ESCNorge has had a chat with Jan Fredrik Karlsen, musical director for Norsk Melodi Grand Prix. In this role he picked the competing artists and songs in this year’s edition and in the interview ESCNorge had with him, he can reveal we will know who will be participating this year on Tuesday the 19th of January, 12:00, where Jan Fredrik himself will present the artists in an NRK studio. Clips of 15 seconds from each song will be played and will later that day be available on, at least, instagram as well. Two weeks later, on the 2nd of February, the songs will be released in their entirety.

Jan Fredrik says we’ll be seeing artists that have the will and even hunger to win both Norsk Melodi Grand Prix and the Eurovision Song Contest. He also says the artists we’ll be meeting are not exactly veterans of the Norwegian music industry but will be the kind of artists people in Norway have heard of but don’t know that well yet. Up and coming artists in other words! He hopes their drive will get Oslo Spektrum to boil over with excitement and that the same energy will reach the viewers at home.

After the interviewer has summed up a few musical genres with the question which will be among the competing songs, Jan Fredrik answers ”YES!”. He can’t disclose which musical styles are there yet, but he promises a broad spectrum.

The artists, fans and songs will be presented a little more extensively during a preview show which will be aired in the week leading up to the national final, which will be held on February 27.