Foto: Jonas Ekströmer/TT
Let’s walk through 2016’s Melodifestivalen contestants one by one!
GÖTEBORG
Ace Wilder
Song: Don’t Worry
Songwriters: Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Anton Hård af Segerstad, Ace Wilder
What do we know about the artist?
She had released a few unnoticed, but quite good, singles before she made her big breakthrough in Melodifestivalen 2014. She placed second in the final, just two points behind the eventual winner Sanna Nielsen, and her smash Busy Doin Nothin’ went on to reach the number-one position on the Swedish singles chart, and becoming one of the biggest hits in Sweden that year. Since then, she’s released three singles, the latest in co-operation with Stockholm Pride last summer, and worked with, amongst others, Melodifestivalen-royals Peter Boström & Thomas G:son.
What do we know about the song?
The team behind her song is the same that wrote Busy Doin’ Nothing, but also Swedish winner You (2013) and the Eurovision-winner Heroes for Måns this year, i.e. the biggest hits of Melodifestivalen the last three years… A contemporary, uptempo pop-smash wouldn’t be a far guess.
Albin & Mattias Andréasson
Song: Rik
Songwriters: Albin Johnsén and Mattias Andréasson
What do we know about the artist?
He may have been strangely absent from the TV screen in last year’s Melodifestivalen, but Albin was one of the songwriters behind Behrang Miri feat. Victor Crone’s Andra Chansen qualifier Det rår vi inte för (together with Eurovision winner Måns Zelmerlöw). He rose to fame in 2014 with the mega hit Din Soldat (with vocals by MF 2015 contestant Kristin Amparo), and he has released a handful of singles since then. Most of the songs have been co-written by former EMD-member Mattias Andréasson, sometimes using the name DMA, who will join him on stage in february. Mattias, who’s breakthorugh came with Idol 2007, EMD, and his victory in Let’s Dance 2010, made his latest appearance in Melodifestivalen in 2012, when he ended up at fifth place in the third semifinal.
What do we know about the song?
”It’s the same sound that we have produced together on our previous singles”
Anna Book
Song: Himmel för två
Songwriters: Larry Forsberg, Sven-Inge Sjöberg and Lennard Wastesson. Lyrics by Camilla Läckberg.
What do we know about the artist?
After a minor hit with the song Killsnack (originally appearing in Swedish 80’s hit show Solstollarna) Anna Book had her major breakthrough with ABC in melodifestivalen 1986. 30 year’s later, it doesn’t matter that Anna has been in Melodifestivalen twice more (1987 and 2007, when Samba Sambero came next to last in the final with one single point) and ended up secong behind Måns Zelmerlöw in let’s Dance – ABC is still her biggest trademark.
What do we know about the song?
The team behind songs like La Dolce Vita, Crazy in Love, and Kom och Ta Mig has teamed up with one of Sweden’s most famous crime writers Camilla Läckberg. Läckberg has numerous time talked about her dream of participating with a lyric to Melodifestivalen, and with this song – hopefully a fun, uptempo schlager of the kind they used to make them in the beginning of the 00’s – that dream will come through.
Mimi Werner
Song: Ain’t No Good
Songwriters: Mimi Werner, Göran Werner, Marcus Svedin, Jason Saenz
What do we know about the artist?
Mimi Werner releases her debut single today! That makes her, without competition, the freshest name in this year’s competition, and the only thing we know about her is that she is 24, that she is a relative to Melodifestivalen royalty Jill Johnson (Sweden’s biggest country star at the moment) and that the music she’s doing is Nashville-inspired country.
What do we know about the song?
It’s country.
Pernilla Andersson
Song: Mitt Guld
Songwriters: Pernilla Andersson, Fredrik Rönnqvist
What do we know about the artist?
Since her debut in 1999, Pernilla Andersson has released eight albums, and become one of Sweden’s most beloved singer-songwriters. In 2008 she switch language from English to Swedish, and in 2010 she was nominated for two Grammis. In 2011 she competed in melodifestivalen, and managed to get to Andra Chansen. Since her latest album 2012 it has been fairly quiet about Pernilla (the tabloids have reported that during this time she has been divorcing her husband Dregen) but this year she released a new single.
What do we know about the song?
It’s a singersongwriter ballad.
Robin Bengtsson
Song: Constellation Price
Songwriters: Låtskrivare: Bobby Ljunggren, Henrik Wikström, Mark Hole, Martin Eriksson
What do we know about the artist?
