Bjarni: ‘Jóhann dreamt about the song, woke up, took his guitar and put some chords on it’
Icelandic national selection for Eurovision Song Contest 2025, Söngvakeppnin, continues this Saturday. A total of five acts are competing for the three tickets to the final of the which is set to take place on 22nd of February.
One of the five artists competing this Saturday is a returnee to the show, runner up of Icelandic national selection in 1992, Bjarni Arason. This will be his third time competing for a chance to wave the Icelandic flag at Eurovision, he made his debut back in 1988.
Hello Bjarni, first of all congrats for being one of the artists competing at Söngvakeppnin 2025. You made your debut at the Icelandic national selection in 1988 with “Aftur og aftur” and then you came 2nd in 1992 singing “Karen” what inspired you to return to the show?
Thank you. That is correct my very first time in the competition 37 years ago (in 1988) when I sang the song “Aftur og aftur” composed by Jakob Frímann Magnússon. And yes the last time last I was in the competition was 33 years ago (in 1992) with the song Karen. The song was composed by Jóhann Helgason and lyrics by Björn Björnsson (the same writers team made the song “Aðeins lengur”). My inspiration to come back to the show is based on the song that I am performing this year. I felt it’s a good song, very well written with a great 8-man string section. The song shows the range of my voice and I am happy how it all comes together. I am very passionate about doing my best in performing the song to the best of my ability. For me it’s all about the music and has always been.
How does it feel to compete at Icelandic national selection through different eras of music what could you say are the biggest differences?
Today it is a much bigger production. Back in 1992 when I sang Karen there were 3-4 cameras in the studio, but today there are probably 15 -16 cameras plus a much bigger studio and much larger audience. It is a much bigger thing than before.
It was a very tough battle between Sigríður & Sigrún and you for winning the Icelandic national selection and get a chance to represent your country at Eurovision 1992, do you think that „Karen“ would achieve a better result at Eurovision?
I am of course biased, it is very hard to say, I believe that things are meant to be, it wasn’t to be that year. Karen is loved by people in Iceland and all around the world. Still today I am meeting people on the street that felt that Karen should have competed for Iceland and could have won. It really has a life of its own. I think the song is superbly written and it fits my voice very well, I really love that song.
How was the creative process behind “Aðeins lengur” can you tell us more about the inspiration for the song and what does it mean for you?
There is a little story behind why I am in the competition now with “Aðeins lengur”. It was back in 2013 when I called Jóhann Helgason and told him that I had this idea of sending a song into the Icelandic “Söngvakeppnin” and I wanted him to compose a song and having Björn Björnsson to write the lyrics, since we did alright with “Karen” in 1992 ending in 2nd place. Jóhann was not thrilled with this idea of mine, and I told him that I would of course respect that if he did not want to go forward with it. But the next morning Jóhann called me and to my great surprise where he told me that he had written a song for me. So, Jóhann went to sleep the night before where he dreamt the song. I could not believe it, I said “really” …? And Jóhann said yes, he had dreamt it and when he woke up, he had the melody in his head. Being such a great composer, he then took his guitar and put some chords on it. Jóhann and me made a few demos of the song and then we sent it into the competition with no results that year. So, the song was put back in the drawer and stayed there until September 2024. Then Jóhann called me and asked me if I was ok with the idea of letting the song compete again. I told him that I felt it was a good idea. So here we are now and there is no turning back. We both feel very humbled and honored being here in the competition again.
What can we expect from your performance at Söngvakeppnin 2025?
Thomas and Selma choreographed my stage performance. The idea is to keep it simple and to have full focus on the singer and the performance of the song. I will be on stage with a piano and a piano player. We all feel that the song deserves to be heard without major distractions or fireworks. The melody, the strings, the whole song deserves to be heard in all its beauty.
Which artist competing at this year’s Söngvakeppnin do you see as your biggest competitor? And whose performance are you most excited for?
I must admit that I live a very busy life, and I have not heard all the songs. But I do feel honored to share the stage with other singers and acts. I just hope it goes well for all, and everyone can be proud of their performances. I am not the one to think about competitors or things like that, I just want to focus on myself and hopefully I can perform the song well and do it justice. I simply love music, and I love performing.
Do you watch Eurovision regularly? Which song is your favorite?
Yes, I do follow Eurovision and watch it. My favorite Eurovision song is Hold me now by Johnny Logan. I think it is a great song, and I remember when I saw him sing this song, it’s a great memory. I knew he would win that year, it’s the only time I have been right about the winning song.
If you could choose any musician (living or dead) to record a duet with who would it be and why?
I would choose Elvis Presley. I am a huge Elvis fan; everything was in black and white before I heard him. Then everything changed, life was in color. Elvis is the reason I started singing in the first place. I have recorded numerous Elvis songs and I made a Elvis gospel record in 2012. I was very well received by the public and I am very proud of that album.
What do you do when you are not singing? Any hobbies?
I have been very fortunate in life, and I keep quite busy, I have my own radio show at Retro 89,5 FM here in Iceland. But my pride and joy is my family. I am happily married to my amazing wife Silja, and I am proud father of 3 amazing girls, and we have one grandson. When we have time off we like to go mountain hiking and bicycling. And I also do love cooking and baking at home for the family.
What are your plans after Söngvakeppnin 2025?
I am mostly right now going with the flow, and it has been quite busy as one can imagine. After the competition it´s back to “normal” life working and singing. But I would love to go somewhere with my wife for a nice weekend here in Iceland, to unwind and relax after a hectic schedule like this.
Thank you so much for your time Bjarni. We wish you the best of luck at Söngvakeppnin 2025. Do you want to share something else or you maybe have a message for followers of escbubble?
Thank you so much. I would like to point out to the followers of escbubble that I have an extensive catalogue of music on Spotify. There I have my own songs and albums, with everything from Elvis gospel music to swing music. I just want to thank everyone for their attention, and I hope that people will enjoy listening to my music.
You can also check Bjarni’s entry for Söngvakeppnin 2025, “Aðeins lengur” below:
You can check out Bjarni on YouTube as well as stream his music on Spotify at the links below
YouTube: Bjarni Arason Spotify: Bjarni Arason
In the case Bjarni’s entry is your favourite of Söngvakeppnin 2025 semi final 2 don’t forget to vote for it in our poll below:
Let as know how do you rate Aðeins lengur and leave your impressions about it in the comments and at our social media @escbubble
