#joacim bo persson

[because-its-eurovision]

Your discussion of Sweden yesterday was so interesting to me. I’m a eurovision fan from outside Europe so I was never sure how people actually like Sweden. But I am a musician and musicologist, and Sweden removed from EV is essentially a pop songwriting factory which… some pop songs work in Eurovision, some Eurovision songs work as pop songs but a lot don’t. I’ve actually made it into a verb: “Swedening it up” when someone does just as straight up basic pop song. I’m excited to hear quite a few people talk highly of Finland’s song this year though as I have been a Finland fan since I started following EV.

First of all, thank you so so much for supporting Finland 🥺🖤 This year feels even more like an alternative reality than 2021 with people loving our entry, saying it's a sure qualifier and a contender to win the televote. Finland? Being a fan favourite? Doing well? It's so surreal, heartwarming and almost overwhelming 😭😭

As for our neighbour, Swedening it up is a great term 😄 Sweden has learned that the best recipe is to combine a catchy pop song with a charismatic performed, throw in a stage prop nobody else has and voilà, top-10 guaranteed.

I’ve heard Eurovision fans talking about the whole contest Swedifying, not only because Sweden tends to get great results, but has a say in the rules and conventions of Eurovision itself (pre-decided running order came to action in 2013 and current voting system in 2016 – both when Sweden hosted). I’m not a music professional by any stretch of imagination, but Sweden’s reputation as the (hit) pop songwriting factory has also strongly influenced the diversity of the entries we get in Eurovision, and many fans including myself are not keen on that.

Just to give one example, in Eurovision 2017 seven entries were partly or entirely written by Swedish people. Those were of course Sweden, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, North Macedonia and Serbia. The last three were written by the same person, Joacim Bo Persson. Sweden’s songwriting legend Thomas G:son has reached Eurovision 13 times, for seven different countries, and competed against himself in 2007 (Norway & Spain), 2012 (Sweden & Spain), 2015 (Georgia & Spain) and 2016 (Georgia & Cyprus). Some people see using Swedish songwriters as a guarantee of quality, some see it making the contest more boring. I’m with the latter. For me Eurovision is about showing and promoting the songwriting, staging, styling and performing abilities of ones own country with preferably some local flavour thrown in as well. Same songwriters competing for multiple countries in a continent-wide competition just feels wrong and unfair, and I wish more of those had faith in their music industry instead of going the safe and predictable Swedish popfactory route (looking at Malta, Azerbaijan and Cyprus).

In fairness we must bring up that not all of the most prominent Eurovision writers are Swedish. We have the likes of: - Ralph Siegel from Germany, who has made it to Eurovision astounding 24 times for five different countries and competed against himself in 1980 (Luxembourg & Germany) - Boris Milanov from Bulgaria who has made it to Eurovision 12 times for seven different countries and competed against himself in 2017 (North Macedonia & Serbia), 2019 (Azerbaijan & Malta) and 2020 (Bulgaria, Germany and Malta). - Philipp Kirkorov from Russia, who made it to Eurovision nine times for four different countries (but never competed against himself 😕)

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: September 1, 2023

Lyrics:

I just can't get enough of all these summer skies

The sun, it brings me up, it gets me high

I can live in this moment for the rest of time

So stay a little longer, my love

I just can't get enough of all these summer skies

They wash away the darkness from my mind

I can live in this moment for the rest of time

Oh my

I just wanna dive into your love, your love

Dive into your love, your love

I just wanna dive into your love, your love

Dive into your love, your love

I just wanna dive into your love

I just wanna dive into your love

(I wanna dive, wanna dive)

I just wanna dive into your love

I feel there's something coming over me

It's like a flash in my head

Right here with you is where I'm supposed to be

It's like coming home again

I just can't get enough of all these summer skies

The sun, it brings me up, it gets me high

I can live in this moment for the rest of time

So stay a little longer, my love

I just can't get enough of all these summer skies

They wash away the darkness from my mind

I can live in this moment for the rest of time

Oh my

I just wanna dive into your love, your love

Dive into your love, your love

I just wanna dive into your love, your love

Dive into your love, your love

I just wanna dive into your love

Songwriter:

I just wanna dive into your love

(I wanna dive, wanna dive)

I just wanna dive into your love

Joacim Bo Persson / Sebastian Arman / Felix Safran De Laet / Thomas Alexander Walker

SongFacts:

“Dive” offers the perfect mix of piano-driven house beats and Tom Gregory’s vocals that hit you straight to the heart and convey the typical magic of Lost Frequencies.

Belgian superstar export Lost Frequencies has enjoyed rapid success in the international music industry over the last half decade. First appearing on stage in 2014 and most recently in 2023, he received his first Brit Award nomination for his global hit "Where Are You Now" with Callum Scott. Not only did the single reach number 1 on the Official Big Top 40 after becoming the most played song in the UK, but it also achieved platinum status in 14 territories worldwide and secured a top 30 placement on the US charts 1.6 billion combined streams.

Fresh from a tour playing to crowds of 15,000 to 50,000 every night and performing for OneRepublic in the UK (London's Wembley Arena) and across Europe, British singer-songwriter Tom Gregory meets the unique producer's outstanding sound. Airplay star in Germany and France, known for numerous platinum singles in Europe, including "Fingertips," "Rather Be You" and "Never Let Me Down." Tom's vocals soar and lift your spirits while the beat keeps you moving and a… musical whirlpool that draws you deeper with every second.

Perfect for the summer months with its enlightening essence and house-adjacent production, Lost Frequencies said of the release: "I hope you're ready to dive into my new single with Tom Gregory!" I've tried to give you the perfect mix of a piano-accentuated house beat and a powerful performance from Tom's vocals. There is no better way to start the new season!”

Tom Gregory adds: “Working together on this song was a dream. As if this collaboration was meant to be like this. It felt like everything came together so naturally. I can’t wait for the world to sing and dance to it!”

With “Dive” Lost Frequencies and Tom Gregory have created a dancefloor essential that will become a classic and ensure the party never stops.

[americanateurovision]

Eurovision 2018: Central Europe

We’re almost halfway through our 2018 Eurovision contestants, and next up are the countries of Central Europe. Some have been competing in the Eurovision Song Contest since the very beginning– Switzerland gave us our first ever winner, the incomparable Lys Assia, who sadly passed away last month at the age of 94. Others have had a slower start and some trouble finding their voice at the Contest. 

Czech Republic: “Lie To Me,” Mikolas Josef

The Czech Republic has never done well at Eurovision. They’ve competed six times and have made the final only once. So, it feels a bit strange to say that a Czech entry is an early favorite. But Mikolas Josef has a catchy, modern, fun song. The brass section makes it instantly recognizable, and it’s different from everything else in the competition. Dare I say it, but not only will Czech Republic qualify for the final, they are looking at a top ten finish for themselves in Lisbon. 

Slovenia: “Hvala, ne!” Lea Sirk

Lea has been in the Slovenian Eurovision circuit for a few years; she competed in the national selection show in 2009 and 2010 and provided backing vocals to the winner in 2014 and 2016. Last year, she was celebrated for her impression of Portuguese winner, Salvador Sobral. So it’s only fitting that she was chosen to represent Slovenia in Portugal this year. “Hvala, ne!” (translation: “No Thank You!”) is cool and current. Hopefully the staging will match and send Lea to the final.

Hungary: "Viszlát nyár," AWS

Confession: I have never listened to this song by post-hardcore metal band, AWS. I’ve tried, but only made it about 5 seconds before my body took over and turned it off. But I asked a straight guy to listen to it, and he says it sucks. So there you have it. 

Switzerland: “Stones,” Zibbz

Zibbz is made up of siblings, Corinne ���Coco” and Stefan “Stee” Gfeller, who are based in Los Angeles. The pair are quite prolific, working with lots of big names in America and their native Switzerland. “Stones” is a cool pop-rock song, but the Swiss haven’t made the final in a few years. The last decade or so, Switzerland has had a pretty terrible track record, coming dead last in the semis several times. Maybe Zibbz will get a better result.

Austria: “Nobody But You,” Cesár Sampson

There’s an interesting link between Austria and Bulgaria this year, and that’s Cesár Sampson. The Austrian singer has worked in Bulgaria for several years, and he previously sang back-up at Eurovision for Poli Genova in 2016 and Kristian Kostov in 2017. In fact, the exact team (Borislav Milanov, Sebastian Arman, and Joacim Bo Persson) who wrote Poli’s and Kristian’s songs is behind César’s as well (they also wrote Bulgaria’s entry this year, “Bones”– these guys are busy!). Considering how well Bulgaria has done the last two years (4th and 2nd place, respectively), César might have a verifiable hit with “Nobody But You.”

[rojter-youtube]

Polubione na YouTube: Kristian Kostov - Beautiful Mess (Official HD) https://youtu.be/OCZjiCqEaog Kristian Kostov will represent Bulgaria at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv with the song Beautiful Mess. Download / Stream 'Beautiful Mess': http://ift.tt/2pDzVeQ Artist Booking: booking@virginiarecords.com (+359) 886 66 50 51 Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/lpaIhzJ Download from Google Play: https://goo.gl/rPi5wd Download from iTunes: http://ift.tt/2oQgWv0 Listen on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2nEw2BN Music, Lyrics and arrangement: Joacim BO Persson, Borislav Milanov, Sebastian Arman, Alex Omar, Alexander V. Blay Director: Liusi Ilarionov DOP: Andrey Andreev Creative concept: Milen Dankov, Liusi Ilarionov Stunts: VS Dance, Dance Studio 121 Hair: Nikolay Vutev (Afterglow) Make-up: Gergana Ivanova Follow Kristian Kostov @ Instagram: http://ift.tt/2pDuqx7 Facebook: http://ift.tt/2oQfaKg Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristianKostov_?lang=bg Spotify: http://ift.tt/2pDmhs9 (P) & (C) 2017 Virginia Records, 2017 Symphonics http://ift.tt/1EjsnN3 BEAUTIFUL MESS When the world shakes us trying to take us out of line Fear of tomorrow feelings we borrow for a time Water so deep how do we breathe how do we climb? So we stay in this mess this beautiful mess tonight And we don't have a thing to lose no matter what they say or do I don't want nothing more our love is untouchable Even in the line of fire when everything is on the wire Even up against the wall our love is untouchable Our love is untouchable! When the colours turn grey and the lights all fade to black again We're in over our heads But somehow we make it back again Water so deep how do we breathe how do we climb? So we stay in this mess this beautiful mess tonight And we don't have a thing to lose no matter what they say or do I don't want nothing more our love is untouchable Even in the line of fire when everything is on the wire Even up against the wall our love is untouchable Oooo Ooooo Oooo No! Even in the line of fire when everything is on the wire Even up against the wall our love is untouchable

[eurorangers-blog]

EV NEWS: 🇧🇬 Bulgaria has spoken. After months of intensive work, Bulgaria's national broadcaster BNT has revealed that Kristian Kostov will represent the country in 2017 with Beautiful Mess. Kristian follows in the footsteps of Poli Genova who represented the country with If Love Was A Crime, achieving Bulgaria's best ever placing in the Eurovision Song Contest. Born in Moscow on 15 March 2000, Kristian is the youngest performer in the Eurovision Song Contest this year. The selection of Kristian follows the theme of the contest this year, Celebrate Diversity, since his father is Bulgarian and his mother is from Kazakhstan. In 2014 he was one of the finalists of The Voice Kids in Russia where he reached the final. Eurovision winner Dima Bilan was his mentor in the show. Kristian recalled the experience fondly; "Dima is a great guy and he was the one who inspired me to reach the final and give my best week after week. Without him it would have been impossible for me to do it". The project for Kyiv marks the second year of BNT’s reinvigorated efforts to take the Bulgarian participation at Eurovision to a new level. The composers of the song are Borislav Milanov from Bulgaria, Sebastian Armann from Austria, and Joacim Bo Persson from Sweden, all of whom were part of last year’s successful entry If Love Was A Crime. #Eurovisionsongcontest #EuroRangers #EuroVisionRangers #esc #eurovision #bulgaria #beautifulmess #kristiankostov (at Bulgaria)

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: July 30, 2021

Lyrics:

You're just like my favorite song going 'round and 'round my head

Like my favorite song going 'round and 'round my head

Five days on the freeway

Riding shotgun with you (yeah, yeah)

Two hearts in the fast lane

We had big dreams in blue (yeah, yeah)

Playing Sweet Child O' Mine

And I still feel that line

Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Hey, it's been too long

Too long to go, my love

Where did we go wrong?

Too late to turn around

Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Hey, it's been too long

Hey, it's been too long

You're just like my favorite song going 'round and 'round my head

Like my favorite song going 'round and 'round my head

You're just like my favorite song going 'round and 'round my head

Like my favorite song going 'round and 'round my head

Some days I can feel it

But the feeling ain't all blue

You got me believing

One day you gotta come through

Lost in these city lights

'Cause I can't sleep tonight

Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Hey, it's been too long

Too long to go, my love

Where did we go wrong?

Too late to turn around

Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Hey, it's been too long

You're just like my favorite song going 'round and 'round my head

Like my favorite song going 'round and 'round my head

You're just like my favorite song going 'round and 'round my head

Like my favorite song going 'round and 'round my head

Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Songwriter:

Dag Daniel Osmund Lundberg / Felix Safran De Laet / Joacim Bo Persson / Michael Patrick Kelly / Sebastian Arman

SongFacts:

"Where Are You Now" is a song by Belgian DJ Lost Frequencies and English singer Calum Scott. It was released on July 30, 2021 via Epic. The song was written by Dag Lundberg, Joacim Bo Persson, Michael Patrick Kelly, Sebastian Arman and Lost Frequencies, who also produced it. It was nominated for Best International Song at the 2023 Brit Awards.

The song is written in the key of F♯ minor and has a tempo of 121 beats per minute.

Commercially, the song reached number one in Ireland, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, as well as the top 10 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland. It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Lost Frequencies' highest-charting single since "Are You with Me" (2015). It remained at number 1 on the UK dance singles and album charts for nineteen weeks. As of May 19, 2022, "Where Are You Now" has been in the German dance singles charts for a total of 38 weeks, including two separate stays at number one, including seven weeks at the top in October and November 2021, before returning returns to the top spot in February 2022, where it remained for fifteen weeks.

[my-chaos-radio]

Release:  March 1, 2023

Lyrics:

I been up a couple days I wonder why

I been living in a haze what a foolish life

Now I'm back out on the pavement, don't know why

I should be dancing

I should be dancing the night away

I wish I was a disco boy, disco boy

Moving like I'm paranoid, paranoid

I wish was a disco boy, disco boy

I should be dancing the pain away, the pain away

I'm gonna wear my favorite color tonight, oh my

I'm gonna shake it like the thunder tonight, oh my

Dreams up in my head

How far can I get

I hope it's not too late to fly 'cause I

Feel like I been going under tonight, oh my

I been up a couple days I wonder why

I been living in a haze what a foolish life

Now I'm back out on the pavement, don't know why

I should be dancing

I should be dancing the night away

I wish I was a disco boy, disco boy

Moving like I'm paranoid, paranoid

I wish was a disco boy, disco boy

I should be dancing the pain away, the pain away

I should be dancing

I should be dancing

I'm gonna wear my favorite color tonight, oh my

I'm gonna shake it like the thunder tonight, oh my

I wish I was a disco boy, disco boy

Moving like I'm paranoid, paranoid

I wish was a disco boy, disco boy

I should be dancing the pain away, the pain away

Songwriter:

I should be dancing

(The night away)

I should be dancing

(The night away)

I should be dancing

(The night away)

The night away

Clemens Rehbein / Joacim Bo Persson / Philipp Maximilian Dausch / Sebastian Arman

ArtistFacts:

👉📖

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: September 16, 2022

Lyrics:

Sing it back to me, sing it back to me now (yeah)

Why don't we call it love, call it love?

Two hearts in a billion

Wanna fall into ya

Make me wanna shout it out

Like a hallelujah

'Cause times like these

Times like these don't come and go

We're two hearts in a billion

Singin' hallelujah

Hey, there's somethin' in the air tonight

Way up in the blaze of gold

Hey, there's somethin' in the air tonight

(Ooh, ooh-ooh)

Say, "I feel it in the sky above

And way down in the waves below"

Hey, I feel it in the sky above

Why don't we call it love, call it love?

Why don't we call it love? (Yeah)

Sing it back to me, sing it back to me now (yeah)

Why don't we call it love, call it love? (Yeah)

Sing it back to me, sing it back to me now (yeah)

Why don't we call it love, call it love?

Why don't we call it love, call it love?

No sleep, runnin' on a dream

Down a golden coastline

You give me all I need

I'm like, "Oh, my, oh, my"

'Cause times like these

Times like these don't come and go

No sleep, runnin' on a dream

I'm like, "Oh, my, oh, my"

Hey, there's somethin' in the air tonight

Way up in the blaze of gold

Hey, there's somethin' in the air tonight

(Ooh, ooh-ooh)

Say, "I feel it in the sky above

And way down in the waves below"

Hey, I feel it in the sky above

Why don't we call it love? (Yeah)

Sing it back to me, sing it back to me now (yeah)

Why don't we call it love, call it love? (Yeah)

Sing it back to me, sing it back to me now (yeah)

Why don't we call it love, call it love?

Songwriter:

Sing it back to me, sing it back to me now

Why don't we call it love, call it love?

Sing it back to me, sing it back to me now

Why don't we call it love, call it love?

Joacim Bo Persson / Juergen Dohr / Guido Kramer / Dennis Bierbrodt / Stefan Dabruck / Ray Dalton / Felix Jaehn / Sebastian Arman / Daniel Deimann / Dag Daniel Osmund Lundberg

[americanateurovision]

Bulgaria Releases Eurovision Entry

Bulgaria returns to Eurovision this May, after a two-year absence. Poli Genova was internally selected by Bulgarian National Television in February, and her song, “If Love Was a Crime,” was introduced to the public today. This marks our 43rd and final entry for this year. Eurovision 2016 is set! 

Poli previously represented Bulgaria in 2011, but failed to make it out of the semi-finals. Hopefully, she’ll have a better result this year with “If Love Was a Crime.” It has a fresh feel, and was co-written by a Swede named Joacim Bo Persson, a member of the production team, Twin.

Bulgaria has competed in Eurovision nine times, but they have never won. Their best result was coming fifth in 2007 with “Water,” which is also their only entry to make it to the final. I think “If Love Was a Crime” will do quite well this year, perhaps giving Bulgaria its best placement yet.    

Now that we have all 43 entires locked in place, let’s take a look at them. It's going to be a very fun, upbeat year!