By Aline Mahrud

WHEN?: 7pm UK time 24 February 2024

WHERE?: Stiga Sports Arena, Eskilstuna WHERE DO I WATCH?: SVT Play

2 Melodifestivalen runners up return to the show at the weekend and we think 1 has the best song so far.

• Read on for reasons including how we predict these entries will fare on Saturday

1. Albin Tingwall Done Getting Over You (Jimmy ‘Joker’ Thörnfeldt, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb) PREDICTION: Run off

Tennis player Tingwall was 2nd on Idol’s 18th season in December 2022. Debut single Something About You was released last year with Scandipop describing it as: ‘an electro rave-up that features squelchy synths aplenty. Written and produced by Scandipop-fave Rasmus Flyckt, it’s a sound we’d be very happy to hear him lean into more throughout 2023. It makes for a very exciting first single.’ Done Getting Over You is penned by some of MF’s most successful writers. Done Getting Over You is a promising show opener.

2. Lia Larson 30Km/h (Axel Schylström, Jimmy Jansson, Lia Larsson, My Söderholm, Thomas G:son) PREDICTION: 5th

Larsson is a TikTok star from Mora who recently had epa-dunk success with songs like Banka Banka and Fara ner på byn (Go down to the village). Her music has been streamed almost 30 million times. G:son and Jansson co-wrote Tattoo and Jansson and Schylström are former MF competitors. From the clip it’s a style which has yet to enjoy huge MF success.

3. Dotter It’s Not Easy To Write A Love Song (Dino Medanhodzic, Johanna Jansson) PREDICTION: Finalen

This will be Dotter’s 4th MF appearance. Her most successful was in 2020 when we wanted Bulletproof to win and it was difficult to see it lose so narrowly to an inferior song given a fabulous performance.

A year later Dotter finished 4th with Little Tot. We said: ‘While Bulletproof reminded of Florence and the Machine, Little Tot is darker, electronic dance music with a killer hook that brings Robyn to mind. Question marks have been raised about Dotter’s ability to perform at the same standard as the songs she pens but they felt well and truly answered. Lyrically, the message to a younger self about not making the same mistakes as an older generation speaks to us of Sweden’s own Greta Thunberg which we hope resonates.’

She also co-wrote finalist Victorious in 2019 and crashed out of her heat in 2018 finishing 6th with Cry.

We think the clip reminds of her biggest success thus far and is the best song we’ve heard so far this year in MF.

LISTEN TO ONE-MINUTE CLIPS OF THESE SONGS

4. Scarlet Circus X (Emil Behmer, Henric Pierroff, Ian-Paolo Lira, Jessica Rachel Chertock, Scarlet, Simon Boustedt, Staffan Amberlind, Thirsty) PREDICTION: Run off

The female hard rock duo was formed in 2018. They toured Europe alongside Smash Into Pieces, who are, of course, starred in Heat 1.  A circus-themed metal-rock song which will be pushing hard to go direct to the final.

5. Lasse Stefanz En sång on sommaren (A song on summer) (Anders Wigelius, Anderz Wrethov, Robert Norberg) PREDICTION: 6th

Lasse Stefanz is a Swedish dansband formed in 1967. The group competed once before in the Melodifestivalen in 2011 with En blick och nänting händer (One look and nothing happened), making Andra chansen. Pleasingly traditional.

6. Danny Saucedo Happy That You Found Me (Kristoffer Fogelmark, John Martin, Michel Zitron) PREDICTION: Finalen

Now 37, Saucedo’s best MF years may be behind him. He has competed 4 times always as a co-writer. In 2009 his boy band EMD finished 3rd with Baby Goodbye, he was 2nd in 2011 with In The Club (watch above) and runner-up a year later with Amazing.

In 2021 he was 7th with Dandi Dansa of which we said: ‘Saucedo appears to have distanced himself from his previous Melodifestivalen efforts and we’re not entirely sure why. Dandi dansa is in Swedish although its lyrics are both playful and nonsensical. Musically, it feels a little Jamiroquai but it’s a lot more fun than that and the Macarena element of the song shows it is tongue in cheek and the staging is a step beyond most of what we’ve seen in a challenging year for Melodifestivalen in 2021.’

The new song is very much Danny reminding what he is best loved for.

• Keep an eye on monstagigz.com during February when this site will predict how each heat will go on the Thursday after we’ve heard the songs before the Saturday events. Heat 1 preview Heat 2 preview Heat 4 preview Heat 5 preview Heat 1 predictions Heat 2 predictions Heat 3 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 Dotter, 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