Connor Tynan

Eurovision

2/25/26

 

How Iceland’s culture is Represented in Their 2022 Eurovision Submission

 

 

It’s not uncommon that Eurovision performances follow the trend of being the biggest, flashiest, and most eye‑catching. But Iceland’s 2022 entry of “Með Hækkandi Sól” by Systur took a different route. It stood out to me because of its modest and simplistic visual appearance. When I first watched it, the lack of stage props and crazy visuals caught my eye right away. The stage was warmly lit, and the only people on stage were the 3 singers. As I began to learn more about the song, I also realized how the song sorta represents Iceland’s culture too. In this blog post, I’m going to analyze the meaning behind the lyrics, the music, and visuals of Iceland’s 2022 performance. I’m also going to look into how Iceland’s performance lines up with Iceland’s own national identity. Additionally, focusing on this performance lets me connect back to my first blog post that covered Iceland’s national identity in relation to its geography, sense of community, and literature.

Analyzation of Lyrics, Imagery, Music, and Performers

 

The most memorable aspect of the song for me was the lyrics and singing. The song is sung completely in Icelandic, but once you translate it, the true meaning really comes through. My interpretation of the lyrics is that the song is about beginning the process of healing from trauma and emotional pain. Throughout the song, they refer to this emotional state as “winter.” The line about “icy chains around my heart” stood out a lot to me. Those words make you think of someone who’s stuck in emotional pain and feels held back by what they’ve been through. But the song also mentions those “icy chains” melting away, which to me symbolizes hope. This reflects Iceland’s storytelling tradition that often focuses on struggle being a pathway to resilience (McDonald, 2019).

 

The use of “winter” can mean a lot of things too. Winter itself tests your character and patience. In Iceland, this could connect to the cultural relationship they have with the land and harsh weather, which shapes daily life. On a bigger scale, it can reflect Iceland’s values like endurance and honesty (Sühring et al., 2023; Barraclough, 2021).

 

Musical Analsis

 

Musically, the performance leans heavily into folk/country. The only instruments involved were three guitars and a drummer. The vocals were accompanied by a slow and melodic picking pattern that honestly reminded me of American folk or old‑school country music. Even though the song has obvious non‑Icelandic influences, it still feels unusually emotional and culturally heavy. The minimal staging adds to the song’s serious tone. The performers were backlit with a warm orange hue instead of pyrotechnics or LED walls. That choice makes everything feel more personal and honestly fits Iceland’s vibe as a small and kinda reserved nation (Barraclough, 2021).

 

Analyzing the Imagery

 

As I was watching, I noticed the performance doesn’t use many metaphors or props on stage. It’s way more stripped‑down than the average Eurovision performance, which in turn makes it feel more intimate and meaningful. The lack of visual distractions puts the emotional weight directly on the performers. Their outfits were simple and avoided anything flashy that might distract from the music. The camera work was close and personal, sometimes zooming straight in on their faces. That makes the story feel more direct and emotional, while still keeping things really grounded. The overall reserved look lines up with Iceland’s cultural preference for modesty (Suhring, 2023).

 

Analyzing the Performers

 

              Systur describes themselves as humble, calm, and confident. All three sisters have similar stage presence, which reinforces equality and teamwork. In an Icelandic context, this makes sense because Iceland places a huge emphasis on equality and being humble. Their shared vocals and even the fact that they perform as siblings reflect the collective, mutual support that Iceland values. This connects back to my first blog post, where I talked about Iceland’s community centered support system (Barraclough, 2021).

 

How the Analysis Connects to Course Concepts.

 

One of the course ideas that fits here is representation, meaning how a country decides to present itself on a big international stage like Eurovision. Something that stood out to me was Iceland’s choice to sing fully in Icelandic. It’s honestly kinda bold, since most Eurovision artists switch to English to get more votes. I think Iceland knew that but didn’t care—they wanted to represent their culture properly. This makes the performance feel way more authentic and connected to national identity (Barraclough, 2021).

 

Cosmopolitanism vs. authenticity:

Eurovision is a super cosmopolitan event where tons of countries mix styles and cultures. Iceland participates in that global environment, but they don’t lose their own identity in the process. Their performance shows that you can take part in a huge international event while still keeping your own cultural “center.” That lines up with the course idea of mixing being open to the world (cosmopolitanism) but still being yourself.

 

Avoiding pinkwashing or message‑washing:

Another concept we talked about is how some countries use Eurovision to push political messages or clean up their image. Iceland doesn’t do any of that here. This performance isn’t trying to pinkwash, virtue‑signal, or push a political statement. Instead, Iceland keeps the focus on the emotional story of the song. Honestly, that makes it feel even more real.

 

Tension with folk aesthetics / cultural blending:

There’s also a small disconnect worth mentioning. The cowboy‑ish hat and American‑style guitar picking make the performance feel a little less Icelandic. This fits into the concept of cultural blending (and a little bit of “artwashing”), where a country mixes its own style with a more popular or recognizable aesthetic to stay relatable. It doesn’t ruin the performance at all, but it shows how smaller countries sometimes balance staying true to their culture vs. appealing to a wider audience (McDonald, 2019; Sühring, 2023).

 

Alignment and misalignment with Iceland’s national identity

 

               In my first blog post, I talked about some of the main things Icelanders see as important to who they are. Being humble, being community centered, staying connected to nature, and being emotionally honest are all closely held values. I think Systur’s performance does a good job at reflecting these values. The minimalistic approach to their performance fits Iceland’s humble nature. There’s no huge dance routine, no flashing lights, no political statement just three women singing together like they would in a community setting. The groups performs also gives off a strong community vibe. They stand close together, share harmonies, and don’t try to make one person the center of attention. This reflects how Icelander's value mutual community support and closeness because the country has such a modest population.

 

              The nature connection is also an under looked aspect of Iceland’s identity. The lyrics use winter, cold, and sunlight as emotional symbols, and that ties straight into Iceland’s relationship with its environment. Iceland often deals with long, dark winters, so using that as a metaphor for emotional struggle feels true to their identity. The emotional honesty also can be seen. The performance isn’t trying to please everyone. it’s just them, their voices, and the meaning of the song. That straightforward, sincere style matches what I’ve learned about Icelandic culture.

 

Conclusion

 

              In the end, Iceland’s 2022 Eurovision performance does a good job of staying aligned with their cultural identity. Through the use of their native language, minimalist staging, and emotionally provoking lyrics, Systur spreads and educates the world about Iceland cultural values. Even though the performance borrows musical ideas from American folk/country, the performance still maintains the essence of Icelandic national identity. Instead of going for spectacle, Iceland chose something refreshing and different meaningful, Which reflects Iceland’s true cultural identity.

References

 

Barraclough, E. R. (2021). Trees, woodlands, and forests in Old Norse-Icelandic culture. JEGP, Journal of English and Germanic Philology, 120(3), 281–301.

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/798401

 

McDonald, R. (2019). RE:writing: Medial Perspectives on Textual Culture in the Icelandic Middle Ages (Review). Parergon, 36(2), 216–217.

https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/62/article/742758/pdf

 

Sühring, N., Chambers, C., Koenigk, T., Kruschke, T., Einarsson, N., & Ogilvie, A. E. J. (2023). Effects of storms on fisheries and aquaculture: An Icelandic case study on climate change adaptation. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 55(1), 2269689.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15230430.2023.2269689

 

Systur. (2022). Með hækkandi sól (Iceland). Eurovision Song Contest 2022 Turin [DVD]. Universal Music Group.