It’s the most anticipated national final of the year, and Sweden’s Melodifestivalen continues to expose us to some amazingly talented artists. Although not everyone is able to take home the trophy and represent their country at Eurovision, a number of these singers have still gifted us with new music for us to enjoy.
So in order to decide which songs you want to add to your own playlists, here’s a roundup of the latest songs from Molly Sandén, Samir & Viktor, Molly Hammar, Renaida, Bishara, Dinah Nah, Jessica Andersson, ISA and Allysandra.
Molly Sandén – “Va det då?” and “Det bästa kanske inte hänt än”
Molly Sandén’s career continues to go from strength to strength. The three-time Melfest contestant has been dominating the Swedish charts recently with her new Swedish-language discography. “Va det då?” (“Was it then?”) was released back in April and secured Molly another top-ten single. The song sees the Swedish star questioning at what moment in time the relationship with her partner began to fall apart: “Was it then? / Was it when everything simple became too difficult?…Was it when sorry stopped being enough? / Was it then?”.
Molly’s latest single is “Det bästa kanske inte hänt än” (“The best may not have happened yet”), and hit number five on the Swedish charts upon its release. A true pop delight, the song has great pace and progression that keeps the listener wanting more. Lyrically, Molly is wondering whether it’s time to part ways with her loved one: “Do I dare, do you dare, do we dare to let go? / Before I, before you, before we hit the ground / Tell me, should we dare to think the thought? / The best may not have happened yet”.
Both tracks are featured on the “Youniverse” singer’s new album, of which the latter is the title track. Many of the songs on the LP were written following her breakup with fellow Melodifestiavlen contestant Danny Saucedo. Although the subject matter may be difficult for Molly, she can take comfort in the album’s success – it charted at number two on the Swedish album charts.
Samir & Viktor – “Odödlig”
To brighten up the mood a bit we turn to Samir & Viktor, and their latest track “Odödlig” (“Immortal”). As always with the duo, the song is upbeat, fun and the perfect track to dance along to during the summer season. Indeed, that’s exactly what the “Shuffla” hitmakers are planning on doing themselves, as they sing: “Summer now / Yes, it’s only us and the memories we create…The whole body screams, the body screams / I feel immortal / Even when everything is impossible / I feel immortal”.
Molly Hammar – “No Place Like Me” and “Words”
Molly Hammar has undergone a large shift in musical direction since she brought us the soul-filled “I’ll Be Fine” and “Hunger” to Melodifestivalen. Heading more down a pop-RnB route, the Swedish singer teamed up with British rapper Big Narstie on “No Place Like Me” earlier this year. Lyrically, Molly is telling her lover that she’s going to take the time to think about herself: “You’re sitting on my front step, don’t slip, slip / Got you caught up in your feelings…Baby, if you really want it / Then you can wait for it…No place like me”.
Molly has even gained the support of British comedian and Little Britain star Matt Lucas. After the Swedish singer performed the song on The Big Narstie Show, Matt took to Twitter to say: “I think @mollyhammar_ is going to be your favourite singer soon”.
The two-time Melfest contestant’s latest song is “Words”. Co-written with Sweden’s Eurovision 2018 representative Benjamin Ingrosso, the track has a simple melody in the verses, with Molly’s vocals enticing the listener in. The chorus subsequently brings in the perfect blend of added instrumentation that adds layers to the song without bombarding the listener with too much sound.
In the song, Molly is attempting to get her loved one to speak about their feelings more, instead of only letting their bodies do the talking: “I’m never looking for perfection, no / I got your fingerprints on me forever / But I need your words if you still want me here”.
Renaida – “I Like It”
She brought us “All the Feels” at Melodifestivalen 2018, and Renaida’s latest track sees the singer continuing to bring her fierce attitude into her music. “I Like It” sees Renaida coming to realisation that her partner is not dong anything for her, and so it’s time for them to pack up their things and go: “You got me money? / No, I got me money / You ain’t got me nothin’, eh eh eh / Yeah, I got that, honey / Pour me up that bubbly / Don’t need you, dummy, know I’m stubborn / But I like it, baby”.
