Litho Nericcio first burst onto the scene to Melodifestivalen viewers back in 2014 when he both choreographed and danced in Ace Wilder's "Busy Doin' Nothin'" routine. With a fresh, modern style completely new to the contest, he continued to impress in her next two competitive entries, and also choreographed Krista Siegfrids' "Snurra min jord" entry.
He thinks of Ace Wilder as a sister, as the two first met when she was still just a teenager. The creative partnership has revitalised Melodifestivalen and pushed it into a modern era of radio-bangers and the type of content one would expect to see at a global awards show. It's impressive how committed Nericcio remains to his art, and even more so that he focuses on creating a vision instead of just fixating on money and clicks. He admits that he gets more offers to choreograph routines than he accepts, as he wants to work on artists and projects that he feels he can best connect with creatively.
His honesty is refreshing when sharing his thoughts on Sweden's knack for following trends as opposed to setting them. This insight into the Swedish culture puts much into perspective regarding why many Swedes fail to release music videos, or push to produce content that is bold and innovative. This discussion that's had between us is a must for any and all hardcore fans of Melodifestivalen.
Watch our full interview with Litho Nericcio here:
Against the odds that bookmakers had published that either Wiktoria or Nano were the ones to look out for, Robin Bengtsson has won Melodifestivalen 2017. Though he came third in the public voting, the voting app has created an inflation on the value of the votes and so the overall point distributions from those figures meant that the international jury votes were of the utmost importance in determining who would walk away victorious. Ultimately, Robin was the clear jury-favourite after garnering 96 points from them in total as well as being the only act of the night to receive points from every country's jury. This bodes well for Robin in his next step - a run in Eurovision. This widespread appeal would suggest that the results will be favourable in May, particularly as Robin finds himself up against very few entries that are similar in style. "I Can't Go On" as a song is ready-made for radio and is a performance meticulously crafted for television.
Watch our full interview with Robin Bengtsson, and additional finalists FO&O, Ace Wilder, Mariette, Benjamin Ingrosso, Boris René, Lisa Ajax, and Jon Henrik Fjällgren feat. Aninia here:
With one night left till the finals, this year's Melodifestivalen finalists took to the stage for a live dress rehearsal in Friends Arena complete with an audience of fans of the contest to better enhance the authenticity of the experience before the actual finals. We caught up with a few of the artists at a press conference following this rehearsal show in order to see how their run-throughs went and how they are feeling leading into the culmination of months of preparation.
Jon Henrik Fjällgren has qualified direct to the finals both times competing, with a particularly strong wave of support from the northern region of Sweden. He has timed this second time in the contest with the release of a new album. "The album is a story about my past and story about who I'm living now. It's a lot of songs bout the war that's going on for the Native people in the world. It's really deep stuff."
Anton Hagman defied the odds to win his Andra Chansen duel against Loreen and qualify to the finals. Though he entered the contest with a respectable following from posting covers on his YouTube channel, he was largely unknown to the general public and international audience. "It's a lot bigger here than it is in the other cities. I'm very happy. I'm not happy that I beat Loreen; I'm happy that I know there's so many people supporting me to bring me to the finals."
Benjamin Ingrosso is another debutant that has made it to the finals, and all the while maintaining a positive attitude and great enthusiasm for the experience. "I think it went good. I was performing for the audience this time because I knew that the camera wasn't on. I did my best and I tried to have so much fun. I know that the jury watched me but I didn't watch the camera."
Robin Bengtsson has made a few revisions to his performance for the finals, including changing the F-bombs to the word "freaking" and removed the crotch shot. "It's genuinely gone. I'm going full-on "freaking" cause I'm a full-on freak."
Watch our full interviews with Jon Henrik Fjällgren, Anton Hagman, Benjamin Ingrosso, Robin Bengtsson, and Ace Wilder here:
Ace Wilder has qualified direct to the Melodifestivalen finals. Her bold artistry and killer stage charisma are a breath of fresh air each time she competes. But rather shockingly, this time around she has been tapped to be the show-opener at the finals. She remains rather unphased by this move, though.
"I think that we overanalyse these things. People will vote for what they like. There's always a favourite, that's just the way it is."
During her time off between the first semi-final and now, she has been watching closely what's been happening with the other qualifiers and eliminations. She was equally as shocked by Loreen's elimination as the international audience. She has a theory on why edgier artists tend to suffer in the results of Melodifestivalen.
"It's the format. The audience of Melodifestivalen, I'm sure they like other music, other artists, other stuff. In this format, they want something specific and it's pretty broad. I'm sure that everyone out there listens to Loreen at home, it's just that in this format they're looking for something that's more for the masses. I'm sure there's gonna be more edgy artists, and she has to be the first. Change comes progressively. Little by little, this is gonna change and one day people are gonna look back on this number and think, 'Oh that was nothing!'"
Wilder released an EP entitled "The Wild Card" a while back that we couldn't find any English-language interviews on so we asked her to share a bit about the creative process of developing the songs for it.
"That EP is based on the fact that I've been working as a songwriter so long. I'm influenced by all sorts of music, all sorts of artists, and I just sort of write whatever I feel like. It's also, that EP I didn't have one producer that I worked with. Usually an artist has one person that does the whole album so it feels more packaged. This EP wasn't like that. That's kind of how I like to work. I like to be with different people, see what they bring out of me, different styles."
