Timoteij - Längtan

Timoteij competed in Meodifestivalen 2010 with Kom which won the third semi-final (beating the likes of Darin, Alcazar, Elin Lanto and others). They managed a 5th place finish in the finals falling below Darin on the big night, however, despite this the group of four Swedish blondes managed to make their mark with Melodifestivalen with their first-ever track.

Kom made it all the way up to #2 on the Swedish Singles Charts which paved the way for the release of Längtan in May and a debut at #1 on the Swedish Album charts. No small feat for a group with no experience on the Swedish music scene.

Timoteij appear to be a version of a folk band with their instruments being at the forefront of their performance at Melodifestivalen, however, don't let this fool you! At the heart of their music truly is pure Swedish pop at its absolute finest. Track after track delivers a variant of the style of Kom while still remaining different in a way as well. A guest appearance by Eurovision 2009 winner, Alexander Rybak, is also featured. If you can handle an album completely in Swedish and are a fan of pop music you should fall in love with this one. Think the way an Ace of Base album managed to keep you interested from track to track but with violins.

Kom is probably the standout track of the album, although in my opinion, Glöm Mig and Feber are also strong contendors as well. See the memorable performance from Melodifestivalen below, as well as a link to the album.

Enjoy!



Timoteij - Längtan

Anna Bergendahl - This is My Life

As the winner of Melodifestivalen 2010 and Sweden's representative at Eurovision in Oslo in a few weeks, Anna Bergendahl went from relative obscurity in Sweden to being one of the biggest hits of 2010 so far. This was her first single since her appearance in Swedish Idol in 2008 where she finished fifth.

This is My Life reached #1 on the Swedish charts on March 5th in the first chart released after all of the Melodifestivalen songs were made available to the public (which also made it the odds-on favourite to win in the final). It stayed at #1 for 4 weeks and only dropped out of the top 10 for the first time this past Friday May 7 and still sits at #11. Her album Yours Sincerely was released this April and reached #1 in its first week as well. It just goes to show what Melodifestivalen can do for someone's career!

The song is really just about Anna's unique voice and is the kind of song that you'll probably either love or hate. The studio version definitely does her voice more justice (as it should) but the real difference comes with the remixes that have happened to appease the Eurovision-loving public who are all over that kind of thing. The Niclas Kings remix is the definite standout while the Kaveh Azizi remix sticks a bit more to the original song.

With Eurovision this year looking like it might be one of the worst in recent memory (save for maybe some voting drama to make it all a bit more exciting?) there still need to be some favourites and if only by default of being Swedish this is definitely one of my top 5. After hearing it enough times you really do kind of fall for her voice and just looking at her - it's kind of hard not to love her!

Check out videos of Anna performing the song live at Melodifestivalen and the remixes. All the best in Oslo!

Darin - You're Out of My Life

Darin is one of the biggest names in music in Sweden and has been since his runner-up finish in Swedish Idol in 2004. His announcement that he would take part in Melodifestivalen 2010 got a lot of people excited as Darin seemed like the kind of artist that could have a shot at placing very well in Oslo.

When it was revealed Darin would be taking part with a "mid-tempo ballad", things didn't look as promising as many had hoped for Darin who has had most of his success with his typical pop sound. You're Out of My Life has cheesy ballad written all over it. If I'm being honest, along with not really loving Darin in this genre, this one certainly pales in comparison to some of his previous efforts, including Homeless (which was covered by Leona Lewis) and Everything But The Girl.

Nonetheless, Darin managed to progress to the finals and despite not winning his semi-final (finishing 2nd to Timoteij) managed to finish a respectable 4th overall. The song has done well on the Swedish Singles Charts, reaching a top spot of #3 and continuing to chart after 9 weeks. Melodifestivalen was most likely seen as a way to get Darin back in the spotlight before his upcoming album release and here's to hoping that this album is a bit more similar to what we're used to!

The remixes have just been released and do the song some justice. Check out the remixes below as well as a live video of Darin performing in the Melodifestivalen finals this March.



Darin - You're Out of My Life (The Remixes)

Elin Lanto - Tickles

After a succession of amazing pop songs, including Discotheque (which is one of my favourites of all time), Elin Lanto returns with her latest single, Tickles, which is coming off of her much anticipated album coming out May 3rd entitled Love Made Me Do It.

Elin participated in Melodifestivalen 2010 with Doctor Doctor which ended up finishing a not-so-impressive 7th out of 8 in her semifinal. Along with Love Made Me Stupid which was released in 2009, Elin has made a bit of a shift from the unabashed completely pop songs to those with more of a rock edge. Despite Doctor Doctor not really impressing me much, Tickles definitely increases my confidence that Elin's second album release next month just might be one that is playing through the rest of 2010.

With an insanely catchy line like "it tickles when I think about it" making up the chorus, it isn't hard to understand how this one fits in with some of Elin's previous pop masterpieces. It really only takes a listen or two to get the chorus stuck in your head and Elin really has perfectly bridged rock and pop in just the right way.

