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Semi final one underway
Sweden: First Melodifestivalen rehearsals
Song 1 Nina Soderquist - Tick Tock
Nina rocked the Scandinavium to life with a whole new look and attitude. The woman that has spent the last year performing in stage musicals turned in a strong and acomplished rock chick performance with good vocals and four tough backing dancers giving energy and power to the performance. The performance has journalists at the arena thinking that this song is emerging as a potential dark horse to win the competition.
Song 2 Jonathan Fagerlund - Welcome to my life
Jonathan is emerging as a solo artist and provides a youthful style akin to Busted and McFly. Accompanied on stage by young female musicians, he performs the song steadily with good harmonies from female backing singers.
Song 3 Shirley Clamp - Med Hjartat fyllt av ljus
Shirley Clamp returns to Melodifestivalen with a strong ballad. She performs the song alone on stage with special effects coming from the video screens and lighting in the arena. Her voice sounds better than ever as she show's off what she describes as the newer, more mature sound that she is now working for. Her entry is memorable for its simplicity in presentation and complexity in vocal performance. Shirley Clamp looks like she has the entry to beat in this semi final.
Song 4 Scotts - Jag tror pa oss
Scotts make a quick return to television competition after taking second place in the popular Swedish Dancebandkampen competition. The band perform their danceband/soft rock song making full use of the stage and all are playing instruments whilst singing. The performance is well polished and the rehearsal runs smoothly.
Song 5 Emilia - You're my world
Emilia returns to the music scene with a soft pop entry that looks and sounds catchy. Her performance is strong, with movement around the stage culminating in her standing on top of a black grand piano. This is Emilia's first time entering Melodifestivalen and she fits well into the programme.
Song 6 Alcazar - Stay the night
Alcazar try their luck at Melodifestivalen for the third time with two third places to their credit already. The new look Alcazar have a strong disco-pop entry and their traditional well choreographed performance looks good on camera. Stay the night is a bouncy song with plenty of beat and they will be looking to progress to the final once again with this entry.
Song 7 - Caroline af Ugglas - Snalla snalla
Caroline af Ugglas rejoins the competition with a strong understated song and impressive acting on camera. The third entry of the eight to be performed in Swedish, this song haunts and taunts, with good effect and it is memorable. More in the style of Tracy Chapman, this song may surprise a few people.
Song 8 - Marie Serbeholt - Disconnect Me
Marie serneholt, former lead sing of A-Teens and recently a successful solo artist, is the first Melodifestivalen wild card this year. She has a power pop song and for the first time, we can see the power of the Melodifestivalen rule change allowing up to eight people on stage. Marie is flanked by two female backing singers that join the dance group of four male modern dance specialists to create a powerful movement on the stage.
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stay tuned to esctoday.com for video interviews with Alcazar, Shirley Clamp, Nina Soderquist and Jonathan Fagerlund later this evening.
- CLIPS FOR THE SONGS FOR TOMORROW'S GOTHENBURG SEMI FINAL ARE NOW ONLINE TO LISTEN TO ON SVT'S WEBSITE HERE:
Song 1 Nina Soderquist - Tick Tock
Song 2 Jonathan Fagerlund - Welcome to my life
Song 3 Shirley Clamp - Med Hjartat fyllt av ljus
Song 4 Scotts - Jag tror pa oss
Song 5 Emilia - You're my world
Song 6 Alcazar - Stay the night
Song 7 - Caroline af Ugglas - Snalla snalla
Song 8 - Marie Serbeholt - Disconnect Me
Related polls
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Melodi Grand Prix
- Azerbaijan: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Milli Seçim Turu
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the final of A Dal
- Iceland: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Songvakeppni Sjonvarpsins
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the second semifinal of A Dal
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the third semifinal of Melodi Grand Prix
- Sweden: Vote for your favourite act in the first semifinal of Melodifestivalen
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the semifinal of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Bulgaria: Vote for your favourite act in the Bulgarian national final 2012
- Latvia: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Eirodziesma 2012
- Belarus: Vote for your favourite act in the final of EuroFest 2012
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Nina, you don't disappoint me 
i really like Shirley's song. It sounds pretty. :-)
Her entry is memorable for its simplicity in presentation and complexity in vocal performance.