One way that Wilder further makes herself stand out among her Swedish colleague is her fearlessness in incorporating sexuality into her lyrical narratives and artistic creativity. She has her own theories on why it is that so many Swedish artists shy away from doing so.
"I've actually thought about this. We're very gender-neutral in our society. We don't wear a lot of sexy, revealing clothing. We feel like we've evolved, we're that kind of society. 'We've evolved, we have sex, everyone knows that, we don't discriminate, you can be gay,' this is our vision of ourselves. We don't sing about sex because we just take it for granted that we're all having it and it's kind of cheap if you have to sing about it. It's just not in our culture to sing or brag about sex. But we can have clinical conversations about sex like 'if you insert the penis into the vagina,' we'll have those kinds of conversations but we won't actually make art about sex. It's actually pretty funny because in America, you're not really supposed to have sex before you get married so it becomes a little rebellious to sing about sex or make movies where it's Hollywood-sex and it's just so romantic and sexy. We all know real sex is not romantic and sexy. It's kind of weird. There's grunting and there's noises and smells... I think that's what makes us the most non-sexy people of the world."
It is customary that each Melodifestivalen show holds two additional rehearsal shows that takes place before the live broadcast. The public can purchase tickets to attend at a discounted price relative to the cost of attending the televised show and enjoy the festivities. For the participating artists, it is an opportunity to not only rehearse once more, but get a more authentic sense of how the show will run with a live audience in the venue. We caught up with some of the semi-final 1 acts following the first public dress rehearsal to see how their rehearsal went and if any additional revisions will be made before their performances will be broadcast for the world to see.
Adrijana was relieved following her first performance to such a large audience but her health has been an issue. "I have little bit, problem with my voice. I've been sick. I have to take it easy, not talk much, just take it easy tonight. I have to whisper," jokes Adrijana.
Dinah Nah has been looking forward to seeing the audience and only needs to fix the sparklers that malfunctioned during the rehearsal show. "They weren't quite working as they should but it's going to be fine tomorrow." She is overjoyed to hear that young Swedish girls in attendance responded well to her performance and presentation. "I just want to have the greats time ever and of course I want to go to the finals but you never know, it's Melodifestivalen."
De Vet Du also had a technical malfunction in their first rehearsal show. "The map in the back seat was gone," says Chris Martland. True to form, the group makes jokes about the cause of the issue. "Sabotage," says Martland and Tor Wallin, the member that is supposed to hold the map up during the performance. "We think it was Nano who took it away," kids Johan Gunterberg. The additional revision they plan to make is to better synchronize their head movements to perfect the highly technical performance. Through it all, they maintain a positive outlook. "We don't want to jinx it. Of course it would be more fun to advance than be sent home but it really doesn't matter, we're just happy to be here," says Wallin.
For Ace Wilder, the routine might not be new but the nerves leading up to the show are still present. "You get real nervous but it feels good. There's always small stuff, details, small things you want to improve but all in all, I'm pretty happy. I got this kick from seeing the audience." She is touched to hear that children in attendance had signs bearing her name. "I'm just hoping it all goes well."
Watch our dress rehearsal interviews with Ace Wilder, De Vet Du, Dinah Nah, and Adrijana here:
Ace Wilder has been a stand-out fan-favourite to international Melodifestivalen viewers since her debut in the contest in 2014. With a bold, fresh style and unapologetic approach to her musical and visual artistry, there is never anyone for her to compete against that even remotely overlaps with her output. While "Busy Doin' Nothin'" was a playful parody of the disdain older generations have for what they perceive as a lack of work ethic or ambition from millennials, "Don't Worry" was a banging dance track that spoke to the many stresses of our day-to-day lives and the importance of not stressing oneself out about them. Both entries were choreographed by Litho Nericcio, who has once again returned for her latest competitive run.
Following the shocking low public voter-turnout for "Don't Worry" in the Melodifestivalen 2016 finals, many did not expect to see Ace Wilder return to the contest any time soon, if ever again. But Wilder shares that the song was the greatest incentive to do it once more. AW: I wrote [Wild Child] in 2015 at the same time when I wrote "Don't Worry." "Don't Worry" made the cut and then we had this one just sort of laying around and we thought, 'we just did it so we might as well do it again' so I'm back!
This time around, Wilder has stripped back a bit on the larger scale seen in "Don't Worry" in favour of a pastel-coloured, floral number accentuated with some solid camera work and free-spirited choreography. Between last year's competitive run and this year's, Wilder released a very personal single entitled "Selfish" which even had a music video directed by her brother. AW: I just got really inspired by being selfish. Can you say that?
Wilder assures us that she has been greatly inspired creatively over the last year and more follow-up material will come. A seasoned writer, Wilder got her start doing demo vocals as she was often told she sounded exactly like Kim Wild. This combined with a childhood nickname of 'Ace' was the genesis of her artist name. Her writing skills caught the attention of Korean producers, who latched onto a demo track she had co-written and led to her writing even more releases in the Asian music industries. Her pushes to establish herself as a solo artist led to a tremendous amount of pressure, particular in 2016 when SVT higher-ups were pushing for a woman to win (they're so successful at making their plans work, aren't they?) Wilder even had panic attacks due to the stress. AW: Honestly, this is the first time I've felt no pressure. This time I just really want to enjoy myself.
With Melodifestivalen 2017 drawing nearer, the speculations are flaming hot as to who will qualify from the four semi-finals and even more so who could win the whole contest. Among a line-up full of large, competitive names, semi-final one is undoubtedly the overall strongest of the bunch. Similarly to last year's strong start (which also kicked off in Göteborg), another bloodbath is about to commence.
