No Love Lost in Translation Between Chris Medina, Norwegian Fans

"Music is the universal language of mankind," wrote poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his travel book that describes his adventures through Europe.

Even though the line was penned in the first half of the 19th century, it's the perfect encapsulation of why, in the first half of the 21st century, a 29-year-old Oak Forest man is able to make a name for himself in countries that don't even speak the language he's singing in.

That's what former American Idol contestant Chris Medina has been able to do since appearing on the show in 2011, charting No. 1 singles and building strong fan bases overseas, in countries such as Sweden, Germany and Singapore. (And that's not even mentioning the notoriety he's received stateside, which has led to a feature film deal.)

READ: Check Out Patch's Coverage of Medina's Rise From Contestant to Celebrity

Medina is in Norway for three weeks for the release of his new single, "My Hopeless." On Thursday, the singer-songwriter debuted that song on Good Morning Norway, a morning talk show on the country's TV2 network.

Before performing an acoustic version of the single, Medina was interviewed by the show's host, who does yeoman's work by introducing the segment to viewers in Norwegian before switching to English (clearly not her native tongue) to ask questions. When's the last time you saw Matt Lauer try to do that? (We'll give you a hint: Never.)

Here's some of what Medina had to say:

About his weight loss

Medina said he dropped 29 kilos (about 63 pounds) thanks to a new diet he's on. When asked what his fiancé, Juliana Ramos, thought about this, Medina joked that she said she's worried he's going to be skinnier than her.

What is the new single about?

"Being in a relationship or situation or a job or whatever you want to call it … [and] not sure if you want to be in it, but you're definitely sure you don't want to be out of it," Medina said.

Is the song about his relationship with Ramos?

Medina was a bit coy, not directly answering the question and saying he's been drawing from other people's experiences when it comes to his songwriting. "I take a lot of inspiration from that [his relationship with Ramos]. … I can apply it to my story, but I've kinda been writing songs lately that you can apply to other people's stories."

WATCH: Check Out Medina's Performance of 'My Hopeless' on Norwegian TV

While the video interview is easy to follow, the longer article that accompanies the clip is downright cryptic if you don't understand Norwegian and have to read it in English through Google's translation of the page. In fact, if music is the universal language, then Google Translate is tone deaf and singing off-key with a voice that sounds like 10 miles of gravel road and broken glass.

Take this "translated"—and we use the term loosely—passage from Google about Medina's diet, for instance:

Giving up alcohol and fast food, has been an ordeal.

- As soon as you think that you miss many pleasures, as you feel that you have great fancy. But food like sprouts or asparagus has never actually tasted as good as it does now! It is fantastic. It's amazing how the body changes and adapts, says Medina.

Despite the fact that he has embraced vegetables, there is one thing he could miss.

- Pizza. I love pizza! Chicago style pizza, not like pizza hut type. It must be Chicago style . I miss it and have always wanted it. But on the sixth day, I can happily eat it, smiling artist.

That's followed by the most mysterious sentence of all, again thanks to Google's translation function:

It's not just in the genre pizza that Medina is concerned Chicago.

If you're a Medina fan looking to learn more about the musical artist, this article might not be that helpful unless you're fluent in Norwegian. But check it out for yourself on TV2's website and:

• Read Medina's interview, translated or in the original Norwegian
• Watch the video of his performance of "My Hopeless"
• Find out what enhjørninger means in English (first person to post it in the comments section wins a Patch tote bag)

You also can follow Medina's adventures in Norway on his Facebook page.

If that's still not enough Medina for you, don't worry: He will be performing at 6 p.m. Friday, July 5, at the 26th annual Oak Fest 2013. And to top it off, it's free.

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