Swedish~ Stereo~

I've got 3 important news regarding Melodifestivalen-2011 which I'm gonna share with you right now!
First one and the most important that we oficially have got new 8 announced artists and the most exciting word here is new! Just like Linda Bengtzing from the first bunch only Sanna Nielsen can be called here schlager-veteran and just like Linda she's coming with support of Thomas G:Son (I guess we're gona have a lot of G:Son's songs this year after his Top-5 on Eurovision this year). But not alone - Peter Boström, Bobby Ljunggren and Irini Michas are hard team behind the song "I'm In Love" so it's gonna be schlager of higher calibre.
Another one participant who already participated in Melodifestivalen but not solo is international sensation Danny and again song is co-written with Peter Boström (yesss!!!), Figge Boström and Danny, song is called "In The Club" so everything's pointing to the saddest heartbreaking ballad in the world, nah, this team is made for dancefloor killer-hit and the final in Globen without any "if" and "but"!
But the name I'm completely blown away is Dilba! One of the most inspiring artists of Sweden with music that's completely out of time is finally back after a long break and I'm so happy she's coming to Melodifestivalen. What makes it more interesting is that she's coming with Niklas Pettersson (responsible for some Velvet's and Daisy's hits) and Linda Sonnvik (who worked with Belle before) who wrote the song "Try Again".
Second ex-A*Teens part Sara Lumholdt is coming to Melodifestivalen with the song "Enemy" by Niclas Lundin (this year's song of Erik Linder) and Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad (Le Kid). Unfortunately Sara hasn't managed to properly establish solo-career so hopefully she'll make it this time.
Among loud names of this bunch you can also find Melody Club - popular pop/synth rock band that rotates in speculation lists not the first year and can easily be this year The Ark with the song "The Hunter".
More fresh names are Loreen (first Idol participant who completely disappeared for years after the show) with the song "My Heart Is Refusing Me" co-written with Moh Denebi and Björn Djupström and even newer for big audience Simon Forsberg with Fredrik Kempe's song "Tid att andas" and Rasmus Viberg with "Social Butterfly" written by another schlager-veterans - Amir Aly and Henrik Wikström. I'm gonna tell you about them a bit later.

Another exciting news are for all who's gonna visit Sweden to see Melodifestivalen next year. Tickets sales will be open this Thursday on October 21st so you'll be able to buy them from outside of Sweden on http://ticnet.se Prices and dates of concerts and general rehearsals are mentioned here.

And the last news. This week has shortened amount of webbjokers participants to 100 so you can check the chart and take a look at which songs are still in competition and which are going to leave it next week here. We have 25 favorites left so keep hoping that someone of them will reach the final!

By the way you can already mention logo of Melodifestivalen with silver gradient background in sales shops so seems like we've got new color of Melodifestivalen-2011!

This weekend SVT showed huge concert Världens Barn in help of charity company for kids in need around the world. So you could see performances of many top-artists in this event.
Jill Johnson presented her new single "Stumble And Fade Away" from new compilation "The Well-Known And Some Other Favourite Stories" and another new song "Song To Heaven" that was co-written with Molly Sandén.
Eric Saade performed his new single "It's Gonna Rain" - another Fredrik Kempe's hit that's gonna get video-treatment released very soon.
EMD premiered their brand new single - soundtrack for next part of "The Chronicles of Narnia" - "There's A Place For Us" written not less than David Hodges and Carrie Underwood, as expected huge Disney ballad in a vein of first EMD's single "All For Love".
Ultra-sweet new artist Jasmine Kara was invited with her Summer hit "Try My Love Again" (can I already put money somewhere that soon SVT will announce her as participant of Melodifestivalen-2011?).
Already officially presented MF-2011 artist Pernilla Andersson sang nice acoustic song "Dansa med dig" from her latest album "Ö".
Malena Ernman gave us a first taste of her forthcoming Christmas album "Santa Lucia - En Klassisk Jul" with hit from last album "La Voix Du Nord" - "Min plats på jorden".
The same was done by Sarah Dawn Finer week ago on another Världens Barn show with cover of "What a Wonderful World" from her future Christmas album "Winterland".
You can check whole show here to see also performances of Orup and The Cotton eye Joe show as well.

Great year for Swedish House Mafia keeps going with another victory! Famous club-project consisting of the biggest Swedish international DJs - Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso has just won voting as Best Swedish act for EMA-2010. This year fight in this nominee was hard as never - they competed with Robyn, Kent, Lazee, Miike Snow. So next step will be the fight for the title of Best European Act with winners from other countries like Marina and the Diamonds, Rasmus Seebach, Enrique Iglesias, Dima Bilan, Inna, Sakis Rouvas, etc.
Already in few day first project's album (compilation is better world as it contains singles and mixes of SHM members made years ago) "Until One" will see the light so you'll be able to find hits like "Leave The World Behind", "Tell Me Why", "One (Your Name)", "I Found U" and others on it. Recently band has released another single "Miami 2 Ibiza" with popular UK artist Tinie Tempah. It's another club-anthem of Swedish House Mafia that's immediately was caught by DJs who are already playing track around Europe so forthcoming album is going to be nothing but success!

Surprisingly fast just after one single "Million Pieces" we get first album of Idol-2009 star Tove Styrke. This Summer we've got Tove's performances in Allsång På Skansen, Sommarkrysset and Rockbjörnen so now it's time for more self-confident steps with new album "Tove Styrke" planned for release on November 12th.
Due to tracklist on Tove's site among people who worked on her album we can see Patrik Berger (Robyn, Kylie Minogue, Darin, Sandra Nasic, Juvelen, Hilary Duff), Jan Kask (The Sounds, Charlotte Perrelli, Blue, Mandy Moore, A*Teens), Peter Ågren (Venke Knutson), Adam Olenius (Shout Out Louds). Many of tracks were produced by Patrik Berger who stands behind officially biggest Robyn's hit in Sweden "Dancing On My Own" (the only #1 single from her discography, surprising?).

01. Beating on a better drum (Berger/Berger/Styrke. Produced by Patrik Berger)
02. Stalker in your speaker (Berger/Berger. Produced by Patrik Berger)
03. High & Low (Berger/Berger/Styrke. Produced by Patrik Berger)
04. Million Pieces (Olenius/LLZ. Produced by Lotus & 2manyfreckles)
05. Chaos (Styrke. Produced by Lotus & 2manyfreckles)
06. Close enough (Kask/Ågren/Styrke. Produced by Ågren & Kask)
07. Bad time for a good time (Berger/Berger. Produced by Patrik Berger)
08. Love you and leave me (Paw. Produced by Paw)
09. Four Elements (Styrke/Bao. Produced by Lotus & 2manyfreckles)
10. Walking in my daydream (Kask/Ågren/Styrke Produced by Ågren & Kask)
11. White light moment (Kask/Ågren/Styrke. Produced by Ågren & Kask)

After wild summer of tours around Sweden Salem Al Fakir's ready to promote his successful album "Ignore This" with new single "Split My Personality" that's already playing on the radio and planned to be released soon digitally.
"Split My Personality" sounds like the best choise for Autumn single, it's very touching sad track with dark mysterious instrumental part opening in beautiful melody of chorus. It's a bit more commercial and accessible than "4 O'clock" and atmospherically it's just made to be released in this season so it's gonna give a new push to Salem's music.
Thanx for the tips to Planet Salem.