Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Once again one amateur gets a ticket to Melodifestivalen semifinals and this year it is Kalle Johansson. This 17-year-old emerged as the winner of Svensktoppen Nästa and therefor won the ticket to Sweden's national selection for Eurovision and could travel all the way to Vienna. His winning song is  Den där Dan , but of course Christer Björkman & co will find him another song and the guy will propably go through a major make over during next winter.  Kalle will be the third Svesktoppen Nästa winner in the Melodifestivalen. In 2013 Therese Fredenwall came 5th in her semifinal and in 2014 Eko came last in their semifinal. Maybe Kalle will be third time lucky to make it to the final? 

What an earth has happened to Melodifestivalen? Has the euphoria turned into hangover this year as the songs seem so uninspired, boring, uninteresting and bland to say the least. The show itself is still on top level, but the songs... If one was hoping they saved the best for last and for this last semifinal unfortunately it isn't so. Army of Lovers is not really delivering (at least in thet one minute snippet), Ulrik Munther has been inspired by Paradise Oskar it seems for his stage presentation, Behrang Miri recycles the French entry of some years ago... olè! I guess Army of Lovers will take the straight rocket ride to the final with la Camilla who is seven million years old and Alexander Bard in his underwear (but without his fallos as he planned to)  but who will join them? Behrang? Therese? Ulrik? Even Sylvia (how popular is she egentligen?) or the other -hammar.  Will we have other rather shocking results as we have had so far? Army of Lovers - Rockin' the ride ...

As of today, September 1, 2012 the possible entries for the Eurovision song contest 2013 in Malmö next May can be publicly performed according the EBU rules and the hopeful singers don't have to shut up anymore. The national broadcasters may have their own deadlines depending on their own rules but for example Switzerland has its first wannabes on lien already here . Among them John Hänni with rather nice I can't shut up . In Sweden the first participant has also been selected for the Melodifestivalen. Therese Fredenwall through a radio contest. In Finland you start sending your songs in from Monday, September 3, 2013 here . In coming months the news about the selection will be many and as always I do my best to follow them and blog about them. Before the end of year we will surely have two songs chosen (Switzerland and Albania) and who knows, maybe some other as well.... Stay tuned!