Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Let's continue the series and kill some time having a look at the last decade and see who were the Top-10 best scoring countries in the Eurovision song contest in the past ten years. The ways to calculate are many and here I have used the simple average placement method (and it's not all so serious). Number one is of course Sweden. Two wins, two bronzes and four additional top-7 finishes makes Sweden the most succesful Eurovision country in the 2010's, the only odd one out being the home entry in 2013 (14th). But let's see how long this will last; fandom isn't anymore equally mesmerized by Melodifestivalen and the Swedish entries, and certainly not the televoters in the recent years while the juries still back them up no matter what. This blogger has pretty much lost interest in Melodifestivalen the past few years to be honest, and think Sweden's been overrated for way too long. But times are changing, let's see how their 2020's will be. I persona...

Pictured is the Swedish national flower, linnaea borealis aka twin flower Sweden once again used Melodifestivalen, the mother of all national selection marathons to select its song. 2.478 songs were submitted, more were invited and in the end 28 were chosen for the semifinals and six weeks later after the usual four semisi and the second chance round we had lost three previous Eurovision winners in the process, as well as Finland's ex-entrant Krista Siegfrids and Robin Bengtsson was vrowded the new king with his I can't go on , written by David Kreuger, Hamed 'K-One' Pirouzpanah and previous Eurovision entrant Robin Stjernberg. He was the clear favorite of the international juries, but Swedish televoters placed him only third.... Robin Bengtsson (26) started his career back in 2008 in the Idols, where he placed third behind Maltese Kevin Borg, and Alice Svensson who also took part in this Meloifestivalen (but didn't make it past her semi). Then he did Wipe...

Ambra Succi, the Finnish choreographer who helped Loreen to victory is this year behind Bulgaria's Poli Genova's act, togeher with Bulgarian Milen Dankov. Over the years she has worked with many other Eurovision and Melodifestivalen acts from Robin Stjernberg to Danny Saucedo.  Last year she did Azerbaijan's Elnur's choreography. She has lived in Finland, Italy and New York before settling in Stockholm. Finlandswede mom, Italian father, dance schooling in Finland, New York and Stockholm, performances from the Royal family's events to Nobel Prize ceremonies, teaching in Finland and in Japan she's pne of the top names in the industry. She even has her own dance school in Stockholm. Will she help Bulgaria to qualify? She says she liked to take risks, and doesn't go for the most obvious and simple. 

Laura Pausini is making a comeback from maternity leave with a new album and new duets. The first one features Kylie Minogue ! Sounds a rather strange pairing but Limpido works out well. And the ladies get to take some very colorful baths in the video. Staying in Italy we have Quando una stella muore by Giorgia . Once again: What an Eurovision entry this would have been for Italy! Remember Lucy Was Driving from UMK? They're back with The anthem of broken dreams . The video is very innotive and... ehmm... educative? In the end music can make wonders! There's plenty of drama, education and high notes as added bonus in Robin Stjernberg' s new one, Pieces , too. Hands free, I say!

The Marcel Bezencon awards were announced yesterday before the grand final of Eurovision 2013. And what do we have here? Same countries/persons as last year? Really? Press award for the best song (voted by the accreditated press and press on spot): Waterfall - Georgia Artistic award (voted by the commentators): Farid Mammadov - Azerbaijan Composer award (voted by the participating composers): Robin Stjernberg, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb and Joachim Harestad Haukaas for You - Sweden Last year the winners were Sabina Babayeva, Thomas G:son and Peter Boström and Loreen.  I may have had risen eyebrows here....

Surreal , said Sarah Dawn Finer in the after party around 4am when asked how she feels. She wasn't only Lynda Woodruff, but also did ABBA's The winner takes it al l live in Arena before the voting started. So nice of SVT to let her shine there, too. Hopefully she participates in Melodifestivalen again and actually goes to do it for Sweden next year! #MILF. That's all we remember from Eric Saade's useless appearance in the Green room. Petra Mede might be a milf indeed, but ... tasteless! YIkes! Disappointed . That's what Sweden's own Robin Stjernberg was visibly for the 14th place even if his mouth said something else. Top-10 was what he wanted. Swedish smörgåsbord . Petra Mede offered us a lot of goodies from meatballs to the wind machine finally blowing Carola way. Enjoy !

