The ESC Insight newsletter is coming back once more with the latest news and views of everything happening in the Eurovision world. We have updates and new music from fields as far as Iceland to Moldova and Spain to Sweden. To read the full newsletter click onto this link.
The newsletter also features the views of our editor Ben Robertson in his Robertson’s Reflection section. This week it looks at the new rules released in Melodifestivalen to allow songs qualifying for the Andra Chansen round to be released automatically as songs on the open market as well. While harmless in one way this is a move that will artificially give Melodifestivalen a commercial boost as Robertson explores.
One impact is going to be the increase in Melodifestivalen exposure on the Swedish charts. Last year, Ace Wilder withstanding, Melodifestivalen’s chart impact was pathetic, especially during February before the big boys and girls got their chance. With the reduction in songs presented each week to three finding songs that don’t qualify good enough for commercial sales is less likely. If Andra Chansen songs can be included chart success is likely to follow. It is likely with this format that three, possibly four songs will go into the Melodifestivalen final as number one hits in Sweden. That makes it far more interesting from a media spotlight point of view, in recent years the chart domination has been so well reported in the media it influences the public voting, becoming exaggerated towards the pre-known favourites and is achingly predictable.
Of course another move is one that more songs are going to get that success in the charts. A current snapshot of the Swedish charts is like most countries dominated by English language tracks from foreigners, it is hard to score a big hit, which many an Andra Chansen entry could be. Remember there is no TV show in Sweden other than Melodifestivalen that will see you perform to one-third of the population at once. The lowering of songs competing as well as the increase to twelve in songs reaching the final is likely to increase the exposure for well-established artists that even if they aren’t winning Melodifestivalen; a good hit is still possible to achieve without being overshadowed by the winner. In the future we can expect this increased safety net will bring more people to Melodifestivalen who are bigger names in Swedish pop music.
To read more about this and the rest of the newsletter don’t forget to read it in full here, or make sure it is delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for the Insight newsletter which now will go out weekly in the run up to Vienna.