Ace Wilder: In her third Melodifestivalen attempt, Ace is returning with a "Love It Or Hate It" entry that she co-wrote with "Stupid" collaborators Peter Böstrom and Thomas G:son. Ace always delivers a strong performance with an original staging concept so the odds are high that she will deliver another edgy pop banger - regardless of whether Sweden finds it palatable.
De Vet Du: Swedish internet-phenomenon De Vet Du have a highly original concept of fusing commercial, catchy club pop with comedic concepts. It's unclear what method they will take in transferring the narratives created in their numerous music videos (yes, that's right, a Swedish act that has actually consistently released music videos) to a live Melodifestivalen stage but they'll be tough to beat, both in this semi-final and on the Spotify charts once their song gets released.
Dinah Nah: After being robbed of her returning spot in Melodifestivalen 2016, Dinah 'Queenah' Nah is returning to the contest with a song she has co-written with her close professional associate Dr. Alban [who also co-wrote "Make Me (La La La)"]. With an upgraded label and the promise of a new pop-banger, hopefully Dinah will deliver one hell of a show-stopper that will impress Swedes enough to get her one of the four qualifying spots.
Boris René: After following up a respectable Melodifestivalen/Swedpop debut with an even more impressive single, "Mon Amour," Boris is returning to the contest with the same song-writers behind both "Put Your Love On Me" and "Mon Amour" but after being a surprise Andra-Chansen-To-Finals hit, hopefully Warner Music Sweden will up the budget on his staging to increase his competitive odds.
Check out our full break-down of the acts in semi-final 1 and their chances of qualifying here:
SVT held it's official press conference announcement for Melodifestivalen 2017 to announce the participating artists. The names and songs are as follows:
GÖTEBORG – SEMI-FINAL 1AmareArtist: Adrijana Songwriters: Martin Tjärnberg, Adrijana Krasniqi
"Her Kiss"Artist: Boris René Songwriters: Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren
"Hold On"Artist: Nano Songwriters: Nano Omar, Gino Yonan, Ayak, Carl Rydén, Christoffer Belaieff, Rikard de Bruin, David Francis Jackson
"Mitt liv"Artist: Charlotte Perrelli Songwriters: Charlotte Perrelli, Lars Hägglund
"One More Night"Artist: Dinah Nah Songwriters: Thomas G:son, Jimmy Jansson, Dinah Nah, Dr Alban
"Road Trip"Artist: De Vet Du Songwriters: Johan Gunterberg, Christopher Martland
"Wild Child"Artist: Ace Wilder Songwriters: Peter Boström, Thomas G:son, Ace Wilder
MALMÖ – SEMI-FINAL 2 A Million YearsArtist: Mariette Songwriters: Thomas G:son, Johanna Jansson, Peter Boström, Mariette Hansson, Jenny Hansson
"Good Loovin'"Artist: Benjamin Ingrosso Songwriters: Benjamin Ingrosso, Louis Schoorl, Matt Pardon, MAG
"Hearts Align"Artist: Dismissed Songwriters: Ola Salo, Peter Kvint
"Himmel och hav"Artist: Roger Pontare Songwriters: Thomas G:son, Alexzandra Wickman
"I Don’t Give A"Artist: Lisa Ajax Songwriters: Ola Svensson, Linnea Deb, Joy Deb, Anton Hård af Segerstad
"Up" Artist: Etzia Songwriters: Johnny Sanchez, Hanif Sabzevari, Simon Gribbe, Erica Haylett
"Vart haru varit"Artist: Allyawan Songwriters: Masse Salazar, Samuel Nazari
"Crucified"Artist: Bella & Filippa Songwriters: Peter Hägerås, Mats Frisell, Jakob Stadell, Filippa Frisell, Isabella Snihs
"Gotta Thing"Artist: The Fooo Conspiracy Songwriters: Robert ”Mutt” Lange, Tony Nilsson
"Gravity"Artist: Jasmine Kara Songwriters: Anderz Wrethov, Jasmine Kara
"I Can’t Go On"Artist: Robin Bengtsson Songwriters: David Kreuger, Hamed ”K-One” Pirouzpanah, Robin Stjernberg
"Kiss You Goodbye"Artist: Anton Hagman Songwriters: Christian Fast, Tim Schou, Henrik Nordenback
"Snurra min jord"Artist: Krista Siegfrids Songwriters: Krista Siegfrids, Gustaf Svenungsson, Magnus Wallin, Gabriel Alares
SKELLEFTEÅ – SEMI-FINAL 4As I Lay Me DownArtist: Wiktoria Songwriters: Justin Forrest, Jonas Wallin, Lauren Dyson
"Bound To Fall"Artist: Les Gordons Songwriters: Jonatan Renström, Albert Björliden, Andreas Persson, Carl Ragnemyr, David Runebjörk, Jimmy Jansson
"Du får inte ändra på mig"Artist: Sara Varga och Juha Mulari Songwriters: Sara Varga, Lars Hägglund
"En värld full av strider"Artist: Jon Henrik Fjällgren feat. Aninia Songwriters: Jon Henrik Fjällgren, Sara Biglert, Christian Schneider, Andreas Hedlund
"När ingen ser"Artist: Axel Schylström Songwriters: Behshad Ashnai, Axel Schylström, David Strääf
"Running with Lions"Artist: Alice Songwriters: Anderz Wrethov, Andreas ”Stone” Johansson, Denniz Jamm, Alice Svensson
"Statements"Artist: Loreen Songwriters: Anton Hård af Segerstad, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Loreen
Ace Wilder's Pyramid-Climbing, Clone-Generating, Funky-Dance-Moves-Filled Number Breaks New Artistic Ground
It was only a matter of time before Ace Wilder made her return to Melodifestivalen after being narrowly robbed of a victory back in 2014. But regardless of a second-place finish, "Busy Doin' Nothin'" would go on to be certified triple-platinum and hit number one on the Swedish charts. Even the biggest Ace Wilder fans were anxious to see how she would follow up such an impressive debut. Little did they know the level of impact Ace was about to drop on the Scandinavium stage.