12 points for eloquence! 
I think/expect/hope Alcazar have a great song, as they've never disappointed me so far. If they and Shirley go to the final, I'll be pretty happy with that. But of course, it depends on the songs.
But it's true that it's easier to write a ballad
This is a little delayed reaction but I forgot to comment on it earlier so I will now ..I couldn't disagree more (what else is new..lol).
I think writing a good ballad is way more difficult than writing a good upbeat song..by good I mean that people will like. Why do you think most of the songs on top of the charts world wide are upbeat songs? Because they're much easier to appeal to people...they can have the silliest, most meaningless lyrics and still can get to the top because people will like the beat.
But for a ballad to become very popular it needs to touch people...it needs both good music and lyrics and still you can't be sure of the outcome.
Alcazar will make it!
Morgan S. Trouillet
The simple answer is, I'm insane and in love with Sweden!
Tyler A.
OMG, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to snap but I was only joking - I like repeating myself, it makes me feel important
Nattinatt everyone !
Goooo Sweden!!! 
@ Euro Sheep
I'm sorry! I saw that you had posted it before but I totally forgot the time and I couldn't find where.
@ Euro Sheep
we are having arguments but we're very calm. you on the other hand, WOW, what's wrong with repeating the same thing over and over again? not all of us go read ALL the articles about MF on esctoday, damn that'd be boring real soon
haha, calm down, calm down
HEJA SVERIGE!!!
Tyler A.
GIVE ME STRENGTH!!!!!!! I have said this at least 20 times in previous articles! 13.10 Swedish time - SVT's site - 8 songs - one minute clips - available until 20.30 on Saturday! Got it?!?!!? 
@Mina: that's what's magical about Finland.. even if we're totally opposite, Finland will always have something for you! (Did I mention enough yet my love for that country?)
Anyway all the nordic countries just rock eurovision or at least their NF do!
@morgan: half assed sorry accepted! and i wasnt trying to offend u
and glad we agree about sarkozy
Morgan,
our taste couldn't be any different especially about Finland..this year is the only year I liked the songs in their NF so much and I'll actually vote for one in the final.
@T K, wow you are a mad kiddo. Oh well, sorry. Let me make things clear to you though, which will come as a shock. I don't like Kaas that much. I just said I knew her since I was a kid. I keep thinking your french people are weirdos, Patricia Kaas is considered MAINSTREAM Here, Tellier wasn't mainstream at all. Kaas is just huge, she's a star of the yearly show "les enfoires".. I mean unless your french friends live underground, how can they not know her?
As for you preferring Germany. Whatever. My favorite country is Finland and I don't make a big fuss about it. Don't think it will hurt my feelings at all. We have a shitty government, an awful president, rude behaviors (as I represent very well in here) and all that.. All I can be proud of is our art (not music, but cinema, literature..) and Paris. And if you don't like that, fine by me. Germany's great too (as long as you don't say Italy.. lol thank god Italy's not in the contest, I'd get another mad kid yelling at me)
I don't get the "HERITAGE LOVE" thing, sorry. My dad is Chinese, but adopted French. I have no whatsover pride about being "half chinese".. it's weird to me MANY people are like that nowadays.. Just like back in nationalist eras.. except in a more globalized and gentle manner.
Tyler A: You can hear them around 13:00 Swedish time at http://svt.se/melodifestivalen
@Mina: oh no, quite the opposite, I usually don't dig ballads that much, I leave them to Max Raspail (you must have seen him around, the cute blond german guy who digs ballads, luv him ) But it's true that it's easier to write a ballad, and in crappy years like what we have now, ballads just get better ranks from me. But wrong image, my favorite is ROCK mwahhahaha, which explains why I keep going on YAY FINLAND (and not just their three rock esc songs, their NF rock songs were all better, Kilpi, Thunderstorm, Crumbland and most of all LOVEX!!)
Anyway MF is about to start, worst time of the year, the moment when Morgan just becomes a swedish fan.. I mean, I almost got to like Charlotte at some point (ew, sick, I know).. and to be quite frank, you'll see me in my worst moments, going "I LOVE BWO" (coz I love 'em) lol..
does anyone know at what time we'll be able to hear the clips of the Melodifestivalen songs?
