Merkel x Rolinski, the joint project of Tess Merkel (Alcazar) and Martin Rolinski (BWO) have released their new single “Crucified Reborn”. The dynamic Scandinavian glam pop duo have reimagined the 1991 Army of Lovers classic “Crucified” into a dancelfoor-driven disco-pop anthem.
About “Crucified Reborn”
Swedish disco-pop royalty Merkel x Rolinski are back with a new single. The duo, formed of Tess Merkel of Alcazar fame and Martin Rolinski of BWO acclaim, have reimagined the 1991 Army of Lovers classic “Crucified” into new single “Crucified Reborn”.
When “Crucified” was first released in the early 90s in Sweden, the song became an anthem within the LGBTQ+ community. With “Crucified Reborn,” Merkel X Rolinski seek to honour that spirit, while reinventing the classic track. The pair have created a euphoric and melodic disco-pop version of the song, built for a dancefloor.
The accompanying music video features the Army of Lovers own Jean-Pierre Barda and Alexander Bard, alongside Vanity Vain, with models dressed in the creations of Peter Englund. The production is camp, theatrical pop, and is describe by the duo as “a visual love letter to everything the song has always stood for”.
Listen to “Crucified Reborn” on streaming:
Spotify:
Apple Music:
YouTube:
Who are Merkel & Rolinski?
Merkel x Rolisnki is the joint project of Tess Merkel of Alcazar and Martin Rolinski of BWO. Tess Merkel was born in Nyköping, Sweden, in 1970 and started her music career in musicals, before appearing on the Melodifestivalen stage as a choirgirl across various entries. In 1998, alongside Andreas Lundstedt and Annika Kjærgaard, Tess was one of the founding members of Swedish nu-disco group Alcazar.
Martin Rolinski was born in Sweden to parents of Polish origin in 1982. Martin first came to prominence in Sweden’s music scene after appearing on the 2002 edition of music TV show Idols. After his stint on the competition show, Martin became the lead singer of Alexander Bard’s new band Bodies Without Organs (later BWO) alongside Marina Schiptjenko and Alexander Bard.
The duo of Merkel & Rolinski teamed up in 2025 and have begun performing as Merkel x Rolinski in the subsequent months. They have made regular appearances as a duo at various Eurovision pre-parties and events. Earlier this year, they made an appearance at the recent 2026 Melfest WKND together.
Merkel x Rolinski’s Eurovision history
Between BWO and Alcazar, there have been many entries in Sweden’s national final Melodifestivalen over the years. BWO as a group have participated in the contest to select Sweden’s Eurovision entry a total of 4 times. The best result for the group came in 2006 and their entry “Temple of Love”. The song narrowly missed out on the win in that year’s national final, placing second behind eventual winner Carola. In 2013, Martin entered the national final as a solo artist with the song “In and Out of Love”, making it to the Andra Chansen round, but just losing out to eventual Mello winner Robin Stjernberg
Alcazar have taken to the Melfest stage as a group on five occasions, coming third in the final of the competition on three separate occasions. In 2003, their song “Not a Sinner, Nor a Saint” initially failed to qualify for the final but received a wildcard in the Andra Chansen round, ultimately finishing 3rd overall. Despite not winning the contest, the song became the biggest hit among all the participating entries in Melodifestivalen that year. Tess Merkel also entered the national final solo in 2021 with her song “Good Life”. When Sweden hosted the Contest in Malmö in 2024, Alcazar briefly reformed to perform their global smash hit “Crying at the Discotheque” during the Grand Final interval.
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News Source: Merkel x Rolinski / Spotify / Instagram
Image Credits: Tess Merkel and Martin Rolinski