Espen Andreas Haugland makes this year’s official Oslo Pride song
Espen Andreas Haugland from Salangen in Troms has been named winner of the competition to create the official Oslo Pride-track in 2016. 21-year-old won with the song "Werk Like Beyoncé."
Haugland doing his bachelor in music production at Hedmark University College and spends much of his time writing, producing and performing his own songs. As part of the Bachelor, he studied six months at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, focusing on vocal and singing technique – where he won the school’s talent contest.
The jury named the winner consists of Kuuk-admiral Mira Berggrav Refsum, Monica Harmonica Johansen (artist also known as Minnie-Oh), Wenche Yoon Wolden from FYC-Queerdo and artist Tooji, which had the pride song in 2015. Jurors have voted for their favourites among the 13 submissions from 11 different artists and bands. Espen, with the song “Werk Like Beyoncé,” was the clear favourite of the jury and is named the winner of the competition.
According to both Mira Berggrav Refsum and Tooji has Espens song “Werk Like Beyoncé” real hit-potential. Refsum’s obvious that the track is a huge celebration of not being an A4, and that song makes it an unpretentious and in a fun way.
As the winner Espen gets 15,000 Norwegian Kroner from Oslo Pride to produce the song and make it ready for release on Friday April 15 on streaming and download services.
A talent we’re sure to see more of in the future
– We are very pleased to provide support and an extra push to an artist like Espen through financial support, and to give him the opportunity to perform in a packed Pride Park this summer. He’s a talent we’re sure to see more of in the future, says Bente Jørgensen, culture and event manager in Oslo Pride.
Espen is itself extremely pleased to win the competition.
– I am of course very happy and proud. Now I just look forward to adding finishing touches before the launch in April.
He can already reveal that track is about to embrace their own femininity.
– This is a perpetual debate that has recently been loudly discussed here in Norway and who regularly flares up in these MPG (Norwegian Eurovision national selection) times. I often find that feminine gays get too much maligned, and then also especially from other queer. So my tune is simply a positively charged confrontation with feminism phobia, he said.
Espen is signed as an artist to Gunnar Greve and his label MORE Music and he is currently working on their debut project that will be released some time this year.
Facts about the official Oslo Pride song
In autumn 2015 the competition for Oslo Pride song 2016 announced. The deadline for submission of the demo was 1 February. It was submitted contributions from 11 artists and bands. These were: Thomas Jenssen, Hanne Kristine Haugsand, Elin Kristiansen, Bendik Giske, Thomas Anholt, Cocktail Slippers, Mathilde Deca, Åse Ava Fredheim, Tor-Arne Riksheim, GAREK and rock band JoVix.
Espen Andreas Haugland, with the song “Werk Like Beyoncé” will be released on 15 April.