For most people, not much has been heard of Robin Bengtsson since he ended up in third place after Alice & Kevin in Idol 2008. He got a record deal right after Idol, and has released a bunch of (rather good) singles and an EP, but none of them have become anything major. Lately he has tried to reboot himself under the brand B.Robin (but has now changed it back to his birth name again) and our guess is that Melodifestivalen will have major impact on this.
What do we know about the song?
This is five time Melodifestival-winner Bobby Ljunggren’s 46th (!) entry in the contest. Say no more.
Samir & Viktor
Song: Fredrik Kempe, David Kreuger, Anderz Wrethov
Songwriters:
What do we know about the artist?
I guess most people watching this year’s Melodifestivalen know by now that Samir & Viktor is a duo that consisting of Paradise Hotel contestant Samir Badran and fashion blogger Viktor Frisk. The duo rose to fame with Success, their smash hit of 2014, and followed it up with this year’s Melodifestivalen hit Groupie, a top three hit on the Swedish Single Chart despite its modest 8th place in the final. This summer their third single Saxofuckingfon went on to become their third top three hit in a row, and their second big summer smash in two years. This make the group the most commercially successful act right now competing in next year’s competition.
What do we know about the song?
For the first time the boys has switched their usual songwriters for Mr Melodifestivalen himself: Fredrik Kempe. We guess he will do the same thing with them as he did with Alcazar: Deliver exactly what the audience expect from the group with some Kempe-brilliance added to it.
MALMÖ
David Lindgren
Song: We are Your Tomorrow
Songwriters: Anderz Wrethov, Sharon Vaughn, Gustav Efraimsson
What do we know about the artist?
David first made a name as an actor in musicals like Mamma Mia and Hair, before having his big break in Melodifestivalen 2012. He was the big surprise finalist with Shout it Out, ending up in 4th place in the final behind Loreen, Danny and Ulrik Munther. In 2013 he returned with Skyline, and ended up 8th. His two albums has been #1 and #2 on the Swedish album chart. Earlier this year he made the headlines when he collapsed on stage in the middle of his performance in Jersey Boys, a musical he will continue to headline until May next year. We guess he has checked he will be able to take the night off for MF (and maybe Eurovision).
What do we know about the song?
”A cool house song” about our need to take care of each other for a better tomorrow.
Isa Tengblad
Song: I Will Wait
Songwriters: Anton Hård af Segerstad, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Nikki Flores
What do we know about the artist?
17 year old Isa had won the Swedish junior championship in street dance, released two singles, and as a five year old appeared as Jill Johnson in Swedish talent show Småstjärnorna, before her big break with Don’t Stop in this year’s Melodifestivalen. After her 7th place in the final she has released a couple of singles and a six track EP. She released her new single Let It Kill You as late as last week.
What do we know about the song?
It’s supposed to be a ballad. A ballad!? Why waste one of Sweden’s best pop singers and dancers on a ballad? It better be a killer ballad!
Krista Siegfrieds
Song: Faller
Songwriters: Krista Siegfrids, Gabriel Alares, Magnus Wallin, Gustaf Svenungsson
What do we know about the artist?
Krista was born in Swedish-speaking minority in Kaskinen in western Finland. Her mother language is Swedish, though Siegfrids also speaks fluent Finnish and English. After an initial career as a musical actress, she made a big impact representing Finland last time Eurovision was in Sweden, kissing and marrying a girl on stage. Despite some good singles after that Krista hasn’t managed to break in Sweden (if you don’t count her success grading all Eurovision entries in QX with Schlagerprofilerna in 2014), but in Finland her debut album went top 20, and she is a household name over there. Our guess is this might also happen in Sweden come February.
What do we know about the song?
It’s in Swedish! It’s uptempo! It’s about love! It’s written by Gabriel ”#2 in ESC 2015” Alares!
Molly Pettersson-Hammar
Song: Hunger
Songwriters: Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Anton Hård af Segerstad, Molly Pettersson Hammar
What do we know about the artist?
Molly came fourth in Idol 2011, where she also met her boyfriend for several year’s, Melodifestivalen winner Robin Stjernberg. She opened Melodifestivalen 2015 with her song I’ll Be Fine, something that turned out to be everything but true when people didn’t download the new voting app in time for voting for her song, and she ended up last in her semi final. I’ll Be Fine turned out to be a modest radio hit anyway, and this summer Molly released her second single Something Right.
What do we know about the song?
Our guess: It’s a ballad with a lot of power.
Nilsson/Isaksson/Svenningsson
Song: Håll mitt hjärta hårt
Songwriters: Patrik Isaksson, Tommy Nilsson, Uno Svenningsson
What do we know about the artist?
