The Swedish act and song was chosen on March 9th through their annual extravaganza "Melodifestivalen". Before the final there were 5 heats with the 2 most popular entries qualifying from each. There was also a second chance round where the 3rd and 4th placed entries from each heat were re-polled and the top 2 were then forwarded into the final. In the heats, qualification was solely based on app/phone votes but in the final app/phone votes only accounted for 50% and an international jury had the other 50%. Representing the host country are Marcus and Martinus with "Unforgettable".
Marcus and Martinus Gunnarsen are identical twin brothers who are also known as M&M Although they are representing Sweden, they are both actually Norwegian! They may just 22 years old but already have a steadfast music career and a track record with Eurovision. When they were 10 years old the pair won Melodi Grand Prix Junior in Norway and the song reached number 8 in the Norwegian charts in 2015 they released "Hei" their debut album reaching number 1. In 2016 they joined up with Madcon to release "Girls" which came from the duo's first English language album "Together" reaching number 1 in Norway and Sweden and number 6 in Finland. Their third album "Moments"was successful and many countries across Europe, The duo then announced the Jury points for Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. Last year they entered Melodifestivalen 2023 with the song "Air" finishing in second place behind Loreen's "Tattoo".
The song has a straight forward pop song structure. There is a verse-pre chorus-chorus flow which is repeated - although verse two is 2 lines long rather than 4.The last 20 seconds or so it taken up by an almost spoken outro which ends with the name of the song. The tone of the singing does not change much but the backing track is what gives the song its peaks and troughs. The two of them are very active throughout the whole song either doing gestural singing at the camera or doing mirror images between the two of them. During the instrumental parts the dancing is much more involved although not particularly cardiovascular.
The stage show, as you would expect from Melfest, is really impressive. The use of the side panels to create a strobing effect with the digital backdrop makes it busy but in a sort of ordered way. The duo are dressed in shiny black and blue suits which look a little drab within the confines of the studio, and actually looked better when just sat in the green room. I feel like the visuals need a little bit of fine tuning, especially in conjunction with the outfits. Maybe an addition such an neon/reflective trim on the edges might make everyone on stage a little more visible during the darker parts of the show. They are joined on stage by four dancers, also dressed in black. The backing track to this really is the star of the show. This, like many Eurovision songs his year, has a nostalgic feel to it. for me there is something of the Faithless about it, especially in the instrumental parts. The twins' vocals are rather low in the mix and I feel that this needs to be turned up for Eurovision. It just so happens that during the delegations meeting this song drew place 1 meaning they will be opening the grand final! This will be an epic moment in the hall and make for a great opening spectacle. It will certainly have its fans but I don't think this will be leading to a back-to-back win.
ARTIST - Marcus and Martinus
SONG - Unforgettable
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Marcus Gunnarsen, Martinus Gunnarsen, Jimmy Thörnfeldt
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