Melodifestivalen 2015 ends on Saturday 14th March. Yesterday, rehearsals for the Melodifestivalen 2015 final took place at the Friends Arena in Stockholm. Wiwibloggs was there from the first to the last and here are our thoughts after seeing the finalists of Melodifestivalen 2015 on stage at Friends.
1. Samir & Viktor – “Groupie”
We met Samir & Viktor and straight after the press conference and they were super fun! That energy completely transferred to the stage. Samir & Viktor are also much more coordinated and have a real swagger when they hit the stage. The enthusiasm of the dynamic duo is palpable and it is refreshing to see artists that aren’t taking themselves too seriously. Also the interactivity of ‘Groupie’ is hella entertaining.
2. JTR – “Building It Up”
Australian X-Factor stars JTR rocked the Friends Arena. And judging from their rehearsal, they’re going to leave an entire city of broken hearts behind them: these boys have charm, style and swagger. Their confetti also has real staying power: it was still on the floor after Hasse rehearsed that evening. Let’s hope that’s an omen for the song.
3. Dinah Nah – “Make Me (La La La)”
Dinah Nah has gone from strength to strength at Melodifestivalen and she nailed ‘Make Me (La La La)’ on the rehearsal stage. We love the thumping beats and that Dinah Nah and her troupe of backing dancers throw it down. The light sequencing is amazing. We were worried about her early draw – but after seeing those rehearsals we know, homegirl is going to be unforgettable.
Turn it up for homegirl Dinah Nah #epic #makemelalala #letsgo A photo posted by wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) on
4. Jon Henrik Fjällgren – “Jag är fri (Manne leam frijje)”
Jon Henrik Fjällgren radiated spiritual light at the Melodifestivalen 2015 rehearsals. ‘Jag är fri (Manne Leam Frijje)’ is so much more than HEYAS y’all! Our only concern having watched the rehearsals is about the early draw in the competition. With that much good energy though, the running order may not matter at all.
5. Jessica Andersson – “Can’t Hurt Me Now”
Jessica Andersson turned it out on stage. ‘Can’t Hurt Me Now’ is a deceptively powerful track and despite its traditional trappings, succeeds in remaining relevant largely thanks to Jessica Andersson’s powerhouse vocal. A moment of sheer spectacle, she absolutely smashed her rehearsal and is sure to deliver the goods on Saturday night.
Werk the wind machine Jessica! #MelFest #jessicaandersson #canthurtmenow A photo posted by wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) on
6. Måns Zelmerlöw – “Heroes”
The hot favourite to win the contest did not disappoint. Despite a lengthy set-up time for the projection mapping, Måns Zelmerlöw was worth the wait. His vocals were flawless and Måns made the Melodifestivalen 2015 stage his baby. You totally get why Måns is leading all the polls.
7. Linus Svenning – “Forever Starts Today”
Linus Svenning turned up the voice volume today for his rehearsal of ‘Forever Starts Today’. Where previously we’ve felt he needed some voice to go behind the song, today Linus delivered and gave a vocal punch we were looking for. He has a tough draw but he more than proved the case for him being at the final of Melodifestivalen 2015 today.
8. Isa – “Don’t Stop”
wiwibloggs loved Isa’s song when we first heard it and we still love ‘Don’t Stop’ now. Needless to say the performance, staging, choreography and song are relentless. It would be easy to forget the fact Isa is the youngest in the competition but she isn’t trading on her youth to gain an advantage. Her advantage is being an all-around performer and werking it out out on stage. Expect big things from her on stage on the night.
@isaofficialmusic is making the arena POP! #MelFest A photo posted by wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) on
9. Magnus Carlsson – “Möt mig i Gamla stan”
Magnus Carlsson wowed us today at rehearsals. There had been initial concerns about the song not being contemporary enough but ‘Möt mig i Gamla stan’ held up against the rest of the competition. The schlager was infectious and landed it on stage: this did not miss the mark.
10. Eric Saade – “Sting”
Eric Saade owned the stage today. The popular manboy delivered three flawless performances of ‘Sting’ and attacked each with more energy than before. The values in this are as high as Måns and despite the odds, we would not rule out a sting in the tail for favourite Måns.
Eric Saade has taken flight! #MelFest A photo posted by wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) on
11. Mariette – “Don’t Stop Believing”
Dark, brooding and with more than a hint of the occult Mariette held the Friends Arena under a curse for her three minute runs of ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. Uniquely at Melodifestivalen 2015 the entire stage production is intended to radiate personal intensity from Mariette and the attention that she commands perhaps explains why she’s riding so high in the odds. A very literal dark horse for the competition.
12. Hasse Andersson – “Guld och gröna skogar”
Hasse Andersson is ADORABLE. ‘Guld och gröna skogar’ may at first have seemed like an odd choice for the closing song of Melodifestivalen 2015 but it is actually a really sweet song. There’s a very cheery feeling and also harks back to a simpler time which is definitely appealing after all the pyrotechnics of the other acts.
Hasse Andersson is loving life on stage! #MelFest A photo posted by wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) on
Viktor is absolutely gorgeous that’s all I have to say
Mariette & Eric FTW <3
Isa, Dinah and Linus are my other favourites.
I just hope it isn't Mans, I hate the song, srynotsry.
I prefer watching Melodifestivalen over Eurovision.
I also really like guld och grøna skogar. It’s just a fun and sweet song, and I think it’s great that Hasse made it to the final.
Now this is the contest where the lineup is filled with more men than women.
Glad Agnus and Willy are having a great time in Stockholm! Can’t wait for tomorrow nite (afternoon where I live) to see how this is going down.
Btw major love for Sanna and Robin for hosting an amazing show this year.
It’s seems that you guys liked everyone:-) I’m sure that the rehearsal was great!