Sweden SWEDEN 2024 - Marcus & Martinus - Unforgettable

[ESC United Mod Team]

 

[CPV4931]

Just had a thought... next year would be the perfect time for Alcazar to return and win Melfest. Giving us PROPER eurodance fans the representation we deserve - with there being no pressure to win or qualify, plus the use of pre recorded backing vocals can always aide...

I'm for sure dreaming here, but I'll make the stars align lol

Would be so in for that

Also hoping for Amaranthe to participate in Melfest one day

 

[Ekholmia]

Just had a thought... next year would be the perfect time for Alcazar to return and win Melfest. Giving us PROPER eurodance fans the representation we deserve - with there being no pressure to win or qualify, plus the use of pre recorded backing vocals can always aide...

I'm for sure dreaming here, but I'll make the stars align lol

That would be amazing indeed. I hope it happens.

 

[Marcos C]

SVT is accepting song submissions for Melodifestivalen until September 15.

Sweden: Melodifestivalen 2024 Song Submission Window Opens (Eurovoix)

 

[Ekholmia]

SVT is accepting song submissions for Melodifestivalen until September 15.

Sweden: Melodifestivalen 2024 Song Submission Window Opens (Eurovoix)

I hope we get more songs written by others then the usual suspects.

 

[A-lister]

I hope we get more songs written by others then the usual suspects.

Don't get your hopes up, this selection process is a farce. Tbh it would be more honest by them to simply go out and say that they don't accept public submissions as we all know that behind closed doors they have their "in-house" songwriters anyways.

 

[ArmpitOfEurope]

Will be interesting to see how Sweden will do next year, with the infamous " host country curse ". In 2013 the curse worked, in 2016 it didnt.
The only thing I know for sure is that nothing in Melfest is gonna top Tattoo in years to come, that Heat 4 performance is Melfest's peak.

 

[Ekholmia]

Will be interesting to see how Sweden will do next year, with the infamous " host country curse ". In 2013 the curse worked, in 2016 it didnt.
The only thing I know for sure is that nothing in Melfest is gonna top Tattoo in years to come, that Heat 4 performance is Melfest's peak.

Yeah it will indeed be difficult to top that heat 4 Tatoo performance. I also fear that MF 2024 will be a weak year. I hope I'll find one song that I will like.

 

[A-lister]

Yeah it will indeed be difficult to top that heat 4 Tatoo performance. I also fear that MF 2024 will be a weak year. I hope I'll find one song that I will like.

MF is unfortunately generally weak nowadays, I mean there's always a handful of good entries (or like last year one standout), but that's not a good grade for a competition with 30+ songs that is supposedly the "strongest national selection" of them all.

 

[Ekholmia]

MF is unfortunately generally weak nowadays, I mean there's always a handful of good entries (or like last year one standout), but that's not a good grade for a competition with 30+ songs that is supposedly the "strongest national selection" of them all.

Even when it's was considered to be good I generally only liked 2-3 songs. Nowadays it's generally 1-2 songs. Often only 1 song. Quite fearful ahead of next year. Loreen really saved MF 2023.

 

[A-lister]

Even when it's was considered to be good I generally only liked 2-3 songs. Nowadays it's generally 1-2 songs. Often only 1 song. Quite fearful ahead of next year. Loreen really saved MF 2023.

I can't really recall last time I truly liked an MF edition, probably like 2004-2005 or something.

Yeah 2023 was unusually dreadful, and the way it was literally set-up for Loreen who practically had the only good song... It could have ben an internal selection tbh.

 

[ArmpitOfEurope]

I can't really recall last time I truly liked an MF edition, probably like 2004-2005 or something.

Yeah 2023 was unusually dreadful, and the way it was literally set-up for Loreen who practically had the only good song... It could have ben an internal selection tbh.

Air wasn't bad either, wouldnt have won but would have brought Sweden another top 6 result.
And yes overall the quality has dropped and thats a problem when you have a 2-month national final with 4 semis. Sweden will continue doing well in ESC coz 1 good entry is all it takes, but Melfest needs many good entries, otherwise they could just cut it to a Final only and there would be no difference at all.

 

[rasmuslights]

Air wasn't bad either, wouldnt have won but would have brought Sweden another top 6 result.
And yes overall the quality has dropped and thats a problem when you have a 2-month national final with 4 semis. Sweden will continue doing well in ESC coz 1 good entry is all it takes, but Melfest needs many good entries, otherwise they could just cut it to a Final only and there would be no difference at all.

so true.

in fact, all of the countries participating should have max 2 semis and a final. we really don't need heats and similar nonsense.

finland in my opinion still has the best possible format - only a final, just 7 acts but all getting their spotlight with music videos being released each day, also great diversity among acts not only genre-wise but also when it comes to their careers (newcomers but also their biggest stars and everything in between). I only dislike the 25 % - 75 % ratio since it makes the juries more or less useless.

