Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Darin is no stranger to Eurovision having participated in Melodifestivalen 2010 with You're out of my life , six years after his breakthrough in Idols , and being part of the interval act in 2013 Eurovision semi final. He has become one of the most succesful if not the most succesful Idols born artist in Sweden despite being only runner up (to Daniel Lindström - who? and beating Loreen among others). He started in English but switched to Swedish (and more acoustic sound) in 2014 and it made him even more popular. Seven out of his 8 albums went to #1 so far, and he has also 10 top-10 singles to his credit. He has also written songs for other artists and was even asked to write a song for the Crown Princess Victoria's wedding, Can't stop love . Tvillingen was the most played song in Swedish radios in 2017. His career is also going strong in Asia.  Check out also Nobody knows , Lovekiller , Mamma mia , Ta mig tillbaka  and F your love . If only SVT could manage him get...

Forget Måns Z for a moment, Darin is back. And he goes Swedish in his new single Ta mig tillbaka , that is pretty wonderful. Lovely airy arrangement instead of heavy EMD beats and a new start for this artist who so should do Eurovision.....  ( Hop hop somarello anyone?)

Annette Clarissa Lundell (23) or simply Clarissa is a new name to music scene as she made her first recordings only last fall but she's a multi-Finnish Champion is hip hop dance and even won bronze in European level!  But she's been singing in public for years and her first singles The coolest girl and Like the first time gained good radio play in the Swedish speaking stations in Finland and brought her visibility in the media. She also won in Radio X3M's Nöjesgalan 2013 the award for The best Newcomer. She was born in Inkoo and lives in Karjaa and is of the Swedish speaking minority like the last three Finnish Eurovision represantitives Krista Siegrids, Pernilla Karlsson and Paradise Oscar. She likes Beyonce and Jessie J and was the warm up act for Swedish Darin in his gig in Helsinki earlier this year. Joshua aka Josh Standing is only 20 and British. He's been singing and street dancing all his life. When he met Clarissa the idea of a duo came quickly and now...

The rumour mill is running wild for Melodifestivalen 2014 participants and it seems Martin Stenmarc k (ESC 2005) is back while the ladies Sanna Nielsen and Linda Bengtzing are giving it yet another go. Dr Alban might finally make his debut? Aftonbladet also reveals the other possible names: Oscar Zia, Panetoz, J.E.M., Outrigger, Judit & Judit, Eko, Cajsa Stina Äkerström, Josef Johanson that are more or less unknown to this blogger. Christer Björkman is quoted of saying there are still five open slots but negotiations on going with more big names and "the big names are usually the last ones to be confirmed and the talking-them-over period is at full swing right now". It is rumored Avicii, Ola Salo and Lisa Nilsson are some of those Björkman is sweet talking. I hope he has a chat with Sarah Dawn Finer and Darin as well! SVT will reveal all the names by the end of November 2013.

Darin returns to Finland for a gig in Korjaamo , Helsinki on September 4, 2013. He released his latest album Exit earlier this year and already four singles has been released from it: Nobody knows , Playing with fire , Check you out and So yours . In Sweden he's as hot as always and the rest of Europe got to see him on Eurovision stage this spring as well. I think this blogger needs to go and check him out finally!

Petra Mede might be hosting the show alone but the list of the interval and opening acts is impressive. And she will have some help from Eric Saade in the greenroom.  Loreen will open the first semifinal, and Kleerup will provide the interval act. The two stars recently collaborated in Requiem solution , so who know maybe Loreen shows up in the interval act, too? Dance Orchestra choreographed by Jennie Widegren and Fredrik Rydman will open the second semifinal and the interval act will be Swedish Pop Voices featuring Darin and Agnes Carlsson . For the final ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus have joined forces with Avicii in We write the story . The interval act will be Carola starring in a crazy, mad number that is going to be very Swedish. ...

Lena Philipsson's En helkväll med Lena Philipsson aired last night and the most anticipated number was of course the pairing of Carola and Lena Ph in Lena's classic lovesong Om igen .... her runner up in Melodifestivalen 1988 and this blogger's favorite by her.  Also Darin visited her along the night doing Månsken i Augusti .  Rather fantastic performance that one, too. All in all a very entertaining evening. This blogger was also surprised the band was so small! I would have preferred a better and bigger one for this kind of show! Hmm...

SVT is doing big variety shows with different artists (one of them being another Eurovision veteran Jill Johnson) under title "En helkväll med.../Whole evening with...." or 90 minutes of show, talk and some invited guests. Lena Philipsson got her show done earlier this month in Gothenburg's Stora teatern. This is actually the very first time these two schlager queens perform as a duet ever. In public that is. Carola tells in her blog that they did once Barbra Streisand's Enough is enough in a private birthday party in Mallorca. They have also been featured in a same MF number many years ago - and this is THE best interval act ever in any Eurovision related show. But I guess you have to speak Swedish to fully appreciate it - but as a duet, this is a first, after nearly 30 years both have been in the business! Apparently Lena plays piano besides singing and Carola seems very pleased and excited about the experience. And the song? It's this blogger's super...

