The hit songs of Eric Saade were given a new twist by the stars of the current series of celebrity singing show Så Mycket Bättre (So Much Better). Every week, six of the seven singers interpret the hit songs of the seventh. This week it was Eric Saade’s turn.
For the past three weeks, Eric and fellow stars Sabina Ddumba, Tomas Andersson Wij, Kikki Danielsson, Moneybrother, Icona Pop and Uno Svenningsson have taken turns to interpret each other’s hits. This week it was time for Sweden’s 2011 Eurovision star to take his place at the head of the table. As Eric Saade sat, the six other sings delivered their own unique renditions of his biggest songs.
Sabina Ddumba – “Manboy” (Så Mycket Bättre)
Soul singer Sabina gave a chilled-out synthpop twist to Eric’s 2010 Melodifestivalen entry. She flipped the lyrics around to a female perspective, with the chorus asking “Could you be my man, boy?” The new “Manboy” is proving a big hit with viewers. The video currently has the most views of this week’s performances.
Tomas Andersson Wij – “Den dag jag vinner allt”/”Popular” (Så Mycket Bättre)
Singer-songwriter Tomas Andersson Wij has a stripped-down version of Sweden’s 2011 Eurovision entry. As is the case with many SMB performances, the lyrics were rewritten in Swedish, with Andersson Wij singing about “Den dag jag vinner allt” — “The day I win everything”. The familiar melody is still there, but with a bittersweet tone.
Kikki Danielsson – “Darkest Hour” (Så Mycket Bättre)
She’s been newly rumoured to be soon making her tenth appearance at Melodifestivalen, but before that happens, Kikki Danielsson has some singing to do. She covered “Darkest Hour”, a track from Eric’s 2016 EP Saade. Kikki delivered a straightforward country-style performance, but with plenty of character and spirit.
Moneybrother “Wide Awake” (Så Mycket Bättre)
Anders “Moneybrother” Wendin delivered a rambling bluegrass interpretation of Saade’s 2016 international hit “Wide Awake”. Moneybrother and his band turned the dark electronic sound of the original into a joyful, shout-along ode to sleep deprivation.
Icona Pop – “Hearts in the Air” (Så Mycket Bättre)
The sassy pop duo gave their take on Saade’s 2011 single “Hearts in the Air”. Their version was a response to the original, changing the chorus from a fan hand gesture to a symbol of emotional openness. Icona Pop dismissed the obnoxious, materialistic claims of teen Saade and demanded, “So put your heart in the air, show me that you really care.”
Uno Svenningsson “Slå!”/”Sting” (Så Mycket Bättre)
Melodifestivalen 2007 and 2016 star Uno Svenningsson delivered a Swedish version of “Sting”. Eric’s Melfest 2015 entry was turned into “Slå” (“Beat”). He took Saade’s song of relationship drama and gave it a relaxed Swdish rock feeling that had the SMB dinner table all clapping along.
The series continues, with Icona Pop, Kikki Danielsson and Tomas Andersson Wij due to have their songs covered in coming weeks.
What do you think? Which cover is your favourite? Would you like Eric Saade to return to Eurovision? Should any of these stars do Melfest 2018? Let us know in the comments below!
So much chemistry between Sabina and Eric, like in this scene from Xena.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STfDlUxwQeI
Hahahahahaaha SO TRUE!! OMG!!
sabina ddumba MUST take part in melfest some time… shes phenomenal
I want Icona Pop to represent Sweden next year! 😀
Last year’s Sa Mycket Battre was…so much better than this season!
My favorite is definetly Sabina Ddumbas verson!
Love that 80s vibe and i just want to go up on the dancefloor and dance.
Sabina sings very well, she has a unique voice (would love to see here in ESC someday)!
I also liked Tomas and Kikkis versions actually. Thomas did it beautifully and Kikki was is very cool!
Well done, they did Erics songs justice!