I am 'La Voix'!!

Schlagerqueen is looking forward to another great Eurovision Saturday!

The most anticipated Melodifestivalen will be coming live from Malmo and it will be a tight competition tonight!

Based on the clips released by SVT I can't wait to see Malena perform 'La Voix'

The clip sounds very powerful to me and I am hoping the disco operatic performance blows us all away!!

The chorus has a 'Nessun Dorma' feel to it! Will she be the first wildcard of 2009 to go direkt?

I also am impressed with Anna+Maria, Agnes and Star Pilots and I am hoping to love all performances based on what I have heard.

Thorleifs could pose a real threat and could be a sneaky qualifier. Hard to give an opinion on the song as the clip doesn't incorporate much of the chorus but dansband is very popular in Sweden at the moment! Oh by the way doesn't it sound like a song Linda Bengtzing would enter?

Sarah Dawn Finer's song is expected to be the stand out performance and is said to be in with a major chance of winning this night 2 weeks. 'Moving On' didn't blow me away but it is always difficult to tell without the full song.

Next 3 and Susanne do nothing for me and I hope they are not in the 5 that get through to the next round but as always anything can happen take last week Rigo and Rickfors making top 5?! Madness I tell you!

Whatever happens it is set to be a cracker of a show with Darin performing at the interval!

What I want to happen

DTG: Malena and Anna+Maria

AC: Agnes and Star Pilots

What I think will happen

DTG: Sarah Dawn Finer and Thorleifs

AC: Anna+Maria and Malena

Spain, Croatia and Portugal will all decide tonight!

Spain: It is completely a two horse race between Soraya and Melody. I would be happy with either!

Croatia: Even though they didn't win the semi last night I am rooting (as I always do) for Femminem. It would be fantastic to see the ladies back on the Eurovision stage!

Portugal: It is beginning to look like Luciana Abreu 'Juntos vamos conseguir (yes we can)' is the clear favourite. Check out her rehearsal here. I am loving the folk group Flor de Lis which reminds me of Lucia Moniz 'O meu coração não tem cor' which placed 6th for Portugal in 1996.

Let me know what you think..

What a cool stage!

Check out the first picture of the stage for 2009! Designed by John Casey who designed the stages in the Point Theatre Dublin in 1994 and 1995 his design incorporates Russian avant garde art with a contemporary setting.

I love it!

It is big, spacious and modern with plenty of potential for variety with the plenttiful supply of LED screens.

I have a feeling Russia will stage a very strong contest!

Will Malmo be the strongest heat of 2009?

This weekend sees one of the most anticipated Melodifestivalen heats take place in Malmo.

Maria+Anna, Agnes, Malena and Sarah Dawn Finer are all rumoured to hace cracking songs!

Postergirl has described Malena's 'La Voix' 'As a furious grandiose declaration of love set to the combination of pop and opera (and danceable), is, according to those who've heard it, going to send schlager fans into absolute meltdown...and maybe with the fact that Malena is (or at least was) planning a performance with what she describes as "good-looking broad-shouldered men" they'll have reason to be excited about more than just the song'

How exciting!

I am excited about 7 out of the 8 songs with Susanne being the exception. My heart wants Anna+Maria to go direkt 100% along with whoever is best from Agnes, Star Pilots, Malena and SDF!

Thorleifs could be a threat aswell!

Let's hope it is a great heat!

I'm in love with this Fairytale!

Over in Norway the Fairytale was selected as the Norweigan representative. This entry is very strong and the buzz around it is well justified as I think it could have a very good chance in Moscow. The song has mass appeal and is well sung by a charismatic performer.
Oslo 2010 would suit me perfectly!

Molly and E.M.D. book a place in final!

Saturday brought us another 8 entries to the wonderful world of Melodifestivalen. Having listened to the snippets I was worried that some songs were not as strong as I had anticipated but the live show proved me wrong.

Velvet's performance was glamorous, camp and vwey well choreographed. Her dress which produced the backing dancers was magnificent and I liked the musical hooks in the song.

It was always going to be an outsider but I was hoping she would get a place in Andra Chansen but sadly it was a case of Deja Vu for poor Velvet.

Rigo+ Topaz Sound were next on stage. I liked the opening shot of the 60s style T.V. set. This Carribbean style sound wouldn't stand a chance and I was unimpressed and shocked when they won a place in AC!