Bishara – “Love Don’t Let Me Down”
The runner-up of this year’s contest, Bishara’s new song is “Love Don’t Let Me Down”, which is a slow guitar-led ballad. The lyrics discuss how the Swedish singer is hoping the feelings he has for another person will lead to true love, instead of heartbreak: “Let this be love / Cause I’ve seen a million hearts breaks before…Let this be love / Oh love don’t let me down”.
If you’d rather have a more upbeat version of the song, Bishara has you covered. He’s also released a remixed version of the tack, which comes with its own music video.
Dinah Nah – “Equivocal”
At Melfest 2015 she brought us the ‘wall of sex’ for her performance of “Make Me (La La La)”. Now, Dinah Nah is back with her first new single in two years. “Equivocal” is a pop offering with a slight dark touch to it that adds an air of suspense and mystery to the track. The lyrics see the “One More Night” singer getting mixed signals from her lover about their true feelings towards her: “You say that you need me / Why does it feel like you don’t / Your body language tell me things that you won’t…We had it all but now we fall equivocal”.
Jessica Andersson – “På dejt med mig” and “Go Slow”
She brought her “Party Voice” to Melodifestivalen 2018, and Jessica Andersson is keeping the upbeat vibe going with “På dejt med mig” (“On a date with me”). A schlager-disco track, its got all the elements to get you up and dancing around your living room without a care in the world – listen out for the key change!
The six-time Melfest participant’s latest song is “Go Slow”. Despite the title, the key lyric in the song notes that Jessica doesn’t want to go slow. Indeed, the song is an upbeat party-atmosphere pop song, with the Swedish star wanting to keep her life in the fast lane: “I kiss to get kissed / I drink to get drunk / I touch to get touched / I love to get loved / I push it cause I like it like that”. Those who were fans of “Party Voice” will definitely fall in love with this song as well.
ISA – Debut Album
ISA brought two very different songs to Melodifestivalen, with the upbeat “Don’t Stop” in 2015 and power ballad “I Will Wait” in 2016. Her songs since then have continued to see the singer explore her musical styling. For now though, this journey has resulted in her debut album, which is handily titled Debut Album. The LP features 13 tracks that mix pop and RnB. It also seems that music runs in the family, as ISA’s brother, Albin Tengblad, is the main producer of the record.
Allysandra – “Off Limits”
Allysandra may not be instantly recognisable to Melfest fans without a certain blue wig. She was the original Holly from girl-group Dolly Style, competing in both Melodifestivalen 2015 and 2016 before leaving the group last year. And now, the singer is starting her solo career with the single “Off Limits”. The song is still pure-pop, but is definitely more mature in production than the songs she delivered as part of Dolly Style. Lyrically, Allysandra is telling a suitor to back-off: “No, no, no / We ain’t that close…Your lucky day was not this time / Off, off, off, off, off, off, off, off limits”.
What do you make of these latest songs from former Melfest stars? Do you want to see any of these artists return to Melodifestivalen next year? Sound off in the comments below!
I see Bishara representing Sweden in a couple of years. He is in touch with some known artists there, some of them participants of previous MF like Benjamin Ingrosso or Felix Sandman. Anyway, he is too early-Bieber yet. About his song, sounds good, I prefer the remix though.
It’s quite strange how most MF artists have little success outside of their entries. MF is massive in Sweden and is a great platform for exposure, is there a reason for this?
There’s 28 acts a year, they can’t all be a sensation. The track record in general is pretty good, though…
You sure? Look at the discographies of some of the past winners like Robin Bengtsson and Frans and frequent participants like Wiktoria, their songs rarely chart at all outside of MF.
That’s because they all have branched out. Music isn’t their only interest. Frans finished school and battered depression. Robin competed in Let’s dance, has a barber shop.
That’s how most artists in Sweden do. Only a few artists focus on career full time. Most pursue other interests while releasing material every now and then.
Eric Saade for melfest 2020
I think when Eric said he might be at the contest in 2020, I think he was thinking John Lundvik would win and he was putting himself forward as a host for next year – not as an entry.
Waiting for comments that complain about Bishara singing about love again. *grabs popcorn*