Italy's Nina Zilli goes to Baku- after the San Remo Final 2012

Nina Zilli will sing for Italy at Eurovision Song Contest in Baku -with the looks of an italian -Amy Winehouse

She was among the 10 finalists of the San Remo Song Festival this year. Nina sang 'Per Sempre' at San Remo, and non other

than Ell & Nikki made an appearence at Italy's premium song festival- to make the announcement.

Nina Zilli is a singer songwriter who began performing from the age of 13 years old. She has had big success in Italy following her entry in San Remo 2010 - this lead to a top selling album. Nina says her main influences are rock and punk sounds of 70's and she even did an excellent cover of the Supremes 1960's hit 'You can't hurry love' in italian.

This artist sounds like another excellence choice from Italy in Baku 2012 - certainly Germany, Italy and even France for the second year running

have selected very well for Eurovision. It leaves us with one question- what's happening with the other 2 'big 5' countries?

UK and Spain

as automatic qualifiers for the Eurovision Contest final each year -I hope the last 2 come up with the goods as well? Italy look set

for a top 5 placing again.

Yes, the Youngblood has arrived for Melodifestivalen 2012

The third round of Melodifestivalen is upon us already- and so far we have four artists who have never been in a Melodifestivalen final

before- and we hope more Youngblood will come out of the Semi final in Leksand- Here is the line-up

1. Youngblood - Youngblood (Fredrik Kempe, David Kreuger)
2. Maria BenHajji - I mina drömmar (Nanna Sveinsdóttir, Thomas Cars)
3. Mattias Andréasson - Förlåt mig (Mattias Andréasson)
4. Love Generation - Just a little bit (RedOne, John Mamann, Jean-Claude Sindres, Teddy Sky, Yohanne Simon, Bilal Hajji)
5. Carolina Wallin Pérez - Sanningen (Martin Bjelke, Michael Clauss, Carolina Wallin Pérez)
6. Andreas Johnson - Lovelight (Andreas Johnson, Peter Kvint)
7. Molly Sandén - Why am I crying (Aleena Gibson, Molly Sandén, Windy Wagner)
8. Björn Ranelid ft. Sara Li - Mirakel (Fredrik Andersson, Björn Ranelid)
   
   
   Youngblood are favourites proceed to the final, but as we know in melodifestivalen the unexpected can happen! - we hope the boyband with their own Kempe Magic go direct to Globen- and then Molly Sanden's ballad is also very popular and I can see Molly in Globen final for a second time.
   For some reason Bjorn Ranelid fest Sara Li is rather popular in the rehearsals in Leksand, I heard the snippet from Svt and it's my option this song would take a real Miracle' to even qualify in Baku.
   
   
   
   
   
   I must say for me Mattias Andreasson song 'Forlat mig' is abit different from EMD - I luv it! and the tune should at least go to second chance. That's what I think yet I will not be surprised if both Mattias & Love Generation fall short of qualifing in this round.
   
   
   At least we have Kempe back- wth Sweden's own One Direction- check out the tunes Here
   
   

A new Euro-Star is born in Germany -Roman Lob

Roman Lob is the new Lena - who has been choosen to go to Baku in 2012- it was a close final

however Roman has been the favourite in 'Unser Star for Baku' Germany's own song selection talent contest. At just

21 and from a town called Neuwied in northern Germany- Roman looks set for a successful career in his

homeland starting with the release of the winning song and video tomorrow morning..

Winning performance of Standing Still The Video for Standing Stlll

Although not a instant pop tune, this song looks set to have some of the appeal of Italy's 'Madness of Love' in 2011.

Plus the songwriting credit is non-other than international Jazz performer Jamie Cullum with fellow brits Steve Robson and Wayne Hector- Wow ! in the UK songwriters have not been keen to take part in Eurovision apart from Boyzone's Ronan Keating (from Ireland anyhow) back in 2009

he wrote the Danish winner.

So this song credit- is a turn out for the books-- will we see Jamie Cullum in Baku as well?

Two New Stars debut in Melodifestivalen- Goteburg & go direct to Globen

The second semifinal of Melodifestivalen 2012 has brought us two more tunes for Globen

Ulrik Munther - Soldiers

and David Lindgren - Shout it out.

David Lindgren was not expected to do this well- perhapes a Second Chance placing - considering the big names

and Schlager veterans he was up against. He is a 29 year old Musical Theater star, who has tried out for Melodifestivalen in previous years

and 'Shout it out' is his debut performance.

The second chance placing went to two groups the popular Timoteij with Top Cats

the rock-a-billy dansband, the shocking news was both Andreas Lundsedt and Sonja Alden's I din himmel' finished outside the top 5

qualifiers, Andreas 'Aldrig, Aldrig' for me is a personal favourite for 2012- at the half way stage.

