Sweden presents half of Melodifestivalen 2014 acts

One of the most popular national finals for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Swedish Melodifestivalen, will take place between February and March next year comprising four semi-finals, a second chance round and the big final in the Friend's Arena in Solna, Stockholm.

Minutes ago the artists of the first two semi-finals have been announced along with the titles of their songs and the names of its composers and authors.

First semi-final

The line-up, in alphabetical order of title, for the first semi-final which will take place on the 1st of February in Malmö looks like this (composers & authors in brackets):

• Mahan Moin - Aleo (Mahan Moin, Anderz Wrethov)
• Alvaro Estrella - Bedroom (Jakke Erixson, Jon Bordon, Lauren Francis, Kristofer Östergren)
• Linus Svenning - Bröder (Fredrik Kempe)
• Sylvester Schlegel - Bygdens Son (Sylvester Schlegel)
• Elisa Lindström - Casanova (Ingela "Pling" Forsman, Bobby Ljunggren, Jimmy Jansson)
• Ellen Benediktson - Songbird (Sharon Vaughn, Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren)
• Helena Paparizou - Survivor (Bobby Ljunggren, Henrik Wikström, Karl-Ola Kjellholm, Sharon Vaughn)
• YOHIO - To The End (Andreas Johnson, Johan Lyander, Peter Kvint, YOHIO)

Second semi-final

The second semi-final will take place on the 8th of February in Linköping featuring the following line-up:

• Panetoz - Efter Solsken (Johan Hirvi, Mats Lie Skåre, Nebeyu Baheru, Njol Badjie, Pa Modou Badjie)
• Manda - Glow (Joy Deb, Linnéa Deb, Melanie Wehbe, Charlie Mason)
• Pink Pistols - I Am Somebody (Joakim Törnqvist, Nestor Geli, Per Ivar Hed, Susie Päivärinta, Tord Bäckström)
• JEM - Love Trigger (Thomas G:son, Peter Boström, Julimar "J-Son" Santos)
• Martin Stenmarck - När Änglarna Går Hem (Andreas Öhrn, Alexander Bard, Martin Stenmarck, Peter Boström)
• Little Great Things - Set Yourself Free (Charlie Grönvall, Cristoffer Wernqvist, Felix Grönvall, Adam Dahlström)
• The Refreshments - Hallelujah (Joakim Arnell)
• Sanna Nielsen - Undo (Fredrik Kempe, David Kreuger, Hamed "K-One" Pirouzpanah)

Among the artists names we find 2005's Eurovision Song Contest winner for Greece, Helena Paparizou and the Swedish performer in the same contest, Martin Stenmarck. Sylvester Schlegel was a member of the band The Ark which represented Sweden in Helsinki in 2007.

Also two runner-ups from Melodifestivalen: Sanna Nielsen, 2nd in 2008 and YOHIO, who came close to victory this year. The multi-ethnic group Panetoz scored a big hit with Dansa Pausa in 2012. Little Great Things include Charlie and Felix Grönvall, the grandsons of Benny Andersson who won the Eurovision Song Contest with ABBA in 1974, nearly forty years ago when the contest takes place.

"It has been a pleasure, easy and fun to put this year's line-up! There has been a great creativity among the nation's authors and artists. The range of the line-up is wide and dynamic", says Christer Björkman, executive producer of Melodifestivalen 2014.