The blog Scandipop described this collaboration of experienced, Swedish pop gentlemen as “a Kikki, Bettan & Lotta with men”, and there might be some truth to it. Some. Tiny. OK, the similarity might end with all three of them being very popular solo artists (Nilsson & Svenningsson in the 80s and 90s, Isaksson in the 00s) and having a track record in Melodifestivalen; Uno (in a duett with Irma) came as far as Andra Chansen in 2007, Patrik has competed with two very underrated songs in Melodifestivalen (in 2006 he made it to Andra Chansen and in 2008 he ended up fifth in his semi final) and came third in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2012, and Tommy has competed in Eurovision with one of Schlagerprofilerna’s favorite MF-winner of all time: En Dag in 1989. Tommy is also the latest artist to receive the dreaded nul points in a Melodifestivalen final at his latest try in 2007. This summer the three of them were put together as a trio for a summer tour in Sweden, a tour that turned out to be very successful, and now they are continuing that collaboration in Melodifestivalen.
What do we know about the song?
”A typical Nilsson/Isaksson/Svenningsson-song. We have one part each in the song that feels very much like that person”
Victor & Natten
Song: 100%
Songwriters: Dag Lundberg, Melker, Jesper Lundh
What do we know about the artist?
In 2013 Victor & Natten was founded by Victor Jr. Morsing and Radionika, a studio collective with roots in Köping, but now working in Stockholm. Together they started producing music that was a wild mix of pop, rap and rock, but with Swedish lyrics. A year later they released their debut single Svartsjuk, a song that Victor described as a “Oskar Linnros with a new touch”, and after that they have released another three singles, the latest this summer.
What do we know about the song?
”It will sound a bit like the previous Victor& Natten-singles”
Wiktoria
Song: Save Me
Songwriters: Jens Siverstedt, Lauren Dyson, Jonas Wallin
What do we know about the artist?
Wictoria was previous a member of the girl duo Dash4, but now she’s going solo. We haven’t found much more to write about her, but the team behind the song have written for no less than Avicii! That’s interesting!
What do we know about the song?
On paper we expect a big EDM song here!
NORRKÖPING
After Dark
Song: Kom ut som en stjärna
Songwriters: Sven-Inge Sjöberg, Lennart Wastesson, Larry Forsberg, Lina Eriksson, Kent Olsson, Calle Kindbom
What do we know about the artist?
Sweden’s oldest and, without a doubt, most loved drag act is back for a third time in Melodifestivalen. Founded in 1976 by Christer Lindarw, Roger Jönsson & Lars ”Lasse” Flinckman, the group had huge success in the 80’s, with their own shows and world wide tours. In 2004 Christer & Lasse competed in Melodifestivalen for the first time, and had a huge hit with La Dolce Vita, an instant MF classic, that ended up at 4th place in the final. They made a comeback in 2007, by then Lasse Flinckman had left the group for health reasons, but didn’t succéed to qualify to the final with Schlagerprofilerna-fav (Åh) När ni tar saken i egna händer.
What do we know about the song?
Written by the same trio that wrote their biggest MF-hit, we are sure this will be a fun schlager with a lot of humour and show elements in it – or at least that is what we expect. After Dark describes it as ”more of a disco party than La Dolce Vita was, with a smashing chorus”
Boris René
Song: Put Your Love On Me
Songwriters: Boris René, Tobias Lundgren, Tim Larsson
What do we know about the artist?
Behind the stage name Boris René, we find 24 year old footballer Boris Lumbana. Until now he has been mostly famous for playing football, right now with Degerfors IF in Superettan (the next highest league in Sweden) since 2014, but before that he played in Örebro SK in Sweden’s highest division Allsvenskan. In 2013 he released his single Alive, and got some small media coverage due to his status as a national league footballer. Not much happened with the single though, and since then Boris has been playing football, waiting for his big break.
What do we know about the song?
Rumor has it that this song is one to watch.
Lisa Ajax
Song: My Heart Wants Me Dead
Songwriters: Linnea Deb, Joy Deb, Anton Hård af Segerstad
What do we know about the artist?
Lisa was only six years old when she started taking singing lessons and that same year the Swedish version of Idol premiered. Rumour has it that Lisa already at that age stated that when she was sixteen she would also be in Idol and also she would win it. Last year that dream came through! Her “winner’s single” peaked at number 14 at the Swedish singles chart, and her debut, six-track album peaked at number 2 at the album chart. Bonus fact: Lisa also competed in Lilla Melodifestivalen 2012 (the Swedish pre-selection for JESC), but didn’t win.
What do we know about the song?
Midtempo R’n’B/pop.
Oscar Zia
Song: Human
Songwriters: Oscar Zia, Victor Thell, Maria Smith
What do we know about the artist?
