So SVT, not only content with Ruining Eurovision – so Twitter/x would have you believe – is having another tinker with the Melodifestivalen format.
This year they are having five standard heats, each with six songs. The top two will go direkt til finalen, the fifth and sixth placed songs will be eliminated and, here’s the twist, the songs that end in third and fourth place will qualify for a re-tooled Andra Chansen round – which will start immediately after the fifth heat.
The top two out of that run-off vote will join the other ten songs in the grand Final of Song at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, despite clearly standing no chance whatsoever of winning.
I know, I know, it makes my head hurt too but, I’m sure, it makes more sense in Swedish, most things go!
The runners and riders
Now, as for those songs and singers, they were announced at a presser on 1 December officially…. though officially 29 of the 30 had been leaked by everyone’s favourite journo in the days leading up to the announcement, which would have pissed off SVT no end…
| Heat One- Malmo | |
| Song | Performer(s) |
| Awful Liar | Lisa Ajax |
| Forever Yours | Elisa Lindström |
| Hela världen väntar | Samir & Viktor |
| Heroes Are Calling | Smash Into Pieces |
| Min melodi | Melina Borglowe |
| Supernatural | Adam Woods |
| Heat Two – Gothenburg | |
| Song | Performer(s) |
| Ahumma | C-Joe |
| Dragon | Liamoo |
| Norrland | Engmans Kapell |
| The Silence After You | Dear Sara |
| Unga & fria | Fröken Snusk |
| When I’m Gone | Maria Sur |
| Heat Three – Vaxjo | |
| Song | Performer(s) |
| Aldrig mer | Clara Klingenström |
| Effortless | Jacqline |
| För dig | Klaudy |
| Give My Heart a Break | Cazzi Opeia |
| I Won’t Shake (La La Gunilla) | Gunilla Persson |
| Take My Breath Away | Kim Cesarion |
| Heat Four – Eskilstuna | |
| Song | Performer(s) |
| 30 km/h | Lia Larsson |
| Circus X | Scarlet |
| Done Getting Over You | Albin Tingwall |
| En sång on sommaren | Lasse Stefanz |
| Happy That You Found Me | Danny Saucedo |
| It’s Not Easy to Write a Love Song | Dotter |
| Heat Five – Karlstad | |
| Song | Performer(s) |
| Back to My Roots | Jay Smith |
| Banne maj | Elecktra |
| Controlla | Chelsea Muco |
| Light | Annika Wickihalder |
| Que Sera | Medina |
| Unforgettable | Marcus & Martinus |
As you can see, there are loads of people that have been in this farrago before, most notably Danny Saucedo and Samir and Viktor, but there is, weirdly, no former MF winner in this set of 30 songs.
The frivolity commences the first week in February.