"Don't Worry" finds its origins from a foundation track put together by composer Beshad Ashani and then was worked on by the Eurovision-winning composing team "The Family", comprised of Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, and Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, along with Ace Wilder herself. Wilder has already displayed her prestigious song-writing skills on the entirety of her back catalogue, including her "The Wild Card" EP. "Don't Worry" has a straightforward narrative about not letting the ups and downs of one's life get to oneself. But in a sea of songs all spouting tired old narratives of love and heartbreak, Ace Wilder brings an entirely unique and authentic flavour to Melodifestivalen.
Right from the start, listeners are treated to an immensely catchy piano groove that grows in size with the assist of brass instrumentation in the chorus. As Ace begins the number, we see her entirely confident as she sings with greatly improved vocals since 2014. She is encompassed in a large boxed pyramid set that would put Hollywood pop divas' tour staging to shame, particularly when the generations start up of multiple Ace Wilders displayed on every box. The number is even an upgrade relative to Måns Zelmerlöw's "Heroes" as the number carries on being formidable after the technology is removed when Ace emerges from the box to drop some fresh choreography with her squad of back-up dancers. It is worth noting that Ace's back-up dancers are so fierce in their performing that their star-power outdoes many of the other competing acts in this year's Melodifestivalen. This song and number are the complete package. "Don't Worry" will undoubtedly leave an impressive legacy in Melodifestivalen regardless of the results in the finals, and hopefully Ace Wilder will use this as a stepping stone to release more new music and embark on touring in and out of Sweden.
Be sure to watch our interviews with Ace Wilder from the first semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2016 here:
Also check out our interview with the co-writers of "Don't Worry":
The long-awaited press conference took place in Stockholm to announce the competing acts for Melodifestivalen 2016. Among them we find back-to-back returners, semi-recent returners, old school veterans of the contest, and some exciting debutants.
Semi-final 1 will take place at Scandinavium in Gothenburg on February 6.
The competing acts in their running order are:
Mimi Werner - "Ain't No Good" (Composed by Mimi Werner, Göran Werner, Marcus Svedin, Jason Saenz)
A newcomer to the contest and largely unknown in the Swed-pop scene, Mimi appears to have an affinity for country music. Here's hoping she can bring a bit more of a Shania energy but this song doesn't inspire much confidence for that.
Samir & Viktor - "Bada nakna" [Translation: "Swim naked"] ~ (Composed by Fredrik Kempe, David Kreuger, Anderz Wrethov)
Though Samir & Viktor only came in 8th in the Melodifestivalen 2015 finals, "Groupie" went on to become the second most successful entry behind "Heroes," the Melodifestivalen (and eventual Eurovision) winner. They followed this up with "Saxofuckingfon", a single we reviewed along with a music video for it (that we also reviewed), and saw the song become an even bigger hit with over 10 million streams on Spotify. Carrying on an extensive tour throughout Sweden and stopping in a few other adjacent countries, it was little surprise that these two would return to Melodifestivalen. Will they bring a contest winning song? Doubtful. But if there's one thing we'd bet on, it's that it will be one hell of a party.
Robin Bengtsson - "Constellation Price" (Composed by Bobby Ljunggren, Henrik Wikström, Mark Hole, Martin Eriksson)
Robin was the third place finisher on Swedish Idol 2008 and despite working relatively consistently since then, has yet to make a truly significant impact in the Swed-pop scene particularly in comparison to other big-name Idol alumni. This is a bit of a shame, considering how brilliantly crafted his recent singles were ("Fired" and "I Don't Like To Wait"). But Melodifestivalen has made big names out of Idol contestants including Eurovision winners Loreen and Måns Zelmerlöw, so perhaps this could be just the platform for Robin to boost his status. He has already proved himself to be a capable artist; all that's needed is the exposure.
Ace Wilder - "Don't Worry" (Composed by Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Anton Hård af Segerstad, Ace Wilder)
SVT have brought out the big guns. Ace Wilder is the name that has fallen through the lips of many a Melfest fan from all over the world. After coming 2nd in the closest final result the contest has ever seen, a mere two points behind the winner Sanna Nielsen, Ace was still able to boast greater commercial success for her entry "Busy Doin' Nothin'" (hitting no. 1 in Sweden, and going triple platinum) than the winning "Undo" (hitting no. 2 in Sweden and going Gold). She also released a masterfully crafted EP, "The Wild Card", that infused a wide array of musical genres into her signature Swed-pop-banger artistic style. As Swedish voting patterns will demonstrate, Swedes don't often go for "edgy", so it was incredible that she was able to do as well as she did last time. But without the element of surprise, fans will be left waiting on baited breath to see if her efforts will be rewarded.
