Jonathan Currinn
Since we last updated you on Melodifestivalen, a lot sure has happened. All four Semi-Finals have taken place and next week sees the Andra Chansen (Second Chance) round take place, where the acts that came third and fourth in each of the Semi-Finals, compete again for the chance to make it through to the Final. But before we give you the recaps on Semi-Final 2 and Semi-Final 3, we need to talk about Saturday’s show, Semi-Final 4, where John Lundvik and Bishara won and were sent straight through to the Final.
The fourth Semi-Final took place on 23 February 2019 at the Sparbanken Lidköping Arena in Lidköping, Sweden. The show was presented by Sarah Dawn Finer, Marika Carlsson, and Eric Saade whilst Kodjo Akolor was at home, apparently looking after the kids, as the pre-recorded clips showed during certain segments. Seven acts competed in front of the Swedish public, two were sent through to the Final, whereas two more were sent to the Second Chance round. A total of 6,810,817 votes were cast with 905,041 kronor being donated to the Radiohälpen charity.
John Lundvik and Bishara, with their songs “Too Late For Love” and “On My Own” respectively, were voted to go into the Final from the public at home. As for the second chance round, we’ll be seeing Lisa Ajax and Arvingarna with their songs “Torn” and “I Do” respectively.
Melodifestivalen 2019 Semi-Final 4 Finalists
John Lundvik – Too Late For Love
He took part in Melodifestivalen 2018, heading straight into his final and finishing third, now he’s back in 2019 with this infectious track, determined to win and represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. His bright number includes a lot of flashing imagery as bright lights flash in sequence behind him. His voice was on point throughout, with an R&B-modern pop twist to the song that sure proves why he deserves to be in the final.
Bishara – On My Own
Bishara is a brand new rising artist who gained fame on Instagram when he started uploading covers to the image and video sharing site. He’s now on the Melodifestivalen stage and has gone straight through to the final. He has an undeniably strong voice and that’s what makes this song superb as the track itself and its lyrics aren’t anything special.
Melodifestivalen 2019 Semi-Final 4 Andra Chansen (Second Chance) Qualifiers
Lisa Ajax – Torn
Now this was one of our favourites. Lisa Ajax left her heart and soul on the stage for this performance, flooding the song with so much emotion. She has one powerful voice, prepared to tell the story effectively. There wasn’t much to her stage performance and that probably was in detriment, and possibly why she only made the Andra Chansen round, however we’re sure she will nail it next week and make it to the Final.
Arvingarna – I Do
Now this group has been going for years, 30 years to be exact, so it’s no wonder they managed to bring an amazing performance. They are usually a four-piece group, but the drummer – Tommy Carlsson – was away on a personal holiday. The group brought an old-school feel to the Semi-Final with perfect harmonies and an interesting stage production. Tommy Carlsson will join them in the Andra Chansen round, so we can’t wait to see how they will perform as the original four-piece.
Melodifestivalen Semi-Final 4 Eliminated Acts
Fifth Place: Ann-Louise Hanson – Kärleken finns kvar
Coming in fifth was Ann-Louise Hanson under a new voting rule that saw her earn fewer votes than sixth place but a better spread of votes across ages, which led to her being in the top five. The voting was extremely close between the bottom three. She’s well-known for her Melodifestivalen entries and currently holds the record of the most entries without ever winning, now at 14. The song was cute and it was lovely to see her daughter as one of her back-up singers, but the song failed to resonate with the audience at home.
Sixth Place: Anton Hagman – Känner Dig
He beat Loreen at Andra Chansen back in 2017, shockingly, and so it’s somewhat disappointing he didn’t do better. The song was good and had a catchy hook, and the staging was totally on-point from start to finish. He scored a total of 601,113 votes, so we still don’t understand how he came sixth. During rehearsals he performed topless under the jacket, but decided to cover up for the live show, could it have cost him those crucial votes he needed? Who knows. Regardless, it didn’t stay with the voting public.
Seventh Place: Pagan Fury – Stormbringer
Yes, Sweden’s answer to Evanescence was a part of Melodifestivalen 2019, how did this not make the Final or even Andra Chansen, we do not know, although it’s understandable as Melodifestivalen isn’t known for their rock entries. “Stormbringer” was an impressive song that allowed the Pagan Fury’s frontwoman show off her vocals. The staging had a haunting theme to it which totally captured us. The band scored a total of 579,502 votes.
