Taggad: eurovision

#Eurovision truth part 1: Is Melodifestivalen successful because it’s Sweden’s Eurovision selection show?

It’s that in-between time after the end of Melodifestivalen and the start of Eurovision, and we’re all bored. So Schlagerfiasko is bringing out the inner geek for a series of the nerdiest posts ever seen on this blog. It started last week after I’d (David) had a beer and decided to begin my now-infamous ‘#Eurovision truth’ rant on Twitter. It got a lot of people talking, with lots of agreement – but there was plenty of contention as well. So I’m going to expand on my 140-character limit to explain a few of my points further. And this first one requires GRAPHS (stick with it)…

Little disclaimer – I’d had a glass of Riesling as I collected all these figures together. I think everything is correct, but do tell me if you disagree.

 

 

 

2013 has been a hugely successful year for Melodifestivalen, with outstandingly high viewing figures for the four heats (see the figures here). The show continues to generate massive amounts of publicity for itself (and is there any such thing as ‘bad publicity’?) and everything is marvellous. Which it is.

But my cynicism creeps in (okay, it barges through the door) when I hear Eurovision enthusiasts declaring how countries should follow Sweden’s example to choose their Eurovision entries, and how everyone would have success if they just did a 6-week song competition, or something similar. So how’s that working out for Sweden?

Mello röst 2

This year’s final had 4,130,000 viewers – the second highest since 2002*. Brilliant. And you can’t really argue that Melodifestivalen was ever ‘in trouble’, as some have, when, at its lowest point since 2002 it had 3,592,000 viewers for the final in 2009. On the grand scheme of things Swedish, that is definitely huge.

* I’ve not researched figures before 2002, because the festivaler before that didn’t involve public voting to a comparable level as it has done since 2002. Otherwise, 2013’s contest would be the third-highest rated, with 2000 in second place and 2006 at the top.

Where it gets interesting is when you compare the overall voting figures to the viewing figures. To keep it simple, I have taken the total number of votes counted in each final for this example. That obviously doesn’t factor in anyone who might have voted more than once, so these are definitely not precise comparisons – but they do give a realistic perspective on how viewers feel about influencing the result of the show. I haven’t factored in the influence of the international jury, either, because that was frying my brain. Neither have I considered the various rule changes between 2002 and 2013. This is just a simple survey. To what extent this is skewing my findings maybe a reader can tell me.

So, in 2013, there were 1,644,628 votes counted. That’s a lot of votes. But think about it this way: 1,644,628 out of 4,130,000 viewers means that if every person who voted did so just once each, then 39.82% of the audience felt strongly enough to do so. Again, that’s a sizeable chunk – but if this were a political contest, then such a turnout would arguably not be hailed as a success.

Looking at the percentage of voters compared to the total viewing figures for every final since 2002, then 2008 was the most successful year, with just under 60% (again, don’t forget that it is highly unlikely that each voter voted only once, so the actual percentage could probably be estimated to lie somewhere between 45-59%, maybe – but we will probably never really know for sure).

However, it is difficult to make the case that, as viewing figures increase, then more people are interested in voting for a winner – that they actively care about the final result. From an initial 24.89% in 2002, voting levels have varied. Between 2002 and 2008, it certainly was the case that increasing proportions of the audience were voting year-on-year. But as viewing and voting figures dived in 2009, so the voting proportions began to become less certain. In fact, only 2012 saw a year-on-year increase since 2008 (and a substantial one, from just over 36% to just over 50%), before decreasing again this year.

It’s interesting to look at the heats and andra chans rounds separately from the finals.

Mello röst

There’s a consistent pattern of increased voting in andra chans rounds – only 2003 saw less votes as a percentage of the audience. (Andra chansen 2002 did not feature public voting.)

Meanwhile, voting in individual heats hardly suggests active viewer engagement with the voting process. This year, only 9.15% of the audience voted in deltävling 1 – the lowest proportion of any heat in this sample group. Deltävling 4 saw a series high of 13.20% – but hardly setting the lines alight.

The highest heat voting to date has, almost ironically, been in 2009’s lowest-rated contest, with perhaps nearly 27% of viewers voting in deltävling 2.

So what does this all mean? Well, Melodifestivalen is massively popular. That hasn’t changed, and we’re all grateful for it. But it’s clear that the Eurovision element of the contest arguably isn’t taken ‘as seriously’ by its Swedish audience as it is by Eurovision fans and overseas viewers (or, at least, to the vocal fans who blog, tweet and Facebook about it). Since 2002, never more than just over a quarter of the audience has been compelled to vote in a heat – and certainly not since 2009.

