Melodifestivalen Semi-Final 1: First Impressions

National Selection season is in full swing around Europe as countries present their best pop talents to compete at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin. Sweden’s Melodifestivalen begins this weekend with an array of legendary Swedish acts and hot up and comers vying to be the Scandinavian nation’s entrant.

The first semi-final, will see Oscar Zia return to host after his successful stint last year, with artists including Melodifestivalen favourites Shirley Clamp and Robin Bengtsson returning, as well as some newbies to contest such as THEOZ and solo performer Cornelia Jakobs. A high profile appearance from Omar Rudberg (who returns after competing as part of FO&O and as a solo entrant), now starring in Netflix’s hugely successful Young Royals, will be sure to be one of the must-sees. We will also be treated to a performance from Melo legend and Eurovision heartthrob Eric Saade.

Check out our initial thoughts on each of the competing tracks below. If you would like to hear previews before tonight’s show, click here.

Malou Prytz – Bananas

Malou reached the final in 2019 with I Do Me, a pop triumph, but now she returns with a more punky-flavoured release. The singer assembles a crack team including Alice Gernandt, Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt, Joy Deb, and Linnea Deb to craft Bananas. It’s a punchy opener and will no doubt be a favourite for younger audiences. Malou does have tough competition with the track, so it’s not clear if this qualifying is set in stone.

THEOZ – Som du vill

THEOZ may be one of the youngest in the competition, but he brings one of the biggest tracks. Som du vill is a big balls to the wall dance anthem, refreshingly sung in Swedish language. THEOZ has the songwriting team of Tobias Lundgren, Axel Schylström, Tim Larsson, Elize Ryd, and Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt behind the track. The sixteen year old is one of Sweden’s biggest social media stars so this may be a sure fire success if this translates to votes.

Shirley Clamp – Let There Be Angels

Shirley returns with an elegant ballad instilled with a sense of hopefulness – the perfect tonic for the past few troubled years. The singer delivers a truly charming vocal performance on this classy anthem which she co-writes with Mats Tärnfors, Pelle Nylén, and Jakob Skarin. Let There Be Angels faces some tough competition, but we have our fingers crossed that Shirley will be sailing through to the final like her successful attempts with “Min kärlek” and “Att älska dig” in 2003 and 2004.

Check out our interview with Shirley here.

Omar Rudberg – Moving Like That

Omar Rudberg brings a sexy Latin party anthem with Moving Like That. The singer has a natural charisma and this is a slinky contemporary gem packed with romantic guitar and sharp electronic production that will have you toe-tapping. We do see this as a sure-fire qualifier or at least an Andra Chansen qualifier. Omar co-writes with Gustav Blomberg, Amanda Kongshaug, and Kristin Marie. Will Omar’s acting popularity translate to Melo victory?

Danne Stråhed – Hallabaloo

Danne Stråhed will be catering to viewers of a certain age with Hallabaloo, an old-school party anthem that conjures up a sixties/seventies nostalgia with its feel-good charm. It’s lovely to see Danne included, but we don’t imagine this will trouble any of the more contemporary acts. Danne co-writes with Fredrik Andersson and Erik Stenhammar.

Cornelia Jakobs – Hold Me Closer

An elegant ballad is submitted by Cornelia with Hold Me Closer which she co-writes with Isa Molin and David Zandén. It builds to a sweeping chorus with Cornelia showcasing a beautiful control over the escalating emotion of the track. This is undoubtedly going to be a favourite with Eurofans and casual viewers alike.

Robin Bengtsson – Innocent Love

Robin Bengtsson goes all out with his fourth Melodifestivalen entry Innocent Love, a track which he told us was a big stadium pop-rock anthem. Assembling a super squad of writers including Jubel’s Sebastian Atas and Eurovision/Melo star Victor Crone, Innocent Love is also written by David Lindgren Zacharias, Victor Sjöström, and Viktor Broberg. Robin delivers a big crowdpleaser packed with eighties synths, sweeping production, and a huge sing-a-long chorus. This is certainly tough competition.

Check out our interview with Robin here.

Interval: Eric Saade

Whilst he’s not in competition this year, we are delighted that Eric Saade will be joining in the Melo fun with a medley of previous hits from the contest. You can see some of his rehearsal shots below.