And we continue with the home entry.... SWEDEN - Robin Stjernberg - You Sweden is still adjusting its performance to the perfection and further changes were made all over. Robin and his acrobats are still all over the stage though. This is a difficult song and shines or falls with Robin's vocals, so far he has been ok. The song builts slowly to the climax with pyros and rain of fire. Will it be enough? Hard to tell how this looks on telly, seeing on a video like this I'm not as impressed as I would like to be.... As we know he will perform as number 16 in the final. UNITED KINGDOM - Bonnie Tyler - Believe in me We all love Bonnie, don't we? And believe in her? She looks lovely in her dress that is black, but no leather as she promised. She's on stage with her band the first part in a warm lit stage before walking to the catwalk and the little stage that is lifted up. I want her to do well, I like the song. And she draw herself to the second half of the fi...

Last night the Israeli party took place in Glasklart and many stars made an appearance from the hostess herself, Moran Mazor from Israel to Marco Mengoni from Italy, PeR from Latvia, Dorians from Armenia, Gianluca from Malta, Robin from Sweden... Even Carola was there! Scroll down for the performances! (Grazie OGAE Italy!) Armenia, Latvia, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Malta, Germany, Albania and Israel performed. Some delegations left as the night was dragging on and timetables were just a memory.... Moran Mazor - Halleujah Moran Mazor - Rak bishvilo Cascada - Glorious   Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko - Identitet Gianluca Bezzina - Tomorrow   Esma and Lozano - Pred da se razdeni   Koza Mostra and Agathon Iakovidis - Alcohol is free    Gor Suyjan and Dorians - Lonely planet    Elitsa and Stoyan - Samo shampioni

Time for the host country... GERMANY - Cascada - Glorious Cascada has kept the main idea of their national final performance with the stairs but now everything's juts a little bit more polished and glamourous and glorious. And yes, there's again the cascada of fire and the use of the catwalk. I had my doubts and this never was really one of my favorites but seeingit like this, yes, it's very strong and dangerous. The audience in the arena will go wild for this. But is she going to be barefoot? I thought all the participants must wear their footwear to every rehearsals even if not in stage cloathes. Not very glamorous is it? But this rehearsal proves this year wide open, anything can happen. Even Germany is a possible winner. SWEDEN - Robin Stjernberg - You New staging, new colors, new wardrobe for Robin and his team.The stage act itself hasn't really changed so much as believed, they have only put Robin on a little artifical mountain, or rather a hill. I ...

I previously posted a muscle bulging comparison of Irish Ryan Dolan vs Azeri Farid Mammadov. Georgian Nodi Tatishvili doesn't want to be left any worse and here he is in his glory! What he lacks in muscles maybe he's got in other departments! Enjoy! And this is as good an excuse as any to listen all these three fine songs again: Gerogia , Ireland , Azerbaijan As a bonus here's Sweden 's Robin Stjernberg in bath.... with a friend.... Let the ESC 2013 begin!

You can win this promopack of Robin Stjernberg's You including a CD-single fabulously packed like the good olf 7" vinyl singles and a fan postcard!  Just look at the photo below and tell me what's going on in it.....  or the story and occasion behind it.  Answers to the comments box below (only I can see the answers). Don't forget to include your contact email address, please! The winner will be drawn among those with the right story/answer. By midnight April 14, 2013 CET. (Special thanks to Lionheart International AM for the prize) UPD:  Thank you for all of you who participated! Most answers were correct; namely this photo is taken when both Robin Stjernbeg and Eric Saade were in boyband What's Up, and more specificly when they wete doing the My Camp Rock soundtrack Här är jag (This is me) with Vendela Palmgren.  The winner of this promopack is Branko from Slovenia! Congratulations and keep eye on your mailbox! :-)

Yohio, who won the televote in Melodifestivalen with Heartbreak Hotel but finished 2nd behind Robin Stjernberg has just released his debut Swedish album Break the border it debuts at #1 in Sweden. In fall will he will be touring the country and most of the tour seems to be sold out already. Next big engagement is Humorgala on May 1st, 2013 where he will be one of the stars along with Carola.

