Close your eyes and take a breather. But when you wake up you may find Aftonbladet has reported eleven new acts for Melodifestivalen 2024.
Such is the case with us. The last time I wrote up a leak back on November 6 the Swedish newspaper was up to 14 confirmed acts, including Maria Sur, Marcus & Martinus and Kim Cesarion.
Well now they’re up to 25, including the most recent leak: “Amazing” hitmaker Danny Saucedo. Let’s take the 11 new acts in turn.
Danny Saucedo
The 37-year-old star has always been a bridesmaid and never the bride. In 2011 he finished as runner-up to Eric Saade with the song “In the Club,” and a year later he finished second again with “Amazing” — this time behind eventual Eurovision winner Loreen.
In 2009 he finished third as part of the band EMD (with “Baby Goodbye”). In 2021 he placed seventh in the final with “Dandi dansa.”
According to Aftonbladet‘s sources, Danny wants to give his career a bit of a boost.
“The shows have gone very well, but the latest songs have not become hits in the same way as a few years ago,” their source says. Another informant makes clear that Danny has gone back and forth with the Mello decision, recognising how it could go wrong.
“He knows that he is gambling by performing in Mello, he has to have a really strong song and make sure to get a hit.”
Elisa Lindström
Elisa Lindström has competed at Melodifestivalen twice before. But both times she crashed out in her heat (with “Casanova” in 2014 and “Den du är” in 2021). She’s currently playing a lead role in a musical called “De’ e’ det här vi kallar kärlek”.
C-Joe
C-Joe — full name Charles Joe Koroma — is among the best known Sierra Leonean artists based in Sweden. He blends reggae dancehall, Afrobeats and R&B in his songs, which include “Friendzone,” “No Other Girl” and “Fire.” His song “Tomato,” which you can play below, is a love song about how far he’ll go for the one he loves.
Gunilla Persson
Gunilla Persson is a 64-year-old former fashion model and TV personality. A few decades ago, she modelled lingerie for La Perla and appeared on the cover of the German edition of Harper’s Bazaar. In the 1980s, she had a small role on the wildly popular soap opera Dallas. Younger Swedes may know her mostly from the reality show Swedish Hollywood Wives and for participating in the celebrity version of The Biggest Loser. You’ll note that she is not known for singing.
According to Aftonbladet, Gunilla will compete with a song about her persona, “The Gunilla”, which has contributed to her cult status on Swedish Hollywood wives.
Her song has reportedly been written by Fredrik Andersson, who wrote Frans’ Eurovision 2016 song “If I Were Sorry”.
Fröken Snusk
Fröken Snusk has a filthy mouth and likes to drop dirty lyrics. So many Swedes are puzzled how she’s landed in a family-friendly show. But the epadunk star has made a big name for herself in recent years with hits like “Ride me as a dala horse” and “Raggarbilar (Warra warra)”. So apparently her star power eclipsed any and all concerns.
She wears a pink balaclava — and plans to do so throughout Melodifestivalen. No one knows who she actually is!
“It will be interesting to see what song she does,” their source says. “SVT are usually sensitive and with her there is usually a lot of sex. At the same time, you want her to do what she is known for, not something half-baked, because the artists who compromise usually don’t succeed.”
“I don’t really know how SVT is going to solve that in a neat way,” another source says. “It will certainly not be uncomplicated.”
Jay Smith
Idol 2010 winner Jay Smith is said to be in the mix. The 42-year-old has stayed out of the limelight since his win, releasing several solo albums and playing with rock bands including Smash Into Pieces. Apparently he wants to leave rock behind him and has re-invented himself as a country music singer
Scarlet
The female hard rock duo was formed in 2018. They toured Europe alongside Smash Into Pieces, who are, of course, said to be in the running at this year’s Melfest.
The newspaper’s source says: “This is something that has never been heard or seen in Mello before, so it will attract attention.”
Albin Tingwall
Albin Tingwall, 20, placed second on Idol’s 18th season.
Jacqline Moss
Jacqline Mossberg Mounkassa — who now goes by Jacqline Moss — also placed second on Idol, back in 2021.
Dear Sara
Sara Nutti, 27, participated on the short-lived X Factor back in 2012.
Chelsea Muco
Chelsea Muco, 26, won the talent competition Next Level and collaborated with acts including Jireel and Gee Dixon.
