Yes, the die is cast again. Ten songs will go through to the final, to be exactly the ten countries you will find below: Belgium Czech Republic Azerbaijan Poland Finland Estonia Australia Sweden Romania Serbia Congratulations to the ten winners. And remember: only ten songs could go through. That does not mean that the other songs are bad.
©EBU/Nathan Reinds About Quick Facts NameAnna Cornelia Jakobsdotter Samuelsson Born9 march 1992 Nationality Swedish National SelectionMelodifestivalen 2011, 2012, 2022 In Eurovision2022 Turin SongHold me closer (2022) Biography Cornelia Jakobs is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of Jakob Samuel, singer of the Swedish rock band The Poodles. Cornelia grew up in Stockholm and attended the music high school Rytmus musikgymnasium.At the age of 16 she took part in the Swedish talent show Idol (Pop Idol) in 2008, but did not get past the first round. While in high school, she became a member of the band Love Generation. The band was formed in 2010 on the initiative of music producer RedOne. Samuelsson was accepted into the group after another member dropped out. The group took part in Melodifestivalen 2011 and Melodifestivalen 2012,the Swedish preselectionfor the Eurovision Song Contest. Her debut single as a solo artist was the song “Late Night Stories”, released in January 2018. As a songwriter, she was involved in the song “Best of Me”, with which Efraim Leo took part in Melodifestivalen 2021. With her song Hold Me Closer she won Melodifestivalen 2022 and thus represented Sweden in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. Entries Hold me closer Country Sweden Year2022 LanguageEnglish LyricsCornelia JakobsDavid ZandénIsa Molin MusicCornelia JakobsDavid ZandénIsa Molin Backings– Results Semi Points: 396Position: 1Running order: 17 Results Finals Points: 438Position: 4Running order: 20 https://youtu.be/i777psA2gP4
Two days ago we made a prediction for the first semi-final. Okay, no Albania and Latvia, but Moldova and Iceland instead. But don’t forget: we got no less than eight countries right! That’s why we’re taking the risk for another prediction tonight, this time for the second semifinal. We think that these are the countries that will advance to the final tomorrow: Finland: Who doesn’t know The Rasmus? These rockers have a huge fan base all over Europe. They will vote en masse. Finland makes it to the final. Serbia: The bookmakers are even predicting that Serbia will finish in the top-10. The act with washing hands will be appreciated by enough people for a place in the final. Unfortunately, Britain’s Prince Harry lives in the US. He would definitely vote for this song that mentions his wife. Azerbaijan: This country almost always makes it to the final according to a fixed recipe: a foreign team writes a song. A strong act is built around it. A guarantee for success! Australia: This song is one you either love or hate. There are plenty of people who really appreciate the act with the mask and feathers. The message also gets across. Sheldon is also a very good singer. Cyprus: A surprising song in Greek. Cyprus is not necessarily high on all lists, but it is just such a number that still gets enough appreciation to reach the final tomorrow evening. Estonia: This song makes people happy. And if there’s one thing we need right now, it’s hope, and what’s this song about….? Stefan will be in the final on Saturday. Romania: Spain votes in this semi-final and that helps, but in the meantime WRS also puts on a slick show. We think there is a good chance that it will be a final place. Poland: This is one of two entries on which our entire team is unanimous: Poland goes to the final with the rock-solid, well-sung ballad. Welcome back in the final, Poland! Belgium: The Belgian gospel song is one of a kind, well sung and therefore stands out in a positive way. Although the Belgians themselves seem to have doubts, we are convinced of a place in the final for Jérémie Makiese. Sweden: If Sweden doesn’t go to the final, nobody will. Even when everything went wrong, Cornelia Jacobs remained professional. The bookmakers are still predicting a very high position. But are we right? We’ll know in about 24 hours!
Tomorrow is the 2nd semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. One of the contenders for the win next Saturday is Sweden, represented by Cornelia Jakobs. But who is she? Cornelia Jakobs was born on March 9, 1992 as Anna Cornelia Jakobsdotter Samuelsson, in Nacka – Sweden. Her father Jakob Samuels was the singer of the Swedish glamour metal band “The Poodles”. Because of this she came into contact with music from a young age. In 2008 she took her first steps in the music world. She auditioned, unsuccessfully, for Swedish Idols. In 2011 and 2012 she participated in the “Melodifestivalen” (the Swedish preliminary round of the Eurovision Song Contest). As part of the girl group “Love Generation” she failed to reach the final of the Swedish preliminary round both times. Love Generation in 2011 In 2021 she participated again in the Melodifestivalen, but now as a songwriter. For Efraim Leo, she co-wrote the song “Best of Me”. Once again, it failed to reach the final. In 2022 she decides to participate as a solo artist in the Melodifestivalen, and with success this time. With 146 points she wins the final, and represents Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin with the song “Hold Me Closer”. There is no doubt that she will qualify tomorrow. Goodluck to Cornelia!
