The Shortlist (2) Sweden

Who are the big favorites for Kiev? In the next couple of weeks we will highlight some interesting participants, based on the odds they have been given by the bookmakers. This week we are providing a shortlist of countries that lead the board in the first semi final. Today’s report is about Sweden.

Robin Bengtsson

The winner of Melodifestivalen 2017, Robin Bengtsson is a singer and songwriter, among other things. For instance, this father is also a former motorcross driver!

In 2008 at 17, he entered Swedish Idol and literally blew the judges away. Eight years later, he took the stage of Melodifestivalen, where he placed fifth with his song ‘Constellation Prize’. This year he participated once again in the Swedish national selection to win it all.

”I Can’t Go On”

The song for Bengtsson was co-written by Robin Stjernberg. Stjernberg won the Swedish national selection and participated in Eurovision in 2013 with the song ‘You’ and is acknowledged as one of Sweden’s most interesting up and coming songwriters.

‘I can’t go on’ is a smart pop song, lifted by cool staging. Opening backstage is something that has never been done before at Eurovision. It provides the song with a unique hook, apart from the dancing routine on treadmills.

Explaining the odds

According to the bookmakers it is pretty clear: Sweden is one of the main contenders at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kiev to win. Robin Bengtsson is the top favourite to qualify from the first semi final and will probably do so with ease. Behind Italy, he seems to be the only serious candidate to win that final, according to the odds for the show on Saturday.

Overall polls predict Sweden to win with odds of only 9-to-1. This means that if you bet 1€ on ‘I cant go on’ to win the competition, you get nine times the return if you turn out to be right. Currently, it is really worth investing. Because chances are this will drop to even lower numbers when the actual shows start.