Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2011

The 9^th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest is set to take place on December 3^rd 2011 at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex in Yerevan, Armenia. Even though JESC doesn’t follow the rule of the Winning Nation hosting the next years contest, this year is a bit of an anomaly as Armenia did win JESC 2010.

The original participants list was made up of 12 Nations, with San Marino set to make their debut and Latvia, Serbia and Malta withdrawing from the contest. However, San Marino ended up pulling out and Latvia ended up pulling back in. Bulgaria also returned to the contest after being absent since 2008.Therefore, JESC 2011 will have 13 Nations competing.

Songs To Download

The songs are -

01 - Russia - Kak Romeo I Dzhulyetta (Like Romeo And Juliet) - Ekaterina Ryabova

02 - Latvia - Meness Suns (Moondog) - Amanda Basmakova

03 - Moldova - No, No - Lerica

04 - Armenia - Welcome To Armenia - Dalita

05 - Bulgaria - Supergeroy (Superhero) - Ivan Ivanov

06 - Lithuania - Debesys (Clouds) - Paulina Skrabyté

07 - Ukraine - Evropa (Europe) - Kristall

08 - FYR Macedonia - Zhimi Ovoj Frak (I Swear By This Tailcoat) - Dorijan Dlaka

09 - The Netherlands - Ik Ben Een Teenager (I'm A Teenager) - Rachel

10 - Belarus - Angely Dobra (Angels Of Goodness) - Lidiya Zabolotskaya

11 - Sweden - Faller (Falling) - Erik Rapp

12 - Georgia - Candy Music - Candy

13 - Belgium - Een Kusje Meer (One More Kiss) - Femke

Comments -

I'm in the process of filling in the comments on each song so check back...but here's the long and short of it. In my opinion, it's a two way race between the Ukraine and The Netherlands. Right now, I'm liking Ukraine just a bit more than The Netherlands, although they are both just fantastic songs. The Netherlands is a bit more "pop" and a surprisingly mature song for JESC. The Ukraine has that awesome dancey ethnic beat that I just can't get enough of. Belgium is growing on me like whoa and i just love it more and more. The Bulgarian entry is also pretty fantastic.

My Current Rankings (Which i'm sure will change in the coming weeks) -
1st - Ukraine
2nd - The Netherlands
3rd - Belgium
4th - Bulgaria
5th - Moldova
6th - Russia
7th - Sweden
8th - Georgia
9th - Latvia
10th - Armenia
11th - Lithuania
12th - FYR Macedonia
13th - Belarus

I think the songs with best chance at winning are Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, (Possibly) The Netherlands and if Europe is feeling particularly silly that evening, maybe Georgia.

More to come....


Comments -
01 - Russia - A surprisingly strong entry from Russia (who normally is a popular nation among fan but more often than not, i just don't get what all the fuss is about). It has a strong build and I really enjoy the heavy bass, especially during the chorus. This song is sure to have the whole hall clapping and bobbing along with it's catchy beat. Ekaterina previously placed equal 2nd for Russia in JESC 2009, and she's proved that she can deliver a fantastic performance with strong vocals. If this song got a later draw, i'd say it was a contender to win, but as it drew first, i'm just not sure it can do it. It should do quite well though. 07 Points out of 10.

02 - Latvia - There's some debate on whether or not this song is the actual Latvian entry, but i'm treating it as if it were. This song takes some getting used it...but once you get it, you can't help but love it.  A slow jazzy start gives way to a strong jazz beat. This song has grown on me a lot. If it can manage to keep the audiences attention for the first, slower half, they are in for quite a treat. A dancey, jazzy beat with a catchy enough chorus. Not only that, she has amazing arm movements and a fun and unique costume. That being said, i have major concerns about her vocals...she sounds weak on the high notes and i feel like she's relying a lot on being expressive with her gestures rather than her voice. If she can work on her vocals and keeps everything else the same performance wise (i.e. costume, dancing and awesome gestures) she might be a dark horse...there's a very "Lithuania 2008" kinda feel about it (Lithuania placed a surprising 3rd at JESC 2008 despite having a universally thought of un - noteworthy song). However, i don't have high hopes. I predict it'll land in the bottom 5...but who knows? All in all - 06 Points out of 10.

