SWEDEN: MELODIFESTIVALEN 2017 GETS 2.478 ENTRIES

The hunt is on in Sweden, too, and the submission period is over. This year 2.478 entries arrived in time, slightly more than last year. Karin Gunnarsson is the new woman in charge at this point and she tells their aim is to get as many new songwriters in as possible, those who have never participated before and Christer Björkman says it's a bit easier this year as half the songs last year had chart success after MF.

"Karin's exactly what we've been looking for. She has both the innovative thinking that knowledge of the industry and sense of what Melodifestivalen needs" says Christer.

"New artists, songs and sound are a never ending source which year after year continues to fascinate and interest me. It is a privilege to work and share it to a large and enthusiastic audience. I'm incredibly proud to be a part of SVT and the Eurovision Song Contest", says Karin.

Karin has worked at Sveriges Radio P3 as music editor for over ten years with music-related projects P3 Gold, Musikhjälpen and P3 Love tour. 2013 was Karin's first year in Melodifestivalen selection panel and she has participated in the jury since.

Melodifestivalen continues with its familiar formula:

Semifinal one - February 4, 2017 - Gothenburg

Semifinal two - February 11, 2017 - Malmö

Semifinal three - February 18, 2017 - Växjö

Semifinal four - February 25, 2017 - Skellefteå

Second Chance round - March 4, 2017 - Linköping

Final - March 11, 2017 - Stockholm

Here are the number of entries submitted since 1995:

• 1995: 981

• 1996: 1475

• 1997: 1223

• 1998: 1121

• 1999: 1315

• 2000: 1394

• 2001: 1567

• 2002: 1831

• 2003: 2630

• 2004: 3228

• 2005: 3131

• 2006: 3326

• 2007: 3234

• 2008: 3489

• 2009: 3440

• 2010: 2860 (incl. 246 webjokers)

• 2011: 3832 (incl. 424 webjokers

• 2012: 485 (incl. 570 webjokers)

• 2013: 2549 (incl. 647 to the public contest)

• 2014: 2628 (incl. 561 to the public contest)

• 2015: 2177 (incl. 444 to the public contest)

• 2016: 2450 (incl. 468 to the public contest)

• 2017: 2478 (incl. 362 to the public contest)

Comments

ESC 2016 WISH LIST: MARGARET FOR POLAND

Małgorzata Jamroży aka Margaret has also been tipped for Eurovision and apparently she did turn it down but she'd be perfect. She's got a look and persona you can't unnotice nor forget, she's got hit songs, she has been voted or nominated for everything from Trendy artist to the Hope of the Year, Fashion Icon and Glamour Woman of the year besides the usual best video, song, album, debut..... Oh she's also a fashion designer! She's very clever with social medias and would surely use it to her advantage if selected for Stockholm 2016. Her debut album is titled Add the blonde , do we need to say more? Except it includes mostly Swedish written pop tunes like Tell me how are ya , Wasted , Start a fire and Heartbeat . And of course her debut single and internationally noticed Thank you very much that you can enjoy below with all its anti-textil feel. I think she's Eurovision perfection, she's cheeky and fun, can we have her?

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Regina Lund - naked and censored

Regina Lund's new video Jag är osynlig was censored by Youtube only minutes after it had been uploaded. In the video she was playing a female Jesus who gets crusified in the end. "I was shocked!" she says. "There's nothing more naked in it as in every church! It's ok to have naked man hanging on the wall but my nakedness is too much on internet? ". Oh well, no comment. She's prepairing a new album Dare Regina Lund and we of course remember her from her Melodifestivalen 2007 adventure with Rainbow star .

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CAROLA'S BOOBS STEAL THE SHOW, SVT APOLOGIES

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TIM SCHOU AND HIS NAKED GRAVITY

Tim Schou has a pretty good solo career going since he left his friends in London. He's travelling the world and relesing songs and videos. The latest one is a great track and comes with a steamy video that kinda takes away from the song really. But who's complaining. If you got it, flaunt it. Enjoy the video below. This post coming after the other Dane, Rasmus Seebach as wishlist for Eurovision. To think about it, Tim would do nicely, too. Maybe he should give it another go?

JEDWARD GETS NAKED FOR THE FANS

Well, almost. The boys celebrated their 650.000th follower on Twitter by being photographed fresh from shower as promised. It's not the first time they drop their clothes as you see here . Meanwhile their second album is nearly here and the title track Young love is hitting the charts....

GREECE: HELENA PAPARIZOU HITS AGAIN WITH HAIDE

Eurovision song contest 2005 winner Helena Paparizou has been enjoying Top-5 hits every year since 2003 with the exception of 2010 and 2014, this latest one being already her 27th! And Haide is charting also in Bulgaria and Finland, of all places. The catchiness of her hits has changed less over the years than her face.... Here's the English version , below the Greek version.

ITALY: ALICE 70 - PER ELISA

Alice's second Sanremo. No longer Alice Visconti, nor Carla Bissi but simply Alice. A song written by Alice herself with Franco Battiato and Giusto Pio. An usual song lacking a proper refrain, performed in an aggressive way by fierce looking Alice with wild hair. It was a real breakthrough. If the trio's first offering the year before for Italian hit waves was a hit this became a mega hit and international success that made her known not only in Italy but abroad as well. Such a shame Italy didn't participate in Eurovision that year (but her time would come) but then again, most likely they wouldn't have had sent Sanremo winner anyways. Number one hit in Italy, Top-5 in Austria and Switzerland, Top-20 in Germany. The song featured in her 4th album simply titled Alice, that was published abroad as Per Elisa with different styling. A new version of the song is included in Personal Jukebox album. Per Elisa Vuoi vedere che perderai anche me Per Elisa Non sai più distinguere

ITALY: ALICE 70 - NATA IERI

Alice - Nata ieri In 2012 Alice released her first studio album with new original songs in 14(fourteen!!!) years, Samsara . Among them a song Franco Battiato had written especially for her (Eri con me), a first since 1982!, a couple from Tiziano Ferro including this Nata ieri. The album included also three covers from Lucio Dalla, Giuni Russo and Califfi. Her fans had been waiting for this album and it entered the Italian charts straight at number 10. Se la vita è migliorata dopo ogni ferita, è grazie a te. Tra le grigie ceneri dei giorni neri, lì sono nata ieri. If life has improved after every wound, it is thanks to you. Among the gray ashes of the dark days, there I was born yesterday.

Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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