Oscar Zia might be one of the few good things coming out of the short lived, one season of Swedish X-Factor, where he ended up at 8th place. After that he has also came in second in Let’s Dance 2013, reached Andra Chansen in Melodifestivalen together with Loulou Lamotte och Behrang Miri the same year, and, of course, competed as a solo artist and ended up 8th in the Melodifestivalen final 2014. Since then he has released a top three debut album, toured Sweden with the very popular Diggilo-show and made a career as a radio presenter.
What do we know about the song?
A ballad. The first song Oscar has ever written, and which he feel very strongly about. He feels it is much more ”his kind of music” than his previous MF entry.
SaRaha
Song: Kizunguzungu
Songwriters: Anderz Wrethov, Sara ”SaRaha” Larsson, Arash Labaf
What do we know about the artist?
She is almost completely unknown in Sweden. Sara Larsson, known as SaRaha, was born in Sweden in 1983. At the age of two, she moved to Tanzania with her parents, where she spent long periods of her childhood. She returned as an adult to live in Tanzania in 2009 and quickly became a part of the East African Pop music scene. In 2011 she started working under her stage name SaRaha, and has since then has been releasing singles and worked together with other Tanzanian Hip Hop and Afro pop artists. In 2013 SaRaha entered the global music competition Global Rockstar with her song Jambazi. Competing with artists from 72 countries from all over the world, she got a second place. In 2014 her song Mbele Kiza tried to get into Svensktoppen, and earlier this year she released her first single in Swedish.
What do we know about the song?
African rhythms mixed with a pop sound.
SMILO
Song: Weight of the World
Songwriters: Arvid Ångström, Dennis Babic, Oscar Berglund Juhola, Anton Göransson, Robin Danielsson
What do we know about the artist?
This is the three guys who got their spot in Melodifestivalen through the radio show Svensktoppen Nexta this summer. Arvid Ångtröm, Dennis Babic & Oscar Juhola are all from Stockholm, DJs and music producers, and they mainly focus on playing Tropical House. Their first single Goosebumps has just been re-released through a new record company.
What do we know about the song?
Tropical House.
Swingfly feat Helena Gutarra
Song: You Carved Your Name
Songwriters: Jocke Åhlund & Andreas Kleerup
What do we know about the artist?
Ricardo DaSilva II better known by his stage name Swingfly is an American-born rapper and singer. He started lending his vocal talents to other artists’ records, but has also developed also a solo career. He achieved his biggest success, through a collaboration with the electro/dub/punk trio Teddybears on their 2004 single ”Hey Boy”, but also had hits with Something’s Got Me Started and Singing That Melody. This song became one of the most played tracks on Swedish radio that summer. He participated in Melodifestivalen 2011 with the song Me and My Drum together with Christoffer Hiding. Swingfly advanced to the final and came fifth overall. The song gained great popularity and reached #2 on the official Swedish Singles Chart afterwards.
What do we know about the song?
Kleerup returns to the contest as a songwriter together with Teddybears Jocke Åhlund! On paper the songwriters actually seems more interesting than the artist…
GÄVLE
Dolly Style
Song: Rollercoaster
Songwriters: Thomas G:son & Peter Boström & Alexandra Salomonsson
What do we know about the artist?
Since the three dolls presented themselves with a Hello Hi! in Melodifestivalen earlier this year both Polly and Molly has left the band, leaving Holly (Alexandra Salmonsson) behind as the only original band member. But don’t fear; for their comeback one year later, a new Molly and Polly have been recruited! The girls have toured all over, from festivals to shopping malls, during the year, and they have also released two singles named Cherry Gum and Upsy Daisy.
What do we know about the song?
Since the song is written by the guys behind Euphoria and Spain’s 2015 ESC entry Amanecer, you might expect something a bit more mature than last time?
Eclipse
Song: Runaways
Songwriters: Erik Mårtensson
What do we know about the artist?
I guess some might call Elcipse “the mandatory rock band of the year”, but since we are very nice people, we will just tell you that these four Stockholm guys has released six albums since the band was founded in the end of the 90’s, and that their latest album Armageddonize was released earlier this year. They play melodic Hard Rock music in the spirit of Journey, Europe and Def Leppard, and their biggest success to date is their album Bleed & Scream from 2012 which gave them a top 50 placement on the Swedish album chart.
What do we know about the song?
It’s a rock song, and rock songs almost always steals a spot from a song that we really like. Although, we have at more than one occasion been revealed to actually like “the mandatory rock band of the year” in Melodifestivalen. So who knows? (And dammit, now we used that phrase anyway).