Melodifestivalen 2024: The reported list so far
- Lasse Stefanz
- Smash Into Pieces
- Dotter
- Liamoo
- Samir & Viktor
- Elecktra
- Cazzi Opeia
- Lisa Ajax
- Marcus & Martinus
- Clara Klingenström
- Adam Woods
- Kim Cesarion
- Medina
- Maria Sur
- Gunilla Persson
- Fröken Snusk
- Jay Smith
- Scarlet
- Albin Tingwall
- Jacqline Moss
- Dear Sara
- Chelsea Muco
- Danny Saucedo
- Elisa Lindström
- C-Joe
I REALLY hope people start to hype Scarlet only because she’s ‘something different’ (which she’s not). Such a song with mostly noise and swear words is something I don’t wanna see on Eurovision. Bring some real creativity..
I find it creative. It is not just filth for the sake of being filth, like Fröken Snusk. It has panache and tastefully done and thoughtfully done.
But I doubt it will be in final, it is to out there for most people
Scarlet is something really interesting, I really hope we don’t punish them for trying something new.
So bored of same artists almost every year and they just use Melodifestivalen to boost their domestic career and are not in it to win it and go to Eurovision.
Melodifestivalen isnt just for ESC. The final is for ESC but Melodifestivalen is a festival, an entertainment show. There are artists there who just take part to introduce themselves with no intention of winning
It is just for ESC indeed, Björkman, Österdahl and co. intend to turn ESC into a pan-European Mello
When will the official list of melfest participants be released?
December 1
This variety in talent should be a welcome development for those of us who feel Melfest is just the expected lineup and similarly sounding songs. Curious to see the final list and hear the songs.
It literally is the expected lineup, many of these people always come from Idol. Then if they’re accepted by SVT & the usual songwriters they’ll get a good song by the same songwriters/composers.
Elisa Lindström is dead weight here for example, just a participant who they don’t want to win, so she’ll get a non-competitive song. Most likely in Swedish.
Slightly off topic, but I recently watched Melodifestivalen 2012 for the first time and it looks like Danny was expected (hoped?) to win. Performing last in Heat 4 AND performing last in the final… Loreen seems to have been the underdog that year?
Yes, Danny was the huge favourite that year. It was seen as his chance after being ” robbed” by Saade the previous year.
Loreen was a underdog with no chance. Her votes after her heat were low for a finalist.
But then something changed. Loreen got more and more attention when the song was released as single and after hitting number 1 on charts it was clear Danny would get second place again. That is quite the underdog revenge story..
Did Danny (or the organizers, for that matter) do something to Loreen for that to be an “underdog revenge story?”
Well no. Except for Danny himself walking around like a winner bragging about his winning performance and how never before seen it was. And media helped. Loreen was seen as the weird artist.
Only recently discovered Danny Saucedo. He is quite the chad. He came 2nd TWICE in a row. Dont know why he took so long to come up with songs after that because in my opinion, it is he and Eric Saade who should be sitting with Sweden’s trophies, not Loreen. Saucedo’s ‘In the Club’ dance was underrated and ‘Amazing’ provided great song diversity and unusual electronic staging for the time. I hope that Saucedo can send a song similar in nature to these – ahead of the time. His last song appears to have been from around 2021 seemed like… Read more »
In Your Eyes is maybe my favourite of his English language songs. No, not the 1993 winner.
Danny Saucedo’s 2021 stage show was knock off from Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity” music video, it’s pretty obvious that many acts rely on stolen material.
Plagiarism and stolen stage shows, as usual.
Danny openly said at the time that the staging was an homage to his idol, Jamiroquai.
And he got permission from his team? No. That didn’t stop him.
Arvingarna’s staging from 2021 was most likely a homage too, to Guy Sebastian’s ESC staging.
Like Norway this year
Danny Saucedo has participated enough times for us to know, that he isn’t winning. Elisa Lindström is one filler who won’t get anywhere, former Idol, X Factor etc. contestants and then reality tv personality Gunilla.
Last chance for 5-minute fame.
Sanna Nielsen won on her 7th attempt. Danny is three years younger than the reigning champion. Don’t count him out!
