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.
WHEN?: Saturday 13 February 2021
WHERE?: Annexet, Stockholm
The biggest story of Melodifestivalen 2021 is the return of 2020’s top 2, The Mamas and Dotter, who were separated by only 1 point back in March 2020.
WHEN?: Saturday 6 February 2021
WHERE?: Annexet, Stockholm
It’s business as usual for Melodifestivalen in 2021 as Heat 1 opens with the pre-contest favourite, this year Danny Saucedo (pictured above), as it did last year when Felix Sandman could only make Andra Chansen.
Our obsession with Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s Eurovision selection show, started in 2003 when we learned that Alcazar were taking part.
WHEN?: 7/11/20 UPDATE: England’s second lockdown means the RVT show is cancelled but there will be an online show 14/11/20
WHERE?: Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London, and online
Former Melodifestivalen winner Anna Bergendahl (pictured above) is arguably the biggest name in November’s Second Cherry 2020 song contest which concludes, fingers crossed, with a live event in London next weekend.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
OUT: now
It’s quite something that pop star and songwriting genius Sia thought her tune What The Future Holds would be best sung by this reformed boy/girl band quintet.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
OUT: now
Fingers Crossed goes immediately for the pop jugular with a hook that is so captivating in its high-pitched kookiness it could be a sample of Kate Bush or Florence Welch at their most commercial – but probably isn’t.
WORTH A LISTEN?: ****
OUT: now
Former Alcazar frontman Carlsson references two of his biggest Melodifestivalen hits in this positive, high-energy tale of coming out and finding happiness which is, appropriately, this year’s Stockholm Pride anthem.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
Regular readers of monstagigz will be familiar with Swedish singer songwriter Dotter, real name Johanna Jansson, not least through bringing her idiosyncratic brand of indie pop to the last four Melodifestivalens.
WHEN?: 12/5/2020 (semi 1 now cancelled, although the BBC is planning a Eurovision moment for the night of what would have been the final, 16/5/20)
WHERE?: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam
Coronavirus has caused the cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in its 65-year history but we’re not letting it spoil our fun and, because we know the 41 songs which would have participated, we’re predicting who would’ve made the final here from Semi 1.
