VoR
Take it or leave it
So last night Melfest got of to a reasonably promising start with the ICONIC A*teens lip-syncing for their life into the final, alongside current frontrunner Greczula.
Let's see who'll be vying to join them on Saturday...
Melodi #1: Arwin - Glitter
Arwin Ismail, Axel Schylström, Dino Medanhodzic, Melanie Wehbe, Robert Skowronski
A fresh-faced graduate of the class of 2025, Arwin surprised us all last year with the fairly fabulous little Sound of Arrows knock-off This Dream of Mine, which fought its way to AC against tough competition. He'll be hoping to go one better this year. He's swapped out Peter Böstrom for Melanie Webhe on songwriting duties, which doesn't bode hugely well, but it's evidently considered impactful enough to open the semi. Let's hope he's fully committed to his demon twink era.
Overall odds: 16th
Melodi #2: Laila Adele - Oxygen
Jonas Thander, Laila Adèle, Marcus Winther-John
A blast from the past! Laila Adele was last seen on the Melfest stage way back in 2006, when she performed the fairly forgettable Anastacia b-side 'Don't Try To Stop Me'. Alas, the voters did, and she finished 7th in her heat. The good news is, given they've narrowed the field to six entries per semi, she's guaranteed to at least do better than last time!
The real reason she's back is that post-Melfest she's managed to forge an impressive career as a star of the Swedish stage, with starring roles in Hairspray, Jesus Christ Superstar and Dreamgirls among others. Songwriter-wise, there's nothing of note here, so she'll really have to go full Jennifer Hudson if she's to have much chance of progressing. Still, it's always nice to check in with a bit part player from the golden age. Where now, Evan?
Overall odds: 21st
Melodi #3: Robin Bengtsson - Honey Honey
Gavin Jones, Pär Westerlund, Petter Tarland, Robin Bengtsson
A rather more expected comeback here. Robin might seem like a wearyingly perennial figure in Melfest these days, but to be fair to him, the three-year gap from his last entry in 2022 represents the longest time he's managed to resist picking up the phone and speed-dialling the Melfest casting team since his debut back in 2017.
So, yeah, this is clearly something he does to keep the bookings topped up at this point, but there's no particular shame in that, he remains an assured performer and he's never yet failed to sail direct to the finals. The buzz is that he's gone for a change of image from slick Swedish pop twunk to gruff middle aged acoustic guitar troubadour though, which could test just about everyone's patience...
Overall odds: 11th
Melodi #4: FELICIA - My System
Audun Agnar Guldbrandsen, Emily Harbakk, Felicia Eriksson, Julie Bergan, Theresa Rex
AKA TAFKA Fröken Snusk, a mysterious mask-wearing hitmaker who entered the 2024 contest with sky-high expectations, only to fall a little bit flat and top out in the AC round (admittedly being robbed by the ludicrous recency bias that was baked into the system that year...)
Since then she's dropped the pseudonym and gone half-mask. Also seems to have switched to English language, which may indicate higher ambitions than a local hit. Odds-wise, she's technically the most fancied in this heat, but with stronger qualifying prospects in front and behind her in the running order, she may have her work cut out...
Overall odds: 5th
Melodi #5: Klara Almström - Där hela världen väntar
Fredrik Sonefors, Jimmy Jansson, Klara Almström
The obligatory Idol graduate from this heat, Klara Almström finished third a couple of years ago. She describes herself as heavily influenced by Swedish jazz legends such as Monika Zetterlund, so moderate your expectations accordingly. Jimmy Jansson on board should give it a professional sheen, and when done well the Swedish public tend to be susceptible to entries like this, at least in so far as pushing them to the AC round, so while it's an outsider, this is probably not to be totally written off.
Overall odds: 23rd
Melodi #6: Brändsta City Slackers - Rakt in i elden
Anderz Wrethov, Elin Wrethov, Kristofer Strandberg, Robert Skowronski
Way back at the very dawn of the modern Melfest era (2002), a ramshackle group of singing firemen out-gunned some fairly big names with their likable shout-along Kom och ta mig, which remains something of a Swedish classic, usually a no-brainer for Melfest medleys. Since then the group have largely returned to the day job, though lead singer Glenn Borgkvist treads the boards on the Digiloo circuit from time to time.
Now, almost a quarter-century on, they're back for another go of it. I'd expect something that's essentially Arvingarna in high vis, which should be enough to get the older Swedes a'votin. They're almost certainly here as local interest only, but this slot suggests that as long as they can muster any kind of enthusiasm from the under 50 crowd, they should be a decent bet for the finals.
Overall odds: 27th
Let's see who'll be vying to join them on Saturday...
