Carl Espen

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Carl Espen

| image = File:Carl Espen, ESC2014 Meet & Greet 07 (crop).jpg

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| caption = Carl Espen (2014)

| birth_name = Carl Espen Thorbjørnsen

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|7|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bergen, Norway

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| years_active = 2014-present

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}}

Carl Espen Thorbjørnsen (born 15 July 1982), better known as simply Carl Espen, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter, who represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with his song "Silent Storm".{{Cite web|url=http://www.dagbladet.no/2014/02/19/kultur/musikk/melodi_grand_prix/mgp/eurovision_song_contest/31910472/|title = Ble tatt på senga av strålende anmeldelser|date = 19 February 2014}}

Background

Carl Espen was born in Bergen in 1982. The oldest of three siblings, he grew up on the island of Osterøy. He spent two years with the Norwegian Armed Forces and was stationed in Kosovo, before returning to Norway to take up work as a craftsman.{{Cite web |title=2014: Carl Espen - Silent Storm |url=https://eurovisionary.com/participant-profile/2014/silent-storm/carl-espen/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=EuroVisionary |language=en-GB}}

Music career

Espen's first performance was at a singing contest when he was 17.{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Robin |date=2014-04-04 |title=Eurovision 2024 Norway: Interview with Carl Espen! - ESCToday.com |url=https://esctoday.com/79511/interview-carl-espen/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Eurovision News, Polls and Information by ESCToday |language=en-US}}

=2014–present: Eurovision Song Contest=

File:Carl Espen - Silent Storm presentation (English).webm

In 2014, Espen was announced as one of the contestants in Melodi Grand Prix 2014, Norway's selection process for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, with the song "Silent Storm".{{Cite web |last=Besim |first=Ramadan |date=2014-01-27 |title=Norway: The 15 MGP participants revealed! |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2014/01/27/norway-15-mgp-participants-revealed-1200-cet/37409/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=wiwibloggs |language=en-US}} The song was written by Espen's cousin, Josefin Winther.

On 9 March 2014, he qualified from the third semi-final, proceeding to the final. In the final on 15 March 2014 at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, he progressed to the Superfinal where he won the right to represent Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014.

At Eurovision, he performed during the second semi-final on 8 May 2014 and qualified to the final. In the final, Espen placed 8th.

Discography

= Singles =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Year ! scope="col" colspan="8" \| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Album or EP
scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"\| NOR {{cite web\|url=https://topplista.no/artist/5092/\|title=VG-lista – Carl Espen\|publisher=VG-lista\|access-date=2023-03-13}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"\| AUT {{cite web \|url=http://austriancharts.at/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen \|title=Discographie Carl Espen \|publisher=Austrian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) \|last=Hung \|first=Steffen \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622181719/http://austriancharts.at/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen \|archive-date=2014-06-22 }} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"\| DEN {{cite web \|url=https://danishcharts.dk/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen \|title=Discography Carl Espen \|publisher=Danish Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) \|last=Hung \|first=Steffen }} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"\| GER {{cite web\|url=http://www.officialcharts.de/artist.asp?name=Carl+Espen&country=de\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013164753/http://www.officialcharts.de/artist.asp?name=Carl+Espen&country=de\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=October 13, 2014\|title=Discographie Carl Espen\|publisher=German Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung)\|last=Hung\|first=Steffen}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"\| IRE {{cite web \|url=http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen \|title=Discography Carl Espen \|publisher=Irish Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) \|last=Hung \|first=Steffen \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521155126/http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen \|archive-date=2014-05-21 }} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"\| NLD {{cite web \|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen \|title=Discografie Carl Espen \|publisher=Dutch Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) \|last=Hung \|first=Steffen \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140616021644/http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen \|archive-date=2014-06-16 }} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"\| SUI {{cite web \|url=http://hitparade.ch/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen \|title=Discographie Carl Espen \|publisher=Swiss Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) \|last=Hung \|first=Steffen \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614190121/http://hitparade.ch/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen \|archive-date=2014-06-14 }} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"\| UK Peak positions in the United Kingdom: For "Silent Storm": {{cite web\|url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/140524cluk.txt\|title=CHART: CLUK Update 24.05.2014 (wk20)\|publisher=Zobbel.de}}
scope="row" \| "Silent Storm" \| rowspan="2" \| 2014 \| 37 \|\| 39 \|\| 28 \|\| 47 \|\| 34 \|\| 20 \|\| 40 \|\| 97 \| IFPI NOR: Platinum \| rowspan="2" {{Non-album singles}}
scope="row"\| "Holding On" \| — \|\| — \|\| — \|\| — \|\| — \|\| — \|\| — \|\| — \| {{n/a}}
colspan="18" style="font-size:85%"\| "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year

! scope="col" colspan="8" | Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album or EP

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| NOR
{{cite web|url=https://topplista.no/artist/5092/|title=VG-lista – Carl Espen|publisher=VG-lista|access-date=2023-03-13}}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| AUT
{{cite web |url=http://austriancharts.at/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen |title=Discographie Carl Espen |publisher=Austrian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) |last=Hung |first=Steffen |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622181719/http://austriancharts.at/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen |archive-date=2014-06-22 }}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| DEN
{{cite web |url=https://danishcharts.dk/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen |title=Discography Carl Espen |publisher=Danish Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) |last=Hung |first=Steffen }}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| GER
{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.de/artist.asp?name=Carl+Espen&country=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013164753/http://www.officialcharts.de/artist.asp?name=Carl+Espen&country=de|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 13, 2014|title=Discographie Carl Espen|publisher=German Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung)|last=Hung|first=Steffen}}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| IRE
{{cite web |url=http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen |title=Discography Carl Espen |publisher=Irish Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) |last=Hung |first=Steffen |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521155126/http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen |archive-date=2014-05-21 }}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| NLD
{{cite web |url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen |title=Discografie Carl Espen |publisher=Dutch Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) |last=Hung |first=Steffen |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140616021644/http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen |archive-date=2014-06-16 }}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| SUI
{{cite web |url=http://hitparade.ch/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen |title=Discographie Carl Espen |publisher=Swiss Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) |last=Hung |first=Steffen |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614190121/http://hitparade.ch/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Carl+Espen |archive-date=2014-06-14 }}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK
Peak positions in the United Kingdom:

For "Silent Storm": {{cite web|url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/140524cluk.txt|title=CHART: CLUK Update 24.05.2014 (wk20)|publisher=Zobbel.de}}

scope="row" | "Silent Storm"

| rowspan="2" | 2014

| 37 || 39 || 28 || 47 || 34 || 20 || 40 || 97

IFPI NOR: Platinum

| rowspan="2" {{Non-album singles}}

scope="row"| "Holding On"

| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

| {{n/a}}

colspan="18" style="font-size:85%"| "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

= Other appearances =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Album or EP
scope="row"\| "{{lang\|no\|Kan du se meg no?\|i=no}}" \| 2016 \| Winthersanger

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Album or EP

scope="row"| "{{lang|no|Kan du se meg no?|i=no}}"

| 2016

| Winthersanger