There was an interval act during the show, in true Melodifestivalen style, where we saw presenters Eric Saade and Sarah Dawn Finer sing their brilliant duet “Ljuset”, which means “The Light” in English. WOW! What a performance it was, truly unforgettable and beyond brilliant. If only that was representing Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest, it would certainly get top points for the staging.
RECAPS
Melodifestivalen 2019 Semi-Final 2 Finalists
Malou Prytz – I Do Me
Styling it out on a podium, Malou Prytz easily impressed in the competitive Semi-Final. Her vocals were on point from start to finish and she sure made an impression from the very first few seconds. The song is a catchy track that is bound to become a hit the more it is heard. We loved the reference to Clueless with her outfit.
Hanna Ferm & LIAMOO – Hold You
Vocals on point throughout, Hanna Ferm & LIAMOO blew us away with their “Hold You” performance; quite literally as they had fans blowing material on to the stage creating a misty, haunting atmosphere that really allowed them to showcase the meaning behind the song. Hanna Ferm totally shined throughout the number, and we’re so glad it made the Final.
Melodifestivalen 2019 Semi-Final 2 Andra Chansen (Second Chance) Qualifiers
Andreas Johnson – Army Of Us
Bringing some pop-rock vibes, Andreas Johnson brought the stage to life, sending out great vocals and presence out to the crowd, who completely loved his performance. He is a Melodifestivalen household name, so it’s no surprise that he gained a lot of votes for this pretty good song. It’ll be interesting to see how well he does during Andra Chansen.
Vlad Reiser – Nakna i regnet
This one came as quite the surprise as it looked like Vlad Reiser knocked out fan-favourite Margaret. This male artist brought zig-zag lights and some movement choreography to the stage. It was clear he was loving every minute of being on the Melodifestivalen stage and it was great to watch him perform the Swedish number. He’ll have to improve those vocals for the Andra Chansen round if he wants to get through to the Final, maybe nerves got to him? We’ll soon find out.
Melodifestivalen Semi-Final 2 Eliminated Acts
Fifth Place: Margaret – Tempo
As previously stated, she was one of the favourites going into the Swedish national selection show, and she didn’t hold back bringing exceptional vocals and an incredible staging idea that really showcased her off brilliantly. She had backing dancers and a screen that had an imaginative concept where different dancers appeared as if they were closer to the camera than she was, and some looked so far away. It certainly was a mind-trick. She only managed to get 892,945 votes, we reckon she only just missed out on the Andra Chansen round.
Sixth Place: Jan Malmsjö – Leva livet
The well-known Swedish actor gave a sweet rendition of his Melfest song and it was certainly captivating. Jan Malmsjö proved he’s not just an actor, that he is a brilliant singer and after a minute or so of the song, it really became catchy, and to this day we still sing the title whenever we type it, “Leva livet”. He gained a total of 630,359 votes, considerably lower than seventh place, but came sixth due to a more even support in all viewer age groups.
Seventh Place: Oscar Enestad – I Love It
This one certainly didn’t deserve last place; Oscar Enestad scored 739,501 votes. He performed inside an outlined cube that certainly was an interesting prop, on the stage. As for the song itself, it became somewhat irritating the more we heard it, although his vocals were pretty good throughout. With a better song, he may have done much better.
The second Semi-Final took place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden on 9 February 2019. As for guest acts, the two female presenters Sarah Dawn Finer and Marika Carlsson had a hip-hop showdown to open the show, completely in Swedish, whilst dressed in colourful tracksuits; as for the interval act, we watched Kodjo Akolor and Eric Saade in a segment which saw them bring back some of last year’s acts as well as Christopher Björkman.
Melodifestivalen 2019 Semi-Final 3 Finalists
Jon Henrik Fjällgren – Norrsken (Goeksegh)
Another fan-favourite heading straight into the Final; Jon Henrik Fjällgren continues his Melodifestivalen success as he has previously made the final in 2015 and 2017; and so it wasn’t a surprise to see him sail through. His vocals were on point from start to finish whilst the staging brought some pleasant scenery behind him before he moved across the stage and danced whilst pyrotechnics were added to his performance.
