Melodifestivalen

[JukkeBerry]

Even though The Ark got burned badly at the Eurovision Song Contest last year after qualifying via Melodifestivalen, other talented Swedish acts were not discouraged from entering this year.

This includes Eskobar, The Poodles, Lasse Lindh and BWO.

Although they'd win by a mile, I hope Kent never enter Melodifestivalen...

[luckyguerin13]

I HEART LASSE LINDH SO MUCH! I use a lyric from his song "Bruised" as my signature.

I like Eskobar a lot too.

[m@rco]

Why should they enter?

[JukkeBerry]

Why should they enter?

No idea. However, I also have no idea why The Ark, Eskobar or Lasse Lindh entered. I wouldn't be surprised if Jocke wrote a song for someone else to perform.

[m@rco]

In the Netherlands it's the same story. Already succesfull groups or solo-artists trying, sometimes more than once, to go to the Eurovision Contest. Every year with the same result. Crap, crap, crap. At least we won't have to organise the contest the next year.

[namokab]

How will it go for Loreen in Baku?
I think Euphoria is a truly great song.
And refreshingly untypical for Eurovision.

Also listen to the Finnish girl that sings in Swedish.
The song resembles Kent's "Färger på natten", except that it is in Mumin dialect.

[stjärnor]

I watch Eurovision every year, and every year it's the same disappointment for the UK. I don't quite know why we (the UK) put so much money into Eurovision when it's unlikely we'll ever do well (nevermind win the thing) again. Saying that, I do enjoy watching it, both for the good and the cringe-worthy 'what were they thinking' bad songs.

This year we have the 76 year old Engelbert Humperdinck representing the UK. I haven't heard the song yet, I'll wait for the competition to hear it, so I'll only be spared it once! I don't know what we need to do to get more votes, we've had a reformed boyband (blue), we've had a song by Andrew Lloyd Webber, we've tried the 'picked by the voting public' songs, and to be honest, I just don't think that anyone in Europe loves us enough! I'll not bother mentioning block-voting, since we all know it happens anyway.

Namokab- I haven't heard Loreen yet, and I had heard that the Finnish entry would be sung in Swedish (as she's from the Swedish speaking part of Finland), so I'll be looking out for them on the night (hopefully they'll get through the semis)- I don't like hearing songs before the competition, so that I hear everything with the same 'ears'. A guy who was in my swedish classes is a big MF and eurovision fan- he travels to Sweden for the MF final, and recently to the eurovision final too!

[namokab]

I watch Eurovision every year, and every year it's the same disappointment for the UK. I don't quite know why we (the UK) put so much money into Eurovision when it's unlikely we'll ever do well (nevermind win the thing) again. Saying that, I do enjoy watching it, both for the good and the cringe-worthy 'what were they thinking' bad songs.

This year we have the 76 year old Engelbert Humperdinck representing the UK. I haven't heard the song yet, I'll wait for the competition to hear it, so I'll only be spared it once! I don't know what we need to do to get more votes, we've had a reformed boyband (blue), we've had a song by Andrew Lloyd Webber, we've tried the 'picked by the voting public' songs, and to be honest, I just don't think that anyone in Europe loves us enough! I'll not bother mentioning block-voting, since we all know it happens anyway.

Namokab- I haven't heard Loreen yet, and I had heard that the Finnish entry would be sung in Swedish (as she's from the Swedish speaking part of Finland), so I'll be looking out for them on the night (hopefully they'll get through the semis)- I don't like hearing songs before the competition, so that I hear everything with the same 'ears'. A guy who was in my swedish classes is a big MF and eurovision fan- he travels to Sweden for the MF final, and recently to the eurovision final too!

True about the Swedish in the Finnish. I also think this is a entertaining event, but I will not be able to see it this year, so I'm doing my thing now instead. You're right about the block voting and it might be that the greater countries have a disadvantage because they are not so "loved" (and perhaps because they are unfairly directly qualified for the final). There have been exceptions, though. For example, a song from Germany that won a few years ago (a song that I liked, by the way). Best wishes to your Leonard Cohen version... and that you enjoy the show, regardless of winner. I sometimes get frustraded by the bad taste and neighbour voting, but mostly the winner is a reasonable choice. Hope Loreen is the one that everybody likes this year.

[stjärnor]

Do you know, I've never thought that other countries would hold it against those ones who get directly through every year to the final, not because I'm oblivious of the jealousy that this causes, but just because we (the big 4/5 - uk, france, spain, germany & italy) pay the most money to fund the competition. I'm not sure if it's still the case, but the BBC used to do all the on-screen graphics too (or just the scoreboard graphics, my memory is a bit fuzzy on this!). Maybe each country (as there are now more countries competing in recent years) should contribute a bit more, and the big 4/5 pay less- and everyone has to qualify.

It's a tradition for me to watch it every year, even though most of the music isn't what I'd usually like, but it's a good few hours of fun tv (and sometimes our commentator can be funny, although his comments might not be the kindest!) and I'll always have a soft spot for Sweden and the other scandi's & finland too. It's fun watching the little 'postcards' about the host country between each song, and trying to predict who'll win, and if anyone gives the UK 12 points -wooooooo!

