With less than 48 hours to go until the second night of Melodifestivalen 2024 kicks off, Daniel and Angus had a chance to watch some of the rehearsals for the first heat of the competition, where they give their opinions and predictions for Saturday’s show.
Maria Sur – “When I’m Gone”
Maria has gone in hard on the light show, everything in the performance revolves around it, there are lasers throughout the song that are synced to her choreography, and the camera work is aiming to make them as prominent as possible. Several times throughout the song they converge to form a diamond, something Maria says she is just like.
She starts out on stage alone as a silhouette as the camera pans towards her, lighting her up as she starts singing. She’s wearing a black and green sequin dress with some skin tights, and has her hair tied back in a ponytail. Around a minute into the song she is joined by a group of dancers decked out in black. You don’t really get the best look at them as they’re in the dark stage lighting that only really properly illuminates Maria.
Photo Credit: Stina Stjernkvist/SVT for Melodifestivalen 2024
What did we think of the rehearsal?
| Daniel | Angus |
| Very different to her entry last year, and not at all what I was expecting, but I’m not disappointed in the slightest. This reminds me a great deal of something the like of Klara Hammarström would compete with, as a fun, polished girlbop song. The staging is really fun and the lights show is very well executed, I can see this being a lot of people’s favourite on Saturday night, but can’t help but feel her voice is better suited to songs like “Never Give Up”. | It’s a very slick bop with an excellent lightshow, but the dancers detract more from me than they add, and the song takes quite a while to truly get going. The end is very memorable, but will people be engaged enough after that beginning to vote for it? |
| Daniel’s Prediction | Angus’ Prediction |
| Still In Competition / 3rd | Still In Competition / 4th |
Engmans Kapell – “Norrland”
These Melfest debutants start playing with imagery of a rising (or setting, depending on how you look at it) sun and a beating heart behind them. Engmans Kapell take up almost all of the stage, with the drummer and keyboardist seated in the back and the rest of the group standing in the front. Their dressed in black clothing, The camera moves around the band, cutting between close and medium distance shots as we swoop left to right and back again. Soft yellow lighting dominates the arena, and the heart grows as the song goes on, and as it does you can see it also is the name of the song.
During the bridge, the background imagery gets muted a bit, before lighting back up as the final chorus kicks in and the back screen opens up to make way for even more lights. Yellow and red confetti aplenty also starts raining down, adding to the warm and upbeat atmosphere.
Photo Credit: Stina Stjernkvist/SVT for Melodifestivalen 2024
What did we think of the rehearsal?
| Daniel | Angus |
| A very nice performance, but sadly “nice” is all that it really is, and I just don’t think it is the type of thing that works well at Melfest, where you often need fireworks. There’s not really much wrong with the performance, but I’d also be struggling to point out anything that was particularly great about it either. The confetti at the end is a fun touch I suppose, but I fear it won’t be enough for them on Saturday night. | Cheerful, different, a splash of coziness among the night’s proceedings, and surprisingly catchy to boot. However, the staging and camerawork are less “TV music competition” and more “Concert recording” and the song isn’t strong enough to overcome that. While this will have its fans (like me), this song will most likely not make it through. |
| Daniel’s Prediction | Angus’ Prediction |
| Out / 6th | Out / 6th |
Dear Sara – “The Silence After You”
The song starts with a shot of Dear Sara filmed from the right hand side of the stage, with a light from behind and a glowing orb, both blue, our only light sources. She is dressed in black trousers and a top with big, flowing sleeves. We cut to various shots of Dear Sara as she starts singing, the light from behind in particular creating an almost halo-like effect. As the song works towards the chorus, Dear Sara makes her way towards the now white orb. As she grabs and then pushes it, the chorus kicks in. The orb swings as the background lights turn up in blue and pink colours. The screens are mostly dark up to now, with occasional minor light effects.
