The national selection season finishes with a flourish with four national finals taking place on Saturday 7 March, including three Nordic countries. Sweden is well known as the biggest national final of all, and Denmark’s national final reaches its 50th edition this year.
Sweden: Melodifestivalen 2020
The juggernaut in the national selection season that is Melfest once again generates huge interest and viewer numbers among eurofans across Europe and beyond. There is perhaps a feeling that the quality perhaps hasn’t been quite as high – or maybe the love affair with those typically Melfest songs is slightly on the wane? Possibly – though it still forms the high point/culmination of the national selection.
My favourite: Anna Bergendahl “Kingdom Come”
Fan favourite Anna Bergendahl is back and in my view should be this year’s winner. She had a great comeback last year with “Ashes to Ashes”, reaching the Melfest final, and we were lucky to see her twice in London that year, as she came to both the London Eurovision Party and to Eurofest. It would be fitting as well if Anna returned to Eurovision – it was 10 years ago she represented Sweden but didn’t make the final (the only time Sweden has failed to qualify). It would be great to see her right that result and make the grand final with this classic upbeat Swedish pop song.
The favourite: Dotter “Bulletproof”
Dotter is the strong favourite to win – and she’s no stranger to Melfest, having been a co-writer of songs in 2017 and 2019 (both ones I really liked in fact) as well as entering herself in 2018. Bulletproof is not a song that I’m that enthused about if I’m honest – but it seems to have a strong fanbase and will undoubtedly pick up votes in Rotterdam.
Denmark: Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2020
It’s the 50th edition of DMGP and to mark the occasion, the event is heading back to Copenhagen after an absence of a few years. Sadly, the worldwide spread of coronavirus and the orders of the Copenagen authorities has meant that the event is going ahead with no audience (gatherings of over 1000 are restricted). A real shame but at least it is going ahead – and perhaps how the main contest itself may have to proceed in Rotterdam depending on how things develop in the next few weeks.
The favourite (and my favourite): Ben & Tan “Yes”
We’ve only had audio to go on for the Danish finalists, but this does stand out as the catchiest of all – and its upbeat and uptempo nature is very in keeping with Danish Eurovision style. If this were to win, at present it would be the only duet at the contest – something in their favour? One of the co-writers of the song is the prolific Swede Jimmy Jansson who has been a songwriter for no less than 6 songs in Sweden’s Melfest this year.
The second favourite: Jasmin Rose feat. RoxorLoops “Human”
In the odds, this is a relatively close second to Ben & Tan – it’s more dancey, but not quite as earwormy. There are two of them but as it’s a “featuring” I’m not sure they can quite count as a duet…
As always, the times and links to shows are available on my Eurovision 2020 season calendar page.