Melodifestivalen 2016: Just add schlager sugar and plenty of it.

As always with sweden's Melodifestivalen 2016 season, we will see plenty of variety in the artists and tunes. As it is the music song contest that stops a nation as very almost all the swedes watch to see just who will win the prize. To stay home, and get a ticket direct to Globen arena from Friends Arena. (in fact they could almost walk it over there!)
This musical variety  is always a good thing, and it seems that next year SVT have not forgotten plenty lumps of schlager, so on the eve of the big reveal on Monday of the 28 songs and artists.

Here is my reasons to be schlager- cheerful about Melodifestivalen 2016.

Artists to watch-out for in Melodifestivalen 2016.

1. Dolly Style: we just loved 'Hello Hi' but it was just lacking a little something to take them to the Melodifestivalen final in 2015, with Thomas G:son writing their new tune. They must be on their way to the Melodifestivalen final?

2. Anna Book: Just the biggest schlager 'wow' factor, Anna gave us the amazing 'Samba Sambero' now in 2016 Anna is finally back, we luv her and have high expectations that she will continue to deliver schlager magic.

3. Afer Dark:About time too,  they have been to Melodifestivalen twice before as well as giving us the schlager classic 'La Dolce Vita' in 2004. I am hoping they sing in english this time for a change?

4. Oscar Zia: 'Yes he can', he made a great impression with his 2013 performance and has only grown in popularity since then for his Melodifestivalen comeback

5. Samir & Viktor: After opening Melodifestivalen final 2015, they are very much still the pop duo to watch out for in Sweden. Plus they have Fredrik Kempe helping out with song writing as well. Very schlager tastic indeed.

6. Dinah Dah: Another star from last year is set to return to deliver a better electro dance track than her  'Make me (La La La)' we know this gal can really dance so with the right tune, who knows where she will go next year?

7.David Lindgren: Another flashback to Melodifestivalen 2013 when David gave us a very popular track 'Skyline' so it will be intersting to see where he goes in 2016.

8. Linda Bengtzing: Its been such a long journey for Linda at Melodifestivalen and who can forget 'Alla Flickor' back in 2005, you can be sure the Bengtzing Energy will be back in stage next year.

9. Molly Petterson Hammar: We are hoping the press stories are true? and Molly will deliver another amazing performace as she did last year (fingers crossed)

10. Panetoz: A welcome return to the soul group that had a big hit before with Efter solsken' in Melo 2014.

We hope to see these names on monday when SVT release the full list of 28 songs...it will at least make for a very up beat Melo season at the very least. I am excited already.

             -Dolly Style, thanks to Facebook page

Russia will they send their secret star: Serey Lazarev to Stockholm 2016

Could this be the face of Russia at Eurovision Song Contest 2016? If the rumours are true then Yes.
He is a mega star in eastern europe -Serey Lazarev, if the name sounds familiar that could be because he has been linked to Eurovision a few times in the past. He came in 4th placed to Dima Bilan back in 2008 in the Russian National Final with a song called 'The Flyer'
In fact Serey started his career in a boy band called Smash! and went on to have many best selling albums as well as an acting career in Russia. Serey has covered the 80's classic hit 'Shattered Dreams' (originally released by Johnny Hates Jazz) which became one of his greatest hits.

Recently at a russian music bash, he told his audience that he was likely to be representing Russia in the next Eurovision Song Contest, so it looks likely we may see Serey finally in the Eurovision Song Contest for 2016, as the Russia's internal selection.

It sounds like a great Russian entry in the making for next year- lets wait and see...Meanwhile, as a bit of a teaser check out Serey Lazarev's recent hit 'Take it off' (+ a very Eurovis' style dance routine)

Here is a more recent rock release '7 Wonders' as well

Eurovision's Best Duets Ever, My All Time Top 10

     One of my favourite moments from back in Vienna 2015, was seeing just how well contestants Mans Zelmerlow (Sweden) & Guy Sebastian (Australia) got on together during that week. Then this great freindship even transcended onto the Eurovision scoreboard, when both countries gave each other 12 points. There was even talk of a future duet between Mans and Guy, that would be special. This has got me thinking how many times has two stars of the past Eurovision Song Contests have actually got together to make a duet? besides covering a Eurovision entry, itself.

  I did some searching and came up with my Top 10 Eurovision artists duets.