Melodi #1: Arwin - Glitter
Arwin Ismail, Axel Schylström, Dino Medanhodzic, Melanie Wehbe, Robert Skowronski
A fresh-faced graduate of the class of 2025, Arwin surprised us all last year with the fairly fabulous little Sound of Arrows knock-off This Dream of Mine, which fought its way to AC against tough competition. He'll be hoping to go one better this year. He's swapped out Peter Böstrom for Melanie Webhe on songwriting duties, which doesn't bode hugely well, but it's evidently considered impactful enough to open the semi. Let's hope he's fully committed to his demon twink era.
Overall odds: 16th
Melodi #2: Laila Adele - Oxygen
Jonas Thander, Laila Adèle, Marcus Winther-John
A blast from the past! Laila Adele was last seen on the Melfest stage way back in 2006, when she performed the fairly forgettable Anastacia b-side 'Don't Try To Stop Me'. Alas, the voters did, and she finished 7th in her heat. The good news is, given they've narrowed the field to six entries per semi, she's guaranteed to at least do better than last time!
The real reason she's back is that post-Melfest she's managed to forge an impressive career as a star of the Swedish stage, with starring roles in Hairspray, Jesus Christ Superstar and Dreamgirls among others. Songwriter-wise, there's nothing of note here, so she'll really have to go full Jennifer Hudson if she's to have much chance of progressing. Still, it's always nice to check in with a bit part player from the golden age. Where now, Evan?
Overall odds: 21st
Melodi #3: Robin Bengtsson - Honey Honey
Gavin Jones, Pär Westerlund, Petter Tarland, Robin Bengtsson
A rather more expected comeback here. Robin might seem like a wearyingly perennial figure in Melfest these days, but to be fair to him, the three-year gap from his last entry in 2022 represents the longest time he's managed to resist picking up the phone and speed-dialling the Melfest casting team since his debut back in 2017.
So, yeah, this is clearly something he does to keep the bookings topped up at this point, but there's no particular shame in that, he remains an assured performer and he's never yet failed to sail direct to the finals. The buzz is that he's gone for a change of image from slick Swedish pop twunk to gruff middle aged acoustic guitar troubadour though, which could test just about everyone's patience...
Overall odds: 11th
Melodi #4: FELICIA - My System
Audun Agnar Guldbrandsen, Emily Harbakk, Felicia Eriksson, Julie Bergan, Theresa Rex
AKA TAFKA Fröken Snusk, a mysterious mask-wearing hitmaker who entered the 2024 contest with sky-high expectations, only to fall a little bit flat and top out in the AC round (admittedly being robbed by the ludicrous recency bias that was baked into the system that year...)
Since then she's dropped the pseudonym and gone half-mask. Also seems to have switched to English language, which may indicate higher ambitions than a local hit. Odds-wise, she's technically the most fancied in this heat, but with stronger qualifying prospects in front and behind her in the running order, she may have her work cut out...
Overall odds: 5th
Melodi #5: Klara Almström - Där hela världen väntar
Fredrik Sonefors, Jimmy Jansson, Klara Almström
The obligatory Idol graduate from this heat, Klara Almström finished third a couple of years ago. She describes herself as heavily influenced by Swedish jazz legends such as Monika Zetterlund, so moderate your expectations accordingly. Jimmy Jansson on board should give it a professional sheen, and when done well the Swedish public tend to be susceptible to entries like this, at least in so far as pushing them to the AC round, so while it's an outsider, this is probably not to be totally written off.
Overall odds: 23rd
Melodi #6: Brändsta City Slackers - Rakt in i elden
Anderz Wrethov, Elin Wrethov, Kristofer Strandberg, Robert Skowronski
Way back at the very dawn of the modern Melfest era (2002), a ramshackle group of singing firemen out-gunned some fairly big names with their likable shout-along Kom och ta mig, which remains something of a Swedish classic, usually a no-brainer for Melfest medleys. Since then the group have largely returned to the day job, though lead singer Glenn Borgkvist treads the boards on the Digiloo circuit from time to time.
Now, almost a quarter-century on, they're back for another go of it. I'd expect something that's essentially Arvingarna in high vis, which should be enough to get the older Swedes a'votin. They're almost certainly here as local interest only, but this slot suggests that as long as they can muster any kind of enthusiasm from the under 50 crowd, they should be a decent bet for the finals.
Overall odds: 27th
at Melanie Wehbe now being seen as the slight COLD HAND OF DEATH she is. 
Do you really think coming back with something Victor Crone would do is a remotely appropriate way to treat your pop legacy?! The power of Alcazar compel you! (imagine I am yelling this while flicking Victoria Silvstedt's semen at Robin Bengtssons's skeleton tied to a chair)
Miles better to my ears than the joyless forced fun of "I can't go on" and "Innocent love".