Melodifestivalen 2023, hosted by Farah Abadi and Jesper Rönndahl, kicked off in Göteborg’s Scandinavium arena with a bang: a festive, over-the-top number, “Cirkus Mello,” celebrating “Sweden’s carnival.”
1. Tone Sekelius - “Rhythm of My Show”
Tone returned after her breakthrough debut last year (as the first trans contestant) with a catchy, upbeat dance number about loving oneself. In a black, belted, studded, jeweled coat dress and accompanied by dancers against a predominantly red background featuring flames, she confidently delivered the English song, which had a touch of Ricky Martin and some odd lyrics we’ve come to expect: “You should buckle up, you know I cause a stir / I’m the one, the only, you can call me the confidence connoisseur… It’s the rhythm of my show / I’m dancing in solo / My body, my body, feeling like I am a Van Gogh.”
2. Loulou LaMotte - “Inga sorger” (No sorrows)
This member of The Mamas (ESC 2020) returned for an inspirational solo number in Swedish, about mutual support. In a flowing green gown with gold accents, using simple staging (standing at the mic, backlit), she sang pretty well, accompanied by off-stage backup. Lyrics included “You’re safe in my arms / Take my hand, let’s stand together / We’ll fight for each other tonight.” The lights and music built, but overall, it just seemed a bit too earnest.
3. Rejhan - “Haunted”
Sixteen-year-old Rejhan, in a simple white shirt, black pants, and gold chain, started his English ballad slowly, alone, in the dark, backlit. His vocals were gentle, possibly nervous, and he seemed weak on the high notes. A single dancer appeared in the background, but it was not enough to keep me from agreeing with one of the lyrics: “Wake me up when it’s over.”
4. Elov & Beny - “Raggen går”
Nu kör vi (here we go)! These two cute guys in accessorized leather jackets and black caps revved up the audience with this energetic “epa-dunk” (party music) number about finding a rural gal who just wants to have fun (unlike all the jealous and anxious city girls — but think about it: who is the common denominator here, hmm?) and has a tattoo of her ex on her backside (“they’re not so prudish in the country”).
It’s quite the production, with the boys and their six backup dancers (the three gals dressed in retro party fashion) hopping in an actual car on stage and swaying as they “drive” against a cruising backdrop. The action later moves to a hot dog stand in the audience, where they share sausages with condiments. Throughout, there’s lively choreography, including an odd hand motion: an upturned fist shaken to the beat, in such a way as to show off their many rings. All in all, a crowd pleaser in the Arvingarna tradition.
5. Victor Crone - “Diamonds”
Victor (ESC 2019 for Estonia, “Storm”) returns to his native Sweden with an up-tempo English pop song that is very much “in his lane.” He’s dressed as Rejhan’s photonegative (black shirt, white pants) but with the same gold chain, and the same simple, dark, backlit start. Despite unseen backup singers, his vocals seem just OK, particularly weak on the big notes (still). Though the love song’s pace and light show do build, it’s a pretty standard effort (“Stay with me, my heart is open wide / I’m blinded by your light / Like diamonds in the sky…”).
6. Eva Rydberg & Ewa Roos - “Länge leve livet” (Long Live Life)
These charming grand dames — friends for 53 years — return to Melfest, having made it to Andra Chansen in 2021 (Eva also participated in 1977). This year, resplendent in gold, sparkly outfits, they performed a fun, upbeat retro number about the long friendship between (as the lyrics say) these “Queens of the Night,” with a lot of 1920s touches: from Ewa’s flapper dress to the old-timey B&W on-screen visual effect to the period choreography by the ladies and their dapper backup dancers bearing trumpets and giant feather fans. Parts featured some silly but fun nonsense lyrics and an odd vocal effect. At times the gals seemed briefly a little out of synch lyrically, but no matter: these veterans delivered another entertaining novelty song.
7. Jon Henrik Fjällgren & Arc North feat. Adam Woods - "Where You Are (Sávežan)"
This entry took eight (8) people to write! That’s usually a bad sign, but the exception proves the rule. Jon Henrik (Melfest 2015 [2nd]; 2017 [3rd]; 2019 [4th]) returned with drummer Arc North and singer Adam Woods with an upbeat electronic number named for his young daughter, about longing for love.
It also started slowly, with Adam singing and Jon Henrik jojking in a long, white Sami coat, which he soon doffed to reveal a sleek black and silver outfit that complemented the puffy silver winter jackets on the other guys, at which point the tempo picked up considerably, putting me in mind of Keiino. All three occupied an elevated stage (resembling Sam Ryder’s geometric contraption), pulsating with bright white lights, to go with the predominantly blue, snow-and-mountain background graphics and light show.
Later, Jon Henrik joined a single female dancer on the stage, and the energetic song was punctuated with nearly subliminal images of landscapes and an eye. I found the lyrics kind of trite (“I wanna live / For a love like this / I’ll find you wherever you are / No matter the distance / Don’t feel any different / I’ll give it all / To be where you are”) and the singing just all right.
After an odd little interval act involving Jesper, nearly naked, climbing into a giant balloon, it was announced that Jon Henrik & company (#7) was advancing to the grand final on March 11 (no point totals were reported).
The phone lines opened yet again, and after both a comedian and Cornelia Jakobs performed (the latter doing, in my opinion, a vastly superior version of “Hold Me Closer” with an on-stage band and much better staging and styling), the votes were reported by age group.
Tone Sekelius (#1) won all but the 75+ age group, thereby advancing to the final. Victor Crone came in next, distantly followed by Elov & Beny (#4), so both acts will go to the semifinal on March 4. The last three were not far behind and virtually tied.
One heat down, three to go!