Deltävling 1: Göteborg, Saturday 7th February

 

01: Molly Pettersson Hammar – I’ll Be Fine (m&l: Molly Pettersson Hammar, Lisa Desmond, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren, Gavin Jones)

02: Daniel Gildenlöw – Pappa (m&l: Daniel Gildenlöw)

03: Elize Ryd & Rickard Söderberg – One By One (m&l: Elize Ryd, Jimmy Jansson, Karl-Ola Kjellholm, Sharon Vaughn)

04: Dolly Style – Hello Hi (m&l: Emma Nors, Palle Hammarlund, Jimmy Jansson)

05: Behrang Miri feat. Victor Crone – Det rår vi inte för (m&l: Behrang Miri, Albin Johnsén, Måns Zelmerlöw, Tony Nilsson)

06: Jessica Andersson – Can’t Hurt Me Now (m&l: Aleena Gibson, Fredrik Thomander)

07: Eric Saade – Sting (m&l: Sam Arash Fahmi, Fredrik Kempe, Hamed ”K-one” Pirouzpanah, David Kreuger)

 

Deltävling 2: Malmö, Saturday 14th February

 

01: Linus Svenning – Forever Starts Today (m&l: Aleena Gibson, Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Fredrik Kempe)

02: Emelie Irewald – Där och då med dig (m&l: Emelie Irewald)

03: Samir & Viktor – Groupie (m&l: Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Kevin Högdahl, Maria Smith, Viktor Thell)

04: Neverstore – If I Was God For One Day (m&l: Thomas G:son, John Gordon, Jacob Widén)

05: Marie Bergman & Sanne Salomonsen – Nonetheless (m&l: Andreas Stone Johansson, Allison Kaplan)

06: Magnus Carlsson – Möt mig i Gamla stan (m&l: Thomas G:son, Lina Eriksson)

07: Mariette – Don’t Stop Believing (m&l: Miss Li, Sonny Gustafsson)

 

Deltävling 3: Östersund, Saturday 21st February

 

01: Ellen Benediktson – Insomnia (m&l: Ellen Benediktson, Anderz Wrethov)

02: Kalle Johansson – För din skull (m&l: Martin Eriksson, Thomas G:son, Thomas Karlsson)

03: Andreas Weise – Bring Out the Fire (m&l: Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Henrik Janson, Thomas G:son)

04: Andreas Johnson – Living To Die (m&l: Andreas Johnson, Bobby Ljunggren, Karl-Ola Kjellholm)

05: Isa – Don’t Stop (m&l: Isa Tengblad, Johan Ramström, Gustaf Svenungsson, Magnus Wallin, Oscar Merner)

06: Kristin Amparo – I See You (m&l: Kristin Amparo, David Kreuger, Fredrik Kempe)

07: Jon Henrik Fjällgren – Jag är fri (Manne Liem Frije) (m&l: Jon Henrik Fjällgren, Erik Holmberg, Tony Malm, Josef Melin)

 

Deltävling 4: Örebro, Saturday 28th February

 

01: Midnight Boy – Don’t Say No (m&l: Johan Krafman, Kristofer Östergren, Olle Blomström)

02: Caroline Wennergren – Black Swan (m&l: Nicklas Eklund, Joel DeLuna, Aimee Bobruk)

03: JTR – Building It Up (m&l: JTR (John Andreasson, Tom Lundbäck, Robin Lundbäck), Erik Lewander, Iggy Strange Dahl)

04: Hasse Andersson – Guld och gröna skogar (m&l: Anderz Wrethov, Elin Wrethov, Johan Bejerholm, Johan Deltinger)

05: Dinah Nah – Make Me (La La La) (m&l: Dinah Nah, dr alban, Jakke Erixson, Karl-Ola Kjellholm)

06: Annika Herlitz – Ett andetag (m&l: Amir Aly, Maciel Numhauser, Robin Abrahamsson, Sharon Dyall, Sharon Vaughn)

07: Måns Zelmerlöw – Heroes (m&l: Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb)

Because frankly you AREN'T DOING AUGUST PROPERLY if you aren't focused on a Eurovision selection six months away.

 

Anyway, Svensktoppennästa (a contest organised by P4 - think a Swedish mix of Radio 2 with 6Music - which picks one of the Melodifestivalen wildcards that inevitably crashes out eighth) is on on the 31st and P4 have released the eight contestants:

 

Bullock Hearts - Bells & Whistles

Stephanie Quint - If Forever Means Forever

Last Trees - Ways Of Growing Old

Kalle Johansson - Den där dan

Flat Foot - Living By The Gun

Elsa Martinsson - Alive

Morgan Färm - Honung

Rebecca Fredriksson - When The Blackbirds Sing

 

They're all available to listen to online. Not much to write home about but I reckon Rebecca Fredriksson's going to take it home and could possibly be a repeat Ellen Benediktsson come next February.

 

-x-

 

MORE IMPORTANTLY, now's the season for wishlists. I got about half of what I asked for last year (having been MOCKED MERCILESSLY for picking has-beens), so I'm hoping for a repeat this year

 

- Måns Zelmerlöw (SIX WHOLE YEARS!)