Sweden - Robin Stjernberg - You Robin did the same that Krista did in Finland: beating the favorites and conquering performance by performance and winning in the end and coming from the Second Chance round. And partly for the same reasons besides the song; open friendly likable personality and energy to envy. You isn't the easiest song on earth nor the catchiest, but it works, even as this fantastic acoustic version.  The show factor will be tuned down for ESC and it'll be all about Robin and his vocals. If he nails it the big night, he might end up very high in the scoreboard following rather the suit of Roger Pontare than Christer Björkman. If he fails, well.... it might be rather nightmarish to listen to... But I trust he delivers on May 18.... Belgium - Roberto Bellarosa - Love kills The fans slaughtered this song ever since it was selected, not concidering the fact that the Belgian "final" was done with demos, flu effected voice at 10am on Sunday bru...

Swedish Robin Stjernberg has to do changes to his performance of You to fit the Eurovision rules. No surprise as in Melodifestivalen he had five dancers plus two backing singers hidden backstage. He was also himself actively involved in the choreography. All will change for Malmö 2013. He will be standing in a special podium concentrating on singing separated from the rest and wearing also new clothing, something light. His singing dancers will be wearing darker colors instead. And did you know he has a natural Batman shaped chest hair ?! And there's a remix of the song? And the acoustic version?

The various reality shows are a way to make it into music business but it doesn't mean you can stay on top after the winning exposure fades away. Some make it a bit further and this year's Eurovision isn't immune to that either. We have the winners of The Voice of Russia, Belgium and Serbia among us, and even Finland's Krista Siegfrids may have to thank The Voice for her being here now even if she didn't reach the final in it last year. Very unfairly, as most Finns agreed and awarded her an UMK victory instead. We have also a French Idol, a Swedish Idols runner up (with the smallest winning margin in the history as Robin, the runner up got 48% of the votes, one might add), and a Norwegian Idols finalist. Then we have also an Italian X Factor winner. We have even a Junior Eurovision participant, Serbia's Nevana Bozovic! Other artists that have started their career that had lead them to Malmö 2013 in various reality shows are at least Vlatko Lozanovsk...

This week it's been all about Eurovision videos but something else has been going on. Måns Zelmerlöf has moved away from Cara mia days and his Broken parts shows as a very different Måns. Staying in Sweden we have Robin Stjernberg with Scars , a strong anti-mobbing song and video. Readers of this blog aren't certainly among those nasty people who tease others, right? RIGHT? Lauri Ylönen of The Rasmus is releasing his second solo album later this year and the new offering from it is She's a bomb . The music is what it, is but Lauri is a bomb in it :-) Eros Ramazzotti has started his world tour and this blogger will see him again in Helsinki in May, meanwhile here's his first offering from the new album, Un angelo disteso al sole .

Many have been surprised - and not pleased - with Robin Stjernberg's victory with You in Melodifestivalen 2013. Gustav Dahlander explains some possible reasons why the international juries preferred Robin and snobbed YOHIO . The juries voted on Friday and in the rehearsals all favorites seemed to have failed in way or the other: YOHIO missed the long climax vote and was saving his voice it seems, Ralf Gyllenhammar gave a nervous and less inspired performance and was all but pleased after it. He was back on track on Saturday, as was YOHIO, too late. Ulrik Munther wasn't in top form either, partly caused by problems in his ear piece it seems. Anton Ewald had some hip problems in his dance number. It didn't harm his vocal perfomance (but then he wasn't singing anyways) but his dancing, that the number was entirely built upon. So, Robin just got better and better by each performance and it paid of. He had however quite a struggle to get that far: in his semifinal he ...