WORTH A LOOK?: *****
OUT: now
Stellar electropop duos like Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell and Erasure were all the rage in the 80s but seem far less so now although that could all change with the emergence of this Danish pair.
WHEN?: Saturday 13 February 2021
WHERE?: Annexet, Stockholm
Sweden seems to be embracing the nostalgic and fun songs this year ahead of the ballads which might work in the favour of Eurovision and Melodifestivalen winner Charlotte Perrelli who returns here with a song we’re expecting to be both uptempo and reminding of her experience as well as vitality.
WHEN?: Saturday 20 February 2021
WHERE?: H3 Arena, Fornebu, Oslo
HOW TO WATCH?: NRK link
Sweden’s Melodifestivalen may be the average Eurovision fan’s favourite national pre-selection show but the quality on display in Norway’s 2021 Melodi Grand Prix means it is fast following in the must-see footsteps of its rival.
* Read on for reasons including who we think will win and how each song would do at Eurovision
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.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
Saturday was a kalla natt for Jessica Andersson who was eliminated from Heat 1 of Melodifestivalen with the anthemic Horizon but the good news is the performance is available to watch (read article below) and the single for download.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
Sweden may have beaten Norway at the last Eurovision – John Lundvik 5th to KEiiNO’s 6th in 2019 – but the quality of Norwegian’s selection show Melodi Grand Prix means it’s hot on the heels of greatest show on earth Melodifestivalen.
WHEN?: Saturday 27 February 2020
WHERE?: Annexet, Stockholm
Tess Merkel (3rd from left above) is the 4th member of supergroup Alcazar to compete in Melodifestivalen individually with Magnus Carlsson (2nd from left above performing Alcastar) making the final in 2006 and 2015 and Lina Hedlund doing so in 2019.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
The selection competitions for 2021’s Eurovision Song Contest are starting all over Europe and this synth gem from Finland’s Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) is our pick of this week.
WHEN?: Saturday 20 February 2021
WHERE?: Annexet, Stockholm
This year’s Melodifestivalen features no less than 4 former winners however only 1 of them actually went on to triumph in the entire Eurovision Song Contest and it is Charlotte Perrelli (pictured above) who opens this heat.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
OUT: 15/1/21
Eurovision 2021 is already shaping up to be a song contest like no other and with Norway’s selection show Melodi Grand Prix kicking off tonight the 20/2/21 final will feature 2019 entrants KEiiNO.