2010: Anna Bergendahl (1st attempt)
2011: Eric Saade (2nd attempt)
2012: Loreen (2nd attempt)
2013: Robin Stjenberg (1st attempt)
2014: Sanna Nielsen (7th attempt)
2015: Måns Zelmerlöv (2nd solo attempt)
2016: Frans (1st attempt)
2017: Robin Bengtsson (2nd attempt)
2018: Benjamin Ingrosso (2nd attempt)
2019: John Lundvik (2nd attempt)
2020: The Mamas (1st attempt)
2021: Tusse (1st attempt)
2022: Cornelia Jakobs (1st solo attempt)
2023: Loreen (3rd attempt)
This would be Danny’s 4th solo appearance..
Lena Ph won on her 4th attempt, at about the same age as Danny is now. It can be done!
Good news for Danny, maybe SVT can force him to sing in English too once he wins.
Loreen also won on her fourth song I just remembered. The stars are aligning for Danny!
Stars align in odd positions time to time..
I’ve decided that five attempts is my personal threshold for patheticness… so make number four count, Danny! And Dotter!
This would be Danny’s fifth attempt though. His first was with EMD
Måns won at his 3rd attempt (after 2007 and 2009).
Dotter is an easy winner so far
LMao she’s not. There’s much better in this line up. Beginning with Smash into pieces but there’s much more than her, with always the same song
Jacqline is very good, watch out for her! In her best moments of Idol she was kind of world class and just incredible and she also dances and does a lot of Beyonce style! With the right song I believe she actually has the potential to be the next years winner and beat all of the big names (Marcus & Martinus, Dotter, Smash Into Pieces, Danny Saucedo etc.) That girl has big talent and can be a really big star!
It feels like they really frontloaded these announcements and now we’re at the ‘singing show contestants with songs by the usual songwriters’ phase.
I was intrigued by Froken Snusk, so I checked her out, but it sounds like just the cheapest sort of dance-pop to me.
No, no, no… Danny is the banner headline!
Well, what did you expect from someone who literally translates to ” Mrs Filth?
It is as cheap and filthy as the name suggests? But hey, that cheapness is what made her the most streamed female artist in Sweden. So don’t underestimate filth…
I’m not opposed to filth with a little panache… I kind of like that Scarlet song down there.
Danny isn’t blonde? Wait… whattt?! Anyway.. I hope he will finally win.. it’s about time…
This year’s participants are quite the choice, it seems. Making Mello more of a reality show, rather than a song festival…
Seeing how popular she is I can see Fröken Snusk going straight to final. Cause she is huge! Wonder though how much toned down she will be..
And Gunilla Persson, that is hilarious. We need a good comedy act. Though knowing Gunilla, she probably will say it is the best song ever produced;)
How big is fröken snusk in the different age groups. Any votes at all in the 45+-segment?
Probably some. Even if it means children taking their parents phone and vote:)
Arrfff these famous “leaks” which are not in fact…. I will never get the aim of that…
Jacqline will be a strong contender :)!!
If you don”t know about the swedish hollywood wife Gunilla Persson you need to check on youtube. She will for sure bring the drama…. haha……
I don’t know her, and don’t want to know about her.
Trust me! You want to know about her hahaha
The Gunilla for the win!
Nothing personal against her, but her biography does not suggest “song contest” to me.
Very likely, she’ll be a joke act if it is confirmed, she is participating
OMG Danny Saucedo. Such unfinished business. Runner-up two years in a row. Could have gone on to win in Baku if things had been different.
Okay, so his 2021 entry was a little underwhelming… but that return was literally only a favour to Christer on his “last” year as producer. If he really means it this time, is there on his own terms, with a hunger for a win…
No, 2021 was something Danny did because he had no gigs. If anything it was more him begging Björkman to include him
That is a little demeaning to him. NOBODY had any gigs in March 2021 because of Covid. Christer personally asked all of his favourites to return for his last year. Eric, Anton, Danny, Charlotte etc. The only one to refuse was Carola. He tried to set her up with another Lasse Holm song, but she said “no way”.
Except that Danny himself said that it was because of desperation
Yeah, because of Covid, same as everyone else all around the world. Artists needed work, performers needed to perform. It was not about lack of success.
Even before Covid it was a case of less income for him. His singles up till then did not sell. Even without Covid he probably would still have taken part
He livestreamed a show from an empty Globen right at the peak of Covid in 2020. Just him and one other musician. His talent is obvious, and he just needs to release it. Dance, voice… he is unable to NOT perform.
His 2021 although not as great as ‘In the Club’ OR ‘Amazing’ had lyrics in Swedish, which is the direction Sweden really needs to go in now if they want to stand out from the crowd…not that they need to…but…