Anna Book - "Himmel för två" [Translation: "Heaven for two"] ~ (Composed by Sven-Inge Sjöberg, Lennart Wastesson, Larry Forsberg, Camilla Läckberg)
Now here is a veteran-return few saw coming. Anna made her Melodifestivalen debut at the mere age of 15 back in 1986. She placed fifth, and returned in 1987 only to not place at all. She returned again in 2007 and did qualify to the final, but ended up placing 9th with a mere one point. Some big name veterans can return and place quite well but many also crash out.
Pernilla Andersson - "Mitt guld" [Translation: "My gold"] ~ (Composed by Pernilla Andersson, Fredrik Rönnqvist)
Pernilla previously competed in Melodifestivalen 2011 and didn't make it past Andra Chansen. Given her style of music, and propensity for lower energy and lower impact, along with the competitive calibre of this heat, we are skeptical as to whether she'll fair much better this time around.
Albin and Mattias are continuing their musical collaboration by bringing their talents to Melodifestivalen. They've released a few singles that are a bit slower, more emotionally and lyrically driven, which may not translate as well to the non-Swedish-speaking international viewers, but may not be as much of an issue to get votes from the Swedish public. We don't actually know if their goal is to go to Eurovision anyway, but we've not heard them release English-language music together so if they were to be a surprise winner, it would be interesting to see how they would proceed. Of course their biggest hit was "Din Soldat"; although Mattias did not do the vocals for the song, he did co-write it and has been known to sing it when touring with Albin since Kristin Amparo has her own career keeping her busy. Being that they are the closers of the show, they would be wise to have something a bit more uptempo, or at least with some sort of dramatic punch. This one has our curiosity particularly piqued!
Semi-final 2 will take place at Malmö Arena in Malmö on February 13.
The competing acts in their running order are:
Victor och Natten - "100%" (Composed by Dag Lundberg, Melker, Jesper Lundh)
Victor och Natten may be new to Melodifestivalen, but with catchy, contemporary songs already out like "Normal" and "Svartsjuk", we'd love to see them be the surprise hit of this semi if they bring something even bigger and better that builds on their unique and fresh style.
Krista Siegfrids - "Faller" [Translation: "Falling"] ~ (Composed by Krista Siegfrids, Gabriel Alares, Magnus Wallin, Gustaf Svenungsson)
Christ Siegfrids is a Finnish pop singer best known for representing Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013. But that number was more memorable for the upset it caused amongst homophobic viewers due to it being a statement in favour of equality for the LGBT community (the number even had Krista kiss one of her female back-up dancers). The song itself didn't actually place well in the finals; some would even say that she "bombed." Krista has maintained a steady career in Finland but Swedes by in large don't remember her, which begs the question of why SVT cared so much about getting her to participate in Melodifestivalen. But at the very least, this name has generated interest amongst avid Eurovision fans.
Molly Pettersson Hammar - "Hunger" (Composed by Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Anton Hård af Segerstad, Molly Pettersson Hammar)
Now here is a quest for vengeance we've been rallying behind since the most controversial upset of Melodifestivalen 2015! Molly Pettersson Hammar is back to wrong the rights of Swedish voting and assert her dominance as the next big thing in Swed-pop. With her enormously vibrant personality to further make her stand out, and armed with some of the absolute best composers with which she co-wrote her entry, this will undoubtedly be one to watch.
Patrik Isaksson, Tommy Nilsson & Uno Svenningsson - "Håll mitt hjärta hårt" [Translation: "Hold my heart hard"] ~ (Composed by Patrik Isaksson, Tommy Nilsson, Uno Svenningsson)
We're trying not to shudder at this concept of old-male-music-veterans brought together for Melodifestivalen but the last time this concept was present at the contest, we saw a terribly naff song/number advance direct to the finals while the underrated classic Janet Leon's "Heartstrings" was left in fifth place in the heat. For shame, Sweden, for shame.
Isa - "I Will Wait" (Composed by Anton Hård af Segerstad, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Nikki Flores)
Another returning act from 2015 that's armed herself with the biggest, baddest composers in Swed-pop is ISA. She's dyed her hair back to brown and is apparently trying to pursue an urban direction in music. Right. But with those composers penning her song, it warrants our attention.
Wiktoria - "Save Me" (Composed by Jens Siverstedt, Lauren Dyson, Jonas Wallin)
Wiktoria is a completely unknown newcomer. But we love a surprise if it's good!
David Lindgren - "We are Your Tomorrow" (Composed by Anderz Wrethov, Sharon Vaughn, Gustav Efraimsson)
David Lindgren exploded onto the scene in Melodifestivalen 2012 as an entirely unknown artist and won everyone over with his showmanship, charisma, and of course the singing and dancing to a quality pop track. Having been away from the contest since 2013, many are eager to see what his return will bring. The word is that it will be a bit different from his previous entries, but hopefully it will be just as gripping to watch.
Semi-final 3 will take place at Himmelstalundshallen in Norrköping on February 20.
The competing acts in their running order are:
Oscar Zia - "Human" (Composed by Oscar Zia, Victor Thell, Maria Smith)
Oscar Zia's first go in Melodifestivalen was an outrageously outdated attempt to stir up sentimentality for the 1990s/early 2000s pop complete with Nsync's decades-old VMA staging. But even more shocking than the fact that there were people who actually considered this to be quality pop was the fact that Oscar's follow-up single, "Ballare Con Me", was one of the best Swed-pop songs of the year, though it received little attention due to poor marketing, or lack thereof.
