Swedish~ Stereo~

Erik Linder's newest album has included really nice surprise - the song "Så Länge Hjärtat Slår" written by Måns Zelmerlöw and Hanne Sørvaag together with Dan Sundquist (producer of Anna Bergendahl's "This Is My Life" and Didrik Solli-Tangen's "My Heart Is Yours").
The song has turned to be a schlager-ballad slightly old-school but with a good classic growth from intimate piano-intro to a big cinematic culmination. Hanne has provided vocals for album version of the song but it was Erik's girlfriend - Timoteij's Elina who has performed it in Bingolotto few days ago.
I should remind you that Måns has also co-written track "Hello Goodbye" for another hot Swedish-Norwegian duo of Erik Segerstedt and Tone Damli and they'll be performing it in the second heat of Melodifestivalen-2013.

We get some enormous amount of Timoteij's singles from the last album "Tabu", do you remember any Swedish pop-artist releasing 5 singles from the album? I directly can't but anyway here is the fifth single "Faller" and this is another good choice.
Song was written by Niclas Arn, Gustav Eurén (guys behind "Kom") and another Melodifestivalen songwriting name - Dan Attlerud. Just like the whole album track has turned more dancey and less folk still joining both sides of Timoteij's music nicely and having wonderfully developed tune.

Sommarkrysset was overshadowed this time by Victoriadagen concert but still it had some really interesting artists you could read about on this blog a lot.
Pernilla Wahlgren has taken out all her schlageristic energy to perform Donna Summer's "She Works Hard For The Money.
Timoteij was also singing a cover of Ted Gärdestad "Oh Vilken Härlig Dag" and their latest single "Ta mig till sommaren".
Lilla Sällskapet that I recently told you about have performed their newest track "Jag vill ut".

Ane Brun - Do you remember
Timoteij - Oh, vilken härlig dag
Far East Movement - Turn up the love

Timoteij girls are definitely back on the track this year, so even if you don't qualify to Melodifestivalen final it doesn't mean you should be struggling super-hard for your career. Their second album is in Top-10 of Swedish album-chart and band is visiting all possible TV-shows.
The newest one is Sommarlov where girls perfofmed "Stormande Hav", "Ta Mig Till Sommaren" and have proved that they can play their instruments very well making Danny's "Amazing" in Så Ska Det Låta game.
If you've missed Timoteij's performance at TV4's Bingolotto and Nyhetsmorgon I also attach them.

Not wasting too much time on the single "Tabu" released in the middle of May Timoteij girls presents another track "Ta Mig Till Sommaren" from their latest album.
In my opinion better single choise and wonderful summer track which sounds like Timoteij's answer to Agnes' "Release Me" and September's "Satellites". Not so much of folk-Timoteij but it's a pure Swedish pop with strings, big growth and euphoric choruses. What's not to love in this pack?

One of this year's schlager-fans goodies - new Timoteij's album "Tabu" has arrived! Ot to be exact will arrive on May 16th.
You can listen to samples of the album already now and convince yourself it's gonna be a huge premiere.
Comparing with the first album "Tabu" is more mature, modern, dancier and less folk, big schlager-tunes are still there as expected but properly updated for a wonderful girls comeback in 2 years.
One of remarkable things about the album is that it includes Melodifestivalen-reject "Högre" previously released by Therése Neaimé in English version as "Lovers Lulluby".

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.

Jill Johnson is one busy lady this Christmas promoting new charity album "Välkommen jul" and visiting some big TV-show to perform her fresh stuff.
Last week she has appeared in JulLotta to perform "Flirting With Disaster", "I Väntan På Julen" and "O Holy Night" (by the way you can watch Timoteij singing Swedish version of "Hallelujah" at 25.35 here). And today she participated in SVT's traditional Lucia concert singing "Away In a Manger" and "I Väntan På Julen" again. You can watch it below.
By the way look what I've found - Darin joining Jill on the stage to make cover of "Need You Now" during Christmas concert, Jill has completely oushined him unfortunately but still it was great idea.

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.

What an unexpected cover we've got! Erik Linder has presented his own ballad version of huge Melodifestivalen-2010 hit "Kom" transforming it from anthemic folk-schlager to absolutely incredible acoustic ballad.
Erik is truly great ballad singer, he has started his career few years ago with ballads and doesn't change direction, no other genre is as good as minimalistic acoustic ballad that lets enjoy his touching vocal so it's another example of Erik's work you're gonna get loads of goosebumps from.
Erik and girls have become good friends after participating in Melodifestivalen, Elina even has taken part in his latest video and now Erik has come up with this stunning cover and I extremely recommend you not to miss it.

Not so long-awaited but definitely long-awaited comeback of Timoteij has become all sorts of fabulous when girls presented their new single "Het" smoking hot folk-schlager dynamite that exploded us this May.
Soon after release we've got new video and now after girls performed at this National Day of Sweden few weeks ago we can see them singing live again in Nyhetsmorgon.
Timoteij has logically performed "Het" and singles "Kom" and "Högt över ängarna" from debut album at open-air stage with live band and it has definitely added loads of Swedish summer atmosphere to this mini-gig (what we love so much in shows like Allsång and Sommarkrysset).

Sweden celebrates its National Day (or Swedish Flag Day) today, national holiday in honour of King Gustav Vasa elected in 1523 that marked independence and foundation of modern Sweden.
Sure it's supported by many artists participating in all sorts of public events and tv-shows singing national anthem of Sweden "Du gamla, Du fria" (that is usually performed at different sports events as well), it was covered in all possible genres and by many names you should know - from Basshunter to Andra Generationen, from Amy Diamond to Sarah Dawn Finer. But probably these three performances we like the most - by Timoteij, Kevin Borg and Carola, sure Carola takes main prize, incredibly touching and powerful. Grattis Sverige!