"Unforgettable" is a song by Norwegian music duo Marcus & Martinus, released as a single on 2 March 2024 through Universal. The song was written by the duo alongside with Jimmy "Joker" Thörnfeldt, Joy Deb and Linnea Deb. It represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 after winning Melodifestivalen 2024, and finished in 9th place at the grand final with 174 points.
"Unforgettable" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Marcus & Martinus | ||||
from the album Unforgettable | ||||
Released | 2 March 2024 | |||
Genre | Electropop, EDM[1] | |||
Length | 2:48 | |||
Label | Universal | |||
Composer(s) | ||||
Lyricist(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Marcus & Martinus singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Eurovision Song Contest 2024 entry | ||||
Country | ||||
Artist(s) | ||||
Language | English | |||
Finals performance | ||||
Final result | 9th | |||
Final points | 174 | |||
Entry chronology | ||||
◄ "Tattoo" (2023) | ||||
Official performance video | ||||
"Unforgettable" (First Semi-Final) on YouTube "Unforgettable" (Grand Final) on YouTube |
The song was described as a "tale" of a relationship with a dangerous female lover, with the lover taking over their body and hypnotizing them. The song was met with mixed reception from Eurovision critics, with the song being compared to other pop entries Sweden has sent in the past to Eurovision, "Unforgettable" drew commercial success, reaching number one on the Sverigetopplistan chart, becoming Marcus & Martinus's first chart-topping song in Sweden.
Background and composition
edit"Unforgettable" was written by Marcus Gunnarsen, Martinus Gunnarsen, Jimmy Thörnfeldt, Joy Deb, and Linnea Deb.[2] The song has been described as a "tale" of a dangerous relationship with a female lover who is known as "venomous". Despite this, the other in the relationship ends up "in too deep" and suggest that they have been hypnotized by the woman, losing control of their body. Although they can detect the dangers of the relationship, they still describe the woman as "unforgettable".[3]
According to the duo, they entered Melodifestivalen 2024 rather than the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix because Melodifestivalen was a larger competition in terms of production and television ratings.[4] They had previously competed in the 2023 edition of Melodifestivalen, where they came second. As a result of their result in 2023, the duo sought "revenge".[5]
Promotion
editTo promote the song, the duo announced their intents to participate in various Eurovision pre-parties, including Pre-Party ES 2024,[6] the London Eurovision Party 2024,[7] Eurovision in Concert 2024,[8] and the Nordic Eurovision Party 2024.[9]
Critical reception
edit"Unforgettable" was met with mixed reception. In a Wiwibloggs review containing several reviews from several critics, the song was rated 7.53 out of 10 points,[10] earning eighth on the site's annual ranking.[11] Vulture's Jon O'Brien ranked the song as sixth out of 37 entries, dubbing it an "immaculately produced dance-pop banger" and an "instant streaming hit", but wondered if it could be "just that little too polished".[12] ESC Beat's Doron Lahav ranked the song 25th overall, stating that while he found the song to be "very modern and even fashionable", he admitted that he "felt like it was too cooked or even 'over transgenic'".[13] Erin Adam of The Scotsman rated the song seven out of 10 points, stating that while Sweden had not strayed from choosing "‘by the numbers’ clinical pop", she wrote that "its beat and polish can’t be denied".[14]
Eurovision Song Contest
editMelodifestivalen 2024
editSweden's broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest, Sveriges Television (SVT), organized a 30-entry competition, Melodifestivalen 2024, to select the country's entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The competition was split into five heats of six songs, where the top two in each heat qualified to the 12-song grand final. Third and fourth in each heat qualified to a second-chance round, where the top two in the round qualified to complete the lineup for the final. In the final, the winner was selected via a 50/50 system of juries and televoting.[15][16][17]
The duo were first rumored to compete in the competition on 31 October 2023 by Aftonbladet.[18] Confirmation of the report was given on 1 December, where they were placed into the fifth heat[19] and were later drawn to perform first in the heat.[20] In the heat on 2 March, they managed to finish first, directly qualifying to the grand final[21][22] where they were drawn to perform seventh.[23] In the final on 9 March, the song was able to come in first place in both the juries and televoting, winning the competition. As a result of winning the competition, it won rights to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.[24]
