SWEDEN 2025

The Swedish song and act were selected on March 8th via their long-standing and popular national final "Melodifestivalen". There were 5 semi-finals prior to the final where two songs qualified from each, then a second chance vote making a final of 12 songs. The voting was in two halves; firstly an international jury vote then a public vote from either pone voting or app voting, the latter of which is segmented into age groupings.  Going to Basel is the group KAJ with the song "Bara bada bastu" (Just take a sauna)

The name KAJ comes from the names of its three members - Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman, and Jakob Norrgård. The trio are from Vörå which is a Swedish speaking part of Finland. After becoming acquainted through various sporting clubs they became close friends when they attended the same school, and formed the trio in 2009. The band performs in a variant of Ostrobothnian Swedish which many Swedes find hard to understand. Their music spans multiple genres often with a humorous and satirical edge. Over the 15 years they have been together they have six studio albums, a live album and 9 singles. On its release, "Bara Bada Bastu" got to number 1 in both Sweden and Finland - their only charting single in either nation. In addition they have toured Sweden and Finland three times and have also written and performed two musicals.

 

The song plays on the Finnish love of the sauna and, although in their Swedish dialect has the odd phrases in Finnish and namechecking other Finnish cultural touchstones. The song is also tied together with the short accordion earworm that comes in the instrumental parts. The song progresses as a verse, pre chorus and chorus and runs through this twice. There is then a bridge where the title is repeated before a final chorus - with a key change. As the song ends the title is repeated again and again. During the song the trio are dressed formally in suit jackets, trousers, ties and formal shoes. They are joined by four dancers who start off dressed in check shirts and hats but end up dressed - or should that be undressed - in bucket hats and carefully wrapped towels. The setting of the song changes half way through from an outdoor setting with the trio cooking sausages around a fire to being inside the sauna. In addition there is quite an simple but involved dance routine during the chorus.

On paper this shouldn't work. This walks that fine tightrope between fun & light-hearted with songwriting skill & performance ability without being ‘a joke’. The trio have honed this craft for well over a decade, and you can tell. They know how to work the crowd,  how to sell the song and how far to push the boundaries. This song is really fun but when it is twinned with a catchy tune, memorable lyrics, a well thought through stage show and a confident performance all makes for something really appealing. If feels very approachable and personable and appears to go way beyond its language barriers The last time a Swedish entry was in Swedish was 1998, and the last time Swedish appeared at Eurovision at all was in 2012 which was ironically, the Finnish entry of that year. At a time when the world seems a little bleak, gloomy and serious, maybe we all need a little bit of sauna in our lives...

ARTIST - KAJ

SONG - Bara bada bastu

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - A Åhman, K Holmström, J Norrgård, R Skowronski, K Strandberg, A Wrethov

SWEDEN 2024

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

SWEDEN 2023

The Swedish final "Melodifestivalen" was held at the Friends Arena in Stockholm on March 11th, hosted by Jesper Rönndahl and Farah Abadi. Before the final there were 5 semi-finals held at different location around the country. The winner was chosen by an equal weighting of international juries and public vote. Going to Liverpool is Eurovision 2012 winner Loreen with "Tattoo".

Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui was born in Stockholm, Sweden, but spent most of her early life in Västerås. Loreen became known after taking part in the Swedish Idol 2004 eventually coming 4th. As well as singing opportunities, she also worked in front and behind the camera on numerous TV shows. Loreen then took part in Melodifestivalen 2011 with "My Heart Is Refusing Me", getting to Andra Chansen. The next year she returned with "Euphoria" which won Eurovision 2012 in Baku. She then reappeared at Melodifestivalen in 2017 with "Statements" but once again did not progress past the Andra Chansen round. Outside of ESC she has embarked on several tours, headlined the Vienna Life Ball, has released 2 albums and many more non-album one-off singles Loreen has also been an ambassador of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, a patron of the World's Children's Prize and recently performed at a live fundraising gala in support of Ukraine.

The staging is rather simplistic but is a rather large technical feat. Loreen starts lying on the floor with a large led screen suspended from the roof and millimetres from her body. As the song goes on Loreen dances around on the floor slowly 'pushing' the screen upwards. The colour palette is a kind of sandy beige colour which is mirrored in her outfit and the smoke colour. The first verse is very softly spoken but sung with intent. During he pre-chorus the song starts to get stronger vocally and in terms of instrumentation. The tune also starts increasing in tone up the scale. The chorus has a very repetitive and earwormy melody. This procedure is repeated again but in the second chorus the beat is really pounding. The song then regroups for a small bridge before exploding again for the final rendition of the chorus ending in the title of the song.