1. Maria Haukaas Storeng & Måns Zelmerlöw- 'Precious to Me'

 2. Christer Björkman & Shirley Clamp- La Vie/ This is My Life

 3. Agnetha Faltskog & Tomas Ledin- Never Again

 4. Johnny Logan & Nicole - No One Makes Love like You

 5. Elisabeth Andreassen & Tor Endresen- All over the World (MGP 15)

 6. Olivia Newton-John & Cliff Richard- Suddenly (From Xanadu movie)

 7. Timoteij Feat Alexander Rybak-Vända Med Vinden

 8. Malena Ernman & Sarah Dawn Finer - Sancta Lucia (2013)

 9. Jan Johansen & Jill Johnson- Let it be me

10.  Anita Skorgan Med Jahn Teigen- Friendly

Estonia is ready and waiting, for their National Final Eesti Laul

What a great ad with all the estonian stars of Eurovision in recent years. Lets hope some of them comeback for 2016, in some shape or form...

Melodifestivalen 2016 - Who will be in the line-up next year?

As we head into November over in Sweden the annual speculation begins as to who will be selected to perform at Melodifestivalen 2016. The old rumour mill goes into overdraft as most of the swedish press try to guess who? what? with which songwriter. Its almost a game of 'I spy... ' and then when the full list of the 28 songs and artists are anounched there is always plenty of surpises left.

A sure bet is Samir & Viktor who gave us 'Groupie' this year in Melodifestivalen, and have gone on to become the hit duo of the summer in Sweden. With a second platinum selling hit called 'Saxofuckington' under their belt they seem to be on golden run. For their return to Melodifestivalen 2016 they are said to have a Fredrik Kempe song, no less. I hope they do something in english this time around.

Another two returning stars are Ace Wilder (who it appears has not been- busy doin nothing' since 2014) and Oscar Zia who also had a great song last year in Melodifestivalen with 'Yes We Can'

We will keep you posted as more names and new stars get revealed, this is a great starter but we are left wondering what is the main course? Plus lets not forget, Melodifestivalen has been won in the last couple of years by a veteran Melodifestivalen artist, Mans, himself and Sanna Nielsen.

Oscar, with hair to die for...

The first acts to go direct to Globen, Stockholm 2016- Highway.

As the month of October begins we have not one but two acts announced already to take the journey to Stockhom in 2016. One of the most interesting is from Montenegro who finished 13th in Vienna with 'Adio' that added some traditional melody to Eurovision 2015. For next year Montenegro have gone for the opposite in a pop-rock act that came 4th in X-Factor Adria. They are Peter, Marko & Luke called Highway  the trio and look and sound rather good.

Meanwhile Netherlands have also got in early with a big independant singer-songwriter called Douwe Bob who has two best selling albums to his credit already back in Netherlands. Douwe is likely to write his own uptempo entry for Holland. The song is due to be presented by soon.

                               Highway Trio- Tea for Three

Where have all the good men gone? asks Conchita. Last week on ORF Tv

Yes, our former Queen of Eurovision 2014- Is back home in Austria performing two new songs, one is her latest single 'Where have all the good men gone' which I like alot and makes me wonder why Conchita did'nt release this song before now? It has a touch on Beyonce to it as well.

Another hit on the way...

Stand by for 'Bracelet' coming soon- and just perrr-fect for Melodifestivalen 2016? We think...

Benny Andersson's association with Melodifestivalen, goes back as far as 1969 a songwriter of the first placed song 'Hej Clown' that very almost went to Madrid for the Eurovision Song Contest of 69. However Benny's tune lost out to Tommy Korberg's 'Judy Min Vän' in a tie break, that became Sweden's entry and finished in 9th position.

Then in 1974 Benny and Abba made international music history with 'Waterloo' that gave Sweden's first Eurovision win, yet the Melodifestivalen/Eurovision associations did not finish there.

In 1986 the second generation Peter Gronvald (Benny Andersson's son) joined forces with the famous Nanne (his wife) in a 80's pop band called 'Sound Of Music' and the 4th placed 'Elorado' being the first time we saw the Andersson-clan back in sweden's favorite national song contest. 'Sound of Music' became the pop three some 'One More Time' and won Mf to sing for Sweden at Eurovision Song Contest 1996 when they finished in third place. Next Nanne went solo and entred Melodifestivalen and very almost won Melodifestivalen of 2005 with 'Håll Om Mej' after four Melo' entries herself. Nanne became a huge name in Sweden, largely due to 'Håll Om Mej' becoming one of Melodifestivalen's famous top hits.   

Then if we fast forward on to 2014,  Benny's grandson's Felix & Charlie Gronvald formed their own rock band called 'Little Great Things' and became the third generation of the Andersson clan to be part of Melodifestivalen. 'Little Great Things' song 'Set Yourself Free' did not make Melodifestivalen 2014. However Charlie as a lead singer  and his brother Felix are about to launch a new three piece band, that includes a danish bass player Rebecca from Copenhagen, that are next month coming out as 'Bracelet' -onto the Swedish music scene. They have now joined forces with artist producer and songwriter Jimmy Jansson, who has a history of Melodifestivalen past hit tunes like 'Amanda' and 'Vi Kan Gunga' from 2005.

