Ulrikke Brandstorp (27), who releases music under the name “Ulrikke”, is a fan favorite in the Melodi Grand Prix context. The fans have practically begged her to make a comeback in recent years.
Considering that both bookmakers and experts thought she could potentially win the entire Eurovision Song Contest in 2020, there is no doubt that she carries a favorite stamp into this year’s competition.
REVEALED. Ulrikke was the first artist to be revealed. Photo: Eirik Edland
Personal song
In 2023, Brandstorp participates with the song “Honestly”, written and produced by Jim Bergsted, Helge Moen, Ben Adams, Joshua Oliver, Christoffer Gunnestad and herself.
Brandstorp says that the song is based on her life, and is about how you want to be there for someone you love when they go through bad experiences.
She takes part in the first semi-final, Saturday 14 January. The song is released five days before the dolphin finale.
Ulrikke was the first to be revealed by the 21 artists in this year’s Melodi Grand Prix.
– It’s so fun! I’m looking forward to it and I’m so excited. I’m more excited than last time, I didn’t think that would be possible. I haven’t slept in the last two weeks, this was good. She said to the presenters Stian “Staysman” Thorbjørnsen and Arianhrod Engebø.
– Thank you, it’s so sick, it’s bubbling, I’m so excited, looking forward, I’m so hungry, I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and do everything I can, she says to TV 2.
MAKE A COMEBACK. Ulrikke back in MGP after three years. Photo: Eirik Edland
Comeback
– Why are you participating this year?
– It’s no secret that I have something unsettled with Europe. I have had a little taste of whole events, so there was no doubt that I had to do this again. But I needed some distance from 2020, I also needed the right song. I didn’t have that before, now I do.
– The song is about being very afraid of losing a person you are very close to. A bit like “no me without you”. It is about the fact that we deal with grief and adversity differently. I think many people can relate to that, I can’t say more.
– I will be singing a song that means a lot to me, and that I believe in. So I hope that it can mean something from others in the world.
Ulrikke’s contribution is the only contribution that only has a 30-second sample. The others have a minute.
– There are some surprises that you have to keep to yourself. So here we have to wait a bit in suspense.
She praises the other artists:
– It’s a fantastic group. What I have heard of the songs now is incredibly good. So here you just have to work to the bitter end, and never give up.
Honor the manager
Brandstorp reveals that “no one without me” can be about the manager, Christoffer Gunnestad.
– It was a small hint. There is an extremely large amount of work behind Melodi Grand Prix. It’s not only on stage, but also behind. We have become a killer team there. Then he must join.
Unfortunately for Ulrikke, the entire competition in 2020 was canceled due to corona, and no one can know how Brandstorp and the song “Attention” had done abroad.
Despite the fact that the circus was cancelled, she did not give up her dream of experiencing Eurovision.
– I really want to experience the whole Eurovision package, she said to Good evening Norway in 2021.
If she were to return to the MGP circus, it would only be with the right song.
– There is no doubt that I want to return to MGP at some point, I still dream of having the opportunity to represent Norway in Eurovision one day. But it is very important for me to have a song that I believe in as much as Attention, or preferably even more, because I really want to make Norway proud in Eurovision. In other words, I won’t come back until we manage to make “the one”, she told ESC Norway.
Big change
When Brandstorp took part in the MGP circus last time, there was one thing in particular that made big headlines.
Brandstorp had a dating ban in 2020, so she had to devote all her free time to music.
In the same year, after the corona virus resulted in the cancellation of Eurovision, Brandstorp got a girlfriend. In 2022, they got engaged. Thus, the recipe for victory from the previous round with MGP is out of the window.