Halfway through, the background starts shooting up blue and pink lines of light, flanking Dear Sara. At this point, we get more camera cuts, with many of them being from further away than before. For the bridge, the singer sits down before standing back up again for the final chorus, when all the lights kick in.
Photo Credit: Stina Stjernkvist/SVT for Melodifestivalen 2024
What did we think of the rehearsal?
| Daniel | Angus |
| I love a female ballad, and should probably love this too, but there just feels like there’s something missing here. Dear Sara feels shaky and nervous on stage which I think is holding back her performance. I also think her (very good!) voice is being drowned out quite a bit by the backing track. I do think it is a very promising performance and song, but could see it getting a bit lost on the night. | This is too twee to be anthemic, and too slick to draw you in. The nerves will be gone by Saturday and that will be a net positive, but it also is a shame because it is the strongest point of personality this performance has. The song is pleasant but Dear Sara’s voice gets drowned out, and the staging is cute but never quite gets there for me. This will probably struggle, but if Dear Sara manages to really bring it to the stage and sell this, this song could surprise me and the Mello viewers. |
| Daniel’s Prediction | Angus’ Prediction |
| 5th / Out | 5th / Out |
C-Joe – “Ahumma”
The song starts with C-Joe sitting on a pair of colour-changing luminescent boxes set up as a sort of stairway, with another pair either side of him. The boxes he is sitting on quickly change colour from their initial yellow to match his white outfit, with him rocking a shirt, trousers and an unbuttoned jacket. C-Joe is joined on stage by six dancers, all of whom in their own all white outfit. The LEDs are soon filled by an African-style patterns that have vibrant colours rushing through them throughout the song.
The cameras are mostly focussed on C-Joe himself for the bulk of the song, he goes all around the stage at a leisurely pace, but the majority is performed standing in front of the stairs with the dancers behind him.
Photo Credit: Stina Stjernkvist/SVT for Melodifestivalen 2024
What did we think of the rehearsal?
| Daniel | Angus |
| Really like it. Don’t think it will be too competitive. A fun Afrobeats track that I think will get the audience out of their seats, but not necessarily reaching for their phones when it is time. Love what looks like Minecraft stairs in the staging and the energy is on point, the bright colours and high energy is a welcome change from the dark and slow themes in a few of the performances, this will be a treat for anyone in the arena in Gothenburg. | This song feels very different from the usual Melodifestivalen fare, while also fitting right in. With its memorable hook, fun performance, and general great vibes, I see no reason why this wouldn’t go through. Will it be particularly competitive? Perhaps not, but this surprised me by putting a big smile on my face and a spring in my step as I hum the melody, and I think and hope the audience will feel the same. |
| Daniel’s Prediction | Angus’ Prediction |
| 4th / Still in competition | 3rd / Still in competition |
LIAMOO – “Dragon”
Get some fire. A whole bunch of it. Then add a bit more, and double the amount of fire, and you’ve got this performance. Oh and stick some fire on the LEDs just for safe keeping. He’s surrounded by four towers with firepits in them,that go off at key points throughout the song. LIAMOO is in a black vest top and trousers with a cape that makes him look something like what a medieval dragon tamer would. He’s also rocking a pair of silver bracelets and some flash rings.
There’s an orange and black lighting scheme both beneath and behind him, because you know, fire. And of course there’s some smoke and flames on the screens too. There are parts throughout the song where LIAMOO is hardly visible at all because of the really dark staging, which alludes to the “darkest cave” part of the lyrics. Just when you think you’ve seen enough fire, the climax of the song reveals there to be another fire rig at the front of the stage, that goes off in conjunction with the other four fire pits.
