We’re almost ready for the Norwegian National Final which takes place this Saturday on February 15th – however we had the chance to catch up with one of our favourites – Ulrikke Brandstorp! Ulrikke is back for her second attempt at Melodi Grand Prix, this time with the song “Attention”. She also sent us a video message for all of your readers!

Check out the interview below; we found out all about Ulrikke’s song, upcoming performance and what it was like to work with two Norwegian icons!

David: Hi, Ulrikke! Welcome back to Melodi Grand Prix. Let me just start  by saying that I absolutely loved “Places” back in 2017 – it’s  actually one of my most streamed songs of all time so I’m thrilled to  have you back! What made you decide to return to Norway’s National  Selection show?

Ulrikke: Omg really!? Wow! Thank you so much!! I am so happy to be back as well! I really feel at home in the MGP/ESC-family, so it feels very good to be back on this stage. For me, if I was to return to MGP, it was so important for me to do it with the right song. And when Christian, Kjetil and I wrote and made “Attention” there were no doubt in my mind: 2020 was the year to come back!

D: Since 2017, you’ve been very busy! You competed in Stjernekamp  2018, reaching the finals, and have also performed in the Sound of  Music. What is it that you love about music and what motivates or  inspires you to keep performing?

U: I get such a rush preforming. I absolutely love it! And I feed off of the audiences energy! And for me every single performance gives me something different, in terms of emotions, memories, energy and hunger to do even more.

D: This year you’ll be performing “Attention” written by yourself,  Christian Ingebrigtsen (of A1 fame) and Kjetil Mørland! How did the  song come about, and what was it like working with two big names? And  has Mørland given you any Eurovision tips?

U: Wow! Wow, wow, wow! It was such an honour to be able to go in the studio with two legends. It was exciting, but also nerve wrecking at the same time. Both Kjetil and Christian have been a great support system so far on this journey, and keep giving me great tips every time we speak. Most importantly maybe to breathe, and to enjoy the moments – to really appreciate every single second of this crazy adventure.

D: I think we’ve all been blown away by the raw emotion of “Attention”  – what does this song mean to you?

U: “Attention” has a really special place in my heart. I wrote it based on my own experiences in love, so it’s definitely scary to pour your heart out to the world like that. But at the same time I get so moved when I read messages and comments from other people who identify with the lyrics.

D: You automatically qualified for the final but we still got to see  you perform it the other week in the semi-final. You’ve promised some  surprises for the pertinence in the final – can you give us any  teasers of what we might be in for?

U: Haha, well, I want to save some surprises for the actual show. But I can reveal I’m changing to a different dress! And since I’m going for the gold medal, I kinda have to wear a golden dress too. 😉 There will be a few more upgrades to the staging and show as well – but you would have to wait and see what they are. 😀

D: If you win, you’ll be winning a ticket to Rotterdam to compete at  Eurovision in May. What would that opportunity to represent Norway on  an international stage mean to you?

U: I mean, it would be the biggest honour and responsibility of my career so far! And I’ve been very inspired by the enormous job KEiiNO did last year promoting their song all over Europe! My goal is to attend even more fan events and parties, play even more radio stations, and work day and night for Norway – I think its time we bring Eurovision back to Norway in 2021. 😉

D: And are you a fan of Eurovision? Do you have any favourite songs  from the contest?

U: YES! YES! YES! I love Eurovision, and I try to host or attend big viewing parties every year! For me Loreen and “Euphoria” will forever stand out, and Alexander Rybaks huge victory in 2009 is also something I’ll never forget.

D: As your song is called “Attention”, what is the craziest thing  you’ve ever done?

U: Maybe when I met Oda Loves You who competed in the same semi-final where I performed. I met her and her now husband Magnus in Oslo almost two years ago. We instantly clicked, and they invited me to their wedding a month later. The same night they invited me I of course said yes, and then later I found out it was a three day thing in Italy!! Hahah! But I still went, and thank god for that – cause that’s where I met Christoffer, who is now my manager. Crazy how these things work out!

D: If you were hosting a dinner party for all your friends, what three  course meal would you cook for them?!

U: Cheese and crackers, spaghetti in meat sauce with my family’s recipe and some delicious ice cream!

D: Thank you for your time! Do you have a message for our readers and  for your fans?

U: I just have to say, thank you so so much for all the kind messages and comments all over my social medias! I cant say thank you enough!! I try to respond to every single one. And finally, this year you can vote from all over the world, so I would be so happy if you registered a profile at nrk.no/stem and vote for me on Saturday in the final. 😀

You can watch Ulrikke in action on Saturday evening at 7.50 CET as she performs her song “Attention” for a shot at representing Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. Ulrikke has also released an acoustic version of her performance which you can check out here:

And don’t forget to vote for your favourites in our official poll!