The penultimate day of rehearsal: it is becoming increasingly clear what the viewer can expect. Today we saw the last artists of the second semifinal. Let’s take a closer look at the rehearsals: AUSTRALIA: Whatever you think of Sheldon Riley, he sings like no other. During his emotional ballad he wears the white suit with the enormous drag of feathers. He wears his crystal mask for most of the act, but it goes off. It can’t be difficult for Australia to make it to the final. CYPRUS: For the first time in years, Cyprus is singing (partially) in Greek again. Andromache and her dancers stand in a kind of shell as they sing the song. We have to admit that we would describe Andromache’s vocals as ‘not bad’. If is that a recommendation….? IRELAND: Ireland falls into the ‘how nice’ category. Brooke’s vocals are certainly not bad, neither is the act. However, you may wonder if this is the song with which Ireland will finally reach the final again. We cannot rule out the possibility that it will not work. NORTH MACEDONIA: Perhaps Andrea had hoped for greater success. She was not happy with her first rehearsal. The song comes across as screaming; a hoarseness that suits Kaliopi (2012 and 2016) but not Andrea. ESTONIA: Unfortunately, Stefan can’t count on the 12 points from Armenia, because the country where his roots lie is performing in the other semifinal. The many movements he makes do have an effect on Stefan’s voice, but somehow it doesn’t seem to matter for the entry. It is a happy song that can easily go through to the final. ROMANIA: The Romanians made some minor changes to the act, making it even better and slicker. Furthermore, it seemed as if WRS had changed the melody of the chorus a little bit here and there. In any case, a spectacular show is in store for Romania. POLAND: The ballad of Polen starts very calmly with Ochman alone on stage. Halfway through, when the song becomes a little less quiet, the aforementioned dancers (forest nymphs?) come on stage. We see that a heavy thunderstorm erupts on the stage. Finally a strong contender for Poland agiain. MONTENEGRO: A ballad in which not much happens in 3 minutes. The advantage is that not much can go wrong. We had already mentioned the blue dress that Vladana is wearing. Behind her a circle that most resembles the fluff ball of a dandelion. It is not sure whether it stands out enough to go to the final. BELGIUM: The Belgians have a strong singer with a gospel-like power ballad in Jérémie Makiese. He will definitely get points for that. Fortunately, because the act he shows looks a bit stiff and doesn’t really do justice to the song and singer. SWEDEN: Murphy’s Law strikes. If one thing goes wrong, everything immediately goes wrong. Problems with the sound, problems with the technique and a falling cameraman meant that she was only able to do one whole runthrough. Cornelia did manage to show how professional she is, by showing a good rehearsal even with all that trouble. CZECH REPUBLIC: The act with lots of light and nice graphics fits very well with the Czech entry. In that respect it is a unity. The vocals, however, leave a lot to be desired. That could cost them their heads if it has to be clear who will go to the final.
Today is the day of the stage again. Today the EBU has made an official statement about it: “During the technical tests in Turin, the production team has experienced challenges with how long it takes to adjust the “sun” to different positions in the time between the different performances. Together with the host station RAI it was therefore decided that the sun will remain in the same position during all 40 songs, to ensure a fair competition for all participating countries.”. What position that is, is still being discussed. So to be continued again. It is certain that a number of countries now have to make changes in their staging. Meanwhile, 9 countries rehearsed for their performance in the second semifinal. IRELAND: Brooke takes the stage in a bright blue suit. During her performance she is assisted by four dancers. They start the song lying on the floor! Ireland uses many floor projections. Brooke is also praised by Eurovision.tv for her strong voice. Pyrotechnics are used at the end of her performance. NORTH MACEDONIA: Andrea stands alone on the podium for North Macedonia. She sings her song completely wrapped in black leather. In her performance she uses the lifting bridges over the water. Shadows of hands are visible on the LED screens. The sun is not only orange but also white and blue. ESTONIA: Stefan starts his performance on the B stage. He is accompanied only by his guitar. Later in the song, he goes wild: then he uses the entire stage to present his performance. The two cowboys from the national final stayed home. ROMANIA: WRS from Romania wears glittering wetlook trousers. He also wears a red blouse, but according to Eurovision tradition, that goes off. He turns out to be wearing a sleeveless shirt with glitter underneath. There is a lot of dancing. As a result, the Romanian likely gets a lot of attention from the crowd. POLAND: The Polish competitor Ochman is also in black, he wears a black suit. He is assisted by four dancers, who seem to represent some kind of water spirits. Flashing light effects can be seen during the performance. The waterfall on the stage is also used… what else could we expect with a song about a river? MONTENEGRO: Vladana has her entire performance on the B stage. She wears a blue dress during her performance. The background is also blue, with splashes of white as graphics. Vladana mainly remains in one place. BELGIUM: The Belgian Jérémie Makiese impressed with his song. Jérémie is flanked by four dancers. He himself wears blue-grey trousers, a black shirt and a silver jacket, while the dancers wear black jackets. At the end of the act all the light falls on Jérémie, who is standing on a platform on which flames are projected. SWEDEN: Cornelia Jakobs ranks high among the bookmakers. As the Swedes always do, Cornelia Jakobs also puts on the same act as during the national final Melodifestivalen. The starry sky at the beginning, the large, first green and then red, circular plate right behind Cornelia, even the silver-black clothing and the bare feet are the same. CZECH REPUBLIC: The Czech group We Are Domi is the last to rehearse today. The group uses a lot of light, which makes you feel like you’re in a disco. Funny effect: the ‘sun’ on stage looks like a vinyl album here. Eurovision.tv mentions the cello-string guitar: the guitarist made it himself.