At Eurovision
editThe Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is taking place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consists of two semi-finals held on 7 and 9 May, respectively, and the final on 11 May 2024. According to Eurovision rules, all countries, except the host and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom), are required to qualify from one semi-final to compete in the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. As Sweden is the host country for the contest, the song was given automatic entry into the grand final.[25] The duo were later drawn to perform first in the grand final.[26]
For its Eurovision performance, minor alterations were made to accommodate a different stage design. However, it remained closely similar to the one given in Melodifestivalen.[27] Before the contest, the duo stated that the style of the performance had been inspired by Super Bowl halftime shows.[28] Marcus & Martinus, wearing black and blue suits, were accompanied by four backing dancers, who wore black leather outfits.[29][30] Throughout the performance, lines of code are displayed on LEDS along with a relatively dark environment.[29]
After the results were announced, they finished in ninth with 174 points, with a split score of 125 points from juries and 49 points from public televoting.[31] Regarding the former, the song received one set of the maximum 12 points from Germany. It did not receive any sets of 12 points from public televoting; the most given was 10, awarded by Norway.[32] In response to their result, the duo expressed disappointment, stating that, "We wish we could have done better... we only want the best for Sweden". They further expressed sadness at the Norwegian jury, who gave them three points; a result seen as unusual due to the common occurrence of Nordic bloc voting, with the duo having expected to get a higher amount of points from the Norwegian jury.[33]
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Monthly chartsedit
|
Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Streaming | ||
Sweden (GLF)[50] | Platinum | 12,000,000† |
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
editCountry | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | 2 March 2024 | Universal | [51] |
References
edit- ^ Belam, Martin (11 May 2024). "Eurovision 2024: Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th song contest with The Code – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Garrie, Emma (10 March 2024). "Marcus & Martinus will represent Sweden at Eurovision 2024 with 'Unforgettable'". Aussievision. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Shokayan, Antranig (15 March 2024). ""Her love is dangerous": Marcus & Martinus are drawn to a venomous lover in "Unforgettable" lyrics". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Dahlgren, Stina; Demirian, Natalie; Ek, Torbjörn (9 March 2024). "Därför tävlar Marcus & Martinus i svenska Mello" [That's why Marcus & Martinus compete in Swedish Mello]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Edliden, Ann (1 March 2024). "Marcus & Martinus: Inte bara ute efter revansch" [Marcus & Martinus: Not just looking for revenge]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Garnett, Georgia (19 March 2024). "🇸🇪 Marcus & Martinus to perform at Pre-Party ES 2024". That Eurovision Site. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Falk, Simon (19 March 2024). "Sweden's Marcus & Martinus take their twin power to London Eurovision Party". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Gannon, Rory (28 March 2024). "🇸🇪 Marcus and Martinus to perform at Eurovision in Concert 2024". That Eurovision Site. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Garnett, Georgia (22 March 2024). "🇸🇪 Marcus & Martinus to perform at Nordic Eurovision Party 2024". That Eurovision Site. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Wiwi Jury: Sweden's Marcus & Martinus with "Unforgettable"". Wiwibloggs. 21 April 2024. Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Vautrey, Jonathan (7 April 2024). "Eurovision 2024: Reviews and rankings by the Wiwi Jury". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ O'Brien, Jon (6 May 2024). "Every 2024 Eurovision Song, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Lahav, Doron (23 April 2024). "Eurovision 2024 Songs Review – Part 7 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK)". ESC Beat. Archived from the original on 12 May 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ Adam, Erin (7 May 2024). "Eurovision Song Contest 2024: All 37 songs reviewed ahead of semifinals, including UK's Olly Alexander". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Tom (29 June 2023). "SVT announce changes to Melodifestivalen format for 2024". ESCXTRA. