By Aline Mahrud

WHEN? 7pm UK time Saturday 25 February 2023

WHERE? Malmö, Malmö Arena

WHERE DO I WATCH? SVT Play 

Each act performing last in this season of Melodifestivalen has won their heat or progressed to Andra Chansen and we think 2012 Eurovision Song Contest winner Loreen is likely to be in the euphoric former camp.

• Read on for reasons including finalen and Andra Chansen predictions

1. Kiana Where Did You Go (Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb) PREDICTION: Finalen

Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt’s other 3 co-writes have each made the finalen and he has 3 in this heat, meaning at least 1 will miss out on going direkt til finalen. Kiana is a Sweden’s Got Talent 2021 finalist and this will make for an uptempo show opener.

2. Signe & Hjördis Edelweiss (Anderz Wrethov, Jimmy Jansson, Myra Granberg) PREDICTION: 7th

Folk from a family of famous musicians featuring Signe and Hjördis Bornemark. No song performed 2nd this season has done better than 6th and this will be hard pushed to do that.

3. Smash Into Pieces Six Feet Under (Andreas “Giri” Lindbergh, Benjamin Jennebo, Chris Adam, Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Per Bergquist) PREDICTION: Andra Chansen

This electro rock act have an almost progressive rock element to their song. It’s a Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt co-write which veers furthest from his dancefloor template and may be the 1 to struggle to make the finalen through the most direct route.

4. Mariette One Day (Jimmy Jansson, Thomas G:son, Mariette Hansson) PREDICTION: 5th

2023 will be Mariette’s 5th MF appearance and she has always previously reached the finalen. She’s in Melfest’s toughest heat and has a song which reminds of former glories at a time when her popularity is likely to be most tested. Her most successful appearance was with her debut entry Don’t Stop Believing which finished 3rd in 2015. In 2017 she finished 4th with A Million Years. She was 5th a year later with For You and in 2020 Shout It Out was 10th. This year Mariette has co-written her entry with 2 of MF’s most prolific songwriters.

LISTEN TO ONE-MINUTE CLIPS OF THESE SONGS

5. Emil Henrohn Mera, Mera, Mera (More, more, more) (Emil Henrohn, Jakob Redtzer, Ji Nilsson, Marlene Strand) PREDICTION: 6th

Henrohn is a musical actor and old school has fared poorly this season in Melfest and we don’t think this is the heat for this to break that run.

6. Axel Schylström Gorgeous (Axel Schylström, Herman Gardarfve, Jonas Thander, Malin Halvardsson) PREDICTION: Andra Chansen

A beautiful ballad. Pole position ahead of the big favourite. Schylström competed in MF in 2017 with När ingen ser (When no-one sees) which went out in Andra Chansen. He co-wrote Theoz’s entry last year which finished 7th and has a credit on the act’s 2023 song which competed in Heat 2. We think this will join Theoz in Andra Chansen.

7. Loreen Tattoo (Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt, Jimmy Jansson, Lorine Talhaoui, Moa Carlebecker, Peter Boström, Thomas G:son) PREDICTION: Finalen

Last year Loreen’s 2012 Eurovision winner Euphoria lost its crown as the Contest’s best-loved song in the ESC250 and perhaps it’s fitting then that the queen returns to Melodifestivalen in 2023 with a new song. Loreen of course returned to MF in 2017 when Statements could only make the Andra Chansen. We said then: ‘We loved the Kate Bush imagination around the visuals but still feel the song is a bit of a racket.’ Euphoria of course is number 1 in our list of the greatest Eurovision winners of the 21st Century. Loreen also entered MF in 2011 with My Heart Is Refusing Me but it also bowed out in AC. This year Loreen has co-written her entry with some big names including our favourite act from 2022 Cazzi Opeia. The clip shows promise and we think the show’s wide open for Loreen to triumph once more PREDICTION: Finalen

• Picture via YouTube courtesy SVT Melodifestivalen
• Have you heard any of these songs or seen any of these shows? Let us know what you thought in the comments below Heat 1 preview Heat 2 preview Heat 3 preview Heat 4 preview Heat 1 predictions Heat 2 predictions Heat 3 predictions Semi final predictions Finalen predictions
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