Swedish~ Stereo~

Popular summer SVT show for kids Sommarlov brings some of Melodifestivalen artists of this year to a young and pop-loving audience.
First of season's guests were Mimi Oh and Youngblood who have performed their songs competing this Spring and you can also watch Youngblood doing their newest single "American Girlfriend" on a third video at 7.54 and Mimi singing "Säkerhetsnål" here.

Mimi Oh delivers a worthy follow-up of a pop-fest she has started this Spring with the new single "Festen som vi hatar imorrn" that she has co-written with the same team of Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad and Niclas Lundin who was standing behind "Det går för långsamt" but also involving Bobby Ljunggren this time.
Song basically contains everything that you loved about "Det går för långsamt", it goes in a dancier Mimi-party rhythm with lovely synths in arrangement, it's still not that 80s style Mimi has started with but it's a pure pop-joy.

Getting ready for a weekend we've got some party mood from MF stars of this season with some fresh mixes for their competing entries.
Mimi Oh has released a pack of Soundfactory tracks, it's right that sort of schlager-dance mix that you can call a classic Soundfactory-sound.
Björn Ranelid's "Mirakel" has got three mixes - clubby Djurpark remix, dance Fas 3 remix featuring new male rap part and retro-version Motown Remix
Jacob Czitrom who has made the remix for last year's Dilba's "Try Again" has mixed David Lindgren's "Shout It Out" changing tune and wrapping it in modern radio-friendly dance-track still leaving its pop-fascination.
And finally lately we get so many worthy "Euphoria" mixes that Loreen could release like 2 maxis but this time I'd like to show you Tiger & Wolf Remix - amazing work and absolute dancefloor stomper.

Mimi Oh starts working on promotion of her latest single "Det går för långsamt" that has become one of the most colourful highlights of this schlager-season for us.
Right after the pack of Soundfactory mixes which is already released and we're waiting for its online-presentation to share with you the girl brings pretty adorable acoustic performance of the song. Beautiful tune and Mimi's voice makes electropop track easily transforming to its lovely calm version. Check it!

Today I've got absolutely wonderful present from Mimi Oh and her label - stylish flash stick containing full promo-pack of her single "Säkerhetsnål" packed in a cassette box!
Not that I would be less glad if it was just a standard disk but look above what a creative idea it is.
Besides a video for "Säkerhetsnål" pack contains 8 mixes including three versions of Soundfactory mix that I was pretty positive about but what I was surprised by is that Anders Nyman's, Erik Emanon's and Golfinger mixes has turned even stronger club mixes. I was completely sold by Swedish House Mafia-breathing piano keys in Anders' mix, Erik Emanon's has more electronic sound with a heavily buzzing layouts and blossoming anthemic choruses, Goldfinger mix feels like a more rhythmic version of Erik Emanon's work but is still really loveable. You cacn check snippets of mixes at Schlagerfiasko.
I remind you that Mimi participates tonight in the second semifinal of Melodifestivalen with a track "Det Går För Långsamt" - big caramel synthpop-track with a beautifully developed tune written by Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad and Niclas Lundin. Mimi has prepared colourful performance with a lot of dancers and (I can't help but mention) with her new hairstyle she looks especially sweet with! So pay her a proper attention, this artist and the song are really worth it. You can listen to Mimi's song and songs of the rest of participants below.

Vdeo snippets from rehearsals of the second semifinal are out and here's what we get.
Ulrik Munther has presented new radio-hit sounding in my ears like JoJo going pop-rock. I don't think it's going to get MF-winner buzz but it's very well done and should be adored by fans on summer pop-fests.
Top Cats are Playtones without Kempe (read as without extra-something), rockabilly-stuff, not "The King" level in my ears.
Sonja Aldén comes back with a new Bobby Ljunggren schlager-ballad and Bassflow production, it's nice and should sound touching with its lyrics about passed away close person but after all flops of schlager-ballads can it have really huge success on MF?
I didn't imagine Andreas Lundstedt can surprise me singing dance-music I never heard from him but he has managed, it's a sweet melodic electro-dance pop with schlager-touch, probably what Shirley should sing in 2012 but it's lacking Shirley's drive unfortunately.
Timoteij have beautifully developed tune with energetic folk-schlager sound, I wish loads of luck to girls but I've got a feeling it won't be as big fans favorite as "Kom" was.
Nice to see Tony Nilsson persenting something fresh for David Lindgren, modern dance-song that would be a good album track for Darin or Ola but is it going to work on MF?
Mimi Oh has presented very nice electropop mix of what Linda Sundblad and Le Kid were about last year, you will hardly find from her 80s-vibes here but it's catchy, stylish and I really like production, her best single so far.
I was initially sceptic to Di Leva, I rarely put his stuff in my player but I think his arena-oriented positive pop will work good on MF. And here I've changed my mind right like I did when I've heard Thorsten Flick.