SaRaha - "Kizunguzungu" [Translation: "Dizziness"] ~ (Composed by Anderz Wrethov, Sara "SaRaha" Larsson, Arash Labaf)
This concept rubs us entirely the wrong way. Cultural appropriation is not a good look, nor is it a respectful way to make your career.
After Dark - "Kom ut som en stjärna" [Translation: "Come out like a star"] ~ (Composed by Sven-Inge Sjöberg, Lennart Wastesson, Larry Forsberg, Lina Eriksson, Kent Olsson, Calle Kindbom)
Melodifestivalen is about to get a whole lot more fabulous! After Dark is a drag artist that has competed in Melodifestivalen twice before and though they've never made it to the finals, the numbers always make the contest more fun!
Lisa Ajax - "My Heart Wants Me Dead" (Composed by Linnea Deb, Joy Deb, Anton Hård af Segerstad)
The winner of Idol 2014 has kicked off her career with a surprisingly strong debut single (considering how many Idol contestants take a few years to find their artistic niche... or have still yet to find it). But with that dream team of composers (#TheFamilySwe) behind her song, and with a song title strong enough to generate hype, if we were the betting sort, our money would be on Lisa Ajax to advance from semi 3.
Boris René - "Put Your Love on Me" (Composed by Boris René, Tobias Lundgren, Tim Larsson)
Here we see a newcomer we'd love to see rise up in the ranks and have a shining moment. Perhaps it's the fact that his voice is lovely, or the fact that he's debuting with a song he co-wrote, or that warmth that seems to radiate from him, or just all of the above. Go on, Boris!
SMAILO - "Weight of the World" (Composed by Arvid Ångström, Dennis Babic, Oscar Berglund Juhola, Anton Göransson, Robin Danielsson)
Yes, these are the winners of the P4 Radio contest. Yes, the winner typically bombs out in the semi they're placed in. However, we want to give this one its fair chance. For one, last year's winning song, Kalle Johansson's "Den där dan" was truly excellent and even his Melodifestivalen entry, "För din skull" was decent. What's also worth noting was that SMAILO was not a typical winning act. The winning act in the traditional sense was the one voted through by the public like years prior. However, Christer Björkman (who was present that day as part of the jury - and yes, we would know because we were at the show to witness it firsthand) bypassed this decision with the jury to select this group instead to go to Melodifestivalen. This makes us wonder if he is trying to legitimise the Radio contest by picking an act that had a better chance of being moulded into something good. We're not about to go assuming that their entry will be ground-breaking, but we'd love to see it be something respectable. Why have just one great contest to follow if you can also get the contest for the contest up and running on a higher calibre too?
Swingfly feat. Helena Gutarra - "Weight of the World" (Composed by Jocke Åhlund, Andreas Kleerup)
Swingfly is best known for his 2011 Melodifestivalen entry, "Me and My Drum" which was by in a low-budget, straight-to-DDR track. But he's capable of bigger and better things so if he can come back with a higher quality track then his journey to the finals will be made that much easier.
Semi-final 4 will take place at Gavlerinken in Gävle on February 27.
The competing acts in their running order are:
Martin Stenmarck - "Du tar mig tillbaks" [Translation: "You take me back"] ~ (Composed by David Stenmarck)
Martin Stenmarck controversially won Melodifestivalen back in 2005 over Nanne Grönvall's "Håll om mig" despite the latter having significantly more votes in the public. He didn't fair very well at Eurovision either. But when he returned in 2014 with "När änglarna gar hem", he very much redeemed himself in regards to quality, though perhaps not with results, as he only made it as far as Andra Chansen. But perhaps he will be able to better those results in 2016.
Panetoz - "Håll om mig hårt" [Translation: "Hold me tight"] ~ (Composed by Jimmy Jansson, Karl-Ola Kjellholm, Jakke Erixson, Pa Modou Badjie, Njol Badjie, Nebeyu Baheru)
Melodifestivalen has consistently needed to diversify itself in regards to the acts that compete and in other forms of contemporary, commercially marketable music. Panetoz can not only bring a multicultural element to the contest, but they also offer lively and energetic performances. Though they still have yet to outdo their biggest hit, "Dansa Pausa", it would be interesting to see if they can improve upon their 9th place finish in Melodifestivalen 2014.
Frans - "If I Were Sorry" (Composed by Oscar Fogelström, Michael Saxell, Fredrik Andersson, Frans Jeppsson Wall)
Frans' claim to fame came nearly a decade ago via a viral music video about a song professing adoration for the famed Swedish footballer, Zlatan Ibrahimović. His music career since then hasn't had as much traction but Melodifestivalen could be his big break as a legitimate artist, depending on the quality of his entry.
Linda Bengtzing - "Killer Girl" (Composed by Mattias Kallenberger, Andreas Berlin, Linda Bengtzing, Dag Öhrlund)
Linda Bengtzing has competed in Melodifestivalen a grand total of five times in the last decade, and has made it to the finals each time... except for her most recent time. Could the tides be shifting for good on this Melodifestivalen veteran? Or is she set for a big comeback?