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ Demirian, Natalie (29 June 2023). "SVT gör om Melodifestivalen – skrotar semifinalen" [SVT is reworking Melodifestivalen – scrapping the semi-final]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Wikström, Mattis; Svensson, Ellinor (12 January 2024). "Ändringarna i Mello: "Kommer göra om"" [The changes in Mello: "Will redo"]. Expressen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Dahlgren, Stina; Ek, Torbjörn (31 October 2023). "Aftonbladet avslöjar: Marcus & Martinus gör Mello igen" [Aftonbladet reveals: Marcus & Martinus do Mello again]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Adams, William Lee (1 December 2023). "Melodifestivalen 2024: Sweden confirms full list of 30 acts for Eurovision selection". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Demirian, Natalie (29 February 2024). "Melodifestivalen 2024 – startordningen i deltävling 5" [Melodifestivalen 2024 – starting order in competition 5]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Dahlgren, Stina; Demirian, Natalie; Månsson, Annie (2 March 2024). "Marcus & Martinus och Medina går direkt till final i Melodifestivalen 2024" [Marcus & Martinus and Medina go directly to the final in Melodifestivalen 2024]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Melodifestivalen 2024 - Deltävling 5: Karlstad". Mellopedia (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Waarden, Franciska van (3 March 2024). "🇸🇪 Sweden: Melodifestivalen 2024 Final Running Order Announced". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Shokayan, Antranig (9 March 2024). "Sweden: Marcus & Martinus win Melodifestivalen 2024 with "Unforgettable"". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Major changes for Malmö: Big Five & Sweden perform LIVE in Semi-Finals and you can vote for longer". Eurovision Song Contest. European Broadcasting Union. 11 March 2024. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ Månsson, Annie (11 March 2024). "Marcus & Martinus öppnar Eurovision 2024 : "Stor ära"" [Marcus & Martinus open Eurovision 2024: "Great honor"]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Conte, Davide (2 May 2024). "Sweden: All the Details About Marcus & Martinus' First Rehearsal". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
- ^ Grace, Emily (4 May 2024). "Sweden: An Interview With Marcus & Martinus – 'We wanted big staging to suit the song, Loreen said it looks like The Matrix'". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ a b Lahav, Doron (6 May 2024). "Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final 1: Dress/Jury Rehearsal Live Commetary". ESC Beat. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Dahlgren, Stina (3 May 2024). "Marcus och Martinus ord efter första repet i Eurovision song contest" [Marcus and Martinus' words after the first rope in the Eurovision song contest]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ Adams, William Lee (19 May 2024). "Eurovision 2024 results: Who did the jury help and hurt the most?". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Grand Final of Malmö 2024 - Sweden Grand Final Results Allocation". Eurovision Song Contest. European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ Silva, Emmanuel; Dahlgren, Stina (12 May 2024). "Marcus & Martinus om bottenpoängen från Norge: "Besviken"" [Marcus & Martinus on the bottom score from Norway: "Disappointed"]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Top Radio Hits Estonia Weekly Chart: Apr 25, 2024". TopHit. 25 April 2024. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "Marcus & Martinus: Unforgettable" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 20/2024" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs - Week 20] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Straumēšanas TOP 2024 – 20. nedēļa" [Streaming TOP 2024 – Week 20] (in Latvian). LAIPA. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "2024 20-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 17 May 2024. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ "Marcus & Martinus – Unforgettable" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Marcus & Martinus – Unforgettable". VG-lista. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay" (Select week 10.08.2024–16.08.2024.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 10.05.2024–16.05.2024.) (in Polish). OLiS. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ "Marcus & Martinus – Unforgettable". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Marcus & Martinus – Unforgettable". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Top Radio Hits Estonia Monthly Chart: April 2024". TopHit. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ "Sverigetopplistan – Marcus & Martinus" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Unforgettable - Single by Marcus & Martinus". Apple Music (US). 2 March 2024. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.