Sweden: Read back our liveblog for the first semifinal

Sweden kicks off Melodifestivalen 2017 tonight with the first semifinal in Gothenburg. Tonight’s line-up includes a few familiar faces.

Among those competing for the chance to represent Sweden in Kiev is Melodifestivalen veteran Charlotte Perrelli. Perrelli has won the competition twice, once in 1999 and again in 2008. In 1999, her MF-victory even led on to a Eurovision victory with the song “Take me to your heaven”.

Also returning to the Melfest stage is Ace Wilder who was third in last year’s final. Wilder also placed second in 2014, narrowly losing to Sanna Nielsen that year. Other returning artists are Dinah Nah from 2015 and Boris René from 2016.

Watch tonight’s show on broadcaster SVT’s website here and follow along with our editor Allie Lindo.

NOTE: THE SHOW IS OVER. BELOW THE RESULTS TABLE YOU CAN READ BACK OUR LIVEBLOG BY ALLIE LINDO.

The artists in bold are through to the final while those italicised are in Andra Chansen:

  • Boris René – ”Her Kiss”
  • Adrijana – ”Amare”
  • Dinah Nah – ”One More Night”
  • De Vet Du – ”Road Trip”
  • Charlotte Perrelli – ”Mitt liv”
  • Ace Wilder – ”Wild Child”
  • Nano – ”Hold On”

The show starts at 20:00 CET and live updates will appear below. The most recent updates will be at the top.

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21:30 – Let’s review!

It’s been an interesting but overall not shocking night in Sweden. Nano and Ace Wilder are heading straight through to Stockholm while Boris René and De Vet Du live to compete another day in Andra Chansen in Linköping on 4 March.

Ace Wilder has been a Melodifestivalen favorite so her result is somewhat expected. Nano gave what I believe to be the best overall performance of the night. The lyrics of his song clearly resonated with the audience who voted for him via phone, text, app and web.

Boris René gave a solid performance and if he is able to improve a little, he stands a good chance of making it through Andra Chansen. De Vet Du is the quirky addition that makes it out of Sweden’s first semifinal. The YouTube sensations look to battle it out in Linköping with Boris exactly a month from now.

Join us for next week’s semifinal live from Malmö. Until then…Hej då  från Sverige!

21:25 – Andra Chansen and Final results

The first song heading to Andra Chansen is Her Kiss by Boris René. The second to Andra Chansen is Road Trip by De Vet Du.

The final song through to Stockholm is Wild Child by Ace Wilder.

21:18 – Record voting decides who goes through

David announces that a record has been set in votes recorded. The first through to the final is Nano with Hold On. It is his first time competing in Melfest and he is now the first through to Friends Arena in Stockholm. Nano takes the stage to perform his song one more time. He is noticeably more emotional this time around but it seems to add to his performance. I think I like this song even more this time. It is good to see new talent making it through in Melfest.

21:15 – Artist interviews

De Vet Du’s DJ Hunk still hasn’t managed to find a shirt to put on. He also does not speak as Clara asks him questions.

21:13 – Dance interlude

We are treated to a performance by Gothenburg’s Opera Dance Company as we await the announcement of the final results. I find the performance interesting, if a bit strange for a non-dancer like myself.

21:10 – Waiting on final results

So Charlotte Perrelli has been eliminated tonight and thus her ESC dreams are over for this year. There’s already a bit of an outcry among her fans online. Also eliminated is Adrijana whose song Amare failed to make a mark with the Swedish audience.

21:05 – Results are coming in

The bottom three of the night are Charlotte Perrelli, Ace Wilder and Adrijana. The two now out of the competition are Charlotte and Adrijana. Ace Wilder is the last song announced to be continuing tonight as the votes continue to be counted. Of the five remaining songs, two will go to the final directly and another two will go to Andra Chansen.

21:00 – Voting now over!

As voting ends here in Sweden, we are treated to a fun little video about Hasse Andersson’s musical past. Back on stage a chat between Clara and David is interrupted by some Melodifestivalen-inspired heavy metal. Those are words I never thought I would write.

Hasse comes out in his best rock and roll outfit and sings along. Who knew he was a metalhead? I am enjoying this new side of Sweden’s favorite grandfather. And of course, no heavy metal concert is complete without some pyrotechnics at the end.

20:55 – Time to review the night so far

The performances are over in Gothenburg and now it’s time for Swedes to vote. Overall I think tonight has produced some interesting choices for the country to choose from. There were some very solid performances tonight but which two come out on top depends on what Swedes are in the mood for this year.

20:50 – Nano – Hold On

The last song of the night here in Sweden! Nano has already built up considerable support and positive vibes before tonight. In his intro video he talks a lot about his 8 year old daughter and her positive influence in his life.

This song is inspirational and beautiful and I find myself rooting for it. It has a slow buildup but soon the music builds and becomes fast-paced. The backing music switches between slow and fast beats throughout the song. This is another song that feels very personal. Lyrically speaking I believe this song is one of the best ones of the night. I feel that with a little work on his stage presence, Nano does have a real shot for success should he make it through tonight and into the final.

