Fairytale (Alexander Rybak song)

"Fairytale"
Single by Alexander Rybak
from the album Fairytales
Released	12 January 2009 (see release history)
Format	Digital download, CD single
Recorded	2008
Genre	Pop, Folk
Length	3.03
Label	EMI
Writer(s)	Alexander Rybak
Alexander Rybak singles chronology
"Fairytale" (2009) "Funny Little World" (2009)
"Fairytale" Eurovision Song Contest 2009 entry Country Norway Artist(s) Alexander Rybak Language English Composer(s) Alexander Rybak Lyricist(s) Alexander Rybak Finals performance Semi-final result 1st Semi-final points 201 Final result 1st Final points 387 Appearance chronology ◄ "Hold On Be Strong" (2008)    "My Heart Is Yours" (2010) ►

"Fairytale" is a song written and composed by Norwegian violinist/singer Alexander Rybak, and the first single from Rybak's debut album Fairytales. This song was the winner of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow, Russia.^[1][2]

Writing and inspiration

In February 2009, Norwegian media reported that "Fairytale" is about Rybak's ex-girlfriend Ingrid Berg Mehus whom he got to know through the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo.^[3][4][5] Rybak has since confirmed this. At a press conference in May 2009 he revealed that the song's inspiration came from the Huldra, a beautiful female creature from Scandinavian folklore, who lures young men to her, and then may curse them for all time.^[6] The Russian-language version of the song is entitled "Skazka" (Russian: "Сказка").

Eurovision 2009

The song was elected through the Norwegian festival Melodi Grand Prix 2009 on 21 February, winning in the biggest landslide of the contest's history,^[7] and competed against eighteen other Eurovision entries in the second semi-final on 14 May 2009, where it qualified for the final. The final took place on 16 May and the song won with 387 points – a new ESC record. It was Norway's third Eurovision Song Contest win.

The backing dancers for the Eurovision performance, Sigbjørn Rua, Torkjell Lunde Børsheim and Hallgrim Hansegård, are from the Norwegian dance company Frikar,^[8] performing the folk dance halling. The backing singers, Jorunn Hauge^[9] and Karianne Kjærnes,^[10] wore long pink dresses designed by Norwegian designer Leila Hafzi.^[11]

Music video

The first official music video for the song, which was used to present the song before the Eurovision final, was Alexander Rybak's Performance at the Melodi Grand Prix 2009 in Norway. The most recent video was of Alexander Rybak playing the Violin and singing with his backing dancers behind him, where the background occasionally changes from white to black.

A video of Rybak's performance of the song at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest final in Moscow, was chosen by YouTube as one of its 31 most memorable videos of 2009.^[12]

Record

In the Norwegian preselection, Melodi Grand Prix 2009, Rybak's "Fairytale" won with a combined televote and jury score of 747,888, in the biggest victory of the contest's history. The song received over 600,000 votes more than the runner-up, which made it the clearest win in the history of Melodi Grand Prix.^[1][7]

At the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, Rybak won with the highest recorded score since the contest began, with 387 points (out of a maximum of 492), surpassing Lordi's 2006 record of 292. He held this record until 2016 when Jamala from Ukraine won with a record 534 points (but because of the new scoring system with separate sets of televotes and jury votes, the results are not comparable with each other). His average score of 9.4 points from every voting nation was the highest since the wide use of televoting began in 1998. Rybak received sixteen scores of 12 points, also a new record, surpassing the previous record of ten held by Katrina and the Waves (1997) and Helena Paparizou (2005); this record was surpassed in 2012, by Loreen, who received eighteen.