Molly was next and looked beautiful and elegant. Her delivery of Så vill stjärnorna was simple and vocally strong and was a deserved winner of a final spot and so far is the only ballad in Globen which gives it a distinct advantage.

E.M.D.'s tuxedo styling had me wondering if it was all a bit complicated. The song itself didn't have as much of an impact as I had hoped for but it could certainly grow on me and was a predictable qualifier.

Mikael was dreadful and looked very grumpy during the whole night! I was appalled that he made top 5 but relived he didn't make the duel!

Maja Gullstrand provided us with a soft latin style song by Mr. G'son which i liked but failed to advance.

Sofia impressed me with Alla and the staging worked well. How cool were those transparent drums?! I was thrilled she received the jury vote and fingers crossed she will advance.

The minute it was announced that B.W.O. would sing a ballad fans were sceptical. Although not their strongest entry I was more impressed than I had expected to be. The vocals were consistent and the sabre lights and jump suits were funky! How awful though that they are drawn against Lili+Susie in Andra Chansen boo!

Only 1 semi left!

Eurosong 2009 What a night!!

What an unforgettable night! Ireland has selected Sinead Mulvey as our 2009 representative in Moscow!! Check out her performance here.

Schlagerqueen had a fantastic night at Eurosong 2009! The whole show was very impressive with an entry I will be very proud of in Moscow!

The panel consisted of chairperson of the jury that selected the final 6 songs and Eurovision royalty Linda Martin, Irish commentator Marty Whelan and American T.V. star Jerry Springer who really got into the spirit of Eurovision!

M.N.A - Flying

Written by Riverdance performer Ronan McCormack, 'Flying' provided an upbeat start to the show.

The girls impressed me with their performance. I thought their choreography was quirky and fun but I still felt they would be an outsider when it came to the results.

Laura-Jayne Hunter - Out of control

I dubbed Laura Jayne 'The Voice on speed'! I like the mix of tribal, haunting and celtic elements of this song. If this entry had gone to Moscow it would have needed some tigthening but had a lot of potential and appealed to the tele voters more so than juries.

Lee Bradshaw - So what

Pre contest I thought Lee was one of the biggest sources of competition for Sinead but watching his performance I felt he looked nervous and and a little uneasy!

The song is a nice ballad but I was unimpressed overall and would worry about Lee's performance in a big arena.

Johnny Brady - Amazing

Johnny's performance was confident and colourful with a song that is catchy and reminiscent of Eurovision in the 90s. it would probably have been lost in Moscow but the chorus had a feel good factor about it.

Kristina Zaharova - I wish I could pretend

Kristina looked stunning in a beautiful dress. A beautiful song with that was over complicated and overshadowed by busy staging.

Sinead Mulvey & Black Daisy - Et Cetera

From the outset Sinead rocked RTE! The atmosphere in the studio was dynamic throughout her performance. It was 3 minutes full of energy!

Sinead's vocal was strong and her use of the camera was very professional. All the girls looked great and the black and pink styling was very edgy.

The audience reaction was intense! My absolute favourite out of the 6 songs.

Overall I felt we had a strong line up of songs that were diverse and contemporary. Unlike last year there were no 'big' names that were guaranteed victory so that made the voting very exciting!

Then it was time for Eurovision guru Paul G to treat us to some 'special' Eurovision moments.

When the voting lines had closed the panel gave their predictions

Pat & Marty: Out of Control

Linda, Jerry, & Paul: Et Cetera

The phone lines opened and we were treated to a beautiful performance from 1994 Eurovision winners Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. What a nice surprise!

As the juries gave their votes it became apparent that Et Cetera was a clear favourite. At the time I was surprised Lee was scoring so low but it makes sense looking back on it.

Et Cetera received top marks from 3 juries Cork, Limerick and Sligo with I Wish I Could Pretend scoring the maximum from the Dublin jury.

It looked like a 2 horse race heading into the public televote but I was absolutely thrilled when Sinead scored the maximum 40 points and won Eurosong 2009!!!

After all the votes were counted the scoreboard looked like this:

1st Et Cetera 38+40=78

2nd I Wish I Could Pretend 32+24=56

3rd Out of Control 09+32=41

4th So What 10+16=26

5th Amazing 20+04=24

6th Flying 15+08=23

I think this pop/rock style will hopefully appeal to Europe and book us a place in the final. The entry is modern and catchy, looks good live and will stand out from other countries particularly if our semi is ballad heavy.