Lina Hedlund – Victorious
Another household name sailing through to the final, Lina Hedlund brought some class to Melodifestivalen with her song “Victorious”. She’s mostly known for being in the popular Swedish band Alcazar, who have competed in Melfest a number of times, but now she’s going it alone and she made it to the final. Her vocals were strong throughout, although the song could do with a touch-up as it felt more like a 00’s ballad with hints of the Alcazar sound throughout. She started her performance on a set of stairs, acting as if she was controlling the LEDs around the circular stage fixture, before descending and putting her all into the song. It was certainly an unforgettable performance that we cannot wait to see again in the Final.
Melodifestivalen 2019 Semi-Final 3 Andra Chansen (Second Chance) Qualifiers
Martin Stenmarck – Låt skiten brinna
Vocals on point throughout, it wasn’t really a surprise that Martin Stenmarck managed to get enough votes to be in the top four. His Swedish-language song definitely touched the people at home, which was certainly helped by his stunning voice. Nothing else was needed for him to make it through to Andra Chansen, just him, on stage, singing his song powerfully, and the light beams used effectively.
Rebecka Karlsson – Who I Am
Another stunning song and a vocal powerhouse, Rebecka Karlsson was our favourite of the night, so we were glad she at least made it through to the Andra Chansen round. Her voice really allowed her to showcase the song throughout, whilst the staging showed a ballerina, a boxer, and a rhythmic gymnast; telling us that we can be whoever we want to be as long as we stay true to ourselves. An empowerment song that is certainly needed in this world.
Melodifestivalen Semi-Final 3 Eliminated Acts
Fifth Place: Dolly Style – Habibi
They got so close, but they were so far away; Dolly Style impressed with their song “Habibi” and definitely had us copying their dance moves for the chorus. The song is one of those that becomes catchy the more you hear it, so we’re somewhat disappointed it didn’t even make the Andra Chansen round, although it was a little too cheesy and kawaii. They scored 819,062 votes, making it the first time the group hadn’t made it to the Andra Chansen round.
Sixth Place: Omar Rudberg – Om om och om igen
Catchy, addictive, with a brilliant vocal, how did Omar Rudberg not get enough votes to get into the top four? We are not quite sure although it may have been that he didn’t give a memorable impression. He brought dancers and was in time with the choreography, and his deliverance of the song was almost perfect. We hope Omar Rudberg gives Melodifestivalen another chance in the future.
Seventh Place: The Lovers Of Valdaro – Somebody Wants
We’re not at all surprise about this seventh place, The Lovers Of Valdaro opened the show with an up-tempo number that left something to be desired. The duo won their chance to be one of the contestants at Melodifestivalen after making it to the final of Sverigesradio P4 Nästa contest, after the judges decided that they were a better choice for Melfest than the winner of the contest – Spring City. Well, we suppose they didn’t get it right, since The Lovers Of Valdaro didn’t make much of an impact, gaining just 637,917 votes.
The third Semi-Final was hosted at the Tegera Arena in Leksand, Sweden on 16 February 2019. It was an entertaining night, for sure and now that the Semi-Finals are all finished with, we’re excited for the next stage of the competition.
If you missed our article on Semi-Final 1 of Melodifestivalen 2019, check it out below.
With the Semi-Finals finished, all acts are able to release their official singles, and so that means the first Semi-Final winners have also dropped their tracks. You can stream Wiktoria’s “Not With Me” and Mohombi’s “Hello” below.
The Andra Chansen round of Melodifestivalen 2019 is set to take place at the Rosvalla Nyköping Eventcenter in Nyköping, Sweden on 2 March 2019. The second chance contestants will each compete in a duel, with one advancing. They have already been paired up and we can’t wait to see the outcome this weekend. Four will advance to the Final.
Duel 1
- Andreas Johnson – Army Of Us
- Anna Bergendahl – Ashes To Ashes
Duel 2
- Vlad Reiser – Nakna i regnet
- Nano – Chasing Rivers
Duel 3
- Martin Stenmarck – Låt skiten brinna
- Lisa Ajax – Torn
Duel 4
- Rebecka Karlsson – Who I Am
- Arvingarna – I Do
