Eurovision: Melodifestivalen time!
Mar. 17th, 2006 11:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jawnbcWith the deadline for submitting songs/artists to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest, we know 36 of 37. Last, but certainly not least is Sweden, and their national selection Melodifestivalen.
Melodifestivalen is huge in Sweden. So huge that the 2CD tops the album charts for months. So huge that usually at least 5 of the songs hit #1 on the singles chart. So huge that the ratings make the annual Melodifestivalen final the #1 TV programme of the year. Pretty much every year.
Including a higher rating than Eurovision itself.
The Swedes have a series of semi-finals, usually of 8 songs. The top 2 go through to the final, the next 2 to a "second chance" répéchage. That makes 10 songs in total, all of which have to be delivered in secrecy to SVT: if your song is leaked before your semi-final, you're disqualified. That SVT managed to get a number of top Swedish acts to entry every year (sometimes the same acts year after year after year), makes for a show with a lot of meat and not so much veg.
If you're a big star, SVT might give you a "joker" (wildcard). Otherwise you have to submit your songs like everyone else--well over 100 are entered--then a jury picks 28 semi-finalists. Add 4 jokers, you've got 4 8 act semis. This year 3 of the 4 jokers made it to the final.
What makes it even more interesting this year is that last year was one of Sweden's worst results ever. "Las Vegas" by Martin Stenmarck totally bombed, finishing 20th/24 and putting Sweden in must qualify pile for the first time ever. Oh how the might have fallen...but I thought "LV" sucked hard from the first time I heard it. I am so right! I am so right! The implications have been SVT pushing for less standard ABBA-esque Scandipop and wider offerings--which I think they've accomplished somewhat.
Question is: will it work? I won't go through all the songs, but some to watch for (and you can watch: the final is streamed live from the SVT site) include:
-Rednex: Remember that hideous dance version of Cotton-Eyed Joe? That's Rednex, and they're baaaack...with almost all new personnel, and not much else on offer. They were a joker. *snerk* "Momma Take Me Home" should take them home. Please stay there.
-Andreas Johnsson: A few years ago he had a decent pan-European hit with "Glorious". He's been based in NY since, and was also a joker. His song "Sing for Me" is very britpop and atypical of Melodifestivalen. Could be a contender.
Magnus Carlsson: After trying to win Melodifestivalen 5 times since 2000 (as part of 2 acts, Barbados and Alcazar), Magnus Carlsson is solo this year. If you liked "Crying at the Discotheque" a few years ago (Alcazar) you like this queen. He's fab, but the song? Archetypal skandipop: peppy but soulless. "Lev Livet! (Live Life!)"? Love him, but not this song.
Carola: If (after Frida and Agnetha) Melodifestivalen has a queen, Carola be it. She won in 1983 and finished a credible 3rd with "Framling/Love Isn't Love", scoring a bigger hit than Eurovision's winner--all at the tender age of 17. She won again in 1991 and eaked out the narrowest win in Eurovision history with "Fangvand am Stormwind" (it came down to who had more 2nd place votes after tied raw scores and number of first place votes). She's tried to win a couple more times since, but either came up short or got disqualified (we mean it: secret!). And she's morphed from gay-friendly schjager queen to Pentecostal minister's wife, and is now drifting back towards teh gays. All that aside, I think "Evighet/Eternity" is the best song and she's a compelling performer. Given her track record, her poise, and how archetypally Swedish her song is, most think she's gonna win in a walk. I hope they're right: this is my favourite Swedish song since...Waterloo. OK, really "Den Vilda"--which was written by Benny's son Peter Gronvall, so that's sorta like ABBA, eh?
Melodifestivalen is huge in Sweden. So huge that the 2CD tops the album charts for months. So huge that usually at least 5 of the songs hit #1 on the singles chart. So huge that the ratings make the annual Melodifestivalen final the #1 TV programme of the year. Pretty much every year.
Including a higher rating than Eurovision itself.
The Swedes have a series of semi-finals, usually of 8 songs. The top 2 go through to the final, the next 2 to a "second chance" répéchage. That makes 10 songs in total, all of which have to be delivered in secrecy to SVT: if your song is leaked before your semi-final, you're disqualified. That SVT managed to get a number of top Swedish acts to entry every year (sometimes the same acts year after year after year), makes for a show with a lot of meat and not so much veg.
If you're a big star, SVT might give you a "joker" (wildcard). Otherwise you have to submit your songs like everyone else--well over 100 are entered--then a jury picks 28 semi-finalists. Add 4 jokers, you've got 4 8 act semis. This year 3 of the 4 jokers made it to the final.
What makes it even more interesting this year is that last year was one of Sweden's worst results ever. "Las Vegas" by Martin Stenmarck totally bombed, finishing 20th/24 and putting Sweden in must qualify pile for the first time ever. Oh how the might have fallen...but I thought "LV" sucked hard from the first time I heard it. I am so right! I am so right! The implications have been SVT pushing for less standard ABBA-esque Scandipop and wider offerings--which I think they've accomplished somewhat.
Question is: will it work? I won't go through all the songs, but some to watch for (and you can watch: the final is streamed live from the SVT site) include:
-Rednex: Remember that hideous dance version of Cotton-Eyed Joe? That's Rednex, and they're baaaack...with almost all new personnel, and not much else on offer. They were a joker. *snerk* "Momma Take Me Home" should take them home. Please stay there.
-Andreas Johnsson: A few years ago he had a decent pan-European hit with "Glorious". He's been based in NY since, and was also a joker. His song "Sing for Me" is very britpop and atypical of Melodifestivalen. Could be a contender.
Magnus Carlsson: After trying to win Melodifestivalen 5 times since 2000 (as part of 2 acts, Barbados and Alcazar), Magnus Carlsson is solo this year. If you liked "Crying at the Discotheque" a few years ago (Alcazar) you like this queen. He's fab, but the song? Archetypal skandipop: peppy but soulless. "Lev Livet! (Live Life!)"? Love him, but not this song.
Carola: If (after Frida and Agnetha) Melodifestivalen has a queen, Carola be it. She won in 1983 and finished a credible 3rd with "Framling/Love Isn't Love", scoring a bigger hit than Eurovision's winner--all at the tender age of 17. She won again in 1991 and eaked out the narrowest win in Eurovision history with "Fangvand am Stormwind" (it came down to who had more 2nd place votes after tied raw scores and number of first place votes). She's tried to win a couple more times since, but either came up short or got disqualified (we mean it: secret!). And she's morphed from gay-friendly schjager queen to Pentecostal minister's wife, and is now drifting back towards teh gays. All that aside, I think "Evighet/Eternity" is the best song and she's a compelling performer. Given her track record, her poise, and how archetypally Swedish her song is, most think she's gonna win in a walk. I hope they're right: this is my favourite Swedish song since...Waterloo. OK, really "Den Vilda"--which was written by Benny's son Peter Gronvall, so that's sorta like ABBA, eh?
