WORTH A LOOK?: *****

OUT: now

It’s our favourite entry in the 64th Eurovision Song Contest in Israel in May and the UK votes in the 2nd semi in which it competes with a host of our favourite songs on 16/5.

• Read on for reasons including a chance to see the winning national final performance

We 1st mentioned our love for this song before it was selected by Norway when it was runner-up to Hera Bjork’s Moving On as our Song Of The Month for March.

Moving On may not have reached Tel Aviv but Spirit In The Sky absolutely soared with its triumphant Melodic Grand Prix performance (see below) in March.

It may not win Eurovision on 18/5 (it’s currently 10th in the betting) but it’s everything we love the contest for. The song is inspired by the struggles for equal rights regardless of ethnicity, gender identity and sexuality.

KEiiNO are a Norwegian supergroup that consists of Sámi songwriter, rapper, and joiker Fred Buljo, and Norwegian singers Alexandra Rotan and Tom Hugo.

The group was established in the late summer of 2018 when Tom Hugo Hermansen and his husband Alex Olsson began writing Spirit in the Sky.

The group name KEiiNO was inspired by the name of Buljo’s home town Kautokeino (North Sami: Guovdageaidnu). The last part -geaidnu translates to the ‘way’ or ‘road’, which Buljo states: ‘Represents the road that brought us together’,

All you really need to know though is that it is an ethno schlager banger of epic proportions that outdoes even the similar sounding song that came 4th in this year’s Melodifestivalen (see below). It also has a great running order position, 15th in the 2nd semi on 16/5.

Spirit In The Sky pulls off the difficult trick of incorporating something traditional into uplifting enormo-pop and making it sound both seamless and effortless.

When the drummers arrive in the live version of the song (the accompanying act will probably have to lose a few members for their Eurovision appearance when there is a limit of 6) the effect is devastating.

• Keep an eye on monstagigz.com for previews of semis 1 and 2 in April once we’ve reflected on the running orders announced this week. Picture via Facebook courtesy KEiiNO. Tickets
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