lise Monica-band”) and gigged around Norway, singing both original material and cover songs. She wrote a number of songs that were recorded in the studio but never officially released. In 2014, Lise showcased her songwriting on NRK’s music competition show “The Hit”, where established artists pick songs written by up-and-coming songwriters. Her involvement in that program highlighted her talent for melody and lyrics.

In addition to singing, Lise Nygård has worked as a show artist and occasionally as a choreographer for stage shows, drawing on her dance expertise. After becoming a mother, Lise shifted her focus toward a more stable schedule. She began teaching. She worked as a voice, dance and drama instructor. Lise also took jobs as a substitute teacher in elementary school. She went back to school to study for a degree as a specialized theater teacher. Notably, she returned to the stage herself in community theater productions. In early 2018 she played the wicked witch Evilline in a local production of the musical The Wiz. Lise has found a balance between family life and the arts. These days, she continues to sing and perform on occasion. She even tried another TV talent show, All Together Now, in the late 2010s.