We cannot wait to hear what 'Bracelet' bring us, and at this early stage, whisper, whisper-  we have a feeling they could even pop up in Melodifestivalen 2016!  fingers crossed, as the Andersson musical clan continues...

Remember where u hear it first- Find out more on Bracelet here:
 https://www.facebook.com/braceletmusic/info?tab=page_info

Melodifestivalen 2016- The contest dates are revealed

   Just today,  Svt have released the dates of each semi final, Andra Chansen and the Grand Final.
Interesting to see the coastal town of Halmstad included here (and birthtown of Roxette) for the first time, I think.

Melodifestivalen dates

06/02/2016  – Semifinal 1 -Göteborg – Scandinavium
13/02/2016 –  Semifinal 2 – Malmö, Malmö Arena 
20/02/2016-  Semifinal 3 -Norrköping- Himmelstalundshallen
27/02/2016-  Semifinal 4 -Gävle-Gavlerinken Arena 
05/03/2016- Andra  Chansen-Halmstad- Halmstad Arena
12/03/2015-  Grand final -Stockholm- Friends Arena

One of the popular Melodifestivalen artists Alcazar, did a radio interview and said they are so keen to return to Melodifestivalen 2016.. that would be a schlager treat. Alcazar who are currently doing a run of their popular show Disco Defenders in Stockholm now as we type.
May the schlager force be with Alcazar and for Melo 2016 as well.

Lena Andersson - returns a Schlager Legend from 1972-

Lena Andersson is back via the Schlager Time Machine, returning this week to Stockholm city to my complete pure delight. 

She has a brand new english CD released after a long long break since the mid 80’s.  Lena Andersson was a Polar artist who worked with Bjorn and Benny as producers and songwriters from 1971 onwards. She also had minor hits in West Germany with german versions of Abba’s ‘Fernando’ ‘Hasta Mañana’ & ’S.O.S’ Lena first found fame back in 1971 at the age of  just 15, Stig Anderson took Lena under his wing and her version of ‘ I’m gonna be a country girl again’ (Är Det Konstigt Att Man Längtar Bort Nån Gång) was her first number one on Svensktoppen chart in 1971. In a strange twist of fate, today in 2015,  Lena is a country girl again! As Lena lives on a farm in Arizona, USA together with her american husband and sings mainly gospel and country-pop music and is rarely seen on the swedish music and TV scene. 

Last Thursday she sang a free live set at The Pop House Garden, Stockholm.  

Lena Andersson has an amazing vocal, and I have always felt her Melodifestivalen entry ’Säj Det Med En Sång’ is just timeless, wrote by Bjorn and Benny a year before ‘Ring Ring’ in 1973. This tune is a ballad in the true schlager queen style, so how it came only 3rd for Lena Andersson at Melodifestivalen- I don’t understand, however she had some fine competition in Melodifestivalen 1972 from Tomas Ledin, Bjorn Skifs, Monica Zetterlund & Sylvia. Lena’s Melodifestivalen tune she reprised this week at Pop House , Stockholm.

You can check out more Lena facts -on the forgotten Svensktoppen star, and Lena’s brand new album ‘Open Your Heart’ at her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1newcdlenaandersson?fref=ts

Lena Andersson sings  ’Säj Det Med En Sång’ on SVT

Lena- the Queen of Schlager' is back at Last

Lena has been silent for a long time, but now she’s back - yes, Ms Lena Philipson. 

       

Who can forget Lena’s Eurovision performance back in 2004, when she sang ‘It Hurts’ for Sweden at Eurovision Song Contest in Istanbul and finished in 6th place.

Lena’s performance and her mike-stand- who can forget that- is already a piece of Eurovision history. Before that big Melodifestivalen victory of 2004 with “Det Gor Not’. Lena Philipsson had three previous attempts to win a place at Eurovision Song Contest as a singer in the 80’s. Then two more times at Melodifestivalen in the 90’s as a songwriter for her friend Pernilia Dahlgren in 1991, and the group Arvingarna in 1999.

Lena has become in Sweden a household schlager queen, and seems to stick to music and songs mainly in her native language now-a-days    

Lena’s new album is due out in September 2015- produced by Alcazar’s producer, Anders Hansson we just can't wait…   

Lena’s new single is out now, and called ‘Jag är ingen älskling’ (I am no Darling) Really, she is a darling we luv her so.

Check out this wonderful TV performance of the new song wrote completely by Lena Ph as well, there seems no end to Lena’s talents.