The first 26 songs are now known, and already have the Swedish tabloids tried to match the songs with artists that will perform the songs in the competition. We find known names like Pernilla Wahgren, Jessica Andersson and Ola Svensson amongst the speculations.
Reactions by the media and public of the first 26 songs have been both positive and some negative. Many think it is good thatthere are somany new songwriters in Melodifestivalen, so it may go into more of the directionof other type music styles instead of the traditional Schlager pop .
Most likely artist in next year's competition is Ola Svensson with the song Unstopable, that he alsohas a creditas one of the songwriters. Ola debuted in Melodifestivalen 2008 with the song Love in stereo. That song made it to the Second Chance round but lost against That is where i´ll go by Sibel. Next year it can be the sameduel again, as the tabloid Expressen thinksSibel will be singing the song Stop.
Another artist that is most likely to return is Jessica Andersson, one part of the duo Fame that won Melodifestivalen back in 2003 with Give me your love. The song that is in the talks for Jessica is I did it for love.
"I absolutely want to sing it. It´s not 100% clear yet, it is SVT and the songwriters that have the last word. But I hope and think that I get the chance to sing the song. It´s a very beautiful and nice ballad that I´m reallyfell in love with the first time I heard it", says Jessica Andersson to TT Spektra.
Andreas Johnson is one of the writers to the song We can work it out, but says he has doubtsabout being in the competition again, after already been competing three times since 2006, last time as a duet partner with Carola in One love.
Mostly talked about right now in the Swedish media is that one of the few schlager songs is Jag vill om du vågar. Many say this is the comeback song for Pernilla Wahgren. Last time she was in Melodifestivalen was back in 2003 with Let the spirits fly, a duet with Jan Johansen.
She will celebrate 30 years in the entertainment business next year, andis going to set up a show of her own. According to Aftonbladet she wanted to come back already in 2005 with the song Alla flickor, but for different reasons they didn't want her to sing it and gave it to the younger Linda Bengtzing instead.
One of the songwriters to Jag vill om jag vågar is Pontus Assarsson. He describes the song like this:"It is a typical schlagersong with a modern beat to it. It´s a song that sticks out from the rest. The song is perfect for schlager icons like Carola, Lena Ph, Pernilla Wahgren or Charlotte Perrelli. But we have not written it with a special artist in mind. I don’t even know who sings the song on the demo" he says to HD.se.
One song is currently being replaced by SVT after a recent disqualification. Also, we still have to wait for the web wildcard and the four invited wildcards to be announced. Expressen has a long list of artists they thinkare interesting names for the four wildcards. We find names like Darin, September, Ace Of Base, Orup, Anders Glenmark, Johan Palm, Arash and Brolle Jr on their list.
But many mentionthat the 2004 winner Lena Philipsson will return to the competition. She has recently recorded a new song in Örebro,with Melodifestivalen as a goal. Artist director for Melodifestivalen, Christer Björkman, says about Lena Philipsson to Expressen: "Lena Ph is one of Sweden's best artists andis always an interesting name for Melodifestivalen. She is in the studio right now and recording a new album.""Melodifestivalen is always a pressing issue around this time of theyear. Not more or less than usual", says Lena Ph:s agent My Ströbaek to Expressen.
Lena has been in Melodifestivalen 1986, 87, 88 and 2004 with Kärleken är evig, Dansa I neon, Om igen and Det gör ont. Whether she will try for afifth time will be known when SVTreveals the wild card names.
Belowis the list that Expressen guesses to be the artists to each of the songs. Please not that all the names are still pure speculation, and the Swedish broadcaster SVT will publish the artist list in due course.
Song: Yeba
Artist: Getty Domein
Song: Stop
Artist: Sibel
Song: Thursdays
Artist: Lovestoned
Song: We can work it out
Artist: Andreas Johnson
Song: Headlines
Artist: Galaxy one
Song: Doctor doctor
Artist: Elin Lanto
Song: Road Salt
Artist: Daniel Gildenlöw from Pain of Salvation
Song: Jag vill om du vågar
Artist: Pernilla Wahlgren
Song: Åt helvete för sent
Artist: SVT wants Thorsten Flinck or Olle Ljungström
Song: Innan alla ljusen brunnit ut
Artist: SVT is looking for an artist, Lisa Ekdahl is on the list for this song.
Song: Hippare hoppare
Artist: Dogge Doggelito and Andra generationen
Song: Run
Artist: Erika Selin from Idol sings on the demo. Sofia Jannok is also a name SVT has on the list for this song.
Song: Singel
Artist: Frispråkar'n – Håkan Bäckman
Song: Human Frontier
Artist: Anneli Axelsson
Song: Idiot
Artist: SVT are looking for anartist.
Song: Manboy
Artist: Eric Saade
Song: I did it for love
Artist: Jessica Andersson
Song: Unstopable
Artist: Ola Svensson
Song: Underbart
Artist: Orsa spelmän
Song: This is my life
Artist: Anna Bergendahl from Idol 2008
Song: Hur kan jag tro på kärleken?
Artist: Erik Linder from tv-show Talang
Song: A place to stay
Artist: Jenny Silver sings on the demo
Song: Heaven and hell
Artist: Linda Pritchard
Song: Magisk stjärna
Artist: according to information received it's a song for Jan Johansen
Song: Manipulated
Artist: Sarah Lundbäck
Song: Tonight
Artist: Speculations that this is a song for a new project from Alexander Bard, the man behind BWO.
