Iceland - Our Choice - Ari Ólafsson

Picture from digital presskit

19 - 15 pts in semi 1

Ari Ólafsson represented Iceland in Lisbon with his song Our Choice.
The song is written by Þórunn Erna Clausen.
Here's the video of the English version, the Icelandic one (Heim) is here.

Four versions of Our Choice (see below) were released on the digital Söngvakeppnin album(s). The Eurovision version can of course be found on the official All Aboard! 2CD with all this years Eurovision entries.
Update Our Choice was released as a  seperate digital single remix. The release date seems to be May 8 2018, but we missed that at the time. It doesn't mention the song as being a remix at your digital stores and streamers.
But the Youtube version on the composers channel confirms it is made by StopWaitGo, (They also remixed the 2015 Icelandic entry)
(Thanks Rick!)
All promotional material is digital, there is no physical release.

Remix version DRI

Who's Ari?
Ari Olafsson's road to stardom began when he played the title role in the musical Oliver (by the National Theatre Of Iceland) when he was 11 years old.
"Our" Selma Björnsdottir (ESC 1999 and 2005) was the one to discover Ari and he's been busy ever since.
In 2015 he participated in The Voice Iceland and in 2017 he was a backing singer at the Icelandic Eurovision selection Söngvakeppnin.
After Eurovision Ari will continue his musical studies at the London Royal Academy Of Music.

Þórunn Erna Clausen
In 2011 songwriter Þórunn (Thorunn) Erna Clausen wrote the lyrics to Coming Home / Aftur Heim, the song to be performed by her husband Sjonni Brink in the Söngvakeppnin of that year.
You know the sad story: Sjonni died just before the national contest and a group of his friends performed the song and went on to the Eurovision final.
She wrote at least eight Söngvakeppnin from 2011 on.
Þórunn will be on stage with Ari as pianist an backing vocalist. She will also direct the staging.
The CD and cdsingle of Sjonni Brink and Sjonni's Friends are still available here at BeaRecords.

Söngvakeppnin 2018
Iceland's Eurovision entry was selected in the Söngvakeppnin 2018 final on March 3.
12 songs were competing. All have been recorded in Icelandic and 11 of them also in English. You can listen to all songs here at RÚV's Eurovision pages.
All songs have been released through digital sources.
The releases include Icelandic versions, English versions, Icelandic karaokes and English karaokes.

Digital album image

Versions
Our Choice - English version
- also on the official Lisbon 2CD
Our Choice - remix version (by StopWaitGo)
Heim - Icelandic version
Our Choice - karaoke
Heim - Icelandic karaoke
- all digital releases


Links and sources:

Thanks to Davíð Lúther at Ari's HQ. Thanks to Frederick.

Ari Ólafsson: Facebook, Instagram
RÚV Eurovision pages
Icelands recent Eurovision tunes: 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009