For the clubs, Elin has had Tickles remixed by the Almighty team and the remixes are already making some noise despite the single not being physically released. The remix is already appearing on compilations and these are likely an effort to ease Elin's break into the UK. When Discotheque didn't do it for her, one could have wondered how it could be possible - the Tickles line-up could be her ticket!

Another great track from Elin! We'll forget about Doctor Doctor and wait in anticipation for the album! It tickles just to think about it! :)

Enjoy the original and Almighty remix for preview and download below!





Elin Lanto - Tickles (Album Version)

Elin Lanto - Tickles (Almighty Radio Edit)

Elin Lanto - Tickles (Almighty Hands in the Air Remix)

Inna - New Singles (2010)

As Inna begins to make her mark in North America with much success with Hot, there is new music being made, most likely for her fans in Europe who have been listening to Hot for quite some time now. You may have heard Inna on the radio here in Canada and she has also managed to reach #1 on the Billboard Dance Charts as well. No small feat for an artist from Romania!

Meanwhile, No Limit and Senorita are new tracks from Inna that show a bit more of a move from Amazing and Deja Vu which were very similar to Hot in sound and are potentially an effort to appeal to a wider market.

Inna recently received the "Artist of the Year" title at the Eska Awards in Poland where she also performed Amazing so it's hard to say where these tracks might be released - if at all - but it's nice to hear some good stuff from Inna and to see that her team are managing to produce her content that could keep her on in the clubs for a while.

If you found her first tracks a bit too 'euro' and you're more into a house sound you just might like these two.

Enjoy!





Inna - No Limit

Inna - Senorita

Hera Björk - Je Ne Sais Quoi

With Melodifestivalen said and done and most of the stand out entries already blogged it is now officially time for Eurovision. As may have already been alluded to, Eurovision is certainly a yearly highlight for me and just about any eurotrash music fan around the world.

First up is who you might call a Eurovision veteran although 2010 is the first time she has made it to the big stage on her own merit. Hera Björk did backing vocals for Iceland in 2008 and again in 2009 helping to two great results for a country that often got forgotten in the Eurovision mix. In 2009, Hera also took part in the Danish selection process trying to represent Denmark but finished 2nd although growing a significant fan base with her efforts around Scandinavia.

And then comes 2010 and Hera Björk finally has her chance to represent Iceland at Eurovision with Je Ne Sais Quoi. The song is a very typically Scandinavian-sounding dance track which will win it some huge supporters in Oslo as well as some huge critics. With the overall mediocre songs making up the Eurovision 2010 playlist, Hera's song will certainly be memorable and stands a pretty good chance at a solid result for Iceland for the third year in a row.

Below is a clip to the official video that has been submitted to the EBU and a link to the final version for Oslo. I'm voting some more action in the background although it's probably unlikely. Eurovision season - here we come! Just two months to go!



Hera Björk - Je Ne Sais Quoi

Sibel - Stop

Along with Ola, Sibel was a contestant on Idol 2005 although she ended up finishing closer to the top and in third overall. With the strong support of one of the judges it seemed as though Sibel would be destined for a successful singing career in Sweden, however, such has not really been the case.

Sibel's only album release, The Diving Belle reached #9 on the album charts and included her Melodifestivalen 2008 entry, That Is Where I'll Go. She made the finals of Melodifestivalen that year, beating out Ola's Love In Stereo in the Second Chance round and that single reached #6 in Sweden.

In 2010, Sibel returned to Melodifestivalen with Stop, which is a bit of a pop-rock inspired track and which competed in the fourth semi-final. Despite a very good performance and a song that was definitely one of the best pop songs of the competition, Sibel only managed to finish 7th in her semifinal and didn't come close to repeating her successes of 2008. The song has not managed to pick up much steam in Sweden, only reaching #36 on the singles charts.

Sibel's performance is definitely worth a watch - from her interesting outfit choice and her even more dancers and not to mention her impressive vocal performance - there is definitely lots to appreciate.

Enjoy!



Sibel - Stop

Ola - Unstoppable

Ola Svensson, known as Ola in the Swedish music scene, was yet another competitor on Swedish Idol in 2005. He ended up finishing eighth that year behind none other than Agnes. Since finishing on Idol, he has had eight top ten hits in Sweden, including four #1's - 2006's Rain, 2007's huge hit Natalie & S.O.S. and Sky's the Limit this past year in 2009.

It was announced in late 2009 that Ola would once again be taking part in Melodifestivalen 2010. Just missing out on the final in 2008 and coming off a #1 hit it seemed that his chances would be quite good. Unstoppable finished 2nd in the first semifinal and went directly to the finals ending up finishing in 7th place and not getting any points from the voting public.

Unstoppable has managed to reach #6 on the Swedish charts so far since its release and although at first listen I wasn't the biggest fan it certainly has grown on me. Ola's performance of the song isn't the best but despite that and the overly cheesy lyrics and references to Natalie from his previous hit, it's definitely worth a listen.



