VoR
Take it or leave it
Mamma Mia, here we go again!
Melodi #1: Greczula - Half of Me
Andreas Werling, Karl Ivert, Kian Sang, Kristofer Greczula
Scoring a highly respectable bronze medal in the 2025 contest, immaculately groomed show pony Greczula returns with some of the highest expectations of any participant in this year's Contest. Indeed, he's the current favourite to win the whole thing. With that in mind, putting him on first feels like a choice - nobody's won after opening the show since Charlotte Perrelli in 1999, and that was back when the show was a one-night gala hosted in Stockholm's glitziest wine bar.
His entry last year was pure pastiche, and this year looks to be no exception, with early reviews describing it as somehow both 'Pure ABBA' and 'SO QUEEN'. Overall the vibe is mixed-positive, with some critics still claiming it could win with the right stage show, while others admit that they're a tad underwhelmed. But he should have enough polish to easily land in the top 3 on Saturday, barring any disasters.
Overall odds position: 1st
Heat odds position: 1st
Melodi #2: Jacqline - Woman
Dino Medanhodzic, Jimmy Jansson, Moa "Cazzi Opeia" Carlebecker, Thomas G:son
Call the police! Our effortless diva has been done seriously dirty by this running order slot!
To be fair, Jacqline's 2024 debut, while impressive, definitely fell a bit into the category of 'things gay people like' (tm: @dUb ), ending up in 9th place in the final and enjoying modest local chart action in the aftermath. Subsequent singles did not exactly race up the charts either, suggesting this might be a bit of a make or break moment.
Pleasingly, despite the ill tidings of the death slot, the reviews have been broadly positive for this one so far! Described as vocally demanding and dramatic, Ariana Grande's Problems with a schlager-infused chorus and a natural sister to Effortless, most predict this will qualify in some form at the end of the night.
Overall odds position: 12th
Heat odds position: 4th
Melodi #3: Noll2 - Berusade ord
Fredrik Andersson, Jakob Westerlund, Wilmer Öberg
Giving strong 'two lads with a podcast' vibes, Noll2 are this year's first Melfest debutants, although they did previously sing background vocals on no less an anthem than I Won't Shake by La Gunilla. CAMP!
They had a modest local hit last year with a sweet/boring song called Störd, which apparently went mildly viral in upper Klimpfjäll. The acccompanying video is endearingly DIY, but does not suggest magnetic stage presence is on the cards.
However, reviews have been fairly warm and apparently they're bringing a bit more danceable energy with a lot of fiddles. Basically, the vibe is Væb.
Overall odds position: 29th
Heat odds position: 5th
Melodi #4: Junior Lerin - Copacabana Boy
Fredrik Andersson
Bearing a worrying resemblance to Gregg Wallace preparing to crack a hilarious funny about a co-worker's tits, Junior Lerin is your obligatory non-musical TV personality drafted in to generate a few free column inches. He has no apparent experience as a performer or recording artist, although he did do a few weeks on Swedish Strictly last year.
Sometimes the Swedes like to get a bit silly with stuff like this, but just as often it's strictly a one-night only affair, which seems to be the likelihood based on the reviews. Stromae meets Sean Banan is the consensus, with some scribes noting that the recording is remarkably low quality even for Melfest filler.
Overall odds position: 30th (last)
Heat odds position: 6th (last)
Melodi #5: Indra - Beautiful Lie
Anderz Wrethov, Indra Elg, Kristofer Strandberg, Laurell Barker, Robert Skowronski
***Laurell Barker klaxon!***
Another new face for 2026, Indra only released her debut single Fake It With a Smile late last year. Prior to that, she had a brief run on the seemingly deathless Melfest contestant generator that is Swedish Idol.
And... that's about it. Reviews are mixed-positive, comparisons to Adele and Billie Eilish abound, particularly their Bond themes. Some feel a strong performance could edge her ahead of the more polished competitors, but the broad expectation is that she's here as a palate cleanser...
Overall odds position: 20th
Heat odds position: 3rd
Melodi #6: A*Teens - Iconic
Dino Medanhodzic, Jimmy Jansson, Lina Hansson, Moa "Cazzi Opeia" Carlebecker, Thomas G:son
...and finally we come to the main course!
Blessed/cursed with a band name that gets funnier with every passing year, the now decidedly middle aged A*Teens are reunited for their first ever Melodifestivalen appearance as a group.
Genuinely huge in the early 00s (Less so in the UK, but they had two Gold-selling albums in the USA!), what began as an obvious novelty cash-in - their first album was exclusively made up of perky ABBA covers - they ultimately evolved into a sort of Swedish Steps, with hits such as Upside Down, Floorfiller and Closer to Perfection easily standing alongside the very best of LSL and co.
As is often the way of things, they proved to be far greater than the sum of their parts. Marie and Sara both have iconic solo Melfest disasters in their past, and Marie released a fun solo album that sold about 15 copies despite being produced by some fairly expensive producers for the time (justice for That's The Way My Heart Goes!)
They finally jumped on the reunion bandwagon in 2024, with a well-received interval act at that year's Melfest, plus a vocally suspicious set at Mighty Hoopla last year. Now they're in it as competitors. Can they win it? Probably not, this very much reads as a nostalgia blast for local viewers.
Reviews are decidedly mixed, with some breathless comparisons to classic Alcazar sitting alongside complaints that the chorus just doesn't hit as hard as it needs to. But they'll have the highest budget, the most stage experience, the lowest volume on their individual microphones and hopefully enough millennial goodwill behind them to push them into the finals.