Photo Credit: Stina Stjernkvist/SVT for Melodifestivalen 2024
What did we think of the rehearsal?
| Daniel | Angus |
| I’m very pleasantly surprised by this. It’s very different to what I’m used to from LIAMOO, but you can still very clearly tell that it’s one of his songs. You can tell a lot of thought has been put into the staging of the song, and really elevates it and gives the song a really mythical vibe, if that means anything at all. I Can see it doing very well in the competition. | LIAMOO treats us to a bit of a fiery surprise with this track, which is quite different from his other Mello entries without losing his signature touch. The staging is fitting, the camerawork thoughtful. How well this will do overall depends on many things, but this should sail through tonight. |
| Daniel’s Prediction | Angus’ Prediction |
| Direkt til finalen / 1st | Direkt til finalen / 2nd |
Fröken Snusk – “Unga & fria”
Fröken Snusk sits on a pink horse, dressed in all pink, including her trademark balaclava. Pink pallets and dancers in pink and white flank her. The background depicts the entrance to a “Frökens Park” in neon colours. Following the first beat drop, we get some shots of just the dancers and a fade in and out to Fröken having left her horse for the pallets, followed by her dancers moving back to the front of the stage, with Fröken at the centre of course.
The song closes off with Fröken Snusk back on her spinning horse, while her dancers don and then throw pink balaclavas of their own as they dance around her.
Photo Credit: Stina Stjernkvist/SVT for Melodifestivalen 2024
What did we think of the rehearsal?
| Daniel | Angus |
| I really want to like it, but I don’t think the sound is quite there to match the staging. You wouldn’t be able to argue that it’s the strongest song in the world. but I’m not entirely sure it needs to be. It’s clearly designed to be first and foremost a really fun show with a lot happening on stage. And there is *a lot* happening on stage, I think it will do well, but I can’t help but feel that such staging deserves a much more out there song. | Fun. Memorable. A tune that stays with you just long enough to stick with you, but not long enough to get annoying. I see this doing well, at least in the deltävling. While it already is a busy performance in a way, I would have liked an even bigger show myself. But as it stands, it invites the audience to join in, have some fun, and then vote for it. |
| Daniel’s Prediction | Angus’ Prediction |
| Direkt til finalen / 2nd | Direkt til finalen / 1st |
The first heat of Melodifestivalen 2024 is set to commence on the 3rd February at 20:00CET. Don’t forget to follow That Eurovision Site to keep up to date with the latest coverage of Melodifestivalen 2024!
What we know about Melodifestivalen 2024
As revealed back in June – the Semi Final stage is no more. Two artists from each heat will go directly to the final (10 artists in total), and the two remaining places will be allocated via a run-off vote among the 3rd and 4th placers in each heat, bringing us to 12 artists in the final.
The dates and venues for this year’s competition are as follows:
- Heat 1 – February 3 – Malmö – Malmö Arena (RESULTS)
- Heat 2 – February 10 – Gothenburg – Scandinavium
- Heat 3 – February 17 – Växjö – Vida Arena
- Heat 4 – February 24 – Eskilstuna – Stiga Sports Arena
- Heat 5 – March 2 – Karlstad – Löfbergs Arena
- Final – March 9 – Stockholm – Friends Aren
The shows will be hosted by Carina Berg. Tickets for this year’s edition of the competition went on sale in early November.
Sweden’s Eurovision Journey
In 1958, Sweden made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest, with Alice Babs representing them with the song “Lilla stjärna” which placed fourth. Since their debut, the Scandinavian nation has managed to win seven times (1974, 1984, 1991, 1999, 2012, 2015 and 2023).
In 2023, Loreen returned to represent Sweden, who won the 2012 edition of the competition. She competed with the song “Tattoo”, which managed to qualify for the Grand Final, and placed 1st with 583 points. Loreen won the jury vote, accruing 340 points from the jury, earning an additional 243 points from the televote. This now means Sweden matches Ireland for the record of most wins in Eurovision history.
Are you excited for Melodifestivalen 2024? What do you think of the running order for this year’s competition? Let us know in the comments or on social media. Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok as we prepare for Eurovision 2024!
News Source: SVT
Photo Credit: Stina Stjernkvist /SVT for Melodifestivalen 2024
Tim J