20:45 – Next up is Ace Wilder

The night is going by quickly as we are already on our sixth performance of the night. One one left after this. Following another Melfest veteran, Ace Wilder decides to change the mood a bit.

“Wild Child” is a fun song. I can imagine that many club remixes of this song are already in the works all over Sweden. Vocally the song is good. The choreography however could use some work. Ace seems a little out of sync with here backup dancers and she seems uncomfortable as she performs some of the moves. Her voice becomes a little shaky at the end but overall still a good performance.

20:40 – Charlotte Perrelli takes the stage

Here comes the moment many have been waiting for. Charlotte takes the stage wearing a long black dress while holding a black and sparkly acoustic guitar. This song is more subdued than the others we have seen so far. “My life is mine and no one else’s. I am me and you are you.” she sings in Swedish.

Between the lyrics and the simpler backing music, this song feels much more personal than the others. Sometimes the less complicated a song is the better. But is this enough to send Charlotte to the final? I certainly hope so.

20:35 – De Vet Du – Road Trip

I must admit I have been looking forward to this performance just to see where this could possibly go. DJ Hunk is attempting to live up to his name and is manning the DJ table without a shirt on. De Vet Du has risen to fame as a YouTube phenomenon and it certainly shows through in this performance.

They other three members of the group spend most of the song performing in and on top of a classic Volkswagen convertible Beetle. A road trip with this group would certainly be interesting. Make no mistake, this is a song and a group that does not take itself too seriously. Will that work in their favour? Crowd reaction in the arena seems to be mixed.

20:30 – Opening Hasse’s fan letters

In a little video interlude between songs, we discover that Hasse’s fan letters are a little more interesting than usual. We also learn that apparently children think he is Santa Claus. It’s a joke but I wouldn’t be shocked if it were true.

20:27 – Dinah Nah – One More Night

Dinah Nah’s introduction video saw her playing with her two adorable daughters while talking about papier mache of all things. She takes the stage in the second English-language song of the night. He brightly coloured hair draws the eye as she performs with multiple female backup dancers.

This song has some in the crowd clapping along and cheering during the higher tempo parts. Whereas the other songs were perfect for the radio, this song is perfect for a night of clubbing. The rap portion of the song could be refined a bit more but it is still passable. Dinah is clearly a skilled performer on stage and that will help her in the hunt for Melodifestivalen (and perhaps Eurovision) success.

20:23 – Adrijana – Amare

And we are on to the second song of the night. Musically this song is noticeably different from Boris René’s. This is a song that deals with love but after an upbeat start to the evening, this song seems a little too typical. Again a song that could do well in the Swedish charts once Melfest is over, but in my opinion it isn’t anything too special.

20:17 – Nu kör vi – We are on our way!

Boris René takes the stage after his introduction video plays. In the video he explained how important music has been in his family. Boris’ song is called “Her Kiss” and vocally it isn’t too demanding but regardless he is handling it well. It’s a fun pop song, perfectly suited for the radio. He is joined on stage by two male backup dancers. But it isn’t long before two female backup dancers take over.

The chorus for this song is quite catchy and what makes this song stand out in my mind is the upbeat instrumentals. Boris knows how to work the camera, making it seem as though he is singing directly to those watching.

20:10 – Hasse warms our hearts

Host Hasse Andersson is one of Sweden’s most beloved singers. His adorable and recognisable Skånska accent goes a long way to lifting any sagging spirits in Gothenburg tonight. Hasse introduces tonight’s artists after which Clara and David explain to the audience how to vote. Two songs will go directly to Friends Arena and two more will go to Andra Chansen.

20:05 – And here are our hosts

Clara, David and Hasse stand side by side as they introduce us to tonight’s show. Clara’s expletives mix with pyrotechnics onstage as SVT clearly decided to try and up the wow factor this year. No need to wait for the final in Stockholm this year.

The hosts are joined onstage by a horde of backup dancers as they ring in the night with their opening number. Apparently SVT has decided to change the name to Melodi(expletive)festivalen this year. Hmmmm. Didn’t see that in the press release.

20:00 – Beginning with a flashback

We begin the evening with a look back at last year’s Melodifestivalen and ESC finals in Stockholm. It was undoubtedly a great year for Sweden, but will the Nordic nation’s luck continue this year? We will soon have an idea.

19:45 – Getting closer to kick off

It’s an exciting time here in Sweden as the country waits for the first semifinal of Melodifestivalen 2017 to begin. Tonight is sure to bring some nostalgia as some past favourites are due to perform. Everyone is excited to see two-time winner Charlotte Perrelli and one of last year’s most talked about artists Ace Wilder take the stage again. Tonight’s trio of hosts are Clara Henry, David Lindgren and Hasse Andersson. Lindgren is himself a past competitor in Melfest so it will be interesting to see him in another role in tonight’s competition.

Seven artists are competing for the chance to go directly to the finals at Friends Arena in Stockholm or to Andra Chansen, the Second Chance round.