Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Melodifestivalen artists guessing goes wild when tabloids Afronbladet and Expressen try outdo each other in revealing the names before SVT does sometime in December most likely on November 27, 2018. So far we have a 15 year old Youtube star (he'll be 16 in time though) Bishara Morad in the list, as well as 86 year old Jan Malmsjö who could return to contest 50 years after his last appearance when he tied for the win with Hej clown co-written by ABBA's Benny Andersson but lost in revote.  Other rumored returnees are Arvingarna ( ESC 1993 ). Ann-Louise Hansson (74) could return for the record breaking 14th time. She first took part in 1963 and last 2004. Her best placing so far is 4th (1966, 1969, 1973). Jon Henrik Fjällgren could become third time lucky having placed 2nd and 3rd already. Last year's 3rd placed John Lundvik seems to be back as well with other recent participants Anton Hagman , Nano , Polish Margaret and Wiktoria . Add ex-Barbados and ex-Alcazar M...

Sweden has never won the Eurovision song contest with a male solo artist but this year they are really trying. The final next Saturday (along with the one in Norway) is the last of the season 2015 and it is filled with muscled guys who seem to love parade half naked showing off. Some of them can also sing and perform, some... well, a bit less so. The main contenders seem to be Måns Zelmerlöv and Eric Saade . Then there's  Jon Henrik Fjällgren to shake the things a bit. Let's see who wins that fight. It seems both Måns and Eric need to beat Jon first, but then also each other to win.  Samir Badran and Victor Frisk are also ready for the battle even if they had to make it through the second chance round. They know how to pose but that's just about all it is about... Barking dogs don't bite. Samir also challenges Linus Svenning  with the tattoo department. Linus can deliver, we know that, but Samir ... well, he gives great poses. And what about th...

Malmö hosts the second Melodifestivalen semifinal this season. Eurovision superveteran Marie Bergman is in the line up with national final veteran Sanne Salomonsen. Also Linus Svenning and Magnus Carlsson are back and the line up features reality tv stars Samir & Victor who apparently can't sing but it doesn't matter because they are famous for being... famous. After hearing the short snippets I'm still not impressed. Mariette could be something interesting, Magnus will fly to the final, Linus either final or Andra chansen....  Linus Svenning - Forever starts today Emelie Irewald - Där och då med dig Samir & Victor - Groupie Neverstore - If I was God for one day Marie Bergman & Sanne Salomonsen - Nonethless Magnus Carlsson - Möt mig i Gamla Stan Mariette - Don't stop believing UPDATE: Magnus and Mariette to the final, Linus and Samir & Victor to Andra chansen. Neverstore 5th, Emelie 6th, Marie & Sanne 7th.

Melodifestivalen acts will be announced next Monday and Tuesday. The rumor mill of possible participants has been running wild for weeks already and finally we know who are really in and who are not. What we know so far is that Sanna Nielsen will debut as the host and with her will be Robin Paulsson , a very well known television host, also him making his MF debut. We also know one of the contestants already, Kalle Johansson . He won the Svensktoppen nästä 2014 contest and the award was a ticket to Melodifestivalen 2015.  SVT received 2.177 songs this year and it seems the famous Swedish schlager is making a comeback. There are minor changes to the format and instead of 32 songs there will be only 28, but 12 of them will advance to the final instead of 10. Makes sense? Måns Zelmerlöv is supposed to be making a comeback to the contest, as are Lili & Susie, Linus Svenning and Charlotte Perrelli . Sean Banan has also made it clear he has sent a song. Other names ru...

Alcazar's Andreas Lundstedt surprised his boyfriend figure skater Niklas Hogner in a live nationwide radio program Sommar i P1 by finishing the programe by "... and last but not least, greetings to my boyfiriend Niklas. Do you wanna be my man forever? Will you marry me? " Once Niklas got over the shock by being proposed with a few million listeners he said "yes!". How cute. The lovebirds are not celebrating the event together as Andreas in on tour and Niklas is not with him.  Another high profile gay marriage in Sweden in 2010 after the Peter Jöback wedding in June? Andreas has a long history in Melodifestivalen and has even done Eurovision once, in 2006 but for Switzerland. He has done three times solo: Driver dagg, faller regn (1996), Jag saknar dig, jag saknar dig (1997) and Move (2007) and with Alcazar in Not a sinner, nor a saint ,(2003)  Alcastar .(2005) Stay the night ,(2009) and Headlines (2010). He was also dating Magnus Carlsson for many years and...

The Royal Gardens in Stockholm go on with the celebrations. Tonight amongst other Eurovision winner (and flopper) Charlotte Perrelli together with Magnus Carlsson perform together a special song for the occasion and their own hits. Another schlagertastic night to come!

Magnus Carlsson, the Melodifestivalen veteran - 7 times solo or with Barbados or Alcazar - has covered Erasure's A little respect . The youngsters reading may not be familiar with this great track but I certainly remember it well and besides Erasure were generally fab and were the first to make chart topping ABBA covers with their ABBA-esque ep. Here is the original A little respect . Here are some ABBA goodies by them: Lay all your love on me , Take a chance on me , Voulez vous and SOS . and here's their even earlier Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! Curiously enough also Magnus has been busy in April 2010 doing ABBA tributes in concert, like Knowing me, knowing you .

Not only Carola is making Christmas albums every other Christmas (5 albums and eps todate), so is Magnus Carlsson. He has collected together his two previous Christmas albums En ny Jul and Spår i snön together with an EP with six newly recorded tracks in a box. Amongst the new recordings  Ave Maria and Little drummer boy . The box is released today. Next week he will start a Christmas tour that go on until and over Christmas and New Year's and ends in Borås on January 4, 2010.

Magnus Carlsson solo. Magnus Carlsson ex-Barbados. Magnus Carlsson ex-Alcazar. Se mig (2nd in 2000), Allt som jag ser (2nd in 2001) and Världen utanför (4th in 2002) by Barbados. Not a sinner nor a saint (3rd in 2003) and Alcastar (3rd in 2007) by Alcazar plus Magnus less fortunate solo efforts Lev livet! (2006) and Live forever (2007) are all included with 2 CDs full of goodies from all periods of his career from 1993 until today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6MGN1qYJBo , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTo3W_ynqdI , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBijb8FMyxQ , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRMqoMYkzMY , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY97NJAHPFU&feature=related , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYBtoShZS9k , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swDkSEbZWoA&feature=related

The Swedish ladies seem to have joined forces to attack Carola being yet another Christmas the queen what comes to selling Christmas albums. Sanna Nielsen, Shirley Clamp and Sonja Aldén release Our Christmas , continuing their collaboration that started last summer touring together. Charlotte Perrelli also gets into business with RimfrostJul . And don't forget Magnus Carlsson's Spår i snö from 2006...