Róa
| "Róa" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Væb | |
| Released | 17 January 2025 |
| Length | 2:42 |
| Composer(s) |
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| Lyricist(s) |
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| Væb singles chronology | |
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"Til hamingju" (2024) "Róa" (2025) | |
| Eurovision Song Contest 2025 entry | |
| Country | |
| Artist(s) | |
| Language | |
| Composer(s) |
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| Lyricist(s) |
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| Entry chronology | |
| ◄ "Scared of Heights" (2024) | |
"Róa" (stylised as "RÓA"; pronounced [ˈrouːa] ; transl. "Row") is a song by Icelandic electronic music duo Væb. The song was released on 17 January 2025 and was written by Gunnar Björn Gunnarsson, Hálfdán Helgi Matthíasson, Ingi Þór Garðarsson [is], and Matthías Davíð Matthíasson. It will represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. It reached number one in their home country.
Reception
[edit ]Prior to Söngvakeppnin 2025, Icelandic online newspaper DV reported that "Róa" was accused of resembling the song "HaTunat HaShana" by Israeli singers Itay Levi [he] and Eyal Golan.[1] A video was then posted on the online platform TikTok comparing the two songs.[2] The duo denied the allegations, and the Söngvakeppnin board of directors sought advice from the Composers Rights Society of Iceland (STEF) to determine the similarity of the two songs.[3] Following its Söngvakeppnin win, Ofir Cohen [he], a co-writer of "HaTunat HaShana", sent a letter requesting the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to disqualify "Róa" from the contest.[4]
Eurovision Song Contest 2025
[edit ]Söngvakeppnin 2025
[edit ]Söngvakeppnin 2025 was the national final organised by RÚV in order to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. It consisted of two semi-finals on 8 and 15 February 2025 and a final on 22 February at RVK Studios located in northern Reykjavík. The semi-final qualifiers were determined by televoting, while a combination of seven international juries and public votes were used to determine the results of the final.[5] There was no superfinal round in the final for the first time since 2013.[6] [7]
"Róa" was officially announced to compete in the competition on 17 January 2025 in the programme Lögin í Söngvakeppninni.[8] [9] At the competition, it was placed into the second semi-final, and was drawn to perform fifth; they managed to pass the semi-finals and reach the final.[10] [11] Róa was later declared the winning song of the event, after being the favourite of the jury and the public; thus, Væb earned the right to represent the Icelandic nation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.[12] [13]
At Eurovision
[edit ]The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, and will consist of two semi-finals to be held on the respective dates of 13 and 15 May and the final on 17 May 2025.[14] During the allocation draw held on 28 January 2025, Iceland was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.[15]
Charts
[edit ]| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Iceland (Tónlistinn)[16] | 1 |
References
[edit ]- ^ Gudjónsdóttir, Gudrun Wish (21 January 2025). "Ísraelsmenn saka VÆB um að hafa stolið þekktu lagi" [The Israelis accuse VÆB of having stolen a known song]. DV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ Gunnarsson, Oddur Ævar (3 January 2025). "Meintur stuldur á borð RÚV" [Allegedly stolen on board RÚV]. Vísir.is . Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ Gunnarsdóttir, Þorgerður Anna (21 January 2025). "RÓA sakað um að líkjast ísraelsku popplagi" [RÓA accused of sounding like an Israeli pop song]. RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ Stollero, Nathan (25 February 2025). "יוצר השיר "חתונת השנה" לאיגוד השידור האירופי: "פסלו את השיר האיסלנדי לאלתר"" [Creator of the song "Wedding of the Year" to the European Broadcasting Union: "Disqualify the Icelandic song immediately"]. Israel Hayom (in Hebrew). Retrieved 25 February 2025.
- ^ Farren, Neil (13 January 2025). "🇮🇸 Iceland: Söngvakeppnin 2025 Dates & Format Changes Announced". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Aradóttir, Júlía (3 January 2025). "Einvígið fellt út í Söngvakeppninni 2025" [The duel was canceled in Söngvakeppninn 2025]. RÚV . Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Gunnarsson, Oddur Ævar (3 January 2025). "Ekkert einvígi í Söngvakeppninni 2025" [No duel in Söngvakeppninn 2025]. Vísir.is . Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ "🇮🇸 Söngvakeppnin 2025 entries to be announced on the 17th of January". That Eurovision Site. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Björnsdóttir, Anna María (17 January 2025). "Þessi tíu lög verða í Söngvakeppninni 2025" [These ten songs will be in Söngvakeppninn 2025]. RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ Björnsdóttir, Anna María (22 January 2025). "Uppselt á úrslitakvöld Söngvakeppninnar" [Sold out on the final night of Söngvakeppninn]. RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ Einarsdóttir, Júlía Margrét (8 February 2025). "VÆB, Stebbi Jak og Ágúst áfram í úrslit Söngvakeppninnar" [VÆB, Stebbi Jak and Ágúst continue to the finals of Söngvakeppninn]. RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ Anna María Björnsdóttir (22 February 2025). "VÆB vinna Söngvakeppnina 2025". Ríkisútvarpið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ "'Söngvakeppnin' winners VÆB will head to Basel for Iceland". Eurovision Song Contest. 22 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ "Basel will host Eurovision Song Contest 2025". Eurovision.TV. European Broadcasting Union. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Eurovision 2025: Semi-Final Draw Results". Eurovision.TV (Press release). European Broadcasting Union. 28 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög: Streymi, spilun og sala viku 9. Birt 1. mars 2025 – Næst uppfært 8. mars 2025" [The Music – Songs: Streaming, Plays and Sales Week 9. Published 1 March 2025 – Last updated 8 March 2025] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 1 March 2025. Retrieved 1 March 2025.