If we look at Sweden’s Eurovision entries from 2002-2012 and order that list in terms of viewing figures, the result isn’t as clear-cut as a simple ‘Sweden knows pop’ would suggest. Two fifths and a winner are excellent results – but then there’s a 19th and 18th. That’s UK territory, surely? But over a decade, of course it’s generally a fabulous record of achievement – that cannot be denied.

Year Finalen viewers Artist & song Eurovision placing
2006 4 240 000 Carola: Invincible/Evighet 5
2012 4 110 000 Loreen: Euphoria 1
2004 4 105 000 Lena Philipsson: It Hurts/Det gör ont 5
2005 4 055 000 Martin Stenmarck: Las Vegas 19
2008 4 045 000 Charlotte Perrelli: Hero 18
2007 3 975 000 The Ark: The Worrying Kind 18
2010 3 870 000 Anna Bergendahl: This Is My Life not a finalist
2003 3 815 000 Fame: Give Me Your Love 5
2002 3 720 000 Afro-dite: Never Let It Go 8
2011 3 670 000 Eric Saade: Popular 3
2009 3 592 000 Malena Ernman: La voix 21

And when the same list is reordered to reflect the proportion of votes received against the viewers for the final (again, being aware that the proportional figures will never be precise), then you’d almost think Sweden hadn’t got a clue. While that top five includes a winner, the other four are comprised of two 18ths, a 21st and a never-made-it-out-of-the-semi.

Year Finalen viewers Artist & song Eurovision placing
2008 4 045 000 Charlotte Perrelli: Hero 18
2007 3 975 000 The Ark: The Worrying Kind 18
2012 4 110 000 Loreen: Euphoria 1
2009 3 592 000 Malena Ernman: La voix 21
2010 3 870 000 Anna Bergendahl: This Is My Life not a finalist
2006 4 240 000 Carola: Invincible/Evighet 5
2005 4 055 000 Martin Stenmarck: Las Vegas 19
2011 3 670 000 Eric Saade: Popular 3
2004 4 105 000 Lena Philipsson: It Hurts/Det gör ont 5
2003 3 815 000 Fame: Give Me Your Love 5
2002 3 720 000 Afro-dite: Never Let It Go 8

I’m not making any judgements with this data – I’m simply trying to extract fact from fiction from the figures (and alliterating all the way). My point is that we shouldn’t automatically assume that Melodifestivalen’s success is dependent on its connection to Eurovision. And that in the past decade, Sweden as a Eurovision nation has been very successful – but by no means does a Melodifestivalen audience know what makes a winning entry. Rather than focus on which songs are Eurovision-worthy, do what I do – just focus on 32 possible reasons for excitement at the start of the cold winter months…

David: SVT doesn’t care

Final week of the first heats, and we get nudity, miming, a possible winner and total Twitter meltdown about a sketch… Då körde vi.

The good

  • The 70s-style Eurovision opening sequence, because we were in Malmö. I kind of wish Eurovision was still like that
  • Gina and Danny speaking terrible Eurovision-host English
  • Petra Mede proving (I didn’t need that proof, though) that she’s going to be a terrific Eurovision host
  • Petra’s French accent – the best we’ve had from a Eurovision presenter in years
  • Army Of Lovers. One of my favourite Melodifestivalen performances of all time. Totally subverting the whole seriousness of the Melodifestivalen process by miming. As regular readers know, I have no problems with miming whatsoever – often it’s the only way to assure a decent vocal. And when La Camilla‘s throne shifted to reveal the real singer, I applauded – what a fabulous moment in Melodifestivalen history! Anyone complaining about this clearly doesn’t understand Army Of Lovers. And Jean-Pierre Barda writhing virtually naked with the young ones, then snogging ginger-bearded Alexander Bard! Too many moments of fabulousness to recall. There might have been a song in there, too… (And while the Sean Banan fans can attack me for liking this and not him, my defence is that at least they were making a comeback after 20-odd years, and not repeating the same schtick less than 12 months after the first time)
  • Jean-Pierre’s nipple clamps
  • Robin Stjernberg entering to Dude Looks Like A Lady. Full marks for the ability to laugh at himself
  • The (now controversial) Sarah Dawn Finer sketch. Yes, it was virtually the same as the Neil Patrick Harris/Caley Cuoco skit from the People’s Choice Awards, but who really cares? It was funny, and it was what we all like to think Sarah Dawn is like. Leave Edward af Sillén alone – he entertained you, get over yourselves
  • Sylvia Vrethammar being in another Melodifestivalen era. I can’t believe the fact that she sang Y Viva España (for the British, at least) in the 70s wasn’t promoted more
  • Therese Fredenwall battling against all those minor chords and winning
  • Böstrom‘s wedding
  • Ulrik Munther – what a difference a year makes. Has clearly entered to win. But would he excite Eurovision fans? Not so sure…
  • Ulrik’s background visuals and entering to Calleth You, Cometh I – one of the best Swedish songs ever
  • Bard introducing the fourth and fifth members of Army Of Lovers, pointing to La Camilla
  • ALCAZAR – you don’t even need me to explain why
  • Alcazar going direkt to Andra chansen!
  • Ralf’s partner stomping about the stage at the end then nearly falling off it

