WHEN?: 7/3/20

HOW TO WATCH: Outside Sweden SVTPlay from Stockholm Friends Arena

Will it be Dotter (pictured above) for Rotterdam in Eurovision 2020? Sweden hasn’t selected a female soloist to represent it at Eurovision since Sanna Nielsen and Undo in 2014 and we think this is the year it will.

• Read on for our predictions about how we think the 12 Melodifestivalen finalists would fare at Eurovision

All credit to SVT because it’s something that’s been bugging us for several years now.

1. Victor Crone Troubled Waters (Dino Medanhodzic, Benjamin Jennebo, Victor Crone) OUR RANKING: 5th ESC PREDICTION: 6th to 10th

Swede Crone mentions the title of his entry for Estonia in last year’s Eurovision final in another water-based song idea which builds pleasingly in Avicii-like fashion.

2. Paul Rey Talking in My Sleep (Paul Rey, Lukas Hällgren, Alexander Standal Pavelich) OUR RANKING: 12th ESC PREDICTION: 21st to 26th

Classy if a little underwhelming for us.

3. The Mamas Move (Melanie Wehbe, Patrik Jean, Herman Gardarfve) OUR RANKING: 7th ESC PREDICTION: 11th to 15th

Uptempo and uplifting gospel sung by the all-female band who backed John Lundvik all the way to the fifth spot in last year’s Eurovision.

4. Mohombi Winners (Jimmy Jansson, Mohombi Moupondo, Palle Hammarlund) OUR RANKING: 10th ESC PREDICTION: 16th to 20th

A very Melodifestivalen title. A meandering verse sprouts into something more melodic and compelling. Not quite as direct as we were expecting with a title like that however.

5. Hanna Ferm Brave (David Kjellstrand, Jimmy Jansson, Laurell Barker) OUR RANKING: 3rd ESC  PREDICTION: 6th to 10th

Ferm was the favourite to win the whole thing ahead of a nervous Heat 4 outing and after Felix Sandman could only make Andra Chansen in Heat 1. Great chorus.

6. Méndez feat. Alvaro Estrella Vamos amigos (Let’s go friends) (Palle Hammarlund, Jimmy Jansson, Jakke Erixson, Leo Mendéz) OUR RANKING: 11th ESC PREDICTION: non-qualifier

No surprise perhaps that this is sounding both very on trend and summery. It’s reggaeton which is all-conquering chart-wise but this doesn’t quite sound like it ever explodes.

7. Dotter Bulletproof (Dino Medanhodzic, Johanna Jansson, Erik Dahlqvist) OUR RANKING: 1st ESC PREDICTION: 1st to 5th

The stage show looks stunning and the song’s very Sia goes Florence and the Machine. We wondered if, because Dotter had previously had less success as a performer than a writer in Melodifestivalen, that this could once again repeat that misfortune. But the full performance sees her rightly as the bookmakers’ favourite going into the finalen. Is the song slightly better than the performance however?

8. Robin Bengtsson Take A Chance (Jimmy Jansson, Karl-Frederik Reichhardt, Marcus Winther-John) OUR RANKING: 6th ESC PREDICTION: 6th to 10th

Bengtsson won MF three years ago (finishing fifth in Eurovision) and we weren’t big fans of that song or its predecessor but this is much more like it. It has the pop sensibilities of George Ezra at his best and so we’re pleasantly surprised. There’s even what sounds like a shout out to ‘Leicester Square’ of all places.

9. Mariette Shout It Out (Thomas G:son, Cassandra Ströberg, Alex Shield, Mariette Hansson) OUR RANKING: 4th ESC PREDICTION: 11th to 15th

A laidback verse shocked into life by a rousing chorus with pre-recorded backing vocals chanting the title. Mariette’s made the finalen on each of the three occasions that she’s previously appeared in Melodifestivalen and this entry will sit comfortably with those.

10. Felix Sandman Boys With Emotions (Tony Ferrari, Parker James, Peter Thomas, Philip Bentley, Nicki Adamsson, Felix Sandman) OUR RANKING: 8th ESC PREDICTION: 16th to 20th

The early big favourite to win the whole thing sounds a little undercooked but we’re taking this slice of Bierber-esque pop as seriously as Sandman’s new hairdo. Classy, laidback and underestimate it at your peril.

11. Anna Bergendahl Kingdom Come (Bobby Ljunggren, Thomas G:son, Erik Bernholm, Anna Bergendahl) OUR RANKING: 2nd ESC PREDICTION: 6th to 10th

Last year’s return was an underrated thrill and this delivers much more, much like Robin Bengtsson in Heat 1. It’s country tinged but with a full-on pop beat at its heart. A modern schlager.

12. Anis don Demina Vem är som oss (Who is like us?) (Anderz Wrethov, Johanna Elkesdotter Wrethov, Anis Don Demina, Robin Svensk) OUR RANKING: 9th ESC PREDICTION: 16th to 20th

Looking for the party? Don Demina just brought it and we think this chanty dance juggernaut will be hard to resist on Saturday night.

• Picture courtesy Stina Stjernkvist via Dotter on Facebook. Watch on SVTPlay. Tickets
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