The name "Loreen" itself is enough to get the votes in. People will be expecting a 'Euphoria 2.0' and although this is different enough to not be called a copycat, there are definite similarities. In typical Loreen style this is a performance and singing masterclass. Loreen has the ability to sing and perform the simplest things and make it into an art form - however this does not mean I don't take issue with parts of it.

This is an entry of three parts. Firstly - Loreen herself. She is a known name, and a famous - nay game changing - winner of the contest.  People will marvel at her theatricality as well as her vocal prowess.  That all said, I wish Loreen would pronounce her words a little more during the chorus and pre-chorus as sometimes it can feel like just a wall of noise. Also I would like Loreen to put a little more finesse to her dance moves e.g. pointing her toes, curving her back. Secondly - the song. It is nothing particularly special - it is more to do which who is singing it. There have already been comparisons between the tune of this and ABBA's "The winner takes it all" which I feel is rather noticeable. Finally - the staging. There are big questions as to whether the "led ceiling" would be allowed or even viable in the Liverpool arena. I feel like the idea would work without the prop with some other lighting cues or even some interesting camera angles e.g. upside down or viewed from above. One would have to be very cynical not to think this stands a big chance of winning.

ARTIST - Loreen

SONG - Tattoo

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Peter Boström, Thomas G:son, Jimmy Jansson, Jimmy Joker, Cazzi Opeia, Loreen Talhaoui

SWEDEN 2021

The Swedish Final  (Melodifestivalen) was held on March 13th at Annexet in Stockholm, hosted by Christer Björkman, Måns Zelmerlöw & Shima Niavarani. Before the final there were 5 semi-finals to get the long list of 28 down to a final of 12. The winner was chosen by a combination of 8 international juries (50%) & a public vote (50%) where the public vote came from age-related phone app uses and televoters. consisted of a mobile phone app where users were split into one of 7 age groupings (7/8) & televoting (1/8). The winning act was Tusse with the song "Voices".

The stage has a dark feeling and some of the backdrop and floor resembles rain, waterfalls and puddles. You can see as Tusse walks along the catwalk that the water is moving as if he was actually wading through it which is a clever touch. Tusse is joined on stage by 4 dancers dressed in various black outfits. Tusse is wearing a red suit accessorised with some statement rings and an amazing jewelled necklace.

The song starts off rather mellow with an atmospheric intro. This continues under the first verse and ore-chorus although there is also a very minimalistic beat which gathers pace as the chorus comes. Here the beat is more pronounced and not just on the beat. This works well with the rather monotone delivery and longer held notes of the chorus. This then contrasts brilliantly with the chanting of the post chorus which is a really good earworm. This pattern repeats again which gets us to 2.15, here there is a short bridge at the song  shrinks back down to a more ethereal sound made more unusual by Tusse using his lower register. This is contrasted even more by the chorus coming in with a key change finishing with the post chorus on the live ' a million voices'

Tousin Michael Chiza, a.k.a Tusse, was born in Democratic Republic of Congo. Due to war in his homeland his family fled the settling in a Ugandan camp but Tusse was eventually brought to  Sweden, alone, at just 8 years old. In 2018 he participated in a Swedish talent show called "Talang" making it the semi finals. The next year he entered Swedish Idol 2019 this time becoming the overall winner. After this he released a number of songs sung in English and Swedish.

This song has a great anthemic quality and it's clever use of rhyme and rhythm means it stays in your brain for the longest time. This song really reminds me of "Only Teardrops" in its make up and tone. For me, the parts that shine are when Tusse is doing the chanting or where he has that little jump in his voice which makes the song sound so unique. Part of me just wishes they had pushed the song a little further toward being a bit more African sounding. I fear that the clinical clean production of the song and its predictable nature puts me off. As much as this is a good steady dependable Eurovision song, there is nothing about it that I particularly want to vote for. As we have seen of late, the jury vote has been much more pro-Sweden than the televote but the song is less 'pop-polished' than some of their previous efforts and the wholesome message may also curry come favour in the current climate.

