Road to Basel: Iceland
Road to Basel: Iceland. As the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel approaches, we continue our daily spotlight on this year’s contestants. Today, we focus on Iceland.
photo: RÚV
VÆB
VÆB is an Icelandic electronic music duo composed of brothers Hálfdán Helgi Matthíasson and Matthías Davíð Matthíasson. They emerged on the Icelandic music scene in 2022 with their debut album “Væb tékk,” which introduced their unique blend of electronic, hip-hop, and electro-pop sounds. Over the years, they have gained recognition for their innovative music style and dynamic performances.
RÓA (What does AI say?)
Their Eurovision entry, “RÓA,” is a captivating track that showcases VÆB’s signature electronic soundscapes combined with emotive lyrics. The song has resonated with audiences, achieving significant success by reaching number one on the Icelandic charts.
National Selection Process
Iceland selected its Eurovision 2025 representative through the national competition Söngvakeppnin. VÆB participated with “RÓA,” advancing through the semi-finals and ultimately winning the final held on February 22, 2025. Their victory was determined by a combination of jury and public votes, earning them the opportunity to represent Iceland in Basel.
Here are the full results of the final:
- VÆB, “Róa“
- Stebbi Jak, “Set Me Free“
- Júlï & Dísa, “Fire“
- Bjarni Arason, “Aðeins lengur“
- Tinna, “Words“
- Ágúst, “Like You“
Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Iceland has been a part of the Eurovision Song Contest since 1986. Despite never securing a win, the country has achieved notable success, finishing as runner-up in 1999 with Selma‘s “All Out of Luck” and in 2009 with Yohanna‘s “Is It True?”. Iceland’s entries are often praised for their creativity and distinctive musical styles, like in recent years the entries of Hatari and Daði Freyr.
Daði Freyr (photo: EBU/Thomas Hanses)
A Random Icelandic Entry
Reflecting on Iceland’s Eurovision history, random.org selected the 1996 entry. Anna Mjöll sang “Sjúbidú”. She had previously taken part in the Icelandic selection, so it was no surprise when she was finally, internally, selected. “Sjúbidú” was a song containing many international words and names, like Timbuktu, Louis, Sarah and Ella.
Betting Odds
As of now, VÆB’s “RÓA” the betting odds are not very positive towards Iceland. The country has a 36th place in order to win the contest. Only one country has a worse score. For the odds to get into the final, Iceland has a 14th and shared last place. But there is always hope: on this stage, the odds can change completely.
We eagerly await the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel and look forward to witnessing VÆB’s performance on the grand stage.