Charts

The song also debuted on the Norwegian Singles Chart on the week of 11 February 2009 at number 3,^[13] before rising to number one on the following week, the week of the Melodi Grand Prix final.^[14] This was the first time that the Melodi Grand Prix winner reached number 1 before winning the contest. The song remained at number 1 for 8 consecutive weeks.^[15] The song has since entered the Swedish Sverigetopplistan, debuting at number 47, before rising to number 7 in its third week, the week of Eurovision - eventually reaching the top spot. After the song gaining the Top Spot on Eurovision, it entered the Top Ten of many Charts across Europe, and also the No. 1 position in many countries.^[16] The song debuted on the UK charts at #10 on Downloads Alone and then dropped to #38 the next week, it also reached Number 3 on the Download Chart. "Fairytale" is the ninth non-UK Eurovision entry to reach the top ten in the UK charts since the contest began in 1956, most recently Johnny Logan reached #2 representing Ireland in 1987.^[17] It sold over 8,000 copies in Finland which means it received a Gold certification,^[18] 20,000 copies in Norway thus getting a Gold certification^[19] and 200,000 copies in Russia^[20] and therefore it was certified platinum.

Russian certification

The single went multi-platinum in different formats in Russia. It first went platinum as realtone/ full track and sold 100,000 copies.^[44] Then it was certified 2x platinum as ring-back tone with another 400,000 copies sold.^[45] Combined sales of the song are 500,000 copies without online downloads.

Year-end charts

Chart succession

Release history

References

External links

Wikinews has related news: Norway wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Wikinews has related news: After Eurovision win, Norwegians show their patriotism on Constitution Day

• Alexander Rybak - "Fairytale" at the official Eurovision Song Contest channel on YouTube
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest
Participation 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Artists 1960s Nora Brockstedt Nora Brockstedt Inger Jacobsen Anita Thallaug Arne Bendiksen Kirsti Sparboe Åse Kleveland Kirsti Sparboe Odd Børre Kirsti Sparboe 1970s 1970 Hanne Krogh Grethe Kausland & Benny Borg Bendik Singers Anne-Karine Strøm & Bendik Singers Ellen Nikolaysen Anne-Karine Strøm Anita Skorgan Jahn Teigen Anita Skorgan 1980s Sverre Kjelsberg & Mattis Hætta Finn Kalvik Jahn Teigen & Anita Skorgan Jahn Teigen Dollie de Luxe Bobbysocks Ketil Stokkan Kate Gulbrandsen Karoline Krüger Britt Synnøve 1990s Ketil Stokkan Just 4 Fun Merethe Trøan Silje Vige Elisabeth Andreassen & Jan Werner Danielsen Secret Garden Elisabeth Andreassen Tor Endresen Lars A. Fredriksen Stig Van Eijk 2000s Charmed Haldor Lægreid 2002 Jostein Hasselgård Knut Anders Sørum Wig Wam Christine Guldbrandsen Guri Schanke Maria Haukaas Storeng Alexander Rybak 2010s Didrik Solli-Tangen Stella Mwangi Tooji Margaret Berger Carl Espen Mørland & Debrah Scarlett Agnete
Songs 1960s "Voi Voi" "Sommer i Palma" "Kom sol, kom regn" "Solvherv" "Spiral" "Karusell" "Intet er nytt under solen" "Dukkemann" "Stress" "Oj, oj, oj, så glad jeg skal bli" 1970s 1970 "Lykken er" "Småting" "It's Just A Game" "The First Day of Love" "Touch My Life (With Summer)" "Mata Hari" "Casanova" "Mil etter mil" "Oliver" 1980s "Sámiid Ædnan" "Aldri i livet" "Adieu" "Do Re Mi" "Lenge leve livet" "La det swinge" "Romeo" "Mitt liv" "For vår jord" "Venners nærhet" 1990s "Brandenburger Tor" "Mrs. Thompson" "Visjoner" "Alle mine tankar" "Duett" "Nocturne" "I evighet" "San Francisco" "Alltid sommer" "Living My Life Without You" 2000s "My Heart Goes Boom" "On My Own" 2002 "I'm Not Afraid To Move On" "High" "In My Dreams" "Alvedansen" "Ven a bailar conmigo" "Hold On Be Strong" "Fairytale" 2010s "My Heart Is Yours" "Haba Haba" "Stay" "I Feed You My Love" "Silent Storm" "A Monster Like Me" "Icebreaker"
(Note : Entries scored out are when Norway did not compete)