Dolly Style - "Rollercoaster" (Composed by Thomas G:son, Peter Boström, Alexandra Salomonsson)
This will be the fourth year in a row that SVT has allowed a blatant case of a stereotyped fetishisation of Japanese culture in yellowface to be paraded around the stage. We do not condone this, so we offer up an alternative video for you to watch and recommend that you consider the dehumanising effect yellowface in media has:
Eclipse - "Runaways" (Composed by Erik Mårtensson)
We have no idea why Swedish producers insist on putting rock and/or metal music into Melodifestivalen, particularly when very little of the rock that gets let in is any good. If they were going to let a band in, they should've buttered up the metal group Amaranthe to join instead, as their glossy brand of metal would've made for a much better fit with Melodifestivalen.
Molly Sandén - "Youniverse" (Composed by Molly Sandén, Danny Saucedo, John Alexis)
Molly Sandén has seen more career success since her last run in Melodifestivalen in 2012. Ironically, her strongest song released has been her least commercially successful of her latest wave of music. She will have high expectations to live up to but we'll see how she fairs come February.
Finally, Andra Chansen will take place at Halmstad Arena in Halmstad on March 5. The final will take place at Friends Arena in Stockholm on March 12.
For months now, rumours have been swirling about which acts are making a run for Melodifestivalen 2016. The spotlight on Sweden is even brighter this time around following Måns Zelmerlöw's Eurovision victory in Vienna. To alleviate some of the tension while we wait for the acts-announcing press conferences, we've put together a list of acts that the contest would greatly benefit from having participate.
The Party
Dinah Nah
Dinah Nah hasn't exactly been shy about her desire to return to Melodifestivalen. She even said as much when we interviewed her back in September. Despite her last-place finish at the Melodifestivalen 2015 finals, it's nice to see that she hasn't been scared off of trying it again, especially given how strong of a song she competed with. Dinah has live vocals that can blow the roof off of whatever venue she's performing in and knows how to deliver a quality dance-pop track, as evidenced by her follow-up single, "Taste Your Love."
Samir & Viktor
Despite an 8th-place finish, "Groupie" was the second most successful song of Melodifestivalen 2015, only being beat by the winning song, "Heroes." "Groupie" was a double-platinum hit and their Success was only further perpetuated with their follow-up single, "Saxofuckingfon," a summer/party anthem which charted in both Sweden and Norway, and has been streamed on Spotify over 10 million times. The boys' greatest downfall in their first go in the contest was their lack of polish. Their live vocals and ability to hit their marks were often shaky but to their credit, they improved with each new competitive performance, from the semi-finals, to Andra Chansen, to the finals. With another year of performing experience under their belt, it may be just enough to creep up towards a top 5 finishing place, given the right song of course. But for better or worse, we know that these two would deliver pure entertainment.
The Andra-Andra-Chanseners
Kristin Amparo
Kristin Amparo came into Melodifestivalen 2015 with high expectation placed upon her. Having featured as the vocal power on successful tracks such as John De Sohn's "Dance Our Tears Away" and Albin's "Din Soldat," Kristin surprised many by competing with a ballad that was not up to the challenge of igniting excitement in large crowds. Still, there is no denying Kristin Amparo's soulful vocal prowess. Though we're doubtful of her making a run for Melodifestivalen 2016, she hasn't ruled out the possibility of returning to the competition some day. We just hope that if/when she does, it's with something that'll have us up and moving.
Andreas Weise
The greatest mishap of Melodifestivalen 2015's Andra Chansen was the bypassing of Andreas Weise's red hot charisma during the duels. Disappointment was entirely evident in his reaction and that determination to compete and succeed in Melodifestivalen is one that could serve him well should he return to the contest. Andreas has a sultry vocal tone and the ability to work a song and number like few others in the Swed-pop scene. His follow-up single, "More," was very much in line with the evolved artistry he presented with "Bring Out The Fire," but with even more groove and danceability.
The A-Team
Awa
At the mere age of 15, Awa Santesson-Sey won the first and only season of Sweden's X-Factor back in 2012. Now that Awa has had a few years to mature and develop her artistry a bit more, Melodifestivalen is a perfect place to further grow her following and make a more powerful impression. She recently made her rounds on the Swedish tour circuit with her single, "Obvious," a song which displays an impressive depth and maturity. She's modern, vocally on point, and the breath of fresh air we've been waiting for in an industry that would greatly benefit from diversification.
Amaranthe
Remember Elize Ryd? She dueted with tenor opera singer Rickard Söderberg in Melodifestivalen 2015 with the delightfully melodramatic "One By One"? Well Amaranthe is the Scandinavian metal band that Elize sings for. Upon further research, we found that the band is fronted by three vocalists in total: Elize on pop vocals, Jake E on rock vocals, and Henrik Englund on unclean vocals. While we're often the first to raise objections when rock songs participate in Melodifestivalen, this is due in large part to the fact that they're often terrible. But Amaranthe's style of metal is glossier and more produced, thus allowing for a cross-genre appeal to those who don't typically partake in the metal genre. We're also not inclined to like unclean vocals, but in smaller doses (i.e. a 1:3 ratio of unclean: clean), and when part of an otherwise strong track, we'll make an exception. Amaranthe are already a successful band, having toured extensively throughout Europe and North America. Sweden may be a pop-powerhouse, but Scandinavia also has a long-standing reputation for putting out quality metal (amongst those who listen to the genre). Amaranthe's participation in Melodifestivalen would not only expand the show's viewership, but demonstrate that the show is capable of representing more than one style of music well. We've embedded Amaranthe's arguably strongest single, "The Nexus," for your viewing pleasure but we'll also link their singles, "Drop Dead Cynical" and "Digital World," which are also worth a listen.
