Yohanna
Yohanna in Moscow in 2009
Born
Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir

(1990-10-16) 16 October 1990
Copenhagen, Denmark
Nationality
  • Icelandic
Other names
  • Jóhanna
  • Jóhanna Guðrún
Children3
Musical career
OriginHafnarfjörður, Iceland
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2000–present
Labels

Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir (born 16 October 1990),[1] known outside Iceland as Yohanna, is an Icelandic singer. Beginning her music career as a child singer, Yohanna received international recognition after representing Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Is It True?", placing as the runner-up. This tied for the best result Iceland had ever achieved in the contest. Following the success at Eurovision, she released the studio album Butterflies and Elvis (2009).

Following Eurovision 2009, Yohanna has since attempted to represent Iceland again on two occasions. In 2011, she reached the finals of Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2011 with the song "Nótt", and later won the OGAE Second Chance Contest 2011 as well, while she failed to reach the finals in Söngvakeppnin 2013 with the song "Þú".

Early life

Yohanna was born in Copenhagen to Icelandic parents Jón Sverrir Sverrison, an electrical engineer, and Margrét Steinþórsdóttir, a nurse.[1][2] When she was two years old, the family returned to Iceland and settled in Reykjavík. They resided in Reykjavík for six years until moving to the nearby town of Hafnarfjörður. She began performing at age nine, when she started singing lessons.[1]

Career

2000–2001: Career beginnings

Yohanna began her music career in 2000, at the age of nine, after signing with Icelandic record label Hljóðsmiðjan. As a child singer, she released two studio albums: Jóhanna Guðrún 9 in 2000, and Ég sjálf in 2001. The two albums contained mainly covers of international pop songs sung in the Icelandic language, such as "Torn", "Genie in a Bottle", and "I'll Be There".[3][4] After the release of the latter album, Yohanna released a Christmas album in 2002, titled Jól með Jóhönnu, before stepping away from the music industry and public eye.[1][5]

2008–2013: Eurovision and Butterflies and Elvis

Yohanna in 2009 in Moscow, during a press conference for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009.

After a six-year break from the music industry, Yohanna returned to the public eye after being confirmed as a competitor in Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009, the Icelandic national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, in November 2008. She competed with the song Is It True?", composed by Óskar Páll Sveinsson.[6][7] Yohanna advanced from the first semi-final on 10 January 2009, and ultimately won the final on 14 February.[8][9][10] After winning Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins, Yohanna received the right to represent Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, held in Moscow. In the lead-up to the competition, Yohanna went on a promotional tour around Europe to promote the song, additionally performing at the UKeurovision Preview Party in London and the Eurovision Promo Concert in Amsterdam.[11][12]

Yohanna ultimately competed in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on 12 May 2009. She won the semi-final and qualified to the final after receiving 174 points, including the maximum number of 12 points from seven of the participating countries.[13] This was the best result Iceland had ever received in a Eurovision semi-final.[14] After qualifying to the final, Yohanna placed second, receiving 218 points, behind only Alexander Rybak of Norway and the song "Fairytale".[15] Her second place finish in the final tied for the best result Iceland had ever received in the competition; the only other time Iceland had finished this high was in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999, when Selma Björnsdóttir placed second with the song "All Out of Luck". "Is It True?" subsequently charted throughout Europe, becoming a number-one hit in Iceland, and also reaching the top ten in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, the top forty in Belgium, Denmark, and Ireland, in addition to charting in the United Kingdom.[16][14]

Following her success in Eurovision, Yohanna signed with Warner Music Sweden and began work on her fourth studio album, her first album as an adult. The album, Butterflies and Elvis, was later released internationally in July 2009, where it peaked in the top twenty in Sweden. The album also produced the single "I Miss You", which became a top twenty hit in Iceland. Yohanna has since attempted to return to Eurovision on two separate occasions. In 2011, she competed in Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2011 with the song "Nótt", where she advanced to the finals but did not win.[17] She subsequently was selected to represent Iceland in the OGAE Second Chance Contest 2011, where the local OGAE affiliates each select a song that competed in their country's national selection but did not win, and ended up winning the competition. She later returned in Söngvakeppnin 2013 with the song "Þú", but was eliminated in the semi-final.[18] Yohanna achieved her second number-one single in Iceland in 2013, performing the song "Mamma þarf að djamma" with Baggalútur.[19]

Personal life

Yohanna resided in Iceland until 2012, when she moved to the city of Kongsvinger in Norway in order to be closer to the European continent. She has since returned to Iceland. Yohanna married Icelandic musician Davíð Sigurgeirsson in 2018; they have two children together, a daughter born in 2015, and a son born in 2019. Davíð previously had written Yohanna's 2013 single "Þú".[20][21]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
SWE
[22]
Jóhanna Guðrún 9
  • Released: 2000
  • Label: Hljóðsmiðjan
  • Format: CD
 —
Ég sjálf
  • Released: 2001
  • Label: Hljóðsmiðjan
  • Format: CD
 —
Jól með Jóhönnu
  • Released: 2002
  • Label: Hljóðsmiðjan
  • Format: CD
 —
Butterflies and Elvis 19
Jól með Jóhönnu[23] —

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
ICE BEL (Vl)
[24]		 DEN
[25]		 FIN
[26]		 IRE
[27]		 NOR
[28]		 SWE
[22]		 SWI
[29]		 UK
[30]
2009 "Is It True?" 1231642832949 Butterflies and Elvis
"I Miss You" 18————————
2011 "Nótt" / "Slow Down" 3———————— Non-album singles
"I Think of Angels"[31] —————————
"Really Over" —————————
2012 "Indian Rope Trick" ————————— Butterflies and Elvis
"Coming Home" ————————— Non-album singles
2013 "Þú" —————————
"Mamma þarf að djamma"
(with Baggalútur)		 1————————
2015 "Find a Better Man"
(with ROK)		 —————————
2016 "Revolving Doors" —————————
2020 "Löngu liðnir dagar"[32] ————————— Jól með Jóhönnu
2023 "Best í heimi"[33]
(with Margrét Lilja)		 ————————— TBA

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Iceland in 2009". Eurovision Song Contest. Eurovision.tv. 2009. Archived from the original on 2018-05-13. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  2. ↑ Starfsmaður Fréttablaðsins (8. maí 2009), http://epaper.visir.is/media/200905080000/pdf_online/3_2.pdf Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Fréttablaðið
  3. ↑ "Jóhanna Guðrún* – Ég Sjálf". Discogs. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "Jóhanna Guðrún* – Jóhanna Guðrún 9". Discogs. 16 October 2000. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Jóhanna Guðrún* – Jól Með Jóhönnu". Discogs. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  6. ↑ "Iceland: RÙV sets date for Eurovision national final". Oikotimes. 2008-11-15. Archived from the original on 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  7. ↑ Floras, Stella (2008-11-15). "Iceland: National final on 14 February". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  8. ↑ Halldorsson, Bjarni (2009-02-16). "Iceland: Is it true won by a landslide". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  9. ↑ Calleja Bayliss, Marc (2009-02-14). "Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins - Jóhanna to Moscow". Oikotimes. Archived from the original on 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2009-02-14.
  10. ↑ Klier, Marcus (2009-02-14). "Iceland: Eurovision entrant chosen". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2009-02-14.
  11. ↑ Viniker, Barry (2009-03-24). "UKeurovision Preview Party first artists". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 2011-11-29. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  12. ↑ Romkes, René (2009-03-17). "The Netherlands: April 18 - Eurovision Promo Concert". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 2009-03-22. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  13. ↑ "Moscow 2009 First Semi-Final". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Iceland History". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "Moscow 2009 Grand Final". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  16. ↑ "Besti árgangur Íslendinga" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  17. ↑ Busa, Alexandru (6 November 2010). "Iceland: 16 authors in the battle for Düsseldorf". ESCToday.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  18. ↑ "Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2013 | RÚV". Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  19. ↑ "Netlistinn viku 43, 2013". Archived from the original on 2013-11-03. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  20. ↑ Björk, Steinunn (24 September 2018). "Iceland: Yohanna marries long-time boyfriend and fellow musician Davíð Sigurgeirsson". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  21. ↑ Kristjans, Kristin (30 June 2019). "Baby boom in Iceland: Hatari's Klemens Hannigan and Yohanna welcome their newborns". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  22. 1 2 "Discography Jóhanna Gudrún Jónsdóttir". Hung Medien. swedishcharts.com/. Archived from the original on 2019-12-17. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  23. ↑ "Jól með Jóhönnu - album". Spotify. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  24. ↑ "Discografie Jóhanna Gudrún Jónsdóttir". Hung Medien. ultratop.be/nl/. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  25. ↑ "Discography Jóhanna Gudrún Jónsdóttir". Hung Medien. danishcharts.dk/. Archived from the original on 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  26. ↑ "Discography Jóhanna Gudrún Jónsdóttir". Hung Medien. finnishcharts.com/. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  27. ↑ "Discography Jóhanna Gudrún Jónsdóttir". Hung Medien. irish-charts.com/. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  28. ↑ "Discography Jóhanna Gudrún Jónsdóttir". Hung Medien. norwegiancharts.com/. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  29. ↑ "Discographie Jóhanna Gudrún Jónsdóttir". Hung Medien. hitparade.ch/. Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  30. ↑ "Yohanna > UK Charts". Official Charts Company. officialcharts.com/. Archived from the original on 2015-02-15. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  31. ↑ "I Think of Angels - single". iTunes. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  32. ↑ "Löngu liðnir dagar — single". Spotify. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  33. ↑ "New music this week (part 1): Songs from Reiley, Sam Ryder, Elena Tsagrinou and more". Wiwibloggs. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
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