Rotterdam 2021🇸🇪 Sweden

🇸🇪 Melodifestivalen 2021 – Your Guide for Semi-Final 1

Who are you most excited for so far?

The first semi-final is just a few days away and before it gets all serious we should take a look at everything we know so far and what is coming up next. On Friday and Saturday, we bring you closer to the rehearsals with live coverage on our social media and here on ESCXTRA. Talking about the songs and the performances so you’ll be prepared for Saturday.

Before the broadcast of the Melodifestivalen, 60 seconds audio clips of the competing entries will be published on Thursdays at 13.30 on SVT Play and Melodifestivalen’s app.

30 seconds from each contestant’s rehearsal get published on SVT Play and in Melodifestivalen’s app on Thursdays as well.

Entire entries (not finalists) will be posted after 9.30 pm on SVT Play and in Melodifestivalen’s app on Saturday after the broadcast.

Now let’s take a look at this weeks seven competing acts:

Kadiatou – One Touch

Written by: Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt, Anderz Wrethov

Performers

• Dancers: Keisha von Arnold (in-house dancer), Fatou Bah, Minou Deilert and Kamilla Halid.
• Off stage backing vocals: Nathalie Holm.

Show creators

• Show creators and choreographers: Lotta Furebäck, Sacha Jean-Baptiste and Jennie Widegren.

Special effects and props

• Braid.
• Plenty of accessories.

Theme: Club, dance.

Camera cuts

• Approximately 95.

Kadiatou on her entry:

”It’s a very positive, happy and delightful song. I hope it will have everyone at home standing up dancing in the sofa. Expect something you have never seen before.”

© Stina Stjernkvist / SVT for Melodifestivalen 2021

Lillasyster – Pretender

Written by: Isak Hallén, Jakob Redtzer, Martin Westerstrand, Ian Paolo Lira, Palle Hammarlund

Performers

• Off stage backing vocals: Lars Säfsund (in-house backing vocalist).

Show creators

• Nummerkreatörer och koreografer: Lotta Furebäck, Sacha Jean-Baptiste och Jennie Widegren.

Instruments

• Guitar
• Bass
• Drums

Special effects and props

• Pyrotechnics: Fire.
• Custom made microphone stand.
• Effect: Shaking camera.
• LED: Stacked TV’s.
• Drum podium, lightdecks.

Theme: Intense, live.

Camera cuts

• Approximately 72.

Lillasyster on the entry:

”At least it’s the hardest song this year. We wrote it because of the pandemic, since we didn’t have any other gigs. It will rock your ass off.”

© Stina Stjernkvist / SVT for Melodifestivalen 2021

Jessica Andersson – Horizon

Written by: David Kreuger, Fredrik Kempe, Markus Lidén, Christian Holmström, Jesper Jakobson

Performers

• In-house dancers: Kenny Lantz and Amir Ashoor.
• Dancers and backing vocals: Lovisa Bengtsson (in-house dancer) and Hanna Carlbrand.
• Off stage backing vocals: Emelie Fjällström (in-house backing vocalist).

Show creators

• Show creators and choreographers: Lotta Furebäck, Sacha Jean-Baptiste och Jennie Widegren.

Special effects and props

• Wind machine.
• A long train for the dress.

Theme: Grand, organic, light in the dark.

Camera cuts

• Approximately 43.

Jessica on her entry:

”The song is grand and has a lot of hope in it. It’s challenging to sing. I listened to a lot of possible songs for this year’s Melodifestivalen, and many were great, but this one struck me like none of the others. I love it.”

© Stina Stjernkvist / SVT for Melodifestivalen 2021

Paul Rey – The Missing Piece

Written by: Fredrik Sonefors, Laurell Barker, Paul Rey

Show creators

• Show creators and choreographers: Lotta Furebäck, Sacha Jean-Baptiste och Jennie Widegren.

Special effects and props

• Hanging microphone.
• A room in four parts which are joined together during the performance.
• LED effects.

Theme: Close, modern, warm.

Camera cuts

• Approximately 55.

Paul Rey on his entry:

”The song is like a journey. It starts intimately and steadily grows. I hope everyone will want to join me on this beautiful journey.”

© Stina Stjernkvist / SVT for Melodifestivalen 2021

Arvingarna – Tänker inte alls gå hem

Written by: Stefan Brunzell, Nanne Grönvall, Thomas G:son, Bobby Ljunggren

Show creators

• Show creators and choreographers: Lotta Furebäck, Sacha Jean-Baptiste and Jennie Widegren.

Special effects and props

• The LED in the floor depicts a street on which the singers are walking.
• LED: A city at dawn.
• 8 lamp posts.

Theme: Sparkling, party.

Camera cuts

• Approximately 52.

Arvingarna on their entry:

”This song is a fantastic ray of sunshine. When the viewers get to see our performance, they can expect cheer, party, and action from four merry Gothenburgians.”

© Stina Stjernkvist / SVT for Melodifestivalen 2021

Nathalie Brydolf – Fingerprints

Written by: Andreas Stone Johansson, Etta Zelmani, Laurell Barker, Anna-Klara Folin

Performers

• Off stage backing vocals: Emelie Fjällström (in-house backing vocalist).

Show creators

• Show creators and choreographers: Lotta Furebäck, Sacha Jean-Baptiste and Jennie Widegren.

Special effects and props

• 2 fans.
• Smoke.

Theme: Storytelling, close, vague sensation.

Camera cuts

• Approximately 47.

Nathalie on her entry:

”My song came into being when one of my amazing songwriters had to endure the enormous pain of loving someone who’s not able to show their love back, and I think a lot of people can relate to that feeling. It’s an incredibly beautiful ballad, and I hope that it will talk right to heart for a lot of people. The viewers can expect a lot of love and sorrow and a lot of emotions on stage – and maybe a beautiful gown.”

© Stina Stjernkvist / SVT for Melodifestivalen 2021

Danny Saucedo – Dandi dansa

Written by: Danny Saucedo, Karl-Johan Råsmark

Performers

• In-house dancers: Keisha von Arnold, Amir Ashoor, Lovisa Bengtsson and Kenny Lantz.
• Off stage backing vocals: Karl-Johan Råsmark.

Show creators

• Show creators: Fredrik ”Benke” Rydman, Lotta Furebäck, Sacha Jean-Baptiste and Jennie Widegren.
• Choreographers: Alexandro Duchén and Adnan Sahuric.

Special effects and props

• Filled with lighting effects.
• A cardboard room which the dancers are pushing around during the performance.

Theme: Playful.

Camera cuts

• Approximately 17.

© Stina Stjernkvist / SVT for Melodifestivalen 2021


What song are you looking forward the most? Let us know in the comments below or on social media @ESCXTRA. And don’t forget to follow our coverage during the rehearsals on social media and on Saturday during the first semi-final.

You can find more info about the competing acts and about the show on media.melodifestivalen.se

Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest

Sweden has participated in the contest 59 times since its debut in 1958. They have missed only three contests since their debut (1964, 1970 and 1976). Since 1959, the Swedish entry has been chosen through Melodifestivalen. In 1997, Sweden was one of the first five countries to adopt televoting, and have continued to innovate the technology behind the contest whenever they host.

Sweden is one of the most successful countries at the contest, winning six contests so far. Notably, their wins span their participation history; their victories span five decades with ABBA (1974), Herreys (1984), Carola (1991), Charlotte Nilsson (1999), Loreen (2012), and Måns Zelmerlöw (2015). They currently have the second-highest number of wins, behind Ireland’s seven.

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