I was thrilled to meet everyone afterwards. Sinead is a sweetheart! I also met the wonderful songwriting team Niall, Christina and Jonas who were very satisfied with the win! It is always great to meet people with an incredible passion for music and Eurovision.

I also got to chat to Ms. Martin who was really lovely!

Oh and I met Gerry Ryan aswell..;) (He was a bit wooden!)

We then headed to the Eurosong Extravaganza Party!

Ireland Eurovision 2009 Songs

Velvet really is a Queen!

At 15:00 GMT today the 6 finalists in Eursong 2009 will be aired on RTE Radio 1.

Click this link to listen!

By the way check out Velvet rehearsing 'The Queen' in Leksand for Saturday night's Melodifestivalen!

What is she hiding under there?!

Sinead Mulvey Eurosong Finalist 2009!

Schlagerqueen: Hi Sinead! Congratulations on making the final of Eurosong 2009.

You have a very strong songwriting team with Jonas and Christina almost winning the Danish final with fan favourite 'Someday' and Niall and Brendan having many songs in national finals. How did you get involved?

Sinead: Awh, thanks so much im so excited! He he! I know it's so cool to be working with them and we had so much fun recording the song. Niall got in touch with me after 'You’re a Star' and we have recorded stuff ever since. It's so cool that this is happening.

SQ: What is your song 'Et Cetera' like?

SM: I love it, I know everyone is goin to say that but I really have become attached to it now. It's rock, it’s modern, its Eurovision all in one. It really just is so catchy like a pink/blondie song. I really cant wait to let everyne hear it.

SQ: Wow that sounds exciting! What will your performance be like on Friday night?

SM: Well as you know Black Daisy will be supporting me! I just think its so cool to have a rock band behind me. I will be rocking out in front! I'm just gonna give it socks!

SQ: That's the way to do it! How does it feel to be the bookies favourite?

SM: It's weird! I don’t know what to say.I'm flattered but I'm not going to think about that because at the end of the day it’s a public vote/jury vote so everyone is in the same boat. I’m just going to keep my head down and think of my performance on the night.

SQ: Have you heard any of the other songs? Who do you feel is your biggest competition?

SM: I actually haven’t. It will be exciting to hear everyone at rehearsals. I'm not looking at it as a competition I'm looking at it as an opportunity to show the public how good this song is.

SQ: What would representing represent Ireland in Moscow mean to you?

SM: Oh god where do I start?

I've watched eurovision from when I can remember. ha ha , we used to put all the countries names into a hat and draw four or five countries names and whoever had the winning country at the end won twenty pound at the time and that was so much money back then!

Eurovision has always been apart of my family and I watch it every year So looking back on that and having watched it every year I’m just like “ Oh my God” this is my chance I could be representing my country. That would be the proudest moment of my life.

SQ: Ah that's sweet! Three Eurovision representatives started out on 'You're a Star', what was your experience like on the show?

SM: 'You’re a Star' was a great experience for me. I learned so much during my time there. Boot camp was amazing it really was unbelievable. I worked with some top class people in the music business. Singing on that stage in the Helix was an experience like no other before. It gave me so much confidence. God it's hard to believe that was four years ago!!!

SQ: What do you think Ireland should do to win Eurovision?

SM: I think we need a young entry that’s fast and up beat we need to stand out with a good act!

SQ: I agree! What does the future hold for Sinead Mulvey?

SM: God only knows!

SQ: What is your favourite Eurovision entry?

SM: I liked the way Lordi perform and their song was very catchy too.

SQ: Thanks Sinead. We wish you and all the team the very best of luck on Friday night and we will be cheering for you giving you all the support we can.

SM: Thanks Aidan!

Check out www.myspace.com/sineadmulvey (which includes the demo of 'Love' Ireland's 2005 Eurovision entry!)

Song no. 6 “Et Cetera” performed by Sinead Mulvey & Black Daisy. Composed by Niall Mooney, Jonas Gladnikoff, Daniele Moretti & Christina Schilling.

Interview with Sinead Mulvey..

Schlagerqueen's interview with the favourite to win Eurosong 2009 Sinead Mulvey will be posted tomorrow morning!...

Eurosong 2009 'Every Little Time' by David Lyons (rejected entry)

This is a song that was rejected by RTE. I think it is a wonderfully quirky song that would have done very well at Eurovision! I love it!
It's a pity it was published as it could have been submitted for next year!
The quality must be very high this year!

Ireland 12 points!!