ARTIST - Tusse
SONG - Voices
WRITING CREDITS - Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Jimmy "Joker" Thörnfeldt, Anderz Wrethov

10/03/12 SWEDEN

The Swedish Final was held on March 10th at the Globe Theatre in Stockholm, hosted by Sarah Dawn Finer, Helena Bergström & Gina Dirawi. Before the final there were 5 preliminary rounds. After a voting via 11 international juries and a national televote the winner was announced as “Euphoria” by Loreen

The song is very much a typical Swedish production and in many ways does reflect the recent musical offerings of contemporary Swedish artists and producers. The song is very memorable as it does create an atmosphere in its music and lyrics. The chorus is really big and have an almost passable earworm to it on the “u-u-u-u-up” parts.

Loreen is a very engaging performer. She has a good voice and I have no doubt she will be able to sing this live in Baku, although many have commented that they don’t know what she is saying, which I personally think is a little unfair. I also really enjoy the ‘dancing’ she does. It’s very tai-chi like and reflects the lyrics in part. She is alone on stage for almost all of the song except for the end where she is joined by a male dancer. She dressed quite modestly but I quite like this. I think that this shows that you don’t been bright lights, costume changes and a full blown dance routine to be big at Eurovision.

This is by far the best and most polished song/performance piece we have seen this year and should go top 5 with ease.

SONG – Euphoria

ARTIST – Loreen

COMPOSERS – Peter Boström, Thomas G:son

LANGUAGE – English

UPDATE 9

UK
So another video from the boys.
Obviously they thought the one on London's rooftops wasnotenough. This one features some obligatory Union Jacks as well as some indoor rain. I thought the old one was better.






SWEDEN
Eric Saade released his video for "Popular". The video concentrates very heavily on his dancing skills in the form of a kind of' seedy club dance-off'. Eric doesn't needs to dance off, he needs to f-off.






NORWAY
Stella mwangi's song has had a bit of a facelift. Unfortunately it is not good. Apart from the obvious lyrical content, the song has been moved in key. Also the backing track seems to have lost almost of its African flavour and at times sounds like a very bad 90s eurodance b-side. Here is the new track accompanied by her music video.

SWEDEN

The final of the Melodifestivalen was held at the Globe Theatre in Stockholm. The share of the voting was 50% international jury and 50% televoting. The favourite with both jury and televote and therefore winning the ticket to Düsseldorf is Eric Saade singing “Popular”

The song is a dance number with lots of repetition. The beginning of the song has a slight military feel with the drumming and whistling parts. This is also emphasised with the dancers’ choreography at the start. The dance routine also centres on some glass panels which the dancers dance behind. These panels are them over to make a cube around him which then explode and shatter the glass so he can escape again. This is a very clever gimmick although I am not sure how pleased the ESC producers will be to have to clear this up in under a minute!

Eric is wearing black underneath a red leather jacket and white trainers. The whole performance as you can probably expect is quite visually outstanding. Eric’s voice is OK and seems to keep the song going with all the distractions around him. The song though is very disappointing. I keep on thinking it is going to turn into “Gasoline” by Dieter Bohlen, or any other Modern Talking song. The chorus is so cheesy and repetitive that although it is the type of song you pick up very easily, it is also the type of song you will hate that you are singing along to.

Although the song is memorable but I don’t think it is they type of song people wil vote for.
Another semi-final fail for Sweden, I think. I also think that the Melodifestivalen needs a revamp and a rethink. The song quality was not up to scratch this year and this has to be rectified.

SINGER – Eric Saade
SONG – Popular
MUSIC – Fredrik Kempe
WORDS – Fredrik Kempe

UPDATE 2

A few more odds and sods news stories from the last few days

SWEDEN – the “andre chansen” round of Melodifestivalen seemed to be in the middle of a voting fiasco. Many viewers and internet groups seemed to be a little surprised by the voting outcomes of the second chance round. From further viewing, it appears that not once, not twice but three times during the programme the wrong voting numbers were put up below certain songs. STV have maintained that this did not affect the end result and the result stands. Not all ESC fans will find this acceptable. I think this may run, even past the final on Saturday...


SLOVAKIA - Still no footage of the girls singing live, but they have released their official video. Am starting to wonder if no live performance up to now is suggesting they can’t do one… Still 2 months before they can hide no more!




CROATIA – it looks like the Croatian entry is getting a total overhaul and makeover. It also looks like the strange title “Break a leg” will be no more! Although the melody will be the same, the song will be re-written for the title “Celebrate” Lyricist Boris Djurdjevic has been working with Daria to make a final version of the song in time for the submission date of March 14th. Hopefully a video clip will be on the internet soon.