- Jessica Andersson

- Robin Stjernberg

- Manda (Glow really didn't do her ICONIC VISAGE justice)

- Martin Rolinski (YES AGAIN)

- Molly Sandén

- in a death heat with Eric Saade

- Sara Li (minus that baked lobster)

- Timoteij (I know they're a three-piece these days but still)

- Linda Pritchard

- Ace Wilder (even though she'd be wiser to leave it a year but anyway)

- Jenny Silver

- Lili och Susie

- Sarah Dawn Finer

- Josef Johansson (with a cheap rewrite of Hela natten but preferably double the stage presence and qualifying this time)

- Amy Diamond

 

I'm RESIGNED to returns from Oscar Zia and Linus Svenning but I'll happily endure it if I get at least HALF THE ABOVE

Expecting Erik Rapp to be on it this year, former Junior Melodifestivalen for Sweden, came 3rd in IDOL at the end of 2013. There's usually a couple from your Idol's and X Factor's, so he seems a pretty safe bet given he's been down the path before. Possibly Elin Bergman for the 'another IDOL act' card.

 

Alex Jafarzadeh's name keeps popping up, some dancer who's turned to singing and seems to be in amongst the Anton Ewald crew, so it seems realistic to assume he could be in the MF mix?

 

As for returns from last year, I'm thinking Manda, Linus Svenning, J.E.M, possibly Alvaro Estrella could be showing up.

 

ALL VERY SPECULATIVE OF COURSE, IT'S ONLY AUGUST.

Like HELL is Alvaro Estrella coming back after that CASE STUDY on how to destroy the chances of a surefire qualifier last year http://www.moopy.org.uk/forums/images/smilies/grin.gif I'd love J.E.M. back though.

 

Jafarzadeh's the one I always keep thinking looks like Eddie Razaz, so I'd definitely be up for him SELLING OUT with a few backroom sessions with Kempe.

Since 2010 an artist that came 2nd or 3rd has always returned the following year so that would suggest either Ace or Alcazar returning. I can't see Alcazar doing it though but then I don't think Ace should do it again too soon.

 

My wishlist:

 

- Molly Sandén

- Agnes (LOLOL NO CHANCE)

- Velvet

- Måns

- Josef Johansson (but please don't be nu Janet Leon)

- Icona Pop

- Timoteij

 

I can also see that Swedish boyband The Fooo doing it.

I think I'd SCREAM ALL NOVEMBER if VELV were announced, but really after THREE ABORTIVE ATTEMPTS with andra chansen the absolute PINNACLE of her success I don't think Christer's going to be able to justify whacking her in again!

Unless she comes back doing a duet with someone, like Jessica Andersson or Molly *.*

We're gonna STAND on the LINE! *.*

I SAY THIS EVERY YEAR.

A*TEENS REUNITE AND SLAY THE COMPETITION.

http://i58.tinypic.com/ibkwns.jpg

 

Kalle Johansson is the first artist confirmed after winning Svensktoppennästa today. You can hear his winning song 'Den där dan' here.

 

I'm quite liking this so excited to hear what he'll bring to MF.

HUZZAH. It's been QUITE growing on me the last week so I'm glad it took it all home.

I think this is the year I am going to go to Melfest. If I can get tickets.

 

This will finish in 7th in Heat 2 (if entered).

Lovelipop, a girlgroup on YOHIO's label that he put together.

I'm potentially here for that!

Who wants their pop to be LOVELY (or loveli) and PASTEL COLOURED though, really? Give me glitter, monochrome catsuits etc.

 

I say this not having heard anything they're releasing... just their image and the pre-conceived idea they're gonna be no good based on their name and their association with YOHIO.

The song in their presentation is nice enough, but Aaron's right - it's a total seventh place in heat two affair.

Melodifestivalen is changing. The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reveals today how SVT, the Swedish broadcaster, plans to change the concept in order to make the Swedish preselection successful again.

 

Although Melodifestivalen 2014′s winner Sanna Nielsen has managed to reach the third place in this year’s Eurovision final, criticsized presenters, uhappy record labels and about 800,000 less watchers than last year’s Melodifestivalen final made SVT to start an intensive work in order to see how Sweden’s biggest TV show can be renovated so it can get its glory again.

 

SVT will present the news officially in a press conference after the Swedish national elections tomorrow, but some of the details were revealed already today:

 

- The number of TV shows will remain the same as in previous years, thus four semifinals, one second chance round and a final.

- The number of songs participating in each semifinal will be reduced from 8 to 7.

 

Furthermore, SVT will probably launch a new app that will work like a button during the semifinals. “The button should be used so people can click on it during a song that they like and the votes that it will generate will be added to the song. This app can also replace the SMS voting, but things aren’t 100% sure”.

 

The first confirmed artist for Melodifestivalen 2015 is Kalle Johansson who lately won the Swedish competition songwriters and artists, Svensktoppen nästa.

 

:manson: :manson: :manson:

I don't think I could put it more eloquently than the emoticon than you just presented.

 

:manson: indeed. Though it's not terrible, just a bit silly and pointless, I don't think four less songs is going to make people sit up in excitement, if anything, it makes it feel like less of an event because there's fewer songs, making it less of a battle.

Don't have shit presenters.

 

There, increased viewers just like that for you SVT.

What astounds me is that they think this year was a failure. When 2012 and 2013 are the most watched editions of the contest ever and most of the year clashes with the Winter Olympics (i.e. the Olympics Sweden actually give a shit about) of COURSE anything's going to feel like a step down. And shit scripts and hosts aren't exactly a justification for CUTTING SONGS!

 

And frankly the token schlager track is under enough threat as it is. You just KNOW it isn't going to be the cock rock redux or the pointless ethnic entry or the old irrelevant hag with a #40 hit from 1994 who gets cut from the line-up.