03 - Moldova - This song just keeps falling in and out of favor with me. I can never really pinpoint how I feel about it. At first listen, I placed it in the top half...but then after a few listens, I decided it belonged in the second half...but then I heard it a few more time I started to love it again. It falls in that group of mid - tempo, jazzy song which I can never seem to figure out. The more I hear it, the more I love it. In a word, it's "smooth". It's a bit repetitive, but that's part of it's charm. It manages to create a mood, an ambiance, and even though it's steady, it never manages to be boring. The more I hear this song, the more I absolutely adore it.

04 - Armenia - A typically and predictably Armenian song. Strong ethnic beat, super dancey and fun and without much of a message whatsoever...but hey, that's how they won JESC 2010 and placed 2nd in JESC 2009. When i first heard this song, i was head over heels in love with it and promptly placed it in my top 5 Songs. It's so fun and dancey, you just can't help but dance and smile along! However, after a dozen or so listens and listening to the other songs, this song is losing a lot of it's luster. Yes it's fun and dancey, but it's also silly and well, kinda just sounds like a bunch of choatic noise. Still, Armenia always does well with songs like this and being the host nation, i'm sure this song will rack up a fair amount of points...but if it wins, it just shows that Europeans have little to no taste in music. 06 Points out of 10.

05 - Bulgaria -
Excellent. When i first listened to the songs, i placed this in my top 3. A nice steady start gives way to a fantastically dancey song.  I adore how the beat stays steady through the verses and then explodes at the chorus. I also love how his voice carries the verses in place of music...he just sings along with the steady beat. The chorus is catchy and fun but maintains the steady beat of the whole song. 
06 - Lithuania - A pretty enough song and a fair enough ballad, but I just can't help but feel a bit bored after about a minute. It kinda has no choice but to fail at JESC...not because it's bad but just because it's so forgettable. I'm sure it'll end in the Bottom 03. She's got solid enough vocals, but all she does is sway back and forth and frankly, all the swaying in the world can't make this song memorable. 04 Points out of 10.

07 - Ukraine -

08 - FYR Macedonia - Eh, it's boring and jazzy. I am well and truely disappointed in FYRM...they normally kick ass at JESC (despite what the populace of Europe tends to think). This song is just boring and lame and goes absolutely nowhere. Ugh i hate it. 02 Points out of 10.

09 - The Netherlands -
10 - Belarus -
A pretty enough song. It's not bad...it's just rather boring. Her voice is nice and smooth and the song has it's moments, but frankly it gets boring pretty quickly. Even the key change can't make it memorable. It just can't compete with almost all of the other songs. Still, it could surprise me and do well, like Belarus last year (which i placed 2nd to last but managed to top 5 at JESC). Still...it's boring and forgettable. 02 Points Out of 10. 
11 - Sweden -
12 - Georgia -
13 - Belgium -


As of right now, it's pretty much a two way race between The Netherlands and Ukraine, with Bulgaria and Belgium (which is growing on me more and more) coming right after them.

My Contest -

01 - Quarter Final -
First, I had the songs compete in a Quarter Final. In the QF, I awarded points a total of 7 Times. The First vote was based on my inital thoughts. The Second vote was given after i'd listened to the song 10 times. The Third vote was given after I watched the performances of the songs. The Fourth and Fifth votes were given after various listens. The 6th vote was worth Double and was given after re - watching all 14 songs. Finally, the 7th vote was worth 4x and i gave it based on my current rankings. The top 10 Scoring songs advanced to the Semi Final.


