By Neil Durham

WHEN?: 7pm UK time 3 February 2024

WHERE?: Malmö Arena, Malmö WHERE DO I WATCH?: SVT Play

Last year Sweden won Eurovision for a 7th time equalling Ireland’s record and this 1st heat is from the venue where the Eurovision Song Contest final itself will take place on Saturday 11 May 2024.

• Read on for reasons including Samir & Viktor, Lisa Ajax and Adam Woods

MF remains similar this year to its beloved format although in 2024 30 entries will compete across 5 heats to make the finalen on Saturday 9 March at Stockholm’s Friends Arena.

This year the top 2 songs from each heat go straight to the finalen as usual with the 3rd and 4th place songs in heats of 6 going into a run-off vote for 2 finalen positions at the end of heat 5.

6. Smash Into Pieces Heroes Are Calling (Andreas “Giri” Lindbergh, Benjamin Jennebo, Chris Adam, Hedman Sörbye, Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Per Bergquist)

This rock band competed in MF for the 1st time in 2023 with the song Six Feet Under and finished a creditable 3rd. This year the band collaborates with similar writers on the band’s 2nd entry. Rock bands don’t traditionally do well at MF but this band have been releasing music since 2009 and Thörnfeldt co-wrote Loreen’s Eurovision winner Tattoo.

5. Lisa Ajax Awful Liar (David Lindgren Zacharias, Sebastian Atas, Victor Crone, Victor Sjöström)

Ajax last competed in MF in 2022 with the Niello duet which we loved and was called Tror du att jag bryr mig (Do you think I care?) which finished last in its heat. Ajax competed in 2016 when she was 7th and in 2017 and 2019 where she made the finalen and finished 9th on both occasions.

4. Elisa Lindström Forever Yours (Elisa Lindström, Erik Bernholm, Henric Axelsson, Henrik Sethsson, Thomas G:son)

Lindström is the lead singer with dansband Elisa’s and competed solo in MF in 2014 with the song Casanova finishing 5th in her heat and in 2021 with Den du är (Who you are) in 2021 when she finished last in her heat.

2. Samir & Viktor Hela världen väntar (The whole world is waiting) (David Kreuger, Fredrik Kempe, Niklas Carson Mattsson)

This duo have competed in MF 3 times. Their most successful attempt was their last in 2018 with Shuffla when they finished 4th, in 2016 they finished last in the finalen with Bada Nakna (Bathing naked) and in 2015 they finished 8th with Groupie.

3. Melina Borglowe Min Melodi (My melody) (Andreas Mattsson, Melina Borglowe, Thomas G:son)

Borglowe is new to MF, co-write G:son is an old hand and Mattson sang with a band called Popsicle who alongside The Wannadies started the 1990 indiepop wave in Sweden.

1. Adam Woods Supernatural (Adam Woods, Calle Hellberg, Jonna Hall, William Segerdahl)

Woods competed with Jon Henrik Fjällgren and Arc North making last year’s finalen with Where You Are (Sávežan) which finished 4th. He co-writes this song with 2 of the authors of his previous hit.

• Keep an eye on monstagigz.com during January as we’ll be previewing 2024’s 30 entries.
• During February this site will predict how each heat will go on the Friday after we’ve heard the songs before the Saturday events. Heat 2 preview Heat 3 preview Heat 4 preview Heat 5 preview Heat 1 predictions Heat 2 predictions Heat 3 predictions Heat 4 predictions Heat 5 predictions Finalen predictions
• In March we’ll forecast how the finalen will go and how each of the 12 qualifiers would do in May in Malmö at Eurovision.
• Picture via Facebook courtesy Smash Into Pieces , Melodifestivalen and SVT
• Have you heard any of these songs or seen any of these shows? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
• Enjoyed this review? Follow monstagigz on Twitter @NeilDurham, email neildurham3@gmail.com and check us out on Instagram and Facebook