Remember Darin? He was to release his sixth album earlier this year but scrapped it and left for the US instead and is now working with several famous and successful producers and writers, among them Jim Beans (who co-write Dima Bilan's Believe ), Billy Mann, Sasha Skarbek, Busbee and RedOne. The new album is in the makes between New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles and should be released early next year. "I couldn't release something I wasn't 110% sure about. When it comes to music I'm perfectionist. This new album has a chance to break abroad, it's very important for me. At the moment I'm in studio with these guys and we write songs for me, and it's possible I write for other artists, too" he says. Darin has four #1 albums in Sweden (and a lot of fans in Finland, too) to his credit even if being only 25. He broke through from the Idol 2004 and also participated in Melodifestivalen 2010 with You're out of my life  finishing 4th. The ye...

Darin has been prepairing his new album and it's almost here. The first single Nobody knows is out now and could have breathed some life into tomorrow's Melodifestivalen semifinal for example if it was there. But it's not.  UPDATE : And here's the full song and live performance!

Jonna (28) came to the spotlight in 2002 when she was one of the girls selected to a girlband created by a reality show. Gimmel was born but Jonna left the band after a month and went solo. ( Jenni Vartiainen was one of the other Gimmel girls, btw and PMMP girls met during the show, too). Her career took off quite nicely and her debut album went to #7 but then the progress has been downhill: the follow up went to #27 and the third one #32. After that she went to the States for awhile, got married and divorced and is now ready for a comeback, in English. Jonna has released three albums and 11 singles so far. Her website says she will release her first single in English in January 2011 so one can quite safely suspect her Euroviisut entry will be in English instead Finnish she has been singing so far. Her hits include Jäässä , Sateen jälkeen   and Tyytyväinen . She has also dueted with Darin in Explain and she has also collaborated with Cheek . Jonna is one of the artists/songs YL...

BlogIlkar wishes happy Halloween to all readers with this fabulous new video from Darin, Lovekiller ! Be scared!

The happy wedding couple Victoria & Daniel has left for honeymoon in some secret location but the Love Stockholm 2010 is still here and here's Darin's contribution. He wrote Can't stop love inspired by the couple in like 5 seconds the other night. Sometimes all you need is an inspiration and beautiful things happen.... (and you end up wearing some weird things, too). He's going on a summer tour shortly and will release a new album on August 25.

This year's Melodifestivalen final has three ex-Idols (four if you count in also presenter Måns Zelmerlöf) in it and that has made one other finalist, Erik Saade give out some harsh critic: "I'm so glad I have done it the long hard way and not through some Idols. I have worked my career myself" . Well, he seems to forget he isn't unknown to TV either after having been a presenter in Disney Channel! Anna's response was that she is very proud to have been part of the Idols, and Darin says it has been a great school for him about working in TV and it gave him a chance as an artist. Ola says that if they all four are still around and here now, proves they have it, Idols just gave them the chance to be heard. Darin is from Idols 2004 where he was the runner up. Ola Svensson and Måns are from Idols 2005 where they finished 8th and 5th. Finally Anna Bergendahl is from Idols 2008 and she finished 5th.

And here's another Melodifestivalen 2010 finalist and wildcard Darin with an acoustic version of his You're out of my life .

Melodifestivalen plays with exotic again. After Darin, of Kurdish origin here comes 28-year-old Sirian-Swedish Salem Al Fakir. he has released two albums so far plus one EP, and his singles are Astronaut , This is who I am, Dream girl , It's true and Good song . His latest single is Roxy . To me he is completely unknow until now. His entry is called Keep on walking .

Darin took a step towards Melodifestivalen already in March 2005 when he at 17 did Lena Philipsson's Det gör ont infront of "Who's who" in the Swedish music business and got a standing ovation. Since then he has been asked every year by Christer Björkman and songwriters and said no. Why? "It just wasn't the right time and I have been busy elsewhere. But I never said never and the thought has always been in the back of my mind. Now everything just came together. Out of my life is one of the best songs I have recorded, it made me to go for it.  When I heard it for the first time I just knew. It was a magical moment !" Also Christer Björkman is happy. Four year's of asking has come to and end and he has a modern artist that is widely liked by all age groups. Darin has already worked abroad, especially in Germany and Finland, does he think it will be an advantage if he eventually wins Melodifestivalen? "I think it's all about the song in th...

Darin is the first Melodifestivalen joker and it looks like his name hasn't been mentioned this year at all beforehand which makes it even nicer! Incidently I heard some Darin music just yesterday and the thought crossed my mind but.... Darin Zanyar (22) came second in the Idols 2004 and is of Kurdistan heritage. He has released already four albums and has covered Lena Philipsson and dueted with Finnish Jonna ( Explain ) for example, and has also a following in Finland. He also claims he had an affair with Anna Abreu in the past... Great choice! His latest single is a Coldplay cover and current #1 in Sweden Viva la vida and other hits include Money for nothing , Why does it rain? , Step up , Who's that girl? , Want ya! , Perfect , Everything but the girl , Desire , Insanity , Breathing your love . He will perform Out of my life in Melodifestivalen 2010 that he didn't write but he is already a co-writer of two other songs in 2010: Doctor doctor and Headlines !