QF -
Number - Nation - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - Total - Place

01 - Russia - 08 - 06 - 07 - 04 - 08 - 12 - 21 = 66 Points - 6th

02 - Latvia - 03 - 07 - 05 - 05 - 10 - 10 - 15 = 55 Points - 9th

03 - Moldova - 07 - 04 - 12 - 07 - 05 - 14 - 24 = 73 Points - 5th

04 - Armenia - 10 - 02 - 03 - 06 - 04 - 06 - 09 = 40 Points - 10th

05 - Bulgaria - 12 - 10 - 06 - 16 - 14 - 20 - 30 = 108 Points - 3rd = 

06 - Lithuania - 01 - 03 - 02 - 01 - 02 - 04 - 06 = 19 Points - 11th

07 - Ukraine - 14 - 14 - 16 - 14 - 12 - 24 - 48 = 142 Points - 1st

08 - FYR Macedonia - 02 - 01 - X - 02 - X - 03 - 04 = 12 Points - 12th

09 - The Netherlands - 16 - 12 - 14 - 08 - 16 - 32 - 42 = 140 Points - 2nd

10 - Belarus - X - X - 01 - X - 01 - 02 - 03 = 07 Points - 13th

11 - Sweden - 06 - 08 - 04 - 12 - 06 - 08 - 12 = 56 Points - 8th

12 - Georgia - 04 - 05 - 08 - 03 - 07 - 16 - 18 = 61 Points - 7th

13 - Belgium - 05 - 16 - 10 - 10 - 03 - 28 - 36 = 108 Points - 3rd = 

Melodifestivalen 2009 - Semi Final 05 -

The 3rd and 4th place songs from each of the 4 Semi Finals competed for 2 Spots in the final. The 2 advancing songs were chosen in 2 Rounds of "Televoting". In the First Round, the 8 Songs were divided into 4 Matches. In each Match, a Televote chose the Advancing Song.

Round 01 -
Match 01 -
01 - Med Hjärtat Fyllt Av Ljus - 47 593 Votes - 2nd - NQ

02 - La Voix - 88 739 Votes - 1st - Q

Match 02 -

01 - What If - 65 406 Votes - 1st - Q

02 - Baby, Goodbye - 54 283 Votes - 2nd - NQ

Match 03 -

01 - Never Been Here Before - 84 671 Votes - Qst - Q

02 - Moving On - 65 493 Votes - 2nd - NQ

Match 04 -

01 - Här För Mig Själv - 100 860 Votes - 1st - Q

02 - Disconnect Me - 49 543 Votes - 2nd - NQ

In the Second Round, The 4 Songs were divided into 2 Matches. In each Match, a Televote chose the Advancing Song.

Match 05 -

01 - La Voix - 98 984 Votes - 1sst - Q

02 - What If - 65 217 Votes - 2nd - NQ

Match 06 -
01 - Never Been Here Before - 107 425 Votes - 2nd - NQ

02 - Här För Mig Själv - 111 009 Votes - 1st - Q

International Jury Selection -
01 - Disconnect Me - NQ

02 - What If - Q

03 - Här För Mig Själv - N/A
04 - La Voix - N/A

Melodifestivalen 2009 - Semi Final 04 -

The Fourth Semi Final of Melodifestivalen 2009 was a pretty amazing Semi Final. Long Awaited and Hoped For Agnes (Who won the 2005 Swedish Idol) made her MF debut, after her 2006 Song was disqualified due to the fact that she talked about it before the contest, thereby breaking the rules. Former Schlager Susanne Alfvengren also made her MF debut. MF 2007 Fan Favorite Sarah Dawn Finer returned with another breathtaking Ballad. Maria Haukaas Støreng, fresh off her 5th place for Norway in ESC 2008, teamed up with "Always a Favorite, Always a Disappointment when she tries for Sweden" Anna Sahlene in a heavily favorited to win duet. Despite having a mulititude of "Stars" and pretty much the best songs, the 4th Semi Final received the least amount of votes of the 4 Semi Finals. Despite this, Malena's "La Voix", composed by eternal Swedish genius Fredrick Kemp, managed to win the ticket to Moscow.

Songs -
01 - Love, Love, Love - Agnes

02 - Higher - Star Pilots

03 - Du Är Älskad Där Du Går (You Are Loved Wherever You Go) - Susanne Alfvengren

04 - Killing Me Tenderly - Anna Sahlene And Maria Haukaas Støreng

05 - Sweet Kissin' In The Moonlight - Thorleifs

06 - Moving On - Sarah Dawn Finer

07 - Esta Noche (This Night) - Next 3

08 - La Voix (The Voice) - Malena Ernman

My Selection -
01 - Love, Love, Love - 48 415 - 102 708 - 1st
02 - Higher - 27 495 - 48 525 - 5th
03 - Du Är Älskad Där Du Går - 21 737 - X - 6th
04 - Killing Me Tenderly - 28 311 - 61 082 - 2nd
05 - Sweet Kissin' In The Moonlight - 17 240 - X - 7th
06 - Moving On - 23 830 - 57 776 - 4th
07 - Esta Noche - 7 530 - X - 8th

