All songs for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 have been selected. During the weeks between the national final season and the actual Eurovision Song Contest, we will introduce all 43 entries in random order. We are half way through and part thirty-two of the series is dedicated to the Icelandic entry.

Basic information

Performers:	Sjonni's Friends
Song:	Coming home
Language:	English
Music:	Sjonni Brink
Lyrics:	Thorunn Clausen, Sjonni Brink
Draw:	14th in the first semi final

The song

Coming home is a mid-tempo guitar pop song. According to writer Þórunn Erna Clausen, the lyrics are "a love story, a love story for all kinds of love, romantic love, love between friends, the love parents have for their children":

But oh oh oh it’s time to go
I’ll see you
I’ll see you soon

Cause I can’t wait for tomorrow
To say the things I wanna say
Your smile will always lead my way

The performers

The band Sjonni's Friends was spontaneously formed when Sigurjón Brink, one of the contestants in the Icelandic national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, died at the age of only 36. Six of his closest friends then decided to perform his song Aftur heim instead in Söngvakeppni sjónvarpsins. They could make it past the semi final and eventually won the national final by a clear margin. In Düsseldorf, they will perform the English version of the song called Coming home. In Iceland, Sigurjon Brink's recording of the Icelandic version of the song reached number one on the single charts.

Most of the members of Sjonni's Friends already have Eurovision experience. Matthiás Matthíasson has competed in the Icelandic national finals three times. Both in 2006 and 2007 he made it to the finals with is songs Sést það ekki á mér? and Húsin hafa augu respectively. In 2010 he competed with Out of sight but finished out of the top two in the final. Hreimur Örn Heimisson took part in the 2003 Icelandic national final with two songs Mig dreymdi lítinn draum and Þú. In 2007 he competed with Draumur but did not make it past the semi final. Benedikt Brynleifsson was drummer of the band that supported Eiríkur Hauksson in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 while Vignir Snær Vigfússon played the bass for Birgitta in Riga in 2003. Gunnar Ólason is a former Eurovision Song Contest representative himself as in 2001 he represented Iceland as one half of the duo Two Tricky that came last in Copenhagen with Angel. He also took part in the Icelandic national selection in 2006 with María. The sixth member of the band is Pálmi Sigurhjartarson.

The songwriters

Coming home was written by Sigurjón Brink (music and lyrics) and his wife Þórunn Erna Clausen (lyrics). Sigurjón Brink, also known as Sjonni, has tried to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest on various occasions. In 2006 he competed in the national final with Hjartaþrá after qualifying from the semi final. The year after he made it to the final again, this time with the song Áfram. In 2010 he competed a third time and made it to the final once again, this time singing Waterslide. His other song You kocked upon my door was eliminated in the semi final. In 2011, he wanted to return to Söngvakeppni sjónvarpsins but he died on 17th January at the age of 36.

The national selection

Three semi finals and a final were held in the Icelandic national selection. Seven songs made it to the final, where the winner was chosen by televoting.

Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Iceland was the last Nordic country to enter the Eurovision Song Contest in 1986. After poor results in the first four participations, Iceland finished fourth in 1990. This was the first of only five top ten placings for Iceland, most notably the second places in 1999 and 2009. In 2008, Iceland had made it to the final again having been eliminated in the semi finals three years in a row between 2005 and 2007.

Statistics

This will be Iceland's 24th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. For the second time only the country is represented by a group of more than two people. The only other time this occured was during the first participation in 1986 with the group Icy. On all other occasions, Iceland was either represented by a solo performer or a duo. Coming home will be the eleventh out of eleven entries since the abolishment of the lanugage rule to be performed entirely in English.

Coming home is the 14th song to be performed in the first semi final. It is preceeded by the dance pop song from Croatia and it is followed by another dance pop song from Hungary. A clear advantage might therefore be the fact that the song is performed in the middle of two entirely different entries. In 2009, Iceland could win the first semi final from a similar position in the draw (12th).

Við óskum góðs gengis og alls hins besta í Düsseldorf!

Videos

Live performance in the national final:

The preview video:

Sigujón Brink in the Icelandic national final 2010:

Gunnar Ólason with Two Tricky in 2001:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyxLqgzY3sI

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Serbian entry.

Previous parts of the series:

1. Estonia
2. Italy
3. Croatia
4. Slovakia
5. Lithuania
6. Finland
7. Switzerland
   
8. Ukraine
9. Norway
10. Moldova
11. Belgium
12. Azerbaijan
13. Ireland
14. Portugal
    
15. Austria
16. Latvia
17. France
18. Bosnia & Herzegovina
19. Romania
20. Sweden
21. Bulgaria
22. Armenia
23. Denmark
24. Cyprus
25. Spain
    
26. Belarus
27. San Marino
28. Malta
    
29. Germany
    
30. Georgia
31. Greece