Keiino, often stylized as KEiiNO, is a Norwegian supergroup comprised of vocalists Fred Buljo, Alexandra Rotan, and Tom Hugo.
Keiino is best known for representing Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Spirit in the Sky". Although they didn't win, the song placed first in the public televote and sixth overall, giving Norway their best result in close to a decade at that point. The group itself was formed specifically for Norway's national selection, Melodi Grand Prix, which Hugo and Rotan had previously competed in as solo acts.
After Eurovision, the group continued to perform and record together, releasing their debut album OKTA in 2020. They later returned to MGP for 2021 with the song "Monument", ultimately finishing as runners-up to "Fallen Angel" by TIX, and then again in 2024 with the song "Damdiggida".
Discography:
- OKTA (2020)
- OKTA guokte (2022)
- Midnight Marina EP (2023)
KEiiNO provides examples of:
- Intergenerational Friendship: Each member of the group was born a decade apart across three decades, with Alexandra being the youngest (born in 1996) and Tom being the oldest (born in 1978).
- Malaproper: In their song Spirit in the Sky, the phrase "violent nightshade" is not referring to the plant, but to some kind of metaphorical darkness.
- Meaningful Name: Their name is derived from Fred's hometown of Kautokeino, which translates to Guovdageaidnu in Northern Sámi ; "-geaidnu" means "way" or "road", which "represents the road that brought us together."
- Regional Riff: Much of their music incorporates joiking from Buljo, who claims Sámi heritage. "Spirit in the Sky" marked the first time a Sámi language was featured in the Eurovision Song Contest. (But joik was first used in the Norwegian 1980 entry.)
- Scenery Porn: The music video of Monument is this, since the recording took place at several locations in Norway.
- Supergroup: The band was created specifically for their first Melodi Grand Prix entry, after each of them had already established themselves in the Norwegian music industry and appeared in various competitions like MGP, Idol, and Norske Talenter.
- Token Trio: Tom and Alexandra are ethnically Norwegian (Tom is also openly gay, and he writes all Keeino's songs with his real-life husband Alex Olsson, as well as his fellow members), and Fred is a Sámi rapper.
