1. "Up in the air" – Albin Johnsén featuring Pa
The Panetoz front figure has teamed up with "My soldier" Albin to kick off this year's Melodifestival with a real crowd-pleaser. There are football choruses in the refrain and a carnival atmosphere from the start, and Rio de Janeiro is naturally mentioned in the lyrics. "Stand up" and "hands up in the air now" are repeated so many times that you hope the audience is really on the same wavelength when it counts.
2. "Kamikaze life" – Maja Ivarsson
Synth-blip is mixed with a classically catchy wo-wo-wooh-refrain in "Kamikaze life". Since "America" is mentioned several times in the lyrics, no one can miss that it's The Sounds singer who is debuting in Melodifestivalen. The song is soft rock with an 80s feel that gets stuck in your head like chewing gum after one listening.
3. "Voice of the silent" – John Lundvik
John Lundvik has a habit of going straight to the final in Melodifestivalen. The expectations are therefore sky-high for "Voice of the silent". The song has jungle drums, a build-up from Pet Shop Boys' "Go west" and a children's choir that comes in at the end. The message that you're good enough as you are fits perfectly with the pompous refrain.
4. "Hush hush" – Meira Omar
A "Love is blind" participant who sings in what sounds like gibberish and will probably dance Bollywood-style on stage, can it be a winning recipe in Melodifestivalen? Yes, maybe. The lyrics go "Bom bom chici chici chici" and there's a steady oriental beat accompanied by added sitars.
5. "Our first time" – Adrian Macéus
Bert is debuting in Melodifestivalen, yes Adrian Macéus has played the popular children's book character. In true Bert spirit, the lyrics also seem to be about losing one's innocence. He has written the song himself together with Victor Leksell's songwriter partner, and it sounds like classic P3 pop, with a little falsetto singing in the refrain as the icing on the cake.
6. That feeling – Linnea Henriksson
Linnea Henriksson debuted as a host for Melodifestivalen 2020. But now she's making her artist debut, with a song about a relationship on empty. "That feeling" sounds like Orup's late 1980s, with pling-plong borrowed from a really expensive 1960s schlager.
