Lopez Blogs

Hooray!!! One of this year multiple injustices of Melodifestivalen was (almost) fixed. Anders Fernette's album "Run" has finally debuted in Swedish chart last week - right on #11 that is exactly fantastic news. After it couldn't get there almost 2 months we expected complete flop but Anders has done it!
And it's pretty rightfully as "Run" is compilation of 11 amazing tracks (+ 2 old Anders' hits when people called him Johansson) - such a polished poptastic stuff with quite different sound from RedOne hit-area to Backstreet Boys breathing boysband pop-rock - modern, updated, qualitative and melodic. I'm gonna tell you later about something else from this album that's gonna convince you to give it a listen if you didn't.
Yesterday Anders presented title-track of the album - "Run" in ballad version - epic emotional and opening beauty of tune much more, also don't forget to check ballad version in live acoustic version.

Anders Fernette who competed last Saturday at Melodifestivalen with the song "Run" but hasn't qualified further is open for some happier events and announces his new album's "Run" release on March 9th.
It doesn't mean he's over with Melodifestivalen as he's got that taste and eager to come back again due to his blog. But right now it's all about the album and we get two new tracks from Anders - "Echo" and "HeartBeep", both in that anthemic melodic pop-style we'd really like Backstreet Boys to move on (but they don't!) - with huge Swedish-pop schlager-energy and power. We don't know which of tracks we like the most, both tracks are dynamic pop-songs but "HeartBeep" is more romantic with beautiful strings arrangement when "Echo" is more uplifting and fresh by atmosphere. However both are brilliant and you can check them below with current single "Run" and 3 previous singles.

Jag har anlänt till Malmö och i morgon börjar helgens aktiviteter med genrep inför deltävling 4 i Melodifestivalen. Det blir min första deltävling eftersom Göteborg fick stryka på foten till förmån för Finlands final. Det finns dock en nackdel med att vara i Malmö just nu - jag missar Danmarks final på söndag.

Jag hoppas och tror att detta kan bli det mest intressanta startfältet i år. Rock, webbjoker, dansband, stompschlager, pop och berömda Amerikanska låtskrivare. Det finns rutinerade Melodifestivalsdeltagare och flertalet debutanter. Därmed inte sagt att debutanterna är några noviser på scenen. Snarare tvärtom.

Bland låtskrivarna känns det inte lika nydanande. Fredrik Kempe, Thomas G:son, Alexander Bard, Ola Håkansson med flera.

Utan att ha hört låtarna så finns det stor chans att det även denna gång är bäddat för herrarnas afton medan damerna får nöja sig med andra chansen. Blir det så innebär det att vi efter Malmö kommer att ha en rejäl manlig övervikt i finalen. Sju manliga finalister och en kvinnlig, dvs. Sanna Nielsen.

Malmö startfältet:
Melody Club: "The Hunter"
Julia Alvgard: "Better Or Worse"
Lasse Stefanz: "En blick och nånting händer"
Linda Pritchard: "Alive"
Anders Fernette: "Run"
Linda Bengtzing: "E de fel på mej"
Nicke Borg: "Leaving Home"
Love Generation: "Dance Alone"

Source: SVT

Today we'll get new press-reviews of Malmö semifinal but it's already too much of news to hold them so I'll give it article. First of all we've got new covers of Brolle, Anders Fernette, The Moniker and Julia Alvgard, we love Anders' one especially and hope that this bad rock-guy style means we'll get some strong pop-rock entry from him.

The Playtones will release new album "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" on March 9th, it's produced by Jimmy Jansson and Karl-Ola Kjellholm (The Pusher) as their MF-song "The King" and you can already check its snippets below. Unfortunately we didn't find something better than "The King" but the key is that it's not our style, still maybe you'll find something for you.

Rehearsals of the fourth semifinal have already started on places and you can check some pics with Julia, Linda Pritchard, Anders and Love Generation.

Linda Bengtzing has new song "Män i Uniform" on her site and song sounds even better than we've found it before.

And finally exciting news that you could already read on Schlagerprofilerna, Poster Girl and Schlagerfiasko blogs but I should mention once again. Today in new QX-issue it was revealed by Christer Björkman and Edward af Sillén that next rare songs will be out on rarities CD in golden pack of MF:
Sarah Dawn Finer - Not a Sinner nor a Saint
Sonja Aldén - Night of Passion
Sonja Aldén - Invincible
Linda Bengtzing - Headlines
Agnetha Kjörsvik - Hero (Freebee, backing singer of Charlotte in Belgrade)
Brandsta City Släckers - En gång för alla
Timoteij - Run (initialy recorded in English)
Jessica Andersson - Jag ljuger så bra
Fredrik Kempe & Shirley Clamp - Du och jag mot världen

Sarah's "Not a Sinner nor a Saint" was presented few days ago on Poster Girl's blog, so here we show you another track that will appear on that compilation and we like it in this version not less than in final version!

