Indie-pop duo Norma John’s “Blackbird” is as dark and stark as the bleakest episode of Game of Thrones. An ode to loss, this entry was a clear - if not a little surprising - winner at the Finnish national selection competition, Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu.
Norma John consists of pianist Lasse Piirainen and vocalist Leena Tirronen, who have been collaborating together for over 15 years.
We know that stark works at Eurovision - Norway’s “A Monster Like Me” and “Silent Storm” in years past are cases in point. Could this Finnish blackbird’s song be a little too bleak for this year’s audience? If Finland do qualify, it would be a victory for contemporary alternative music.
