WHEN?: Saturday 13 February 2021

WHERE?: Annexet, Stockholm

Before last weekend you would have to go back 14 years to the last time that 2 Swedish language songs went direkt til finalen and so read on for our predictions for Heat 2’s return of Dotter and fate of the 2 songs in Swedish.

• Read on for reasons including who we’re predicting to advance to the finalen and Andra Chansen

1. Anton Ewald New Religion (Jonas Wallin, Joe Killington, Anton Ewald, Maja Strömstedt) PREDICTION: Andra Chansen

Ewald has never failed to make the finalen in each of his previous appearances and we don’t see this breaking that run. It’s a bit one-note from the 60-second clip but this is shaping up to be a great, uptempo show-starting song. His previous best was 4th in 2013 although a year earlier he he was a back-up (dandi) dancer for Danny Saucedo who was a runner-up with Amazing and we’re expecting some serious moves this time too.

2. Julia Alfrida Rich (Julia Alfrida, Jimmy Jansson, Melanie Wehbe) PREDICTION: 6th

Born Julia Alfrida Ridderdal this 25 year old has co-written with former contestant Jimmy Jansson who had credits on a record 6 entries last year. It’s another uptempo song with a quirky twist which makes this heat so interesting.

3. WAHL featuring SAMI 90-talet (90s) (Sami Rekik, Christopher Wahlberg, Josefin Glenmark, Jesper Welander, Andreas Larsson) PREDICTION: 5th

Could this be 2021’s 1st Swedish language entry not to go direct til finalen? Sami ‘SAMI’ Rekik was half of the hip-hop duo Medina, and Christopher ‘WAHL’ Vahlberg is a member of another hip-hop duo – SödraSidan – and this might be a little too understated to progress.

4. Frida Green The Silence (Anna Bergendahl, Bobby Ljunggren, David Lindgren Zacharias, Joy Deb) PREDICTION: Andra Chansen

Co-written by former Melodifestivalen winner Anna Bergendahl, this is atmospheric and builds. Frida was a  contestant on Sweden’s Got Talent show and performed What Would Greta Do?, a tribute to the country’s world-renowned environmentalist

LISTEN TO ONE-MINUTE CLIPS OF THESE SONGS

5. Eva Rydberg and Ewa Roos Rena rama ding dong (Göran Sparrdahl, Kalle Rydberg, Ari Lehtonen) PREDICTION: 7th

Rydberg is a comedienne who finished 7th in MF in 1977 with song Charlie Chaplin and this blast from the past seems to go even further back in time. Will Sweden join them in joyously turning back the clock as it did for Arvingarna last week?

6. Patrick Jean Tears Run Dry (Herman Gardarfve, Patrik Jean, Melanie Wehbe) PREDICTION: Finalen

The rematch between The Mamas and Dotter may not be happening just yet but this entry was written by the team behind last year’s winner Move. Jean is a talented singer/songwriter/producer who we think will benefit from this position in the running order.

7. Dotter Little Tot (Johanna Jansson, Dino Medanhodzic) PREDICTION: Finalen

The one monstagigz is most excited for in the whole of this year’s Melodifestivalen. Dotter lost out by just a point last year with the Florence and the Machine-esque Bulletproof, co-wrote finalist Victorious in 2019 and crashed out of her heat in 2018 finishing 6th in semi 3. How will she do in 2021? Little Tot is dark, electronic and uplifting with a powerful chorus.

• Picture via Facebook by Stina Stjernkvist courtesy Dotter and SVT Melodifestivalen. Tickets
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