Mimi Oh keeps delivering new goodies related to her newest single "Säkerhetsnål" which besides fresh video presented few days ago has got new mixes and here's one of them made by club-veteran SoundFactory and though schlager-dancefloor is probably the first thing coming to your mind when you hear this name mix has turned quite electro which fits concept of original track very well, it's cold, elegant but still very dynamic. Enjoy!

New season of Melodifestivalen has turned mostly about well-recognizable faces of Swedish pop giving just a small quota to fresh artists and among them we've got Mimi Oh supported by Anton Hård Af Segerstad and Niclas Lundin who constantly keep working on new music for Mimi.
Great to see Mimi is one of those participants who tries to deliver some schlager pre-excitement with a sneak peek of her new music. Single "Säkerhetsnål" was released on iTunes this week and video is premiered today on SVT site. Full track has become a nice bridge between latest electropop-direction of Linda Sundblad (who has co-written this track) and Mimi's love to 80s synth-sound with very catchy and light choruses. Video is very colourful but not as Lili & Susie-feeling as "Kom Hit Och Dansa", girl goes modern but doesn't close the door for glorious 80s music past.

Melodifestivalen artists start promoting their new stuff before the contest and one of schlager-debutants Mimi Oh presents piece of her new single "Säkerhetsnål" to be out on January 11th written by Anton Hård Af Segerstad, Niclas Lundin (who stand behind MF-entry "Det går för långsamt") and Linda Sundblad (who has written this year's entry for Hanna Lindblad).
Song feels like electropop-mix of Veronica Maggios-smelling verses (getting quite trendy in Sweden this year) and choruses getting big but it's nothing like what you could expect from Le Kid's Anton or Linda, nothing like previously 80s inspired Mimi Oh's stuff and not directly schlageristic but quite original and stylish track. We also really like new Mimi Oh's images explored through photoshooting and on a single cover.

You probably have already managed to read about official line-up of Melodifestivalen-2012 on some ESC or Swedish music related sites. I wasn't in a hurry as all of these artists but one were quessed before and you could read about them here. Anna Järvinen has refused to participate in the last moment so she was replaced by David Lindgren. Danny has also changed his song for more proper for MF right before official announcement.
I've collected some descriptions of tracks from SVT, QX, Schlagerprofilerna, Scandipop and Schlagerzoot so you could realize in common what should we expect from MF this time.
Pictures are taken from expressen.se and svd.se.

Semifinal 1: Växjö

Loreen "Euphoria"
(Thomas G:son, Peter Boström)
- dynamic, mystic and dramatic song with "Cry Me A River"-feeling and ambient-sound crawling under your skin.


The Moniker "I Want To Be Chris Isaak (This Is Just the Beginning)"
(Daniel Karlsson (The Moniker))
- track having nothing common with "Oh My God", it's more green than golden, not attached to any genre, more rhythmic and oriental.


Thorsten Flinck & Revolutionsorkestern "Jag reser mig igen"
(Thomas G:son, Ted Ström)
- heavy melodic track in classic schlager-tradition with at the same time personal and common lyrics.


Dead by April "Mystery"
(Pontus Hjelm)
- epic (not a ballad) pop-metall in-your-face track with a strong chorus not written especially for MF sounding in a vein of the latest band's album, the hardest MF entry ever.


Abalone Dots "På väg"
(Rebecka Hjukström, Sophia Hogman, Louise Holmer, Viktor Källgren)
- melancholic love ballad with banjo in a minor and nyckelharpa typical for Abalone Dots style.


Marie Serneholt "Salt & Pepper"
(Lina Eriksson, Mårten Eriksson, Figge Boström)
- swinging and spicy uptempo-track.


Sean Banan "Sean Den Förste Banan"
(Sean Simadi (Sean Banan), Joakim Larsson, Hans Blomberg, Mårten Andersson)
- typical Sean Banan's entertaining track without any calm moment and with a message that everybody can be a king in their own ways.


Afro-Dite "The Boy Can Dance"
(Figge Boström, Catrine Loqvist, Johan Lindman)
- 70s inspired happy disco track with a modern sound.


