SVT have announced the first eight acts to be made public for the upcoming 2009 Melodifestivalen competition. The show is Sweden's Eurovision Song Contest selection show and is one of the most successful television shows on the continent in terms of national ratings. Half of today's eight acts are former finalists, two are new to the competition.
The first names to be announced are:
Alcazar – Stay The Night
BWO – You're Not Alone
Caroline af Ugglas – Snällä, Snälla
Emilia – You're My World
Jennifer Brown – Never Been Here Before
Lasse Lindh and Band – Jag Slåss I Dina Kvarter
Måns Zelmerlöw – Hope& Glory
Sarah Dawn Finer – Moving on
SVT has yet to announce which of the first artists will compete in which semi finals.
Alcazar and BWO have both finished third in the competition on two previous occasions each. Alcazar took third place with Not a sinner nor a saint and returned to take thrid place again with Alcastar in 2005. BWO also took second place in 2006 with Temple of Love as well as third earlier this year with Lay your love on me. Måns Zelmerlöw finished in third place in 2007 with the hit song Cara Mia, ahead of Sarah Dawn Finer who took fourth place with I remember love.
Emilia will make her Melodifestivalen debut in 2009, eleven years after a global smash hit with the song Big Big World. Jennifer Brown also enters for the first time. The Swedish singer has four successful albums to her name as well as a string of singles successes in the 1990s. She has also become a successful songwriter in her own right.
Lase Lindh entered the competition in 2008, and Caroline af Ugglas returns after making her comepetition debut in 2007. Both will be looking to improve on their previous participation and qualify from their semi final.