Overall odds position: 9th
Heat odds position: 2nd
Melodi #1: Greczula - Half of Me
Andreas Werling, Karl Ivert, Kian Sang, Kristofer Greczula
Scoring a highly respectable bronze medal in the 2025 contest, immaculately groomed show pony Greczula returns with some of the highest expectations of any participant in this year's Contest. Indeed, he's the current favourite to win the whole thing. With that in mind, putting him on first feels like a choice - nobody's won after opening the show since Charlotte Perrelli in 1999, and that was back when the show was a one-night gala hosted in Stockholm's glitziest wine bar.
His entry last year was pure pastiche, and this year looks to be no exception, with early reviews describing it as somehow both 'Pure ABBA' and 'SO QUEEN'. Overall the vibe is mixed-positive, with some critics still claiming it could win with the right stage show, while others admit that they're a tad underwhelmed. But he should have enough polish to easily land in the top 3 on Saturday, barring any disasters.
Overall odds position: 1st
Heat odds position: 1st
Melodi #2: Jacqline - Woman
Dino Medanhodzic, Jimmy Jansson, Moa "Cazzi Opeia" Carlebecker, Thomas G:son
Call the police! Our effortless diva has been done seriously dirty by this running order slot!
To be fair, Jacqline's 2024 debut, while impressive, definitely fell a bit into the category of 'things gay people like' (tm: @dUb ), ending up in 9th place in the final and enjoying modest local chart action in the aftermath. Subsequent singles did not exactly race up the charts either, suggesting this might be a bit of a make or break moment.
Pleasingly, despite the ill tidings of the death slot, the reviews have been broadly positive for this one so far! Described as vocally demanding and dramatic, Ariana Grande's Problems with a schlager-infused chorus and a natural sister to Effortless, most predict this will qualify in some form at the end of the night.
Overall odds position: 12th
Heat odds position: 4th
Melodi #3: Noll2 - Berusade ord
Fredrik Andersson, Jakob Westerlund, Wilmer Öberg
Giving strong 'two lads with a podcast' vibes, Noll2 are this year's first Melfest debutants, although they did previously sing background vocals on no less an anthem than I Won't Shake by La Gunilla. CAMP!
They had a modest local hit last year with a sweet/boring song called Störd, which apparently went mildly viral in upper Klimpfjäll. The acccompanying video is endearingly DIY, but does not suggest magnetic stage presence is on the cards.
However, reviews have been fairly warm and apparently they're bringing a bit more danceable energy with a lot of fiddles. Basically, the vibe is Væb.
Overall odds position: 29th
Heat odds position: 5th
Melodi #4: Junior Lerin - Copacabana Boy
Fredrik Andersson
Bearing a worrying resemblance to Gregg Wallace preparing to crack a hilarious funny about a co-worker's tits, Junior Lerin is your obligatory non-musical TV personality drafted in to generate a few free column inches. He has no apparent experience as a performer or recording artist, although he did do a few weeks on Swedish Strictly last year.
Sometimes the Swedes like to get a bit silly with stuff like this, but just as often it's strictly a one-night only affair, which seems to be the likelihood based on the reviews. Stromae meets Sean Banan is the consensus, with some scribes noting that the recording is remarkably low quality even for Melfest filler.
Overall odds position: 30th (last)
Heat odds position: 6th (last)
Melodi #5: Indra - Beautiful Lie
Anderz Wrethov, Indra Elg, Kristofer Strandberg, Laurell Barker, Robert Skowronski
***Laurell Barker klaxon!***
Another new face for 2026, Indra only released her debut single Fake It With a Smile late last year. Prior to that, she had a brief run on the seemingly deathless Melfest contestant generator that is Swedish Idol.
And... that's about it. Reviews are mixed-positive, comparisons to Adele and Billie Eilish abound, particularly their Bond themes. Some feel a strong performance could edge her ahead of the more polished competitors, but the broad expectation is that she's here as a palate cleanser...
Overall odds position: 20th
Heat odds position: 3rd
Melodi #6: A*Teens - Iconic
Dino Medanhodzic, Jimmy Jansson, Lina Hansson, Moa "Cazzi Opeia" Carlebecker, Thomas G:son
...and finally we come to the main course!
Blessed/cursed with a band name that gets funnier with every passing year, the now decidedly middle aged A*Teens are reunited for their first ever Melodifestivalen appearance as a group.
Genuinely huge in the early 00s (Less so in the UK, but they had two Gold-selling albums in the USA!), what began as an obvious novelty cash-in - their first album was exclusively made up of perky ABBA covers - they ultimately evolved into a sort of Swedish Steps, with hits such as Upside Down, Floorfiller and Closer to Perfection easily standing alongside the very best of LSL and co.
As is often the way of things, they proved to be far greater than the sum of their parts. Marie and Sara both have iconic solo Melfest disasters in their past, and Marie released a fun solo album that sold about 15 copies despite being produced by some fairly expensive producers for the time (justice for That's The Way My Heart Goes!)
They finally jumped on the reunion bandwagon in 2024, with a well-received interval act at that year's Melfest, plus a vocally suspicious set at Mighty Hoopla last year. Now they're in it as competitors. Can they win it? Probably not, this very much reads as a nostalgia blast for local viewers.
Reviews are decidedly mixed, with some breathless comparisons to classic Alcazar sitting alongside complaints that the chorus just doesn't hit as hard as it needs to. But they'll have the highest budget, the most stage experience, the lowest volume on their individual microphones and hopefully enough millennial goodwill behind them to push them into the finals.
Overall odds position: 9th
Heat odds position: 2nd
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