Charlotte Perrelli participated in the Eurovision Songcontest 1999 which was held in Israel. Representing Sweden, She came saw and conquered, winning the contest with 163 points. Follow our Summer Party: Youtube and Spotify
The 4th and last day of the UEFA Eighth Finals has arrived. With, again, two matches. First we start with England vs Germany. They won in the early 1980s in a row. The United Kingdom won with Bucks Fizz in 1981. One year later, in the small city of Harrogate in England, Nicole got the prize with “Ein bißchen Frieden”. Sweden will meet Ukraine today. Both countries once sent a song about an angel. In 1998, Jill Johnson sang “Kärleken är” (En ängel flög forbi mot himmelen så fri, men hon lämnade sitt leende). In 2011 it was Ukrainian Mika Newton who sang the song “Angel”.
It’s gonna be the last day of the first round today. Four matches will be played again. We can put the first two countries, Poland and Sweden, in only one song. In 2018, Poland was represented by Polish DJ Gromee and Swedish singer Lukas Meijer. They sang “Light me up” in a Polish/Swedish co-production. The second match will be between Slovakia and Spain. For both countries, we chose a ballad, sung by a duo. For Slovakia we chose for the 2009 contestants Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková and their duet “Leť tmou”. The Spanish song is a love duet from 2018: Amaia and Alfred sang “Tu canción”. Portugal will meet France tonight. Both countries most often sing in their native languages. So we decided to pick the exceptions. In 2008, Sebastien Tellier sang “Divine”. Only a few lines were in French, the biggest part in English. This year, the Portuguese band The Black Mamba sang it’s song “Love is on my side” in English. And we have the match between Hungary and Germany today. The city of Munich is not allowed to make a statement and colour the stadium in rainbow colours. That’s what UEFA decided. However, we don’t need UEFA’s permission. So we add Kati Wolf’s “What about my dream”; the 2011 Hungarian entry. It was the fan favorite, and we all know that a big part of the Eurovision fan base is at least very gay friendly! Even more clear was the German singer Lou in 2003 in her song “Let’s get happy”. Why? Well, just listen!
It’s been exactly one month after the Grand Final of The Eurovision Song Contest 2021! A lot of rumors, new information has been going around since then, but what are the 2021 artists doing? Måneskin The rock band from Italy, which won this years contest, are touring all over Europe at this moment! They have quite a few things on their schedule. Three days ago they were in Amsterdam, yesterday in Gothenburg and right now they are in Copenhagen! And this is only for interviews or to perform a few songs, not even for their music tour. Barbara Pravi Barbara is having a blast with her career right now! She’s slaying on Time Square, performing at Roland Garros and selling out her European tour. In two days she will release her new song “Le Jour Se Lève”. Gjon’s Tears The third placer Gjon is enjoying his success of Tout l’Univers. At the begin of June he performed his song on Albanian television. Besides this, he won the ESC Radio Awards 2021 for best male artist and best song yesterday! TIX While placing 18th at the song contest, TIX is doing well in Norway. Two weeks ago he performed at his first gig since covid and he is planning even more gigs now! Go_A Shum was everything they needed for their career to spark this bright! The Ukrainian song is still 4th in the USA Viral charts and they are having some gigs in Ukraine (of course). They have also announced that they will be playing in Amsterdam at Het Grote Songfestivalfeest in December. Tusse Since the Eurovision Song Contest Tusse from Sweden has been doing a lot of things. He had his 2021 prom party, he graduated from high school and he has also got his tonsils taken out. Right now he has to rest because of that, maybe reading this article will help him to get rid of his boredom. Daði Freyr He just missed out on top 3 but that’s not holding him back from releasing music! Daði has released his LP “Welcome” the night before the Grand Final but he is still profiting from it! He even made a music video for his new song “Somebody Else Now”. What have you been doing since The Eurovision Song Contest 2021? We have for sure been listening to the songs of the artists. photo credits: EBU