Lets hope for some more schlager in the next 2 semi finals-

We are Full of Timoteij Excitment- for saturday's semi-final

Timoteij a four girl folk band who debuted in Melodifestivalen in 2010, with their hit 'Kom' not many artists have made such an impact as these girls. 'Kom' easily qualified for the Globen final and finished in 5th place-

it made No 2 in the singles chart- then a fantastic debut album followed 'Langtan' that topped the swedish album charts. The girls also had a lot of success overseas with this swedish folk-pop sound.

NowTimoteij are as excited as ever to be back in the song contest for 2012 with a tune called 'Stormande hav' that we are told is an up-tempo song even better than 'Kom' We are hoping if this is the case the girls can go Direct to Globen. Yet there are some hard acts to beat

with Sonja Alden, Ulrik Munther both equally strong favourites. Let's not forget the wonderful

Andeas Lundstedt with another strong swedish tune as well in the semi final from Goteburg.

Melodifestivalen Semi Final 1 -Loreen is she going all the way to Baku 2012?

On saturday night Melodifestivalen 2012 opened on Svt TV and what an exciting start- I must say the line-up of artists was

a fantastic start. For once Melodifestivalen seemed to be about the songs and performance- not a variety show of the hosts and inbetween clips (as been the case in recent Melo semi-finals).

The new 'Queen of Melo' is Loreen who seems to have created a real buzz on the net with her new song for Sweden- "Euphoria" the song seem to be a near perfect combination of schlager writer Thomas G:Son & Peter Bostrom. Loreen really missed out at the Melodifestivalen Globen final 2010

and 'My heart is refusing me' should have been there- if that had been the case I believe the International juries could have showed Sweden the way to go-- it could have been a Saade, Danny & Loreen Globen battle?

Ok now for 2012 Loreen has the best chance yet- I hate to repeat myself ( I said it before) I'm certain Loreen is just the perfect artist to fly the swedish flag at Eurovision. Well it's just the first round of Melodifestivalen -we have alot more great music to come- just keep an eye on 'Euphoria'

Dead by April were expected by far to qualify for the final - the song certainly came up with the goods called 'Mystery' they are a massive band in Sweden now - and hats off to the lads they put on a fantastic performance- with their metal-pop as they call it?!?

Sean Banan - here was a surpise that he went on from being Song 1 - to being in second chance round. How long has it been since a song 1 has gone so far in Melo? Once again not a bad tune. However we did have Afro Dite certainly came up with the goods and a new disco-tune 'The Boy can Dance'

they made 5 th place only which means they will not make the final. If you ask me they should be at least in Second chance - instead

the swedes choose Thorsten Flinck! ok he is already bit scarry- or is it just the idea that an act like this seriously be sent to Baku.

I love Marie Serneholt - someone just has to give Marie the right song- she is stunning and puts on another excellent performance

I think I like 'Disconnect me' (Melo 2009) alot more.

The Moniker & Abalone Dots nice try- not bad tunes but Globen is not for you-

Semi final 2 - is going to bring more excitiment in the semi- they are calling the pure pop round..

I can't wait-

-Marie Serneholt -come back soon

Things are changing over in Norway! MGP For better or worse!

Last weekend saw the last Semi-final in Norway - so the final line-up is very almost complete. Hat's off to Norway who

are not wasting any time with a second chance round in 2012- Do they need it? it means 3 songs go automatically into the Mgp Final.

Still some strange music tunes seem to have got through- in Baku it is so important Norway qualify in 2012. As last year 'Haba Haba'

missed out Dusseldorf. I must say I have been very impressed with some of the songs in MGP semi finals

namely Mimie Oh, Irresistible, Silya Nymoen, Lisa Stokke, Martha Valle & Lisa Karlsnes all missed out on getting to the final- Then there was rather fab excellent

Rikke Normann with 'Shapeshifters' - Rikke has a big hit under her belt in Norway. ('superstar' in 2011)

There is one Wildcard slot at Specturm - come on NRK choose Rikke - this song will be huge anyway I think- I agree with schlagerboys

Norway your Rikke needs you! they have one wildcard space left for the final to be announced on Thursday.

The line-up for the final of Norsk Melodi Grand Prix and running order:

1. Stay - Tooji
2. High on Love - Reidun Sæther
3. TBA/Wildcard
4. Ola Nordmann - Plumbo
5. Crush - Malin
6. Smoewhere Beautiful - Nora Foss al-Jabri
7. Don't touch the flame - The Carburetors
8. Things change - Petter Øien & Bobby Bare
9. Sammen - Yaseen & Julie Maria
10. Make it better - Tommy Fredvang

Stop Press- the wildcard has been selected as Lise Karlsnes- 'Sailors'

hmmm...another ok track- but a MGP finalist? not really!

Melodifestivalen 2012- The Melo's own Village People appear in Vaxjo with Sarah Dawn

This was the big host musical number of Melodifestivalen 2012 last night- what fun Sarah Dawn Finer doing the YMCA- or In the Navy- I was thinking what joy-

but this song was not all what it seems- it was called ......

'Det är inte bögarnas fest'

This translated into "It's not the gay's party (The whole Sweden's party)" very funny- check out the clip above.

it became more fitting with the fact that rockers Dead by April- as expected won a place at Globen final.

more on that sooon--

Kurt Calleja Malta's Star for Baku & winner of EuroSong 2012

-Kurt can relax now he has won his place in Baku

Who is Kurt Calleja? a new singer from Malta- who has worked previously in London town- and this is his third

try at Eurovision.

It was a long Final EuroSong 2012 contest in Malta last night with 16 songs competing for the one ticket to Baku. As the jury and tele-votes came in- with international juries from Turkey, France, Ireland, Italy & France. It was a clearly three-horse race between Kurt and Claudia Faniello's ballad 'Pure' & third placed Amber with 'Answer in your eyes'

Strong favourites from Richard Edwards & Fabrizio Faniello came 5th & 6th placing with this new voting system.

In 2010 Kurt Calleja debuted in Malta Song for Europe in a duet alongside Priscilla Psaila with the song Waterfall. In the following year he performed ‘Over and Over’, which he wrote alongside the swedish songwriter Johan J’amtberg, the song finished in 3rd place- Then Kurt was back in 2012 this time to find Eurovision glory with a place in the second Semi-Final in Baku

with 'This is my night'

We like this new up-beat tune for Malta- and fingers crossed we will have Kurt in the ESC Final in May.

Fabrizio is Back- over in Malta the battle is on to find Le tune for Malta 2012

Malta have just finished their semi-final so now all the songs & artists are known for the Song for Europe final. Malta off course have never

won Eurovision although are one of the countries who have come very close- without taking the prize.

Last year Fabrizio Faniello- (of The Whistle Song-Fame) had a strong contender with the tune 'No Surrender' that I liked alot for Dusseldorf. In 2012 Fab is back - with an equally strong song- 'I will fight for you (Papa's Song)' hoping to sing for Malta again this year. This would be Fab's third time at Eurovision, however he is certainly a singer who moves with the times and styles with his songs. Another favourite from 2011 is Richard Edwards who will sing 'Look at me now' Our vote goes with Fabrizio- it's going to be an interesting battle -

The Malta final songs--

In Your Eyes - Lawrence Gray (Philip Vella & Cher Vella)

Petals On A Rose - Gianni Zammit (R. Abrahamsson, A. Aly, N. Numhauser & T. Fenech)

You Make Me Go Uh Uh - Deborah Cft. Leila James (David Vervoort & Patrick Reiner)

I Will Fight For You (Papa’s Song) - Fabrizio Faniello (J. Beoerham, N. Edberger, R. Uhlmann, W. Fenech & F. Faniello)

Pure - Claudia Faniello (Philip Vella & Gerard James Borg)

Seven Days - Danica Muscat (Philip Vella)

Mystifying Eyes - Corazon (Paul Giordimania & Fleur Balzan)

Answer With Your Eyes - Amber (Ray Agius & Alfred C. Sant)

Time - Wayne Micallef (Wayne Micallef)

Look At Me Now - Richard Edwards (Jan Van Dijck & Richard Micallef)

First Time - Kaya (Georgios Kalpadikis)

This is the Night - Kurt Calleja (Johann Jamtberg & Kurt Calleja)

No Way Back - Klinsmann (Paul Albela, Klinsmann Coleiro & Jonathan C. Spiteri)

You Are My Life - J. Anvil (George Georgion)

Take Me Far - Francesca Borg (Marco Debono & Doris Chetcuti)

it's class of 2012- Melodifestivalen 2012 in QX

Each year the Gay mag QX- do a massive cover story on Melodifestivalen- This regular issue has become an annual

feast due to the new photo shoot feat. most of the Melo stars for the new season- This photo treat is organised and made possible by non-other than

Ken & Ronny -the Le fab Schlagerprofilerna guys. (many thankus to them)

This year they have even created a great issue - with the added advantage of making this swedish mag available on-line

translated into english-

VIEW HERE

check it out as it does have some great short chats with many Melo stars as well-