@morgan: yes i was offended, french may only be a small part of my heritage, but im damn proud of it! just coz i dont know her, doesnt mean i know nothing about the country, and to be honest with you none of my "french" friends know her either, they listen to the more mainstream stuff.... just coz u like someone doesnt mean the whole world mus know her two... and im vailidated in what i said, out of la sorbonne or hamburg universitat i know where i prefer when i do my 6mnths abroad for uni
Morgan,
all that is very good but can't you tell me a couple of upbeat songs you like? Pop songs, rock songs..any genre. Unless you only like ballads.
@Mina : we're not talking about Patricia abroad, where she's much less famous. T K (and sorry for being rude, man, if you think that's how i am) implied that as a French man he is (you know, 1/4) he still doesn't know Kaas. Which would be insane, for ALL french people know Kaas. I know Kaas since I'm a little boy. If T K were any French, he'd know her, period.
I know a Danish guy who in high school studied one of Kaas' song's text. That proves she is a bit known abroad. But no where near some other French names..
@T K yeah I knew that sounded rude, but it's not like it's relevant to have a french grand parent thinking that you'd know all there is to know about a country.. though entirely French (not by blood but at least by nationality and education) i've lived most of my childhood abroad, including America.. and I still know of Patricia Kaas. She's that huge of a singer in France. As for changing your major, implying that I'm a mean guy and therefore all of French are and therefore French is a bad language, then THAT's rude and offensive. Even if I am the biggest jerk, French remains untouched by this, especially since that I actually write in here only in English.. But German is a very beautiful language with another rich literature so that should be interesting as well (but French literature is great too).. i think it's SO stupid to take things so serious around here, come on, were you that offended?
@Mina: i'm not sure i like "dance" songs per se. I like songs that are written as songs, and get something across. But I am not awful in my rankings, most "songs" sent to esc are just noses, so I take a lot in account the lives and performances in order to rank all that. Only the top of my lists nowadays are actually "songs" i'd like. Whereas, go back to 1965 (my fave esc year) you only have "songs" there and they're all very good!
LOL T K,
good one
Btw not everyone in the world knows Patricia Kaas..it's a matter of age, too. I had a convo with my colleagues and only one of them knew her and he's over 50. The French teacher didn't know her..lol
oh and thanks for reaffirming my reasons for chaning my major from french to german
@morgan: thats pretty rude, and quite stereotypical! actually fyi ive studied french for about 7 years
As for me, I just have weird taste in the sense that i hate everything that is europop trash crap, shaking booties and all that
Do you ever like dance songs? I'd be curious to know which ones you like
@T K : then you just have a grand parent french, that doesn't mean you're anything French as in French culture, French education, French language etc.. no wonder
@Mina: weird not many frenchies in here to compare to, and French televote results are nothing to represent French taste, we give 12 to armenia, 10 to turkey, 8 to portugal, 7 to israel it doesn't leave room for much, but we did give 8pts to many winners after the 10 and 12 to our communities.. 8 to Marie N. 8 to Marija, 8 to Lordi.. I guess french taste when it comes to esc televotes and out from the communities vote is just mainstream
As for me, I just have weird taste in the sense that i hate everything that is europop trash crap, shaking booties and all that
@Euro Sheep : well i know very little about some of the MF singers but when I saw the french title to song #32 i was very happy and enthusiast. The singer looks very nice, reassuring, calm, and after all this is the FRENCH title to my ALL time fave esc song (The Voice) so i have big expectations.. and thanx for CAROLIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE (can't help but yelling her name) pictures, but again, these tell very little, no clothes, no stage, nada. It's just there to boil me up, except i have a 6 hours literature exam saturday morning and before i'm done with the exam, i can't get that excited about MF..
Morgan S. Trouillet
Haha you're right, I think the only who would come close to matching Patricia would be Malena "la voix" Ernman! Anyway, I think you might like to see this:
http://schlagerprofilerna.blogspot.co m/2009/02/caroline-af-ugglas-snalla-snalla.html
Pictures of Caroline rehearsing "Snälla, snälla"! 
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