Facts: All entries in Melodifestivalen 2023
Sub-competition 3 in Lidköping:
Marcus & Martinus – “Air”
Melanie Wehbe – “For the show”
Ida-Lova – “Let the whole town watch”
Paul Rey – “Royals”
Nordman – “Let go of all sorrows”
Laurell – “Sober”
Casanovas – “Then the feelings come back”
Part competition 4 in Malmö
Signe & Hjördis – “Edelweiss”
Axel Schylström – “Gorgeous”
Emil Henrohn – “More more more”
Mariette – “One day”
Smash Into Pieces – “Six Feet Under”
Loreen – “Tattoo”
Kiana – “Where did you go”
Previously presented:
Round 1 in Gothenburg:
Wiktoria – “All my life”
Eden – “Comfortable”
Uje Brandelius – “The Pot”
Theoz – “More of You”
Maria Sur – “Never give up”
Tennessee Tears – “Now I Know”
Panetoz – “On my way”
Round 2 in Linköping:
Victor Crone – “Diamonds”
Rejhan – “Haunted”
Loulou Lamotte – “No Sorrows”
Eva Rydberg & Ewa Roos – “Long live life”
Elov & Beny – “The rag goes”
Tone Sekelius – “Rhythm of my show”
Jon Henrik Fjällgren, Arc North featuring Adam Woods – “Where you are (Sávezan)”
When the other half of the artists in the 2023 edition of Melodifestivalen are presented, it is clear that Loreen is returning – exactly ten years after she won the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku. She describes the experience as a turning point in her career.
— It was enormously strong for me, who had been fighting for quite some time. Before, no one wanted to handle one with pliers. It was no, no, no. No record company picked me up.
Classic Loreen
In total, Loreen has participated in Sweden’s biggest music competition three times, most recently in 2017 with the song “Statements”. Then things got worse and she never made it past Second Chance.
In Melodifestivalen 2023, Loreen competes in the final competition in Malmö. She believes that she has now understood what an important function participation in the competition fulfills.
— The competitive aspect is secondary. It is the forum itself that has such a power to spread creativity that is important.
The song “Tattoo” has, according to the artist herself, a kind of “classic Loreen energy”.
— It gets under people’s skin. What happens inside is euphoric, and it elevates diversity. One will dance, a mysterious dance.
When the Norwegian brother duo Marcus and Martinus were asked by Melodifestivalen to perform, both felt that it would be “amazing” to participate. The timing was right. At the same time, they understood that their participation could be perceived as a betrayal by their Norwegian fans.
— It is clear that some will perhaps be angry about this. But we love Norway, we love our fans in Norway and the fans like us so we hope it will go well, says Marcus Gunnarsen.
The twins also see Sweden as a second home.
— We have our management in Sweden, that is our base. We are as much in Sweden as in Norway, says Martinus Gunnarsen.
45 million plays
In competition number three in Lidköping, a face unknown to most Swedes – with perhaps a familiar voice – appears in the competition. Laurell, from Canada, fell in love with a fellow Swedish songwriter and moved to Malmö in 2020. Her song “Habit” has over 45 million plays on Spotify and has been played a lot on Swedish radio.
In addition, she made history as the first female songwriter to manage to get three entries in the same Eurovision Song Contest final in 2019. Taking part in Melodifestivalen herself was a thought that hit her out of nowhere, she says.
— A feeling came over me when I was home in Canada on a visit and we were out for a walk. “I will do Melodifestivalen this year”. My husband replied “Well okay? What fun.”
The mysterious premonition was correct, because later the entry “Sober” was selected for the sub-competition in Lidköping.
— Maybe it was time to stop hiding behind the scenes as a songwriter and come out and say “hello” to the Swedish audience, she says.
She has written the song together with Anderz Wrethov and a team of songwriters who form the basis of several successful Melodifestivalen songs, for example John Lundvik’s winning entry “Too late for love”.
Nordman is also making a comeback in the competition. After their participation in “So much better” in the fall, the duo felt they wanted to seize the opportunity.
— We had no plans for the Melodifestivalen at all, but we got a song presented to us that was exactly in our spirit. Then we thought “then we drive”. You can take the opportunity to rock the nyckelharpa on stage when you get the chance, says Mats Wester.
But they are not alone in playing folk-inspired pop, or ethnopop as it is called. Also the sister duo Signe & Hjördis, who are making their debut in the competition in Malmö, join the same groove in music.
— It’s just crazy fun if more people dare to venture into this genre. There haven’t been that many lately, says Mats Wester.