Melodifestivalen: Heat 2

Melodifestivalen was broadcast from the city of Malmö yesterday, from the same arena Eurovision 2013 was held. Seven acts were up for consideration.

The line-up:
1. "Forever Starts Today," Linus Svenning
2. "Där och då med dig," Emelie Irewald
3. "Groupie," Samir & Viktor
4. "If I Was God For One Day," Neverstore
5. "Nonetheless," Marie Bergman & Sanne Salomonsen
6. "Möt mig i Gamla stan," Magnus Carlsson
7. "Don't Stop Believing," Mariette

Great News From Sweden!

Swedes chose their winner today, and congratulations to Sanna Nielsen! As predicted, it was a heart-stoppingly close finish. Sanna beat runner-up, Ace Wilder, by 2 points.

So Who Should Represent Sweden?

If you've been reading my Melodifestivalen recaps, then you know tomorrow is the fateful conclusion of Sweden's Eurovision selection process.

If you're just joining us, the ongoing Melodifestivalen ("The Melody Festival") has been taking place in Sweden for the last five weeks. Now, most other European countries have their own national selection for Eurovision, but the reason I've been covering Sweden is because it's just so good. From the level of production, to the talent of the performers, the Swedes take it all very, very seriously. And there's a chance that us Americans could be hearing from one of the finalists in the future: though we don't necessarily realize it, Swedish musicians and producers are all over our American pop charts.

It's a strong year for Sweden, and the final reflects this. It's going to be a very close race. Nearly every entry could go to Eurovision and be successful (except for Linus Svenning's "Bröder," I just will never be okay with that). Now, traditionally, a lower placement in the line-up produces a victory. Going eight, ninth, or tenth is the strongest position to be in. But there's no obvious winner this year.

Melodifestivalen: Round 3

Round 3 of Melodifestivalen was held in Gothenburg last Saturday. Viewership was down for this week; most of Sweden is tuned into the Olympics in Sochi.

The line-up:

1. "Echo," Outrigger

2. "Red," Eko

3. "Yes We Can," Oscar Zia

4. "Burning Alive," Shirley Clamp

5. "All We Are," State of Drama

6. "En enkel sång," CajsaStina Åkerström

7. "Busy Doin' Nothin'," Ace Wilder

8. "Around the World," Dr. Alban and Jessica Folcker