Frans
Song: If I Were Sorry
Songwriters: Oscar Fogelström, Michael Saxell, Fredrik Andersson, Frans Jeppsson Wall
What do we know about the artist?
Sweden might have been knocked out by Germany in the round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup, but the official song Who’s Da Man (about Swedish megastar footballer Zlatan) was one of the biggest hits in Sweden that year, staying at the top opf the charts for 10 weeks. The song was written and performed by the band Elias (whose band member Fredrik Andersson went on to write Melodifestivalen-classics like Björn Ranelid’s Mirakel), but the real star was the singer; the 6 year old Frans Jeppsson-Wall. Another single was released by the same team for the European Football Championship two year’s later. After that nothing has been heard from Frans until earlier this year, when he (now 16 years of age) suddenly appeared singing a new song in a Toyota commercial. We expect Melodifestivalen will be his big comeback in the minds of the Swedes.
What do we know about the song?
A cool, mid tempo pop song.
Linda Bengtzing
Song: Killer Girl
Songwriters: Mattias Kallenberger, Andreas Berlin, Linda Bengtzing, Dag Öhrlund
What do we know about the artist?
Is there any schlager-fan out there NOT knowing who Linda Bengtzing is? One of Sweden’s biggest schlager stars, Fame Factory-contestant, TV host, and so on, and so on. After a stunning record with four songs in the Melodifestivalen final (2005, 2006, 2008, 2011) her 2014 try to test something else songwise, something a bit more electronic, stopped at a fifth place in the fourth semi final. This autumn Linda has gained most attention because of her new (very short) haircut.
What do we know about the song?
It’s a song in the ”Linda Bengtzing genre”. Linda: ”Andreas Johnson has told me I have my own genre, and yes, this is another song in this genre! It’s uptempo! It’s in Swedish! It’s about girlpower!”
Martin Stenmarck
Song: Du tar mig tillbaks
Songwriters: David Stenmarck
What do we know about the artist?
For most schlager fans Martin Stenmarck is the dude who took Nanne Grönwall’s rightful win in 2005’s Melodifestivalen, and then ended up with one of the worst results ever for Sweden, a 19th place in Kiev… Most Swedes probably think about his big 2006 hit Sjumilakliv instead, or his several years in the very popular show Ladies Night. Kids know him best as the Swedish voice for Lightning McQueen in the Disney movie Cars. He is one of our most beloved artists in his genre and married to Hanna Hedlund (of Swedish Housewives fame). He made his comeback to Melodifestivalen 2014, but lost out to Linus Svenning in the Andra Chansen round. He has released over 20 singles and nine albums, and his latest album was released earlier this year.
What do we know about the song?
It’s a ballad, more in the land of Sjumilakliv than När änglarna går hem.
Molly Sandén
Song: Youniverse
Songwriters: Molly Sandén, John Alexis och Danny Sausedo
What do we know about the artist?
If you are a Swedish artist with a track record of a Lilla Melodifestivalen win (coming third in JESC), and two successful turns in Melodifestivalen (2009 & 2012), it is very rare that your biggest hit is actually a song released outside the competition, but for Molly Sandén that’s a reality. Molly’s song Freak was a huge hit in Sweden, topping most charts in 2014, and trampolined her to one of our most popular young pop-stars today. Of course it helps that she is a very committed blogger, an ambassador for good causes like the anti-bullying foundation Friends and the anti AIDS-organization Stars for Life, and a vocal feminist. After breaking up with Swedish Melodifestivalen winner Eric Saade in 2012, she now famously date Melodifestivalen royalty Danny Saucedo, and they make up one of Sweden’s most golden pop star couples. With a string of good and successful singles lately, Molly might be this year’s biggest star in Melodifestivalen, and – before anyone has heard the songs – the clear favorite to win.
What do we know about the song?
Rumor has that the song was written just a week ago! Molly says this about it: ”It’s an important song! It’s about everyone coming from the same source of life. A mid tempo song going towards uptempo. Not at all the kind of ballads I’ve competed with before!”
Panetoz
Song: Håll om mig hårt
Songwriters:
What do we know about the artist?
Panetoz is a Swedish multi-ethnic band with members originating from Gambia, Ethiopia, Angola, Congo and Finland-Sweden. Their biggest hit to date is undoubtedly the 2012 smash Dansa Pausa, which sold four times platinum in Sweden. They also had some minor radio hits with the follow-up Vissla med mig and this summer’s Norge. In 2014 they debuted in Melodifestivalen and went directly to the final, where they ended up in 9th place.
What do we know about the song?
A party song .
