Expectations are high for the first Melodifestivalen semi-final of 2021 which kicks off Saturday 6th of February on SVT. Kadiatou, Lillasyster, Jessica Andersson, Paul Rey, Arvingarna, Nathalie Brydolf and Danny Saucedo will be taking the stage and in the run-up have each completed a filmed rehearsal.
SVT have released numerous photographs of said rehearsals and also shared footage of each. You can click the song titles below to play the snippets of each rehearsal.
We have included our initial thoughts on each of the tracks but it is essential to keep in mind: these are rehearsals and only snippets of each performance. The full performance is likely to be much more impressive.
Kadiatou – “One Touch”
One Touch sounds like a real dancefloor delight. We’re expecting fantastic choreography from Kadiatou with this one. Vocally the rehearsal does not quite grab us, so hopefully this sounds a bit smoother on the night.
Lillasyster – “Pretender”
Sonically Pretender is not really our sort of track or genre, but we love the fact it is competing. A testament to the variety and eclectic appeal of Melfest, rockers Lillasyster are bound to have their fans from the Swedish viewing public. The rehearsals showcase some incredible energy and ferocity from the band, plus the staging looks impressive, surrounding the band by flames and flickering lights. The chorus actually shines pretty well in the short clip – are we… becoming rock fans?
Jessica Andersson – “Horizon”
Queen of the Party Voice Jessica Andersson returns to the contest with the anthemic, soaring Horizon. With a belting chorus and production which looks like it will build dramatically throughout, Horizon is one of our most anticipated entries. Jessica’s flowing garment looks set to be one of the more memorable moments of staging in Saturday’s show.
Paul Rey – “The Missing Piece”
We are really predicting Paul Rey’s The Missing Piece to be quite the grower. Inventive staging and heartfelt vocals are teased in the short rehearsal clip, whilst production seems quite mellow and understated. The red islands scattered around the stage are quite an inventive move also so we are intrigued to see how the full performance will look.
Arvingarna – “Tänker inte alls gå hem”
Arvingarna are serving pure and utter joy in the rehearsal footage of “Tänker inte alls gå hem”. We’re thinking surefire qualifier here. There is no way that this upbeat schlager anthem will not be immediately loved by viewers. Arvingarna are life, Arvingarna are love.
Nathalie Brydolf – “Fingerprints”
Quietly effective staging and an understated performance from Nathalie makes Fingerprints join our anticipated entries list. Our concern is that this may be slightly too understated amongst the more heavy-hitting entries.
Danny Saucedo – “Dandi dansa”
Is this the sound we expected Danny’s Melfest return to bring? Absolutely not. Do we love it? Absolutely. It’s catchy fun and the Jamiroquai virtual insanity style staging should go down a treat. This has received a lot of flack on social media, but we are excited to have Danny back and curious to see the full staging.