The bad

  • While Lucia Piñera‘s performance was good, it was clearly Adele‘s Rolling In The Deep #2. I really don’t saying Melodifestivalen songs sound like other songs, but you’d have to be deaf not to hear it in this
  • Robin’s vocal wasn’t very good. It just wasn’t
  • Robin’s styling (and that of the dancers) was awful. What was with that waistcoat jacket thing?
  • Behrang Miri – don’t get it. Allez allez allez? Sounds familiar…
  • Kind of being relieved when the show was over. It all feels a bit ‘forced’ this year. Tensions definitely feel high

The ugly

  • Knew it would be a winner. Even put some money on it. But Ralf Gyllenhammar‘s Bed On Fire left me cold
  • Alcazar’s standing ovation – from the same public that never gave them a win. Alcazar should have represented Sweden at Eurovision. I don’t suppose that would ever happen now…

Finally, a little note to SVT. I know you don’t care about me. I’m a viewer in London. My Swedish skills are just OK. I don’t pay the Swedish TV licence. I get that. I’ve been a Melodifestivalen fan for some years, and I know you don’t even like to acknowledge the fact that people outside Sweden watch the show. But when the internet feed is clearly not working properly, making the broadcast unviewable, responses like this are just offensive:

 

Imagine indeed…

Before Melodifestivalen 2013 kicks off, a little example of why the United Kingdom will never be able to host a similar contest.

This quote comes from Rita Ora, interviewed in tonight’s London Evening Standard ES magazine, where she discusses auditioning to perform Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s Eurovision song in 2009. The contest was eventually won by Jade Ewen, who came fifth in the contest and went on to join Sugababes. She was most recently seen on the reality diving show Splash! on UK television.

‘It’s weird,’ Rita tells me when the lights come up. ‘This is the actual studio where I auditioned for Eurovision [to clarify, Eurovision: Your Country Needs You!, a BBC production looking for the British contestant for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest]. I was 16. Andrew Lloyd Webber was there,’ she says, pointing to the other side of the big, rather impersonal space. ‘Right from the start I was, like, “What am I doing here?” ’

When her turn arrived, little Rita didn’t bother to hear a verdict from one of the most powerful men in showbusiness. ‘I did my song and walked out. No one knew what to do. They started looking for me, calling my agent.’ Too late. Rita was on her way home. ‘Imagine!’ she says, her big white smile almost too big for her face. ‘If I’d stayed, it would probably have been all over for me. At best, I’d be a contestant on that diving show…?’ Splash!? ‘Yeah, Splash! I love that show,’ she says, sipping green tea.

 

Tone Damli for Melodifestivalen?

Butterflies singer Tone Damli, best known for her entry in the 2009 Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix and Imagine, her recent duet with Eric Saade, is now looking at an international career.

According to Dagbladet, Tone has sent a demo to Melodifestivalen, which will be listened to by the jury.

In the past, songs have been disqualified when the artist has talked about them in the press, which is perhaps why the Norwegian’s management have refused to comment on the matter.

Fellow Idol contestant Alexander With co-wrote Lisa Miskovsky‘s Why Start A Fire? last year, while Elisabeth Andreassen was the most recent Norwegian on the Melodifestivalen stage, coming came a firm last in her semi-final.

Tone will also take her seat as one of the four judges on the new series of Norwegian Idol, later this year.

Love. It’s a miracle.

I’m publishing this on Monday, so you’ve heard all the cheers and recriminations at this point. I’m fine with Ranelid winning at Melodifestivalen, as much as I’m fine with anyone winning. Come one, come all – that’s what Eurovision is about these days, and so it should be at Melodifestivalen. Fortsätt läsa →

Let’s get quizzical

”Hello, Schlagerfiasko,” says Felix from Le Kid. ”This winter, I had nothing much to do at home in southern Sweden, so me and a friend decided to make a Melodifestivalen quiz app for the iPhone, called the ‘När•Var•Hur – Schlager quiz‘!”

”Lovely,” replies Schlagerfiasko. ”How does it work?” Fortsätt läsa →