EUROSONG WEEK 2009!!!

This Friday Ireland will choose its representative for Eurovision 2009 in a 'Late Late Show' Eurovision special using 50% jury and 50% televotes.

All this week I will be focusing on Fridays final, interviewing some finalists and looking at songs that didn't make the final shake up.

• The 6 finalists are:

1. “Flying” performed by M.N.A and composed by Ronan McCormack.
2. “Out of Control” performed by Laura-Jayne Hunter and composed by Derry O’Donovan.
3. “So What” performed by Lee Bradshaw and composed by Billy Larkin and Kevin Breathnach.

4. “Amazing” performed by Johnny Brady and composed by Tony Adams Rosa
5. “I Wish I Could Pretend” performed by Kristina Zaharova and composed by Lauris Reiniks.
6. “Et Cetera” performed by Sinead Mulvey & Black Daisy. Composed by Niall Mooney, Jonas Gladnikoff, Daniele Moretti & Christina Schilling.

Hope and Glory Direkt!!

Last night Heat number 2 took place in Skellefteå. Here are my thoughts:

Mans is one special guy! Like many others I was worried that 'Hope and Glory' would not reach the standard of 'Cara Mia' but I was very impresses with his performance last night. It was very slick and polished with a great key change and memorable lyrics. The choreography was vibrant and the bond styling worked perfectly. It was 3 minutes of bliss! He is nice to look at aswell.He was the only definate qualifier last night. Check out his performance here before it is removed!

Heat took the other final spot. Knowing little about this band I overlooked them to begin with but they put in a strong performance last night that reminded me of a little of Wig Wam!

Amy went to Andra Chansen with 'It's my Life'. Amy has grown on me in recent months and I like this song. I feel it is stronger than 'Thank You' and appeals to the High School Musical audience. Although pitchy in parts I would be happy if Amy got a place in Globen.

Lili+Susie taking the other spot had me smiling as my top 3 had all gotten a place in the top 4.

Markoolio's parody did not work at all! I think he didn't know what direction he wanted the song to go and either way it didn't work for the Swedish public and I was delighted he didn't enough votes.

Likewise Jennifer Brown's performance left me cold. Her breath control wasn't great and her song lacked spark for me.

Cookies and Beans impressed me with their vocals and was my fiance's favourite but their country style led to a Calaisa style exit.

Although there were rumours of a mix up with the International Jury vote it certainly is Amy.

So far we have a strong line up for the final 2 schlager, 1 motown and 1 rock song!

Over in Poland my favourites Man Meadow didn't make it. Iceland chose a nice ballad but Armenia, Moldova and Lithuania don't excite me!

Looking forward to next week! What do you think of last nights events?

(Thanks to gylleneskor.se for the pic)

Interview with Man Meadow!!

Hi Guys,

Thanks for agreeing to do this interview! I am a big fan of Man Meadow!!

Schlagerqueen: You are back in the Polish National final this year with 'Loves Gonna Get You'. Congratulations! How does it feel?

Man Meadow: It feels great, and also a little bit unbelievable that we get another shot this year, but we cannot wait to get over there.

SQ: What will your performance be like?

MM: Well, we actually have not had time to put the act together yet, we are meeting the choreographer and our back up vocalists/dancers this coming week and will put it all together, but it is an energetic song so of course there will be some moves, just like last year.

SQ: That sounds fantastic! Fredrik you were a backing dancer for Ani Lorak in Belgrade, How was the experience of Eurovision?

MM: Eurovision is always such a fun event, and big. Working with Ukraine was quite different as every little detail is important, our rehearsals were very strict, but then again, that really made it an excellent act!

SQ: You have both worked with a lot of Swedish stars. Who are your favourites to work with?

MM: Well Fredrik's absolute favourite is Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson, who's a legend here in Sweden, a grand old lady with one of the biggest hearts in the music industry.

SQ: Ah that's nice. She is a true legend. Did you guys ever send songs to Melodifestivalen?

MM: Yes, we've sent a couple of songs in the past.

SQ: 'Viva la Musica' is a real fan favourite, were you surprised at its success?

MM: Yes we guess so, it's hard to reach out with your music these days, there are so much. But we kind of realized that it's been a little bit more popular than we thought when we saw that the Dj:s here in Sweden play it a lot on the dance floors - it's been on top 40 list all fall.

SQ: Who do you think will be your biggest competition in Piosenka dla Europy ?

MM: Well it seems if Poland love its ballades and we guess Lidia is the big favourite. She also starts last in the competition which is a good place to be. But you never know :)

SQ: Well I will be rooting for you! What is Thomas G'son like to work with?

MM: Thomas is wonderful to work with - mostly because he believes in us and our concept, he's very easygoing and always gives you a big laugh - he's a kind and funny guy who doesn't take life to seriously.

SQ: What is your favourite Eurovision song and Melodifestivalen song?

MM: Well Fredrik has to say 'Shady Lady' of course. Niklas really loves Dima's 'Never let you go'

SQ: Fredrik wins! What does the future hold for Man Meadow?

MM: Hopefully a trip to Moscow! Otherwise we would love to travel and perform around Europe.

SQ: Thanks a million for the interview guys. We will be cheering for you on Saturday night and I hope to see you in Moscow!!

I CAN BE YOUR LOVER HOLD ON TIGHT!!

Hi All!

Apologies for the lack of posts this week, I have had no internet access and it is killing me!

What a great start to Melodifestivalen! The viewing and voting figures prove that the best National final of Eurovision season is stronger than ever.

I was thrilled Alcazar made it direkt and I will be delighted to see them in Globen on final night. It was a camp as knickers song with a great Serebro style part in the middle and I think 'Stay the Night' fits perfectly into Melodifestivalen!

In the end I was rooting for Marie to get the other spot even though I was disappointed with the song clip I was impressed by her performance on Saturday night.

Jonathan's song was lovely and I thought he did well but maybe it was more of a radio hit to pull in the votes.

I was glad Ms. Bengtzing didn't sing 'Jag tror på oss' as it would have been well below her standard.

Poor Shirley didn't but in her best performance due to illness but it was still a shocker that she came last!

Nina and Emilia both impressed me with their performances and Emilia seemed genuinely shocked and delighted that she had won a place in the final.

Now lets move on to Caroline!

I am not a fan of this song or artist and I was disappointed when the Jury selected her but glad Emilia got the remaining final place.

I am hoping she won't make it any further as I feel she would be forgotten at Eurovision.

I am very happy with the new format and I like the head to head and Jury vote announcement as it keeps the excitement throughout the show.

Despite criticisim from the Swedish press Petra seemed like a very accomplised host who was very capable and funny (from my limited Swedish!) Plus, I loved her constant outfit changes!

Elsewhere, I am thrilled Chiara will be belting it out for Malta. Even though most people are not fans of her 2009 entry I have a soft spot for it and even though it is unlikely to make the final I will be happy to see her back in Eurovision again!

Ireland should be announcing their songs at any moment and it is sounding promising from rumours! I will hopefully be attending the show on Friday 20th. It will be a 'Late Late Show Eurovision Special'!

This weekend sees another massive Eurovision night and we are keeping fingers crossed that Mans, Lilli+Susie and Amy all have great songs and qualify!

Plus it is the Polish National Final and I will be posting my interview with my favourites Man Meadow tomorrow!!

Melodifestivalen 2 Days Away!!!

The excitement is almost too much!

Saturday sees Melodifestivalen 2009 kick off and rehearsals are proving very exciting in Gothenburg.

Alcazar's performance sounds fantastic, complete with neon microphones and great choreography!These guys deserve to be in the final. Congratulations to Andreas on his QX 'Gay of the Year' award which he won this week!

Many who watched all the artists perform thought that Nina was one of the big dark horses of this heat as her voice was very powerful and well delivered.

Others feel that The Scotts were not impressive but Marie's power pop number 'Disconnect Me' has a great chance!

I am very hopeful about this heat as I am a fan of all the acts (With Caroline being the exception!)

It I was forced to pick my qualifiers without hearing the songs, I would like the following results:

Globen: Alcazar and Marie

Andra Chansen: Jonathan and Shirley

Emilia seems like a strong contender aswell and may surprise many.

340 Songs for Ireland?

I

The deadline for submissions to RTE for Eurosong 2009 was 1pm today!

The rumour is that about 340 songs have been received with the majority arriving this morning!

With so many names and songs being discussed it looks like Eurosong 2009 will be of a very high standard.

I reckon RTE will try to avoid any controversial acts like in 2008 and will definately have a 'safe' ballad included and maybe some schlager!!!!

Linda and co chose wisely!

A Shining entry from De Toppers!!

The Netherlands decide tonight! Check out the campest video ever!