And I can guarentee that Engelbert is nowhere near the class & talent of Leonard Cohen! Embarassing is a better adjective to describe him! Thanks for the good wishes, though- I think we'll need it! If anyone remembers our entry Skooch for a few years ago, I thought their song was perfect eurovision- they were dressed as air stewards/stewardesses with aeroplane drinks trollies, and the song was good!

Edit- our of sheer curiosity of your 'mumin' comment, I took a little listen to the finnish song (not all of it, I don't want to spoil the final!)...and I can really hear the difference in how she sings swedish, compared to a Swede. I doubt anyone except the Swedes & the scandi's will notice, but interesting to hear all the same, thanks! I wonder what the hell I sound like singing in swedish?

[namokab]

Do you know, I've never thought that other countries would hold it against those ones who get directly through every year to the final, not because I'm oblivious of the jealousy that this causes, but just because we (the big 4/5 - uk, france, spain, germany & italy) pay the most money to fund the competition. I'm not sure if it's still the case, but the BBC used to do all the on-screen graphics too (or just the scoreboard graphics, my memory is a bit fuzzy on this!). Maybe each country (as there are now more countries competing in recent years) should contribute a bit more, and the big 4/5 pay less- and everyone has to qualify.

It's a tradition for me to watch it every year, even though most of the music isn't what I'd usually like, but it's a good few hours of fun tv (and sometimes our commentator can be funny, although his comments might not be the kindest!) and I'll always have a soft spot for Sweden and the other scandi's & finland too. It's fun watching the little 'postcards' about the host country between each song, and trying to predict who'll win, and if anyone gives the UK 12 points -wooooooo!

And I can guarentee that Engelbert is nowhere near the class & talent of Leonard Cohen! Embarassing is a better adjective to describe him! Thanks for the good wishes, though- I think we'll need it! If anyone remembers our entry Skooch for a few years ago, I thought their song was perfect eurovision- they were dressed as air stewards/stewardesses with aeroplane drinks trollies, and the song was good!

Edit- our of sheer curiosity of your 'mumin' comment, I took a little listen to the finnish song (not all of it, I don't want to spoil the final!)...and I can really hear the difference in how she sings swedish, compared to a Swede. I doubt anyone except the Swedes & the scandi's will notice, but interesting to hear all the same, thanks! I wonder what the hell I sound like singing in swedish?

I've also heard the money argument. I'm just not sure that everybody loves that some things can be bought ...

I think I talk for every Swede when I say that we love the "finlandssvenska". It's cute, just like norwegian.

Talking about English contributions I think this is kind of charming (a few years ago).

[SportfreundeFCkeane]

I believed Lisa Miskovsky is the or one of the Swedish entrants? I've been a fan of her since the album she and Jocke produced together. Although the one she made after that was a let down but it has some nice songs.



I personally find this song contest stuff to be pretty bad and produce some terribly bland pop. I also don't like the idea of a song vs a song. A good musician makes good albums, not a few good songs.

[namokab]

I believed Lisa Miskovsky is the or one of the Swedish entrants? I've been a fan of her since the album she and Jocke produced together. Although the one she made after that was a let down but it has some nice songs.

I also like Lisa (and actually bought her Jocke Berg-album in Calgary out of all places).
Her song this year deserved a better destiny than second last place. Perhaps it wasn't bland enough.

[stjärnor]

I can't believe anyone outside of the UK remembers Bucks Fizz! (if we exclude the mega-eurovision fans) That song won in 1981!!! The band are still going with various different/ new members, there might even be 2 different bucks fizz bands going at once. I think a few of the originals fell out with one another.

How do other European countries see Eurovision? I think in the UK we have basically given up on it, despite trying hard with songs in the last few years. There's no way we can compete any more.

(ps- and namokab, if you want to stay on the right side of a scottish person, never call the UK 'England'! We're having a referendum in 2014 to see if we want to split from the uk and become independent! I wonder who we could have for a Scottish eurovision entrant?)

[namokab]

(ps- and namokab, if you want to stay on the right side of a scottish person, never call the UK 'England'! We're having a referendum in 2014 to see if we want to split from the uk and become independent! I wonder who we could have for a Scottish eurovision entrant?)

I get your point, but Bucks Fizz was actually an English contribution for UK, so I guess the scotts are happy when England makes something good for GB ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucks_Fizz_(band)

[stjärnor]

True, yes they were/are english, I'll give you that! No one likes getting mixed up for their neighbouring country, and the scots & english have a long rivalry! (it's something we hear often in the uk media too, english people here sometimes say england when they mean the uk, and it annoys us!). When the country is competing (in eurovision, sports, etc) as GB/ UK, then of course I'll cheer for them, but when the 4 countries of the union are competing separately (football, golf, snooker,) then I'll be cheering for the scots, of course!

The only scot that comes to mind who competed in (and won) Eurovision (and if there was anyone else, please tell me), was Lulu, in 1969, well she might be scottish by birth but she's lived in London for a long time, and she annoys the hell out of us Glaswegians when she comes back to Scotland with her fake Scottish accent!!!