08 - La Voix - 27 501 - 58 751 - 3rd

Round 03 -
Match 01 -
01 - Killing Me Tenderly - 66 740 Votes - 1st

02 - La Voix - 54 785 Votes - 2nd

Match 02 -

01 - Love, Love, Love - 88 870 Votes - 1st

02 - Moving On - 48 526 Votes - 2nd

Comments -
"Love, Love, Love" has been my hands down, no holds bared favorite since the moment i heard it. Clearly it's a winner...I mean just listen to it! It's got everything! Gold full body jumpsuit - check. Motown beat - check.
"Killing Me Tenderly" is an oh - so - close second. Such a great duet and just the perfect performance.
As much as I wish "La Voix" could get a pass to the final, in this SF, it's just not happening...and part of me is thankful for that. I mean, "La Voix" is awesome and all, but the more i hear it, the more i think it's a lot of Flash and doesn't really have the substance to back it up. Oh well, let's see how it fares in the Second Chance Round.
The choice between "Moving On" and "Higher" was a tough one. In the end, it all came down to the Sarahs flawless performance and wind machine and the fact that "Higher" was just a bit too cheesey for me. They're both great songs though. "Du är älskad dår du går" is nice, but it's just a little too boring for my tastes. "Sweet Kissin'" is way too corny and "Esta Noche" is just way too blah to ever have a chance of getting farther.

as my "International Jury" selection, I chose "La Voix" by Malena Ernman

Melodifestivalen 2009 - Semi Final 03

The Third Semi Final of Melodifestivalen 2009 saw the return of 3 Former MF Participants, as well as the Melodifestivalen debut of Molly Sandén, who had previously represented Sweden at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 and received their best placing (3rd) with the amazing ballad "Det Finaste Någon Kan Få". Velvet (MF 2006 "Mi Amore" and MF 2008 "Deja Vu"), Sofia (MF 2007 "Hypnotized") and BWO (MF 2005 "Gone", MF 2006 "Temple Of Love" and MF 2008 "Lay Your Love On Me") all returned to MF. However, the biggest news of this SF was the debut of the boy band E.M.D., which was comprised of popular "Idol" participants Erik Segerstedt, Mattias Andréasson and Danny Saucedo. Other Talent Contest Entrant Maja Gullstrand also made her debut in this SF. The favorites to win this SF were E.M.D., with Molly Sandén and BWO also tipped to do quite well. Many fans thought that this could finally be the year that Velvets song was fully appreciated by the Swedes and would at least get a Second Chance.

Songs -
01 - The Queen - Velvet

02 - I Got U - Rigo And The Topaz Sound Feat. Red Fox

03 - Så Vill Stjärnorna (It's What The Stars Want) - Molly Sandén

04 - Baby, Goodbye - E.M.D.

05 - Du Vinner Över Mig (You Win Over Me) - Mikael Rickfors

06 - Här För Mig Själv (Here On My Own) - Maja Gullstrand

07 - Alla (All) - Sofia

08 - You're Not Alone - BWO

My Selection -

01 - The Queen - 41 082 - 80 414 - 2nd

02 - I Got U - 14 782 - X - 7th

03 - Så Vill Stjärnorna - 65 234 - 127 990 - 1st

04 - Baby, Goodbye - 29 523 - 38 078 - 4th

05 - Du Vinner - 15 985 - X - 6th

06 - Här För Mig - 18 515 - 55 713 - 3rd

07 - Alla - 17 785 - 36 284 - 5th
08 - You're Not - 10 568 - X - 8th

Round 03 -
Match 01 -

01 - Så Vill Stjärnorna - 116 034 - 1st

02 - Baby, Goodbye - 38 124 - 2nd

Match 02 -

01 - The Queen - 85 886 - 1st

02 - Här För Mig Själv - 66 108 - 2nd

Comments -
Well of course Molly completely won this Semi Final. She was my absolute favorite from the very moment i heard her song. No one on Gods green earth can sing a Ballad like her. "Så Vill Stjärnorna" is just so completely and utterly amazing, i really had no choice but to give it First. It's a real contender to be my overall favorite in one of the best Melodifestivalens ever. Velvets "The Queen" is also pretty amazing, although i will concede that her performance is slightly better than her song. But, her performance consisted of people flying out from her gigantic skirt...so clearly, no matter how awesome the song is, people flying out of your gigantic skirt will always be better than it. "Här För Mig Själv" has enormously and wonderfully grown on me and i just can't help but love it. Every time i hear it, i just can't stop myself from swaying along to it's wonderful loungey beat. "Baby Goodbye" completes my top 4 because of it's catchy beat, but i don't love it. BWO totally ruined their MF reputation with their boring rendition of "You're Not Alone". Sofia gave an honest try, but "Alla" just can't help but be nothing special. "I Got U" has its moments, but it's simply a silly song. "Du Vinner Över Mig" is just filler.

As my "International Jury Selection", I chose "Här För Mig Själv" by Maja Gullstrand

Melodifestivalen 2009 - Semi Final 02

The Second Semi Final of Melodifestivalen 2009 was full of returning favorites, much celebrated newcomers more than a few surprises. The Second Semi Final saw the return of 4 MF veterans. The biggest ones were (of course), the heavy favorite, Måns Zelmerlöw. Other much vaulted returning artists were Lili and Susie, who was last seen at MF 1989, and Amy Diamond, who placed 8th in MF 2008 despite being a favorite to win. Also, Lasse Lindh was in there somewhere. He had previously competed in whatever MF (i honestly can't be bothered to look it up) with some sort of non descript  song. Swedish comedian/rapper/singer/jack of all trades Markooilo finally gave MF a shot, given the spot as the SVT "Joker". Other newcomers were Jennifer Brown, who i guess is somewhat famous in Sweden for a few hits in the late 90's and *Allegedly* (according to her wikipedia, which i'm sure she writes and lies on) has had a few "European" Hits and H.E.A.T., a Swedish rock band who had some lukewarm hits in 2007.

The HUGE (just overwhelming) Favorite to win this SF was Måns....and he didn't disappoint. Pretty much everyone thought that it was basically the other 7 songs competing for the other Finalist spot and 2 Second Chance Spots....cause Måns had the whole SF locked up. Lili and Susie, Amy Diamond and Jennifer Brown were also tipped to do quite well. When all was said and done, Måns won the Semi Final, winning each round of the voting and surprisingly H.E.A.T. got the other Finalist Spot. Amy Diamond managed to get 3rd and Lili and Susie CREAKED into 4th place (just barely), after getting 5th in the first round. Cookies 'N Beans surprised quite a few people getting all the way to the Second Round. Markooilo got 6th, Jennifer Brown failed to meet expecations and only managed a 7th place and Lasse shocked absolutely no one by getting dead last.

Songs -
01 - Show Me Heaven - Lili And Susie 

02 - Jag Ska Slåss I Dina Kvarter (I Will Fight In Your Neighborhood) - Lasse Lindh And Bandet

03 - Never Been Here Before - Jennifer Brown

04 - 1000 Miles - H.E.A.T.

05 - Kärlekssång Från Mig (Lovesong From Me) - Markoolio

06 - It's My Life - Amy Diamond

07 - What If - Cookies 'N Beans

08 - Hope And Glory - Måns Zelmerlöw

My Selection -

01 - Show Me Heaven - 50 735 - 96 985 - 2nd

02 - Jag Ska Slåss - 9 645 - X - 7th

03 - Never Been Here Before - 43 452 - 77 571 - 3rd

04 - 1000 Miles - 9 084 - X - 8th
05 - Kärlekssång - 14 704 - X - 6th
06 - It's My Life - 33 490 - 64 613 - 5th