The Vengeance-Seekers
Molly Pettersson Hammar
It wouldn't be Melodifestivalen without a bit of scandal, controversy, and so on. 2015's scandal was Molly Pettersson Hammar's crashing out of the semis due to a technical malfunction in the show's new voting app. Sure, her live vocals were less than perfect, but few were not still shaken up by the shocking results. Even more of a shame than the unjust results is the fact that for the time being, Molly's name is largely associate with just that: a voting scandal. But what she should be hereby known for is making soulful pop singles that are bursting with exuberant energy and personality. The stage is set for Molly to come back and show everyone what she's made of. "Something Right" was Molly's follow-up single, and an excellent one at that, leaving no doubt that Molly knows just what her artistic niche is.
Ace Wilder
The actual winner of Melodifestivalen 2014 Ace Wilder is a consistent source of rebellious and fun pop music. (Friendly reminder that "Busy Doin' Nothing" went triple-platinum and hit number 1 in Sweden while "Undo" went Gold and peaked at number 2). While some feel that Ace will not be able to outdo the impact she made in Melodifestivalen with BDN, we can't help but note that those naysayers fail to note that Ace is one of the few artists in the Swed-pop scene that has an entirely unique and fully developed artistry. She has also been nothing but consistent in the quality of the songs she has put out since then, as evidenced by all the tracks on her EP, "The Wild Card." Instead of going for the obvious choice to drop one of her singles below, we've chosen "Throne," as it's the song that packs the biggest punch of the six-song track list.
The Heavy-Hitters
Darin
We struggle to think of any other Swed-pop artist that has matched the level of Darin Zanyar. From the moment he finished as runner-up on the first season of Swedish Idol, he has consistently put out successful and quality pop singles/albums. This is a man who has never had an artistic identity crisis get him off his path of success. Even now, after a decade in the industry, Darin remains bolder than ever, daring to put out a full album in Swedish and with a drastic shift in style from his glossier pop to that of a more folk-influenced sound. His first single of this new era, "Ta Mig Tillbaka," had elements of Simon & Garfunkel but fully adapted for the 21st century, and blended intricate melodies and harmonies that beautifully enhanced the intimacy of the song's personal narrative.
Melodifestivalen producer Christer Björkman has made it very clear that he is gunning for Sweden's seventh Eurovision win. Darin's latest studio album, "Fjärilar i magen," was his sixth number one album. He's even been promoting himself in Asia as of late, and Eurovision 2015 was the first year the contest was broadcast in China. If you're looking for someone experienced, consistently quality, and with the ability to appeal to a wide demographic, Darin Zanyar is a strong candidate. Whether he goes with a folksier song fitting in his newer artistic style or a killer pop banger, Darin can pull it off.
Zara Larsson
The "how on earth are they so young?" sentiment gets thrown around quite a bit, particularly amongst the Eurovision scene as the average age of competing acts seems to get younger and younger. But really, how on earth is Zara Larsson only 17? With a prolific amount of success as a pop artist, with singles including 7x-platinum "Uncover," 4x-platinum "Lush Life," 2x-platinum "Carry You Home," and platinum "Rooftop" and "Never Forget You," it's borderline inconceivable that Zara has yet to be groomed as the next Swedish Eurovision victor. The girl can sing, handle a bit of choreography, and she's also a strong voice for intersectional feminism/human rights, making her an ideal candidate to follow in the footsteps of Loreen and Måns, both of whom are known for their humanitarian efforts in addition to their musical talents.
The Icons
Alcazar
If you were to ask for one musical act to sum up the spirit of Melodifestivalen, it would have to be Alcazar. Though they've never won the contest, their passion for Melodifestivalen, Swedish pop, and their spectacularly bedazzled brand of disco-pop never cease to impress. They have moved their successful "Disco Defenders" show to have a run in Stockholm and to help promote it, they made an appearance this summer on "Allsång på Skansen" during which they performed for the entire hour. Singing both their own greatest hits as well as some covers of other pop songs, they worked the crowd like nobody's business and honestly, if Sweden hasn't been wise enough to send this group to Eurovision yet, we can't help but implore SVT to let them host Melodifestivalen. Despite how much we'd love to see them back competing again, there are numerous upsides to having them host the contest. For one, they're enormously charming, charismatic, and have terrific chemistry with one another already so there wouldn't be any bizarre clashing of styles often seen in bringing miscellaneous talent together. Another upside is that viewers would get to see them strut their stuff not one/two weeks, but all six of the contest. Just think of the musical numbers and dare we say it... actually funny comedic bits? Our bodies are ready so make it happen, SVT!
Who are your picks for Melodifestivalen 2016? Sound off in the comments section below and tell us who you want to see compete (or host)!
Swed-pop-rebel Ace Wilder has returned with another slamming track, "Stupid," that combines lyrical mischievousness, a dancey hook, and Ace's signature laid-back but no less committed vocal delivery. Though the song makes use of instrumentation and percussion clearly influenced from South Asia, it still maintains Ace's flavour that won her so many fans since she burst onto a wider scene in Melodifestivalen 2014. There's a youthful exuberance to Ace's singles without isolating a wider demographic. This zest for life that is often a running theme in her music is one that can appeal to anyone, given the right outlook. Stupid may be as stupid does, but Ace is one smart songwriter. This pop gem should be added in to any 'adventure-seeking' playlist!
SVT held it's official press conference announcement for Melodifestivalen 2017 to announce the participating artists. The names and songs are as follows:
