Melody Grand Prix, MGP | Autofocus in MGP makes me see red

The performers have been released and all Melodi Grand Prix hearts are looking forward to getting it all started with the first semi-final next Saturday.

There's only one piece of joy: NRK opened Autotune last year, a tool that can correct the tone of voice, and it hasn't changed its mind this year.

There was a wave of backlash when NRK accepted Autotune last year, but unsurprisingly they seem to have changed people's minds about it. This year too, artists can choose to take advantage of it.

Therefore, it is a bad idea

I realize that the tool is used by even the biggest stars, and that it is a huge part of the music industry.

I'm not naive, I know that most of the best music we're exposed to has auto-tune – or other tools that raise the quality.

Let me be completely clear that I am not against auto-tune in principle.

What I'm against is that NRK offers this in the Melodi Grand Prix, while so far it's not open to it at all in the International Final.

The main goal of MGP is for us, the Norwegian people, to know which artist/participant we want to send to Eurovision. When NRK allows automatic tuning – and without viewers knowing who is choosing to use the tool – we are in effect sending input completely blind.

We may end up sending someone who turns out to sing much worse than we saw during the MGP. We may end up sending a contribution where there is a lot of dancing, but where the artist suddenly doesn't get the group as well – because the instrument is not allowed to come to Malmö.

Who on earth thought this was a good idea? Why does NRK think this is smart? I would like an answer to that. Immediately (before the first semi-final please).

Completely ridiculous

Fortunately, most artists seem to be smarter than NRK.

When my colleagues talked to them, many of them at least said no when asked if they would use automation. I hope they are honest.

At least Margaret Berger is going against the grain and saying she will use Auto-Tune.

The reason is that they will move a lot on stage, and it is difficult to keep all the notes perfectly pure while moving.

I have no problem understanding that, but what exactly is her plan for the international final then? Why don't we see and hear it at MGP, as we might see and hear it at Eurovision?

Berger also points out that this is what people are used to hearing, live performers with Auto-Tune. I have no doubt that this is true, but it is such complete nonsense that here in Norway we are going to make our own MGP rules, which are the opposite of what currently works at Eurovision.

I'm not ignoring the fact that the International Final will also open up for auto-tune eventually, but it would have been really good that we were patient enough to drop it until it finally opened up.

Autofocus in MGP makes me see red. I desperately and sincerely want an interpretation that meets NRK standards.

We should at least be able to demand to know what we're voting for: NRK should clearly identify which artists use autotune.