Melfest: New music from Oscar Zia, Nano, Boris René and Anton Hagman

We are still months away before the first hints of Melodifestivalen 2019 will emerge. But the stars of previous editions of the Swedish national final have loads of new music to share. Let’s take a look at the new releases from Oscar Zia, Boris René, Anton Hagman, Nano, and ex FO&O members Omar Rudberg and Oscar Enestad.

Oscar Zia – “Kyss mig i slo-mo” (ft. Leslie Tay), “Det gar aldrig”, and “Vem tar hand om dig” (ft. Lamix)

Melfest 2016 runner-up Oscar Zia has been a busy man this year, with three Swedish-language releases. In February, he released “Det Går Aldrig” (“It never goes”). That was followed in April with the poptastic “Kyss mig i slo-mo” (“Kiss me in slo-mo”). The single was accompanied by a cute video, featuring a tennis tournament and, yes, a slo-mo kiss. Then last month, he released “Vem Tar Hand Om Dig” (“Who takes care of you”)

Boris René – “Give It to Me”

The former professional football player and two-time Melodifestivalen finalist has the new single “Give It to Me”. The song utilises Boris’ soul vocals, mixing it up with an edgy but funky sound. The song comes with a video that showcases Boris as a charismatic performer.

Anton Hagman – “Running in the Dark” & “Tiotusenmetersklubben”

Last year, Anton Hagman controversially beat Loreen in their andra chansen duel. Now the YouTube star has released his major-label follow-up. “Running in the Dark” is a sweet folky-pop love song, where Anton sings an ode to a person who has caught his eye. The song starts with a clean guitar sound before building to a triumphant chorus. More recently, he has released “Tiotusenmetersklubben” (The 10,000-metre club), with a poppier sound and Swedish lyrics.

Nano – “Love Harder”

Melfest 2017 runner-up Nano continues to build his pop career. “Love Harder” continues with his pop-soul style and gives him plenty of chances to show off his rich gravelly vocals. The song is about his determination to be a supportive partner, as he sings “I’m a rock and I’m always here for you”.

Omar Rudberg – “Que Pasa” (ft. Lamix)

Of all the ex FO&O members, Felix Sandman may have had the most success, but his fellow Fooos have been just as productive. Omar Rudberg delivered some Latino-Swedish realness with “Que Pasa”. The song features both Spanish and Swedish lyrics, which the Venezuela-born Omar delivers with attitude.

Oscar Enestad – “Heaven on my Skin”

Oscar Enestad, the other ex-FO&O member, has his debut solo single “Heaven on my Skin”. The song has a pulsing 1980s synth-pop sound, reminiscent of the Stranger Things theme music. All up, it’s a sophisticated pop experience, moving on from the boy band styles of FO&O.