The Icelandic broadcaster RÚV released the English version of their Eurovision song. The song Open your heart will open the 48th Eurovision Song Contest.
Iceland's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was written by Hallgrimur Oskarsson when he was on a vacation with his wife and daughter in Stockholm. In September 2002, Hallgrimur was offered to stay at Villa Bergshyddan in Stockholm. He liked staying in Stockholm and he was very impressed by the beauty of the city. Hallgrimur says: “I was captivated by the creative atmosphere in Stockholm and fascinate by the beautiful city and it's people. Our daughter was born in May that same year and the trip to Stockholm was a part of our parental leave. One night, looking over the island of Djurgarden and the beautiful entry of the Swedish archipelago I turned myself to the piano in Villa Bergshyddan and wrote the song“.
“Afterwards, I was surprised by the result because that piano at the house is highly out of tune. After I came back to Iceland, I asked Iceland's most popular pop-star, Birgitta, to perform the song in the Icelandic Eurovision Semi-Finals. And the night of February 15 turned out to be our night because we won the semifinals. We will be very proud to perform the song in Riga on May 24”. Hallgrimur Oskarsson also mentioned this: “After people new my song was composed in Sweden they asked if it was influenced by ABBA. Also, some folks have mentioned that Birgitta, the performer of the song, is a little look-a-like to Anni-Frid Lyngstad of the former Swedish supergroup. It is only an honor if people think our song has any ABBA-sound at all because their's sound was so good”.