07 - What If - 30 813 - 70 081 - 4th

08 - Hope And Glory - 74 821 - 129 621 - 1st


Round 03 -
Match 01 -

01 - Show Me Heaven - 89 631 - 1st

02 - Never Been Here Before - 69 204 - 2nd

Match 02 -

01 - What If - 67 849 - 2nd

02 - Hope And Glory - 107 523 - 1st

Comments -

This SF was WAAAAAAAAAY easier to do than the first SF. I mean, clearly "Hope And Glory" is the for sure winner here and has been since I first heard the songs. It's a simply brilliant dance song and has just the best build and spirit. Not to mention....it's Måns. He performs the whole song with an amazing amount of energy and despite all his dancing, his vocals NEVER suffer. Plus, he looks hella cute in his tuxedo. And those slides across the stage? PERFECT! Plus the "Dont! Stop!"! Ugh! inspired. My Second Place has ALWAYS been "Show Me Heaven". Lili and Susie are just AMAZING! Great start...perfect build...amazing beat. I mean the chorus alone "Gimme, gimme, gimme/Moments forever/Gimme, gimme, gimme/Minutes of love/Gimme, gimme, gimme/All that i'm dreaming of/Show me heaven" is just orgasmic perfection. And when they break it down right before the key change, i just lose it! Way back in 2009, "It's My Life" was my 3rd place song and i grudginly gave my 4th place to "Never Been Here Before". "What If" wasn't even on my radar. But it's all different now. I. Fucking. Love. "Never Been Here Before". It's just such an amazing and goregous ballad and has such a fantastic build. Jennifer performs it perfectly. I mean, who on earth can resist throwing their arms out and shouting "Don't go and break my heart/Don't tear this dream apart/ I need you now/More than you know/I've never been here before"? I just can't get enough of it! The newest addition to my top 4 is "What If"...i can't believe i was blind to this song for so long! It's a phenomenal ballad with just the right mix of country spirit. The lyrics are profound and fantastic and i just LOOOOVE the clapping. It for sure get's a Second Chance and one day may even get to the Final. 

As my "International Jury Selection" I chose "What If" by Cookies 'N Beans

Meldofestivalen 2009 - Semi Final 01

The First Semi Final has a tendency to be the least spectacular and least watched Semi Final, however this year set a record of having a total of 721, 334 votes cast, the most for any First Semi Final in MF history.

Anywho, the First Semi Final saw the return of no less than 3 Melodifestivalen Veterns, Alcastar threw their hat into the contest, yet again, with their super up - beat dance song "Stay The Night". Melodifestivalen Diva Shirley Clamp, (Of  the runner up of MF 2004 with "Min Kärlek" and heavy favorite to win MF 2005 "Att Älska Dig" fame) presented a beautiful ballad, which she performed alone on stage. Caroline af Ugglas (a.k.a. the Swedish Janis Joplin) tried MF again after failing to pass the first round of voting in her SF in 2007 with her song "Tror På Dig". The big favorite to win this SF was clearly Alcastar...i mean...they're Alcastar. Hot male singer? Check. Over - dramatica and beautiful female memebers? Check. High energy dance song? Check. Flawless performance? Check, Super gay friendly? Check and Check. Another favorite to do well was Shirley Clamp...i mean it's Shirley. FUCKING SHIRLEY! Another exciting new commer was Marie Serneholt, who came to fame as a memeber of the teeny bopperABBA cover band the A*Teens. YES! I fucking was super jazzed when i heard the A*Teens were finally making their way into Melodifestivalen...i mean talk about a perfect Storm! There was a bit of a scandal, as everyone was under the impression that the glorious Linda Bengtzing would make her triumphant return to MF and sing the song "Jag Tror På Oss", however, everyone was wrong. In my opinion, she heard it and decided she'd rather kill herself than ruin her flawless MF reputation with that piece of shite.

Anywho, the night was just way toooooo full of shocks and surprises. First off, Shirley got dead last. LAST! I mean how is that even possible? Another huge upset, which wasn't revealed until after the Final when all the Semi Final votes were announced, is the fact that "Snälla, Snälla"  was the clear winner after the Second Round of voting, with more than 7 000 votes more than 2nd place song "Stay The Night", but was regulated to the SECOND CHANCE ROUND by 4th placing song "You're My World". I mean WTF Sweden? How could a song go from clear winner to losing to a song that got more than 24 000 votes less than it in the Second Round?! No matter, Caroline ended up getting her chance at the final and ended up coming SECOND, with less than 4 000 Televotes seperating it from the Ticket to Moscow.