Anders Fernette who will perform next week at Melodifestivalen with the song "Run" written by Desmond Child is almost ready for a new album that due to preliminary tracklist is already packed with some truly stunning hits like "Lola", "Tell Me Why" and "Hungry Eyes". Among songs we saw title "Headlines" raising up so many memories connected with last year Alcazar's meloentry but we couldn't even suppose what Schlagerprofilrna has revealed today!
Anders will release his demo-version of "Headlines" (also recorded by Ola, Linda Bengtzing and Caracola before Alcazar has got it) and it sounds if not better then almost as good as Alcazar's one, doesn't it? Finally "Healdines" is pop-masterpiece and artist with so tasty vocal like Anders can't spoil it. We can't wait to hear "Run" next week as Anders constantly proves great taste in pop-music and undoubtfully his album will be super-delicious.

It's getting closer to Melodifestivalen, artists are announced and get prepared to contest but two of songs were still not known - song of Love Generation (I'll remind you that they haven't chosen which song they'll perform at Melodifestivalen and they still hasn't defined) and song replacing disqualified song of Anders Fernete "Don't Stop", SVT gave a week to Anders to find another song and he has found it!
Song is titled "Run" and it's written by Desmond Child, Negin Djafari, Hugo Lira, Ian-Paolo Lira and Thomas Gustafsson and described as uptempo song (not less than "Don't Stop", logically, "Don't Stop", "Run", it's gonna be dynamic) that was originally intended to become Celin Dion's single but it never happened. The most exciting part here is Desmond Child name - man behind some real world classic hits of Bon Jovi ("Livin' on a Prayer"), Alice Cooper ("Poison"), Aerosmith ("Crazy"), Billie Myers ("Kiss the Rain"), Ricky Martin ("Livin' La Vida Loca", "The Cup of Life", "She Bangs"), Katy Perry ("Waking Up in Vegas"), impressive? The rest of songwriting gang worked together as Random for Agnes, Jill Johnson, Dannii Minogue and Miley Cyrus. They also wrote/produced some hits for Anders ("Alone", "If It's All I Ever Do", "Without You") before but it's all Backstreet Boys meet Bryan Adams ballad stuff Anders used to do before that we due to description of the song are not gonna get this time.

Talking about news of other participants.

We've finally could check what Rasmus Viberg is about, and below you can listen how he sounds. We can't define anything for now but the one thing is clear, Rasmus is going to sound very original in the contest, something between Maroon 5 and male kind of Anastacia.

Nicke Borg who is currently trying his solo career apart from Backyard Babies released solo EP "Homeland - Chapter 1" that you can check here and single representing it is "Confessions Of A Criminal Mind" that you can listen below, nice calm rock-ballad, in common EP leaves impression of mixed thoughtful rock-ballads and country sound. Pleasant but we expect much more explosive stuff from Nicke on Melodifestivalen.

Like I promised you we're finishing this weekend with final bunch of some last mixes. It doesn't mean fun is over though as I already have plans to tell you about some interesting music pieces during nearest days. But let's say goodbye to previous week loud and glad!

Anders Fernette is hot candidate before next year Melodifestivalen so in case if it'll happen we have a chance to see this amazing artist everywhere if he'll succeed so we keep out fingers crossed and till there's no sign of new single we can enjoy Mark Pride dance remix of his latest single "Lola".

Remember few days ago I told you about Adrian Lux? Earlier this year he has made remix for one of the biggest hits of this Summer - Oskar Linnros' "Från Och Med Du", original track is quite summerish and warm so the finest thing in this mix that this lightness doesn't disappear. Mix was pushed out on iTunes as separate release.

And the last but not the least at all. Thomas Di Leva has released new mix and video for the last single "Another Day In Paradise". Unfortunately I can't say I was blown away by original track (I mean it's still Phil Collins' cover but in original Di Leva's version) but I was completely sold for Bassflow mix - combination of strong guitar baseline and "Hero"-esque beat immediately made this track one of the worthiest music dishes that I strongly recommend you to check right away.

Let's celebrate new week with some nice live performances on Swedish TV.
So just to introduce these artists to those who's recently connected to Swedish Stereo. We have:
- One of the most possible candidates for Melodifestivalen-2011 and one of the most talented and brightest Swedish pop-artists Anders Fernette with his latest single "Lola".
- Pop-diva Ankie Bagger and Peter Gustafsson with their previous successful single "Du kan inte lura mig" written by Thomas G:son.
- Our beloved rising star Mary N'diaye with her amazing single "Dumb dumb".
- Darin who has recently recently released his fourth #1 album "Lovekiller" being sold gold in the first week of sales with latest singl "Lovekiller" that's gonna get video treatment very soon.
- Sanna Nielsen with just released single "Part Of Me" (and another possible candidate for MF-2011).