 

[A-lister]

Air wasn't bad either, wouldnt have won but would have brought Sweden another top 6 result.
And yes overall the quality has dropped and thats a problem when you have a 2-month national final with 4 semis. Sweden will continue doing well in ESC coz 1 good entry is all it takes, but Melfest needs many good entries, otherwise they could just cut it to a Final only and there would be no difference at all.

Each to their own of course, I thought Air was pretty bad and I'm not sure it would do that good...

Regardless, I agree with the rest you said, MF is just quantity over quality these days but as long as the general public watches and it's a cash machine for SVT and all other players in the game, nothing will change.

I mean I don't mind quantity, and I rationally get that not everything will fit my taste, but it seems to be a general opinion that the average quality is pretty bad and when only a handful or even just 1 entry is good enough there is no excuse for it... but then again it's all about the money... and cronyism (these "in-house" songwriters/composers would most probably be out of work if it wasn't for MF nor would majority of the acts taking part, so it all seems to be arranged for them to keep their finances float instead of proper caring to have a contest that truly represents the Swedish music scene and would be a good window for outsiders to see what we're all about).

 

[Ekholmia]

Look a lot of music that is sent to MF by amateurs are really bad, I mean really bad. If you have been on Swedish songwriters forums for instance over the years you know that the songs you've heard who didn't make it from those people there are of low quality. And they bitch every year. If you want to compete with professionals you need to take your own songs up to a professional level. I've also heard people who has been on the jury say that many amateur songwriters songs is something else to go through.

It is annoying that it is the same songwriters year in and year out but also understandable.

 

[A-lister]

Look a lot of music that is sent to MF by amateurs are really bad, I mean really bad. If you have been on Swedish songwriters forums for instance over the years you know that the songs you've heard who didn't make it from those people there are of low quality. And they bitch every year. If you want to compete with professionals you need to take your own songs up to a professional level. I've also heard people who has been on the jury say that many amateur songwriters songs is something else to go through.

It is annoying that it is the same songwriters year in and year out but also understandable.

They get over 2000 submissions each year, and while probably a bunch is bad I don't believe all is and considering most that end up in MF is bad too by so called "professionals"

I believe the submission process is a scam tbh, that's the problem. There is no proper transparency and it all seems like the "in-house" songwriters are being approached behind closed doors anyways. It's a bit like those "public" job applications where for show people apply to jobs when it's already decided internally who's getting it even before applications are open.

I actually don't mind the MF team approaching songwriters, let's just stop the farce. The issue is that it's just a club for certain insiders, if they wanted a good MF they'd be approaching songwriters that actually have some careers in Sweden, but instead it's the tired old names that would be out of work if it wasn't for MF with little connection to the Swedish music scene.

 

[Ekholmia]

I believe they are trying to approach songwriters outside of the circle we see year after year, but those songwriters just don't want to be associated with MF. Especially difficult apparently are young female artist who write their own music. And of course the really big Swedish songwriter names internationally.

 

[A-lister]

I believe they are trying to approach songwriters outside of the circle we see year after year, but those songwriters just don't want to be associated with MF. Especially difficult apparently are young female artist who write their own music. And of course the really big Swedish songwriter names internationally.

I actually think they don't, and obviously someone like Max Martin won't enter but I could see Vincent Pontare/Salem el Fakir, Tove Lo, The people who work with Veronica Maggio, Joakim Berg, Rasmus Gozzi and others be willing to take part as songwriters/composers at least if they revamped Melodifestivalen and they were seriously approached. I mean Robyn wrote a song for MF back in 1997 when it was considered much less cool than now and she was already having some success in the USA for instance. Pretty much all big names perform in Allsång på Skansen, which again was considered pretty "uncool" just some decades ago.

I obviously don't expect someone like Maggio or Tove Lo take part as artists, they obviously don't need MF, but as songwriters? I could see that happen but not as long as MF is treated the way it is currently.

 

[Ekholmia]

I actually think they don't, and obviously someone like Max Martin won't enter but I could see Vincent Pontare/Salem el Fakir, Tove Lo, The people who work with Veronica Maggio, Joakim Berg, Rasmus Gozzi and others be willing to take part as songwriters/composers at least if they revamped Melodifestivalen and they were seriously approached. I mean Robyn wrote a song for MF back in 1997 when it was considered much less cool than now and she was already having some success in the USA for instance. Pretty much all big names perform in Allsång på Skansen, which again was considered pretty "uncool" just some decades ago.

I obviously don't expect someone like Maggio or Tove Lo take part as artists, they obviously don't need MF, but as songwriters? I could see that happen but not as long as MF is treated the way it is currently.

I know they do.

 

[A-lister]

I know they do.

Is it a "my neighbor's grandma's uncle's cousin's child works for" situation?

 

[Ekholmia]

Is it a "my neighbor's grandma's uncle's cousin's child works for" situation?

Ha ha no!