Ola - Unstoppable

Annagrace - Love Keeps Calling

It's amazing the things you learn on the internet! So I've heard the past two singles from Annagrace which had both done quite well reaching #1 on the Billboard Dance Charts but had no idea that Annagrace was actually just a re-branded version of Ian van Dahl, who wasn't as much just a guy but a group that charting all over the world in the early 2000s. Songs like Castles in the Sky and Reason were a part of the 2002 album, Ace, which reached #7 on the UK album charts and was certified gold there - no small feat for a dance artist!

After 2006, there was a bit of a break and things started back again in 2008 with Annagrace. They've had their most consistent success in their home country of Belgium since the early days, but as Annagrace they've topped the Belgian Dance charts with their first two singles. Annagrace's greatest success, however, has come on the US club scene. All three of their last singles have reached #1 on the Billboard Dance Charts - something that a duo has never managed to achieve before.

Love Keeps Calling is definitely more similar than the past two tracks to the sound of the van Dahl days but it still manages to do it with a more current edge. It's quite nice to see this kind of stuff charting well in North America! It appears like the video is linking it to some movie so not the most exciting to an unknowing viewer, but the song is great so enjoy!



Annagrace - Love Keeps Calling

Alcazar - Headlines

My love for Alcazar can hardly be overstated. For years they have been making the kind of music that people have come to expect and love from Sweden and Melodifestivalen is a stage that suits them like no other. They have finished third at the contest twice and ended up fifth last year just behind Mans Zelmerlow.

They are back at it again with Headlines which is pretty much what you'd expect from them although possibly a bit more modern and a bit less disco (read "a bit") than some of their previous tracks. They appear to have borrowed some of Agnes' infamous strings (a la Release Me) for the intro in what might be an effort to appeal to her massive success over the past year. It suits the song quite well and in my opinion, Alcazar have created another one for the ages here that I'd probably call my top pick for Oslo this May.

Unfortunately, Alcazar were unable to qualify directly for the final as they were able to do in 2009. In the defense, theirs was by far the most difficult of the three semifinals this year and it is also interesting to note that although qualifying directly for the finals in 2009 they only managed to secure 5th place overall last year. In 2003 and 2005, when Alcazar had their highest finish of 3rd on both occasions, they were forced to qualify through the Second Chance finals as will be the case this year. All in all, it could work in their favour. After missing out just barely in the past, the are definitely the most deserving of a chance on the Eurovision stage.

Although not being totally solid on some of the bigger notes, Alcazar put on a great show and the visual of them on stage makes the performance so much more enjoyable than the studio version - but both are available below for your enjoyment!



Alcazar - Headlines

Eric Saade - Manboy

Earlier in the year I posted one of Eric's first singles, Sleepless and referenced this upcoming entry for Melodifestivalen 2010. There are a lot of similarities to Sleepless and I'd venture it is equally, if not more, addictive. After a few listens, you almost forget the kind of ridiculous title of Manboy.

It starts off with a bit of a Backstreet Boys intro reminiscent of Everybody but then expands into the typical pop-dance song you'd expect from both its writer, Frederik Kempe, and of course from Melodifestivalen. The vampire/Twilight thing is certainly being pushed when it comes to Eric Saade here.

This song was part of the second semi-final and clinched top spot and moved directly to the finals coming up on March 13th. His performance was one of the best of the evening and I'd argue even Melodifestivalen overall. The stage show is impressive and modern without being too kitschy (save for the ending scene) although Eric might be a bit too young and similar to last year's winner to really have a chance at doing very well at Eurovision.

It'll probably be Darin vs. Eric when it comes to the voting of both the public and the jury and unfortunately I think my money will have to be on Darin despite the fact that You're Out Of My Life is unimpressive to say the least after his performance in semifinal 3.

Regardless, hopefully Manboy isn't the last we hear of Eric Saade at Melodifestivalen. Enjoy!



Eric Saade - Manboy

Linda Bengtzing & Velvet - Victorious

Linda Bengtzing has taken part in Sweden's Eurovision selection contest, Melodifestivalen, three times in the past five years. Her best result came in 2008 when she finished in 5th place despite not receiving any votes from the public. She has had several other releases outside of her Melodifestivalen entries - reaching #1 in 2007 with a duet featuring Markoolio. It is claimed that Victorious was submitted to take part in Melodifestivalen 2010 but was not selected by SVT.

Velvet has had several hits in Sweden and throughout Europe although her efforts at Melodifestivalen have not been the most successful. She reached the Second Chance round in 2006 but finished 7th out of 8 and failed to reach the finals that year. Her song from that year Mi Amore achieved success in Bulgaria, Russia, Greece and several other European countries.

So with a song that was rejected from Melodifestivalen, Linda and Velvet have opted to work together. Velvet would have been unable to take part in Melodifestivalen with this entry as she had competed in 2008 and 2009 and would have not been eligible to take part a third year in a row. It's the kind of anthem you would expect from these two with a bit of influence from each showing. It's got that Swedish anthem sound to it and ends in the typical key change. The kind of song you'll either love or hate!



Linda Bengtzing & Velvet - Victorious