Songs -
01 - Tick Tock - Nina Söderquist -

02 - Welcome To My Life - Jonathan Fagerlund -

03 - Med Hjärtat Fyllt Av Ljus (With A Heart Full Of Light) - Shirley Clamp -

04 - Jag Tror På Oss (I Believe In Us) - Scotts

05 - You're My World - Emilia

06 - Stay The Night - Alcazar

07 - Snälla, Snälla (Please, Please) - Caroline Af Ugglas

08 - Disconnect Me - Marie Serneholt

Anywho, in my Selection, i used the same way as the actual NF.

Number - Title (Translation) - Round 01 - Round 02 - Place
01 - Tick Tock - 11 542 - X - 8th
02 - Welcome To My Life - 20 847 - X - 7th

03 - Med Hjärtat Fyllt Av Ljus (With A Heart Full Of Light) - 28 404 -  60 471 - 4th

04 - Jag Tror På Oss (I Believe In Us) - 23 599 - X - 6th

05 - You're My World - 28 960  -  59 122 - 5th

06 - Stay The Night - 40 913 - 84 451 - 1st

07 - Snälla, Snälla (Please, Please) - 32 839 - 72 455 - 3rd

08 - Disconnect Me - 39 831 - 77 368 - 2nd

Match 01 -
01 - Snälla, Snälla - 92 630 Votes - 1st

02 - Disconnect Me - 63 208 Votes - 2nd

Match 02 -

01 - Med Hjärtat Fyllt Av Ljus - 66 520 - 2nd

01 - Stay The Night - 79 496 - 1st

Comments -
This was absolutely the perfect start to one of the best Melodifestivalens ever. Every single song was at the very least "Good" and at the very most "Amazing". Alcazar is clearly my favorite and has been since I first heard the songs. "Disconnect Me" is a simply brilliant song and just a flawless performance, however over time it's fallen from 2nd to 3rd and will have to take it's chances in the Second Chance Round. For sure, the hardest decision was between "Med Hjärtat Fyllt Av Ljus" and "You're My World" for the 4th spot and chance at the Second Chance Round. I mean, "Med Hjärtat" is a simply gorgeous ballad and of course, Shirley performs it perfectly, and in the end, it managed to beat out "You're My World". I am completely surprised at how much "Snälla, Snälla" has grown on me. At first, i was completely indifferent to it. When it got 2nd overall in the final and was less than 4 000 votes from being the Swedish Entry, i just didn't get it...but now i do. It's just so...well...it's so pretty. It's completely unique and sincere and well...it's just so not typical MF. And Caroline completely rocks the performance. Even though she's all by herself onstage, her presence fills the whole arena. She's so sincere and expressive, you just can't help but fall in love with her. 

As my "International Jury Selection", i chose "Disconnect Me"...how could i not?

I'd just like to discuss some songs

So hi!

I'd just like to discuss some songs that i'm currently obsessed with.

First up -

Germany 1962 - Zwei Kleine Italiener - Conny Froboess

How on earth did this song not win? I mean it's just such a perfect and amazing song. It's simple and folksy and catchy and unique. I simply can't understand how it didn't completely sweep the contest...especially when you consider the fact that the French Winner is completely tacky and boring and just well so "1960's Eurovision".  Germany is by leaps and bounds better, just so much better...like their not even in the same league.


Sweden 1962 - Sol Och Vår - Inger Berggren

Ugh...this is the only song that can give Germany a run for it's money as my undesputed winner of Eurovision 1962. Soooo Awesome! I love how Inger completely expresses every emotion and word of this song with her awesome voice. Especially on the last "När det er sol och vår" when she puts a bit of whine and sorrow into her voice. Ugh....She's awesome.

Belgium 1966 - Un Peu De Poivre, Un Peu De Sel - Tonia


In the pretty decent year that was Eurovision 1966 (see Denmark, Luxembourg, Yugoslavia, Norway, Monaco and The Netherlands), this song has to be my absolute favorite. And i LOVE Tonia. She performs the whole song with a charm and charisma that just can't be matched. I love how this song just makes you want to girate your hips and move your arms.



