Sweden: ‘Ace Wilder is a strong contender for the final as well’

Melodifestivalen 2016 kicked off this weekend and Jill Guthrie followed the start of the biggest preselection of the year for us. One of the big names immediately made a good impression, according to Guthrie. “Ace Wilder is a strong contender for the final as well.”

The field in the first heat has already been narrowed down to seven since last year, and with Anna Book’s disqualification we only had six songs left for the first show in Sweden. Not a real competition, to be fair? “The two favourites made it to the final, Ace Wilder and Robin Bengtsson were always going to make it to the final, because of their draw and the quality of their song. Ace Wilder also is a strong contender to do well in the final, I think. But if SVT should return to the format with eight songs in each heat? I don’t think so. It all depends on the selection who have in each specific year. This heat was not so strong, because two songs really stood out.”

Host country Sweden comes up with a big preselection once again, with several interesting names, and the first heat was this weekend. Two songs qualified for the final: Ace Wilder with ‘Don’t Worry’ and Robin Bengtsson with ‘Constellation Prize’. Jill Guthrie about the strange song title, because the correct term would be ‘consolation prize’: “I am not honestly sure. When you read more in to the lyrics and meaning of the song, it could have a different meaning. But I am not sure!”

To Andra Chansen went: ‘Rik’ by Albin and Mattias and ‘Bada Nakna’ by Samir and Victor. Guthrie does not think they will be contenders for a high score in the finale, as was the case in the past with Robin Stjernberg, who got to Eurovision through Andra Chansen: “There is always a chance, but these two songs are not of the quality of the two songs that did advance to the final. But you never know what will happen.”