Semifinal 2: Göteborg

Andreas Lundstedt "Aldrig Aldrig"
(Niclas Lundin, Maria Marcus, Randy Goodrum)
- melancholic uptempo song about breaking up, not a disco but this is the song you can dance and cry listening to.


Top Cats "Baby Doll"
(Mårten Eriksson, Lina Eriksson, Susie Päivärinta)
- positive energetic rock'n'roll track in a full tempo.


Mimi Oh "Det går för långsamt"
(Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Niclas Lundin)
- slightly 80s inspired honest and straight bombastic pop-track with catchy choruses and modern sound.


Thomas Di Leva "Ge aldrig upp"
(Thomas Di Leva)
- uplifting energetic song with a certain message.


Sonja Aldén "I din himmel"
(Sonja Aldén, Bobby Ljunggren, Peter Boström)
- recognizable follow-up of "För att du finns", calm but strong and pulsating.


David Lindgren "Shout It Out"
(Fernando Fuentes, Tony Nilsson)
- positive dance-track requiring big dance-performance.


Ulrik Munther "Soldiers"
(Ulrik Munther, Johan Åberg, Linnea Deb, Joy Deb, David Jackson)
- fresh pop-rock song about relationships and forgiveness with millitary feeling not going too far from Ulrik's debut album sound and closer to his "The Box".



Timoteij "Stormande hav"
(Kristian Lagerström, Johan Fjellström, Stina Engelbrecht, Jens Engelbrecht)
- energetic pop-folk uptempo schlager with Irish influences and heavier than their previous stuff though in a same vein.


Semifinal 3: Leksand

Mattias Andréasson "Förlåt mig"
(Mattias Andréasson)
- fresh Swedish pop with American influences (earlier described as r'n'b in Swedish sounding in Oskar Linnros' style).



Maria BenHajji "I mina drömmar"
(Nanna Sveinsdóttir, Thomas Cars)
- webjoker - classic schlager-ballad from "För att du finns" and "Med hjärtat fyllt av ljus" family.


Love Generation "Just A Little Bit"
(Nadir Khayat (RedOne), John Mamann, Jean-Claude Sindres, Teddy Sky, Yohanne Simon, Bilal "The Chef" Hajji)
- explosive pop-track with attitude, power and happiness.



Andreas Johnson "Lovelight"
(Andreas Johnson, Peter Kvint)
- Faces go partying with T Rex, Blur and Robbie Williams, positive track with gospel-touch closer to a style of Andreas' first MF-entries "Sing For Me", "A Little Bit Of Love".


Björn Ranelid feat. Sara Li "Mirakel"
(Fredrik Andersson, Björn Ranelid)
- clubby track with happy chorus and poetic lyrics.


Carolina Wallin Pérez "Sanningen"
(Michael Clauss, Martin Bjelke, Carolina Wallin Pérez, F Dread)
- drum cavalcade melancholic synth-pop crossing borders and flirting with rock.


Molly Sandén "Why Am I Crying"
(Molly Sandén, Aleena Gibson, Windy Wagner)
- modern pop-ballad with honest lyrics about broken heart that many are gonna take as personal.


Youngblood "Youngblood"
(Fredrik Kempe, David Krüger)
- uptempo feelgood sing-a-long track with modern sound and recognizable Fredrik Kempe's style.


Semifinal 4: Malmö

OPA "Allting blir bra igen"
(Michael Sideridis)
- swinging, catchy, Greek folk-pop.


Danny Saucedo "Amazing"
(Danny Saucedo, Peter Boström, Figge Boström)
- uptempo track from "In The Club" team, more positive and arena-oriented.


Lotta Engberg & Christer Sjögren "Don't Let Me Down"
(Lasse Holm, Lars "Dille" Diedricson)
- mature euroschlager with modern sound and adrenaline rush.


Hanna Lindblad "Goosebumps"
(Hanna Lindblad, Linda Sundblad, Tony Nilsson)
- 80s inspired song with loads of energy and love.


Axel Algmark "Kyss mig"
(Axel Algmark, Mattias Frändå, Jonathan Magnussen)
- happy pill with party feeling.



Dynazty "Land Of Broken Dreams"
(Thomas G:son, Thomas "Plec" Johansson)
- 90s hardrock song hitting you like a punch.


Charlotte Perrelli "The Girl"
(Fredrik Kempe, Alexander Johnsson)
- fresh clubby uptempo sing-along track with electro-sound and schlager-glitter.


Lisa Miskovsky "Why Start A Fire"
(Lisa Miskovsky, Aleksander With, Bernt Rune Stray, Berent Philip Moe)
- forest minstrel in love with Prince and Kate Bush.