Norway – Jone, Ekko Inni Meg

First things first: Credit women artists

Yes, Jone, we get that she is an echo in your head. But the word echo comes from a (mythological) person Echo! If she gets a credit, so should your Echo!

And that Echo is a singer named Silke, aka Silje Montsko Blandkjenn, who receives a songwriting credit for her sample, but not a singing credit even though she is very likely to end up performing the whole thing live:

@silkemusic_ Dette var så gøy at jeg deler ett klipp til! 💜💜 #top50spotify#top50spotifynorge#nrkmgp2023#mgp#mgpnrk#nrkmgp#eurovision#esc#esc2023#eurovison2023#mgpjone#jone#ekkoinnimeg#femaleproducer#vocalist#artist#singersongwritter#silkemusic#silke#nordic#scandinavia#norge#fyp#sandvikafolkebad @JONE @Tyldenofficial ♬ Ekko inni meg – JONE

Second thing: Norway, what is it with you and TIX?

I get that he was your Eurovision representative ONCE. But he didn’t win. He’s no Rybak. And yet he keeps showing up. Last year, he was hanging out and pretending to be part of the alien furry gang, and this year? Well, this year it’s not him EXACTLY, but you’ve got Silke dressed up to look like him! Same hairstyle (sans headband). Same glasses. And thanks to the weird washed out colour, Silke’s hair looks much darker than its blonde shades.

Maybe Jone’s song expresses the complicated emotions that many of us have toward Norway. It’s a country that always brings a solid banger or two to the Melodi Gran Prix, and, in recent years, shafts them all for something subpar. Maybe the echo is Monument or Honestly or pretty much anything performed by the effervescent Raylee, wonderful songs that never got to demonstrate their potential on stage. And these are the songs that echo around our head years after the contest, taunting us with what never will be. (I, in particular, am haunted by Alexandra’s powerful ‘Thunder and Gloria’ at the weirdest moments.)

Or maybe it’s just about a man haunted by a woman to the point where he steals her voice and uses it on stage at Eurovision. Harsh? Yes, but relatable if you’re a woman who’s ever been talked over, or ever had your idea enthusiastically assented once a male colleague suggests it, or done all the hard work in the background while a man in a publicly-facing role gets all the credit.

So remember: if you want to avoid being driven mad by a voice in your head, CREDIT WOMEN ARTISTS.