Finland 1968 - Kun Kello Kay - Kristina Hautala

As much as ESC fans throw fits about the fact that the United Kingdom was well in the lead until Germany gave Spain 6 points and thus there was much scandal and claims of Vote rigging that continue to this day, the real tragedy was the fact that Finland finished second to last with only 1 point despite having just such an awesome song. Ugh...the curse of Finland. Send awesome songs and get nothing, but send a heavy metal band in monster masks and sweep the contest. Ugh. So tragic. Anywho, i simply adore this song. And Kristina's performance is dead on. She's just out there with her tragically 60's hot puke green dress, dancing around without taking a step...it's all in the arms :)

The United Kingdom 1967 - Puppet On A String - Sandie Shaw

Aw Sandie. Due to the popularity of the contest at the time, the BBC decided to depart from it's traditional method of selecting it's song through a contest of amateurs and select a popular Singer. That singer happened to be the awesome Sandie Shaw. Sandie performed 5 Songs and the winner was chosen by postcard voting. Despite "Puppet On A String" winning, Sandie was pissed because it was her LEAST favorite song out of the five song. Despite her misgivings, she took the song to Vienna, where she completely blew the other songs out of the water and won without any real challengers. On the evening of the contest, Sandie performed barefoot for some reason or another and just like that a Eurovision myth was born. A number of singers and acts have tried to copy her success by performing barefoot, but with less than perfect results. "Puppet On A String" went on to become a smash hit throughout Europe and became the first british song to win the contest after 5 2nd places in the previous years.


Luxembourg 1967 - L'Amour Est Bleu - Vicky

Oh Vicky. Vicky was born in Greece and made a good enough name for herself there...however back then, Greece didn't particapte in Eurovision and Eurovision is exactly where Vicky wanted to be. So she did what all singers whose home nations didn't compete in Eurovision did, she simply represented Luxembourg (Because come on, how many Luxembourgian singers who are talented can there be? like 7?). Anywho, she threw her hat into the ring with this awesome song and did an amazing job. Despite being a heavy favorite to win, she just couldn't compete against good ol' Sandie and only managed to place 4th. Despite that, the song went on to become a MASSIVE hit, not only all over Europe but in the US aswell. Since she sang it, it's been covered hundreds of times by artists ranging from Jeff Beck to Frank Sinatra. As far as her performance, it was spot on. Her voice was just AMAZING, but she wasn't that pretty so what choice did she have but be talented? Anywho, Vicky didn't let this songs failure to win stop her. She went on to compete for Luxembourg again in 1972 and win with the awesome "Après Toi" and go on to enjoy a celebrated and fruitful career in the French speaking world and even had some success in her Native Greece. She's awesome.


The United Kingdom 1969 - Boom Bang A Bang - Lulu


The BBC decided not to mess with their successful format of chosing a popular singer to represent them. Lulu was a young upstart singer who had recently become somewhat popular. She was sent to Eurovision with the nonsensically titled "Boom Bang A Bang". She was an early favorite to win the contest and bring it back to the United Kingdom, however no one could have predicted what happened. It won, but shared it's win with no less than 3 other Nations (France, The Netherlands and Home Country Spain). At the time, there was no rule or precedance to deal with a tie, so all 4 Nations were declared the winner and drew straws to host the next contest (The Netherlands won it) and it was swiftly declared that a Tie Break Rule would be created in case it ever happened again (If the rule which was put into effect following the contest, France would have won as it had recieved the most votes from the most countries). But that's beside the point. Lulu charmed the whole of Europe with her energetic and charming performance and "Boom Bang A Bang" became a pretty big hit throughout Europe and was by far the most successful of the 4 Wining songs of Eurovision 1969.

Spain 1969 - Viva Cantando - Salomé

Salomé performed the host entry and Franco (The Spanish dictator at the time) pulled out all the stops. Salomé caused a bit of a rucuss with her performance, as she chose to dance at certain points during the song (Dancing had until this point, been against Eurovision rules). In the end, She pulled off a joint Victory (Along with France, The Netherlands and The United Kingdom) and became the First nation to pull of a two victories in a row.