Norway Sends Masked Wolves With a Banana

MAY 15 2022 · 12:55

Subwoolfer · "Give That Wolf a Banana" · Norway · 2022 Placement: 10 · Score: 182 · Language: English · Composers: Ben Adams, Gaute Ormåsen, Jimmy Jansson, Keith Mikkelson, Magnus Clausen · Venue: PalaOlimpico · Host: Turin, Italy · Type: performance innovation · Broadcast: streaming era Subwoolfer — two performers in full yellow wolf costumes masked beyond identification, stage names 'Jim' and 'Keith' — take the Turin stage for a nonsense children's-song-meets-dance-pop banger. The lyrics reference a grandma being eaten and a wolf wanting a banana. The masks never come off. The identities are genuinely secret through the entire contest run. 182 points for 10th place. Context Subwoolfer's identities were kept hidden as a central marketing strategy. NRK's Melodi Grand Prix selection was meta-commentary on Eurovision's commitment to novelty. Norwegian pop producers Ben Adams (formerly of A1) and Gaute Ormåsen were later publicly identified as the performers. Legacy The anonymous-wolf template became a Eurovision meme instantly. Subwoolfer continued performing through the 2020s with the masks on, releasing full albums. The 2022 10th-place finish is now cited as evidence that Eurovision still rewards genuine novelty as opposed to novelty-cosplay. The band has never removed the masks in public.