Autumn is the hottest time for speculations in media about who will participate in next Melodifestivalen and therefore who will be those top-pop-artists appearing whole next year on different live events, releasing fresh music stuff and spreading all over magazine's covers here and there. Sure you shouldn't believe in everything that press claims but as usually most of revealed comes true all these rumours turned to be utterly exciting when you see some really interesting names in lists.
Aftonbladet reported today that Danny is ready to perform solo at Melodifestivalen and looking for the right song able to win whole contest (before he participated as part of EMD in 2009 and took 3rd place of the final). Among other possible names are participants of 2009 Lili & Susie, runner-ups of 2008 Sanna Nielsen and 2004 - Shirley Clamp, winner of MF-1996 One More Time re-united in the final of MF-2010 and by rumours being rejected already some years. As well Aftonbladet's sources report that Lasse Stefanz (very popular dansband-group that had to perform with "Den första kyssen (Sweet Kissin' In The Moonlight)" in 2009 but refused and the song was given to Thorleifs) are 100% gonna participate, dansband being quite popular genre in Sweden didn't do well on Melodifestivalen last years (Thorleifs, Highlights and Scotts have failed to get to the final). Anders Fernette received songs from many songwriters and currently is looking for the right song to perform also. After last two years when three final spots were conquered by Idol-participants and this year contest was won by Idol-Anna Bergendahl Mr. Björkman doesn't seem to be positive about big quantity of Idols on MF saying that exploring different genres Idol-artists need more time to find themselves after.
Below is the list of artist who are rumoured to be in Christer Björkman's wish-list:
Timo Räisänen
Ace of Base
Laleh
Sahara Hotnights
Maia Hirasawa
Elena Paparizou
Lisa Nilsson
Mauro Scocco (as songwriter)
Robyn (as songwriter)
Sofia Jannok
Annika Norlin
Magnus Carlson

Artists who want to participate and plan to send songs:
Sara Varga
Marie Picasso
Rebound
Marie Serneholt
Magnus Carlsson
Le Kid
Timoteij
Sarah Dawn Finer
Elisabeth Andreassen
Linda Bengtzing

Anders Fernette's working hard not only on his music career but on his body as well to become proper top-looking pop-star, having Brad Pitt's image from "Fight Club" as icon he needed just 3 months to come from his condition on the right photo to the left one, doesn't his trainer Martin Brinde deserve some awards for such impressively efficient programme?
Getting brand new body Anders has shot video for his latest single "Lola". Quite nice video with a plot rolling around club where Anders seems to work for everyone - security, waiter, cleaner, DJ so misterious Lola doesn't have any escape not to get to Anders' web. As I'm not so professional in solving music videos twisty plots as our precious friend FizzyPop I'll better leave understanding of this video to you dear Swedish Stereo followers.
Comparing with previously successful single "Hungry Eyes" (#5) "Lola" didn't succeed a lot (#23) but still it's brilliant point of Anders' music portfolio that many artists would like to get as the song is brilliant.

On his long road of music career Anders managed to change names not once, it all started from Anders J. who released back in 2001 few really nice singles like "Oslagbar" sounding like high-level international pop of that time.
In 2003 Anders have transformed into Anders Johansson and took participation in legendary "Fame Factory" that gave Swedish music not less stars than Idol gives recent years. It really pushed up his career and gave him his #1 single "Without You" and successful debut album "If It's All I Ever Do", he released some other Top-10 hits ("When I become me", "If It's All I Ever Do") and second album "When I Become Me" that reached #13, common style of Anders' music was already built then - fresh, uplifting, energetic pop with guitars, Swedish feeling and smell of the best Backstreet Boys' and Westlife works (by the way he was actually singing backing vocals on Westlife's album "Face to Face").
Third Anders' album "Anders Johansson" was released in 2006 but turned into absolute flop on #54 of albums' chart. Later in 2007 Anders has released Heart's cover "Alone" on his own label and again it reached only #42. But next try with single "Ready To Fly" was more successful and the song got to the radio. Soon after Anders decides to change his name to Anders Fernette and career goes up again with Eric Carmen's cover "Hungry Eyes" becoming #5 hit in Sweden and next single "Tell Me Why (So Incredible)" at #16. Time has come for a new single "Lola", it sounds quite different from previous Anders' stuff and goes RedOne direction and soon we'll receive video for this single. You can listen to the stream from Anders' official site below: