#melodifestivalen 2018

[everythingeurovision]

Iconic & Notable Eurovision Performances

In 1956 the European Broadcasting Union launched “Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne” or in English, the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Prix, as a way to test and launch international live broadcasting.  It also became a way to unite the countries together after the chaos of World War II ended in 1945. 

The initial format for the contest based on the Italian music festival “Sanremo”. Active members of the EBU and various other associates are invited to participate in the show. The most notable ones are France, Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy. These countries are known as the Eurovision's “Big 5” and make the most notable financial contributions to the EBU.  Over the years Eurovision has evolved and is now the longest running international contest that is televised. 

Despite its huge success, Eurovision has had its fair share of backlash and hatred thrown its way, some people think the music broadcasted on the show isn't good, and that the show is only using art as a way to profit from it. Others say that it’s  too long and cringeworthy. In recent years politics has become the main reason for peoples disdain towards the contest, with Russia invading Ukraine in 2022 being a huge part of the contest to as recently 2024 where many performers spoke out in support of Palestine. 

But regardless of all this, the impact the show has is undeniable, I’ll be taking a look into a few of the most impactful and noticeable performances from the competition. Some of these are winners of the contest, and some are not. To be clear, these are just what I personally feel are important Eurovision performances.

You might disagree, and that's okay

Refrain - Lys Assia (Switzerland 1956)

1956 was the first year of the competition and the only year where countries could have two entries, and Lys Assia sang both songs that were chosen to represent Switzerland; “Refrain” which was originally sung in French & “Das alte Karussell” (The Old Carousel). Originally sung in German. Since the voting was kept secret, it's unclear where Switzerland's second entry placed in the competition. 

Refrain is a chansen style song that is about lamenting the loss of adolescents and youth. It was composed by jazz pianist and composer Géo Voumard and written by Émile Gardaz, a swiss author. 

Lys Assia was still involved in the Eurovision even after her iconic win. She performed at the 50 year anniversary show in 2005, and also presented the winning trophy in 2009. She even attempted to enter the competition again in 2013, but didn't qualify.

She passed away in 2018 but is still remembered for her bittersweet performance of “Refrain”. 

Waterloo - Refrain (Sweden, 1974)

Abba could arguably be the most successful participants of the contest to date, you can say you don't listen to them, but you certainly know who they are whether you remember them from their work on the soundtrack of “Mama Mia!” or for this iconic entry that marks the first of Sweden's seven victories. 

The group was formed in 1972 when 2 married couples combined their talents together,Despite not being very well received by Swedish audiences,  the group had some moderate success before the competition, releasing songs and playing at festivals around sweden. 

They entered the Melodifestivalen (Sweden's way of picking their Eurovision entry) in 1973 with their song “Ring Ring” but didn't qualify, afterwards the band began working on their entry for the following year as they saw the potential the contest had to launch the group into the industry, and to open themselves up to an international crowd. since then the band have skyrocketed, having received many Grammy nominations and even winning various awards such as a Brit award and the AGVA's Vocal Entertainer of the Year award in 1981.

Dana International-Diva (Israel, 1998)

The 1998 Eurovision was a huge moment for LGBTQ+ representation, as it was the first time in the competition an only transgender person would compete and also win the competition. 

Yaron Cohen, known also as “Dana international” began her career in 1987 as a drag queen and had her first notable success when she launched a satirical version of Whitney Houstens “My Name Is Not Susan”. She legally changed her name and underwent gender affirming surgery in 1993 and took on the stage name “Dana international”

She first entered the Eurovision Qualifying Contest for Israel in 1995, as it had been a childhood dream to compete, but her entry for the year came second in the preselection. She would go on to release an EP and album in the following years before being chosen in 1998 to represent Israel in the 43rd year of the contest's runtime. 

Despite huge backlash from conservative communities in Europe, Dana overcame all of the pushback and took home the trophy with her song “Diva”. A song praising many strong powerful women throughout history. 

Many orthodox jews were opposed to her presence in the contest and she received a lot of death threats. This entry was the first time a Trangender person had not only been seen on the contest stage but had also won the show, making it a huge celebration for the LGBTQ community. 

Conchita Wurst - Rise Like The Phoenix (Austria,2014)

2014 was another memorable/controversial time for the contest, Austria's chose to send a drag artist as their entry for the 58th Eurovision. This made her the first drag artist to take the stage, as well as being the first artist to perform on the stage without backing vocals or dancers. 

Conchita Wurst, real name Thomas Neuwirth, is a drag artist and performer originally from Styria, Austria. Before taking on the persona of “Conchita Wurst” Neuwirth competed in an austrian talent/scouting show in 2006 and finished third, later he would go on to form a boy group known as “Jetzt Anders!”, the group would disband later the same year

It was after this he developed the persona of “Conchita Wurst” and would go on to place second place in the Austrian Eurovisons selections for 2012. Two years later she would be selected to represent Austria in the 2014 Eurovision contest with the song “Rise Like A Phoenix”, a powerful ballad about overcoming difficulties. 

Her presence and success sparked a lot of controversy among viewers, with a lot of more conservative groups taking great offence to the performer's presence. Some countries even went as far as to create and sign petitions to have the performance excluded from the broadcast. This controversy highlighted the ongoing disagreement between Eastern and Western Europe on homosexuality, but her win once again shone a positive light onto the LGBTQ+ community.

Sandra Kim - J'aime La Vie (Belgium,1986)

Belgium's Sandra Kim (real name; Sandra Caldarone) became the youngest person to compete and win the competition in 1986 at only 13 years of age. 

Born in Montegnee in Belgium, Kim started singing when she was only seven years old.  In March of 1986, she won the national selections and performed at the 30th Eurovision Contest held in Norway and took first place for Belgium making it their first and only win so far. 

The song “J’aime La Vie” is an upbeat bubblegum pop song about the joys of life and living, though at the time the song made Kim appear to be 15 years of age. Once her real age had been revealed the Switzerland began a petition to have the song disqualified from the contest. After this all a rule was brought in that all contestants had to be over 16 to compete (at least on the day of the Finals)

Dave Benton, Tanel Padar & 2XL - Everybody (Estonia, 2001)

Dave Benton made history by being not only the oldest person to claim victory at the contest, he was also the first person of colour to win the show.  The performance is Estonia's first and only win to date in the competition, which also makes it the first of the Baltic states to take home the title.

Born in 1951 on the Caribbean island Aruba, He moved to the US and performed as a backing vocalist and drummer for many artists. Afterwards, Benton would move to Estonia after marrying his wife in 1997. He has had a broad musical career partially due to his ability to speak 8 different languages. He has also had career in acting appearing in films "The Dissidents" and "Infinite Summer".

The win was a shock as Estonia didn't place in the top 10 of oddsmakers and betters. 

Despite the song's victory, it was not immediately available as a single and could only be found  as part of a compilation album released by BGM Germany. Dave Benton initially declined to perform on the song, but changed his mind a few days later when asked again.

Paul Oscar - Min Hinsti Dans (Iceland, 1997)

In 1997, Pall Oskar Hjalmtysson (more commonly known as Paul Oscar) joined the international spotlight as the first openly gay man to perform in Eurovision. Having already had national success, he was chosen to represent his home country of Iceland at the 42nd iteration of Eurovision hosted in Dublin Ireland.

Born in 1970, Oskar was a very musical child, singing and performing a lot, but was deeply affected by bullying in school. This only worsened when at the age of 16, he came out to his family as gay. In 1993 he released his album “Stu “ he soon after joined the band Milljónamæringarnir and released 2 albums with them, in 1995 he began his solo debut with the album “Palli” released under his own recording company. It went on to be the best selling Icelandic album of that year. 

He co-wrote and performed the song “Minn Hinsti Dans” representing Iceland, the performance featured four women performing with him latex acting suggestive on a sofa, while the performance only placed 20th in the semi finals, it captured the attention of viewers for its boldness, particularly among the LGBTQ audience. 

Lordi - Hard Rock Hallelujah (Finland, 2006)

The audience of the 51st iteration of Eurovision got quite the shock when Finnish metal band Lordi took to the stage with their song “Hard Rock Hallelujah”. The band are known for their extravagant monster outfits and are even known as “the Finish monsters”. The band would be crowned winners and take home Finland's first and only victory in the contest.

The band originally formed in 1996 after meeting at a KISS concert the year before. They knew early on they wanted to perform with crazy pyrotechnics and be dressed as different monsters. The costumes are heavily inspired by KISS and Horror elements. The band are never seen without the masks on, no matter what. 

Up until this time, the songs in the contest were more predominantly europop, pop or ballads. heavier and alternative genres were not seen in the contest until Lordis performance. Many called the group devil worshipers. In fact, a group of Greek priests were certain the band were satanic and told Kerrang magazine the group wasn't welcomed in the country. 

Despite this Lordi’s performance opened the doors of Eurovision for more non mainstream artists, their win and performance have had a huge impact on the way people would perceive the contest. And undoubtedly paved the way for other non mainstream artists to succeed in later shows. 

Joost Klein - Europapa (Netherlands, 2024)

This years eurovisions had a lot of really notable performances, some for good reasons, some for more controversial, I found it hard to pick one to talk about, but felt i needed to mention this years contest due to everything surrounding it, and I think the story of Joost Klein makes the most sense to mention. 

Despite many viewers choosing to boycott the show this year due to Israel's presence amidst the political climate, “Europapa” took the world by storm and spread like wildfire over social media. It was exactly the type of song you’d expect at Eurovision, an upbeat techno song about loving Europe and needing to come together during tough times. with wild and quirky stage production. 

The sentiment of needing to unite against hate was incredibly strong this year, with many performers voicing the same message in their shows. but Joost’s stage charisma and established popularity as a dutch performer made him stand out amongst the rest. Making his sudden disqualification from the contest a huge shock.

After qualifying for the grand final, a female camera woman claimed Klein allegedly made threatening remarks towards her, and after an investigation into these claims, the EBU released a statement disqualifying Joost from the final. Many fans were shocked by the news as it's the first time an act has been disqualified from the contest. 

Since then, speculation around the EBU’s decision has mainly centered around a prior incident during a press conference between Klein and Eden Golan, the Israeli representative. During this event Klein would not make eye contact with the Israeli singer, and when she was questioned on if her presence at the contest was a safety issue. Golan refused to answer but Klein pushed back, adding he felt she should. 

Joost's disqualification added even more tension to the contest this year, especially with ongoing outcry for the EBU to take a firmer stand on Israel. With the 2025 Eurovision already scheduled to take place in Basel, Switzerland, many fans will be waiting to see whether Israel will be cut loose from the competition or if History will be repeating itself.  

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.15

Holidays

Angelman Syndrome Day

Annoy Squidward Day (SpongeBob Squarepants)

Battleship Day

Broken Hearts Day

Clifford the Big Red Dog Day

Commonwealth Day (Gibraltar)

Court of International Justice Day

Day of Ashakalia (Kosovo)

Day of the Mexican Woman (Mexico)

Decimal Day (UK)

Digital Learning Day

ENIAC Day (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

European Perioperative Nursing Day (EU)

First Connections Awareness Day (Rhode Island)

Galileo Day [also 2.29]

Hazel Day (French Republic)

Hazrat Alis Day (Uttar Pradesh, India)

International Angelman Day

International Bottom Appreciation Day

International Childhood Cancer Day

International Duties Memorial Day (Russia)

International Fanworks Day

International Green Wall Day

International Male Chastity Day

John Frum Day (Vanuatu)

Love Reset Day

Lui-Ngai-Ni (Manipur, India)

Memorial Day of Warriors—Intrnationalists

National Bad Breath Day

National Black Girl Magic Day

National Friendzone Day

National Plan B Day

National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day

National Side Chicks Day

National Wisconsin Day

Plastic Pollution Awareness Day (Georgia)

Remember the Maine Day

Sandlasting Day

Singles Awareness Day

Slap Day

Sretenje (Serbia)

Sticky Stamp Day

Stop and Smell Your Compost Pile Day

St. Skeletor’s Day

Susan B. Anthony Day

Total Defense Day (Singapore)

World Cholangiocarcinoma Day

YouTube Launch Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Burger Lover's Day

Cherry Garcia Day

Florida Craft Beer Day

Mustard Day

National Cheap Chocolate Day

National Chewing Gum Day

National Gumdrop Day

National I Want Butterscotch Day

National Lamb Day (New Zealand)

Nature Celebrations

Cedar Day (I Live For You; Korean Birth Flowers)

World Hippo Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Barbettia (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Dadingisila (Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Flag Day (Canada)

Liberation Day (Afghanistan)

Iustus (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Serbia (from the Ottoman Empire, 1804)

St. Louis (Establishment Day; Missouri; 1764)

3rd Saturday in February

Barley Wine Day (San Francisco) [Saturday before Presidents Day]

Community Pubs Week begins (UK) [3rd Saturday through 4th Saturday]

International Restaurant Day [3rd Saturday] (also May, Aug & Nov)

National Black Movie Day [3rd Saturday]

Red Sock Day [3rd Saturday]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sentimental Saturday [3rd Saturday of Each Month]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Steak Saturday [3rd Saturday of Each Month]

World Pangolin Day [3rd Saturday]

World Whale Day [3rd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 15 (2nd Week of February)

Hardee County Fair (Wauchula, Florida) [thru 2.22]

National FFA Week (thru 2.22) [Saturday to Saturday containing 2.22]

National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekend

Omaha Beer Week (Omaha, Nebraska) [thru 2.23]

Real Bread Week (thru 2.23) [2nd to Last Saturday to Saturday]

Festivals On or Beginning February 15, 2025

Asian American Expo (La Verne, California) [thru 2.16]

Arizona Strong Beer Festival (Phoenix, Arizona)

Bay Area Renaissance Festival (Tampa, Florida) thru 3.30]

Bayou King Cake Festival (Thibodaux, Louisiana)

Carnival of Acireale (Acireale, Sicily, Italy) [thru 3.4]

Cedarburg Winter Festival (Cedarburg, Wisconsin) [thru 2.16]

Chinese New Year’s Parade (San Francisco, California)

Color the Wind Kite Festival (Clear Lake, Iowa)

Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival (Cortez, Florida) [thru 2.16]

Florida Keys Seafood Festival (Key West, Florida)) [thru 2.16]

International White Wine Festival in Anderson Valley (Boonville, California) [thru 2.16]

Jupiter Seafood Festival (Jupiter, Florida) [thru 2.16]

Melodifestivalen (Västeras, Sweden)

Menton Lemon Festival (Menton, France) [thru 3.2]

Nice Carnival (Nice, France) [thru 3.2]

NYS Ice Wine & Culinary Festival (Fairport, New York)

Palm Beach Marine Flea Market and Seafood Festival (West Palm Beach, Florida) [thru 2.16]

Takeuchi Festival (Rokugo, Japan)

Writers Guild Awards (Los Angeles, California)

3rd Thursday in February

Energy Saving Day (Italy) [3rd Thursday]

Global Information Governance Day [3rd Thursday]

National Conductive Education Day [3rd Thursday]

Switch Off Thursday (UK) [Thursday of Go Green Week]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

World Anthropology Day [3rd Thursday]

World Cholanglocarcinoma Day [3rd Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 15

American Association for the Advancement of Science Week [thru 2.17]

National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekends [thru 2.18] (also in Apr, Sep & Nov)

Feast Days

Agape (Christian; Virgin Martyr)

Candlemas (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Chongwoldaeboreum (Korean Folk Festival)

Claude de la Colombière (Christian; Saint)

Drink More Wine Day (Pastafarian)

Faunus (celebrates animals helping humans)

Faustinus and Jovita (Christian; Martyrs)

Februata — Day of Juno Febuata (Pagan)

Festival of Naked Pan (Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Wolves (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Grigori Rasputin Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Guardian Angel Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Kamakura Matsuri (Snow Cave Festival; Japan)

Lupercalia (Festival of Lupercus; Festival of purification honoring Lycaen Pan or Faunusl Ancient Roman god of flocks and fertility)

Michał Sopoćko (Christian; Blessed)

Nirvana Day (Buddhist; Jain; Sikh)

Oswiu (Christian; Saint)

Parinirvana Day (Mahayana Buddhism)

Phaedrus (Positivist; Saint)

Quinidius (Christian; Saint)

The Raggmopps (Muppetism)

Sarkis of Armenia (Christian; Saint)

Sigfried of Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Sigfrid’s Day

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Tanco (a.k.a. Tatto; Christian; Martyr)

Thomas Bray (Anglican & Episcopal Church)

Walfrid (Christian; Saint)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 18 (Yi-Mao)

Day Pillar: Wood Rabbit

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Remove Day (除 Chu) [Auspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Susan B. Anthony (Politics)

Harold Arlen (Music)

John Barrymore (Entertainment)

Claire Bloom (Entertainment)

Norman Bridwell (Art)

Roger Chaffee (Astronaut)

Charles-François Daubigny (Art)

Galileo Galilei (Science)

Matt Groening (Art)

Douglas Hofstadter (Literature)

Harvey Korman (Entertainment)

Melissa Manchester (Music)

Sax Rohmer (Literature)

Jane Seymour (Entertainment)

Ernest Shackleton (Exploring)

Art Spiegelman (Art)

Charles-André van Loo (Art)

Alfred North Whitehead (Science)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Uncyclopedia Bad to Be Born Today (because so many reasons carrying on from the night before.)

Premieres

Alice’s Mysterious Mystery (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1926)

Alice Solves the Puzzle (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1925)

Alice’s Orphan (Disney Cartoon; 1930)

Angel and the Badman (Film; 1947)

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion (Animated Film; 2019)

Autumn (Silly Symphony Disney Cartoon; 1930)

The Bears and the Bees (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1932)

The Blue Danube, by Johann Strauss II (Waltz; 1867)

The Breakfast Club (Film; 1985)

Blue Moon, recorded by The Marcels (Song; 1961)

Broad City (TV Series; 2010)

Bugs Bunny’s Wild World of Sports (WB Animated TV Special; 1989)

Burn, by Deep Purple (Album; 1974)

Burr Gore, by Vidal (Historical Novel; 1973)

Cinderella (Animated Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Clifford the Big Red Dog, by Norman Bridwell (Children’s Book; 1963)

Corregidora, by Gayl Jones (Novel; 1975)

Cowboy Blues (Aesop’s Sound Fable Cartoon; 1931)

The Crackpot Quail (WB MM Cartoon; 1941)

The Crystal Maze (UK TV game Show; 1990)

The Deep Boo Sea (Caspar Cartoon; 1952)

Doom Patrol (TV Series; 2019)

Eastbound & Down (TV Series; 2009)

Eight Days a Week, by The Beatles (Song; 1965)

Elegy Written in. A Country Churchyard, by Thomas Gray (Poem; 1751)

11.23.63 (TV Series; 2016)

Escape from Planet Earth (Animated Film; 2013)

Felix Crosses the Crooks (Felix the Cat Cartoon; 1927)

Felix the Cat Rests in Peace (Felix the Cat Cartoon; 1926)

Fly by Night, by Rush (Album; 1975)

Flying Yeast (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1929)

Fun, Fun, Fun, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1964)

The Gay Anties (WB MM Cartoon; 1947)

Get Happy!!, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1980)

Glad All Over, by the Dave Clark Five (Song; 1964)

The Haunted Mouse (WB MM Cartoon; 1941)

The Heritage (Hearst-Pathe News Cartoon; 1918)

A Horse’s Tale (Sugarfoott Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1954)

Lifehouse, by The Who (Rock Opera; 1971)

Marlowe (Film; 2023)

Mechanical Man (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Orphan’s Picnic (Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Presidential One-Dollar Coin (U.S. Mint; 2007)

Professor Dabbler (Kriterion Kosmos Kartoons Cartoon; 1915)

Radio Riot (Fleischer Tarlkartoon Cartoon; 1930)

Red Dwarf (UK TV Series; 1988)

Return to Never Land (Disney Film; 2002)

Robin Hoody Woody (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1963)

The Screwball (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1943)

Shake, Rattle and Roll, recorded by Big Joe Turner (Song; 1954)

The Stars, Like Dust, byIsaac Asimov (Novel; 1951) [Galactic Empire #1]

Sucker Games (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1926)

Super Troopers (Film; 2002)

Take the A Train, recorded by Duke Ellington (Song; 1941)

Taking the Blame (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1935)

A Tuba to Cuba (Documentary Film; 2019)

The Umbrella Academy (TV Series; 2019)

University of Nebraska (School; 1869)

Vision Quit (Film; 1985)

YouTube (Video Sharing Website; 2005)

Today’s Name Days

Georgia, Siegfried (Austria)

Faustin, Onezim, Vitomir (Croatia)

Jiřina (Czech Republic)

Faustinus (Denmark)

Neidi, Tiina (Estonia)

Sipi, Sippo (Finland)

Claude, Georgina, Jordan (France)

Georgia, Jovita, Siegfried (Germany)

Evsevios (Greece)

Julianna, Lilla (Hungary)

Giuliana (Italy)

Džuljeta, Juliāna, Jūlija, Smuidra (Latvia)

Julijona, Julijonas, Tautvydas (Lithuania)

Jill, Julian, Juliane (Norway)

Bernard, Dan, Danisz, Danuta, Julianna, Symeon (Poland)

Pamfil, Valentin (Romania)

Anna (Russia)

Ida (Slovakia)

Juliana (Spain)

Julia, Julius (Sweden)

Cliff, Clifford, Clifton, Jeremiah, Jeremy, Sonnie, Sonny, Sunny (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Clementine Day

National Marcus Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 46 of 2025; 319 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 6 of Week 7 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 26 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 18 (Yi-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 8 Amshir 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Hackberry (Feb 9-18) [Day 7 of 10]

Hebrew: 17 Shevat 5785

Islamic: 16 Sha’ban 1446

Julian: 2 February 2025

Moon: 91%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 18 Homer (2nd Month) [Phaedrus)

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 57 of 90)

SUn Calendar: 16 Gray; Twosday [16 of 30]

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 27 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 3 of 30)

Schmidt Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 21 of 27)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 27 of 28)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Capricornus (Day 28 of 28)

[rhubarbpiearomantic]

lyssnar på gamla melodifestivalen låtar och. varför är alla nya mello låtar bokstavligen dynga?? asså ALLA bidrag har high key sugit röv sen 2018/2019. finns ju vissa undantag såklart, men de undantagen kan jag fortfarande inte lyssna på frivilligt.

SNÄLLA introducera nya artister som inte skriver sketna ballader jag BER ER SVT!

jag är trött på liamoo. cazzi opeia är mid. dotter är mid. jag avskyr smash into pieces. ALLA SUGER OCH DET GÖR MIG SÅ LEDSEN! INGA SKRIVER ROLIGA, KREATIVA, CATCHIGA LÅTAR LÄNGRE! ALLT ÄR MASSPRODUCERAT POP-SKIT SOM SPELAS PÅ RIX FM! jag pallar bokstavligen inte mer jag tror jag tappar det snart.

aja vem kollar ikväll? 😍

[omarera]

I got an ask a while ago with a question regarding if Edvin or Omar is the one most known in households in Sweden. I didn’t answer but the ask has stayed with me though and I have elaborated on it. (Yes, I am comparing again…)

My take on this is that their exposure to the Swedish audience is completely differently. One has been an actor most of his life and the other an artist since teenager. The audience connection to them and how people relate to them is very different.

Edvin has been in some major shows on national TV, like Julkalendern (2018) and literally ALL kids and most of their parents watch an episode each day of December leading up to Christmas. Gåsmamman is also a loved show seen by many and it ran from 2015-2022. He has also been in shows like Älska mig (2019-2020) and Fröken Frimans krig (2013-2017 a big loved Christmas holiday series for several years) and several more. I know these titles don’t mean much or nothing for non-Swedes and some of them also not for younger Swedish audience. But the point here is that he has been an actor in several shows that has also run for several years and it has been shows with a large audience and shows for all ages. I think many Swedes recognize him and has followed him growing up through the roles and shows he has been in. In YR he met an international audience as well and his character is the main role and the one they want us to emphasize with the most. The storyline and also him breaking the fourth wall makes the audience connect and empathize with Wille deeply and also somewhat to the actor.

Omar has been in Talang when he was a kid, a boyband with fans of a limited age span and mostly girls and then he has made his own music. His TV exposure in large national shows seen by many has mainly been Melodifestivalen. So,3 minutes with FO&O and then 2x3 minutes as solo. And there are 28 artists being presented in Mello and though the attention is intense, it’s also many artists that get the same at the same time and it’s short and a lot of people watch it briefly and don’t always remember the artists. And people do not make a connection to most of them. I can’t name many of the artists that participated last year and I don’t create a bond to them. The mainstream artists that become household names are mostly the ones that get a lot of radio time I think. Yes, he has gotten media exposure through his music when doing some releases but it’s not the same as recurrent be in large TV productions over many years. I am happy Omar has done Sommarprat, got best dressed award and will also be in SMB where he has a chance to reach a new broader audience. And hopefully people will relate/connect to him more.

Basically, I think people have created a stronger connection to Edvin and he is more known in Swedish households in the way that more people have seen him more, and have seen him grow up on screen and are curious of his career. A lot of people also know Omar’s name but he is more dependent on getting his songs played on radio and media exposure and he is for many people one of many artists in the music industry. And there are a limited number of music artists that get massive attention and a big breakthrough in Sweden. Omar has not. Yet.

And there is also the difference that Edvin is Nordic “boy next door” looking and straight passing so it is easier for more Swedish people to relate to him.

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2006 - Number 58 - The Poodles - "Night of Passion"

Look at this. Melfest in HD! 1080p! And it's only 2006. Eurovision has done it for a couple of years now, but the TV technology is spreading down into the national finals now.

What better way to celebrate than with some glam-schlager metal from The Poodles. Despite their name being the least metal band name ever, they are the remnants of a band called Talisman, and also a Lord of the Rings themed power metal band called The Ring. All of which is utterly perfect. Forming the band in 2005, they almost immediately set about becoming part of the Swedish pop-rock mainstream, took a song written in one of the earlier song-writing camps, and got into Melodifestivalen 2006.

Night of Passion is by a group of miscellaneous song-writers including Sonja Aldén who is also singing in the competition this year and Johan Lyander who wrote Denmark's 2012 Eurovision entry. The Poodles take what could be a standard Melfest pop number, turn most of it up to eleven, add some guitar licks and all of the cymbals, set light to part of the set and generally give it some welly.

It's a one-night stand song, but a one-night stand that leaves lead singer Jakob Samuel wanting more. He's wearing standard metal uniform of bandana and white one-piece trouser suit. There's a wonderful moment when he goes down to the crowd to sing the middle eight and there's a really tall Swedish dude standing right in of him clapping out of time like an overly enthusiastic seal. Yes, there's an unexpected shipping moment in this too. What else could you want?

After the success of Wig Wam last year, several national finals had their metal and rock moments this year, Sweden included - although Sweden were no strangers to this having had E-Type performing in 2004. There was an appetite for something heavy. In their heat, The Poodles won, beating favourites BWO (Bodies Without Organs going sensibly for the acronym this year). They couldn't quite keep up that level of performance in the final, but they did finish fourth - and perhaps more importantly everyone in Sweden and the Swedish music industry knew who they were.

Their next single was a duet (Metal Will Stand Tall) with Therese Merkel from Alcazar - and if that's not an sign of acceptance in the Swedish music industry, I don't know what is. They returned to Melfest in 2008 pairing up with E-Type and maybe that will feature in a forthcoming top sixty-four. Founder member, bass player Pondus Norgren left the band after this, but the remainder of them kept on trucking until 2018 when, as with so many bands, their cohesion was undone by solo and other projects.

A song called Nights of Passion by The Poodles still makes me chuckle. I can't help it.

[radioactive-worm-on-string]

Största rånen i melodifestivalens historia:

3. Vilka som än var med 2016-2018 när de tre tråkigaste, mest intetsägande, uslaste, bedrövligaste låtarna vann tre år i rad.

2. Jon Henrik Fjällgren alla gånger han har deltagit.

1. Yohio 2013. Kommer aldrig sluta vara arg över detta. Vi hade Yohio med sin ikoniska klassiker Heartbreak Hotel och skickade ROBIN STJERNBERG????? HUR VAR DET ENS MÖJLIGT???????

Edit: senaste 10 åren ish

[whats-another-song-contest]

If Loreen does win tonight, expect me to peace out, because there will be Disc Horse™ and I've frankly had enough of people hating on Sweden for breathing in the wrong direction these past few years.

It's fine to not like an entry, but there's no need to be essentialist about it. Does Sweden do well with the juries? Generally, yeah. But we also do well in the televote most of the time.

In the 6 years we've had this new split voting system, where they announce the jury and televote separately, there have only been two (2) years where the juries gave us disproportionately more points than the televote (2018 and 2019, when we came 2nd in the jury vote but 22nd and 9th in televote respectively). These years happened to be consecutive though, and directly preceded 2020 when the contest was cancelled due to Covid, which I suspect is how the narrative of "Sweden: the juries' pet" was able to take root the way it did.

Apart from those two years though, we've only had two years where we received moderately more points from the juries than the televote (2017 and 2022, nether of which we were even close to the respective "worst offenders" - Australia and Portugal), and in the remaining two years (2016 and 2021) we received more points from the televote than from the juries.

Have we been doing well in the past few years? Undoubtedly. But that is not in spite of the televote, it is because our national selection (Melodifestivalen) consistently favours entries that will do well with both the public and the juries, of which the juries happen to be slightly more predictable. Does it result in our entries being somewhat soulless and corporate "widest market appeal possible"-sounding? Yes, I think that's often the case, and I'd love to see more musical diversity from us too.

Again: it's completely fine to dislike our entries! What I do take issue with however is the insinuation that "urgh, Sweden could send literally anything and the juries would still put them in the top 5!"—because it carries conspiratorial undertones that do not hold water when you look at the actual results. It's not our fault the general public are basic bitches, nor that you expected them not to be.

All I ask is that if and when you take issue with the juries, or a perceived "bland-pop-isation" of eurovision, direct that frustration at the actual problem rather than singling out Sweden or any other country as a scapegoat. This is a structural issue with the contest itself, not a plot to favour or undermine any specific country. In the end, this is a popularity contest. Take it for what it is, and if you are interested in more diverse or specific musical styles, perhaps lower your expectations or look elsewhere. And if you want to see actual change, Tumblr isn't the place you'll achieve it.

The only thing that posting and tagging your hate on Tumblr, or sending anon hate, will achieve is poisoning the fandom community, and as a Swedish eurovision fan I can say that this has made me reluctant to participate in the fandom for several years. Being considerate and respectful of each others' opinions, while focusing on the positives of your interest, are the keys to everyone having a good time in fandom—so I say let's strive for that, yeah?

[sunevphoria]

IF YOU LIKE ANY OF THESE EUROVISION SONGS, PLEASE BE MY FRIEND (sorry if this is long, i have way too many faves plus it has some oldies but goodies):

-Évidemment (🇫🇷 2023)

-Den Vilda (🇸🇪 1996)

-Sentimentai (🇱🇹 2022)

-Hold Me Closer (🇸🇪 2022)

-My Sister's Crown (🇨🇿 2023)

-När jag blundar (🇫🇮 2012)

-Dinle (🇹🇷 1997)

-Hombres (🇪🇸 1993)

-In Corpore Sano (🇷🇸 2022)

-Oro (🇷🇸 2008)

-Lapponia (🇫🇮 1977)

-Fantasiaa (🇫🇮 1983)

-Hunter of Stars (🇨🇭 2014)

-La Mia Città (🇮🇹 2014)

-Moja štikla (🇭🇷 2006)

-Oniro Mou (🇬🇷 2018)

-One More Day (🇬🇪 2011)

-Crisalide (🇸🇲 2013)

-Hemel an aarde (🇳🇱 1998)

-Vrede (🇳🇱 1993)

-De Troubadour (🇳🇱 1969)

-O meu coração não tem cor (🇵🇹 1996)

-Ai coração (🇵🇹 2023)

-Cvet z juga (🇸🇮 2007)

-Vrag naj vzame (🇸🇮 2008)

-Forogj vilag (🇭🇺 2005)

-Story of My Life (Belarus 2017)

-La vie à vingt-cinq ans (🇨🇵 1974, idc if it withdrew last minute, it's still a masterpiece <3)

-Both of Loreen entries 🇸🇪

-Both of Go_A's entries 🇺🇦

-Any Greek entry from the 90s (especially 🇬🇷 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1996)

-Any French entry honestly (with some exceptions, but they're always ironically high in my rankings.)

-Any of the older Swedish entries mostly (bonus points if you like the older Melodifestivalen classics, ESPECIALLY if you like any Nanne Grönvall entry. <3)

Aaand that's it mostly, but I like wayyy to many ESC entries to compile them all into one post so yeah :')

[white-eyed-girl]

For no other reason than because I think about them a lot, my not-in-order top 5 songs that should have made it to Eurovision but ripped my heart in half instead Electric Fields - 2000 and whatever

I'm pretty sure this song exists outside of the space-time continuum I feel like Australia in Eurovision either goes very sleak or absolute circus, and what's in between kinda gets lost on the way This one was fresh, flowy, very millennial in a way, also hearing bits of australian aboriginal languages in ESC would have been hella cool Madara - Esamība

If you've ever stumbled upon my blog in 2018 you may know how mad I was that Latvia didn't choose this (and no deep crush on Laura Rizzotto ever managed to heal that anger asdfghjkl) This is just one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard :" It's existential, it's symbolic, it's ethereal, it has a slow but mighty fine build-up, and plus it was composed on that wonderful cello sound, which, AHHHHHH Loreen - Statements

At this point I get it, in Melodifestivalen songs need to be awesome "on the spot", because its audience doesn't really like to have to think about them more than once to understand them This probably sounds insulting lol but I think it's just a big cultural difference (I don't think it's a coincidence that there was a part of the Italian fandom who actually did root for this at the time, it was much more up their alley than Euphoria ever had any chance to be) The choral, deeply meaningful performance, the raw power in her voice, the historical references...this was never going to win Mello, in hindsight it was clear to see, but I'm still glad Loreen brought it to life and showed she isn't just cool beats and dancey vibes KEiiNO - Monument

This isn't even a scar, it's an open wound and it's still bleeding :" They didn't have to be in the 2021 line-up to win, they had to be in it because 2021 was the strongest year since 1991 and they were literally the only great thing missing from it and deserved to be there to make it even stronger Hands down the one that hurt the most out of all of these Tosca - Il terzo fuochista

I am cheating a little bit with this one because this competed in Sanremo 2007, so even if it had won it wouldn't have gone to ESC anyway because we were still on voluntary exile :" 2007 was my first Sanremo, I was just a kid and this mesmerized me to the point it has lived in my head ever since, there's only Tosca singing it but it's basically a choral reenactment of a typical italian country fair that culminates in fireworks (yes you could say this song is literally about fireworks AND feelings lol it can be done Salvador!) This is a peak of musical creativity that Sanremo, even in its mostly recurring attention to quality, doesn't reach very often My favourite Sanremo song ever

[popentertainmentconcertreviews]

Benjamin Ingrosso - Theatre of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA – February 15, 2025

I walked into the Theatre of Living Arts on Saturday night to one of the smaller crowds I have seen in Philly for an artist I had not heard of before (aside from the research I had done on him that day). Benjamin Ingrosso, a Swedish superstar, composer, and singer, has taken Europe by storm and is now making his way through North America.

To my luck, Philadelphia doesn’t seem to know much about him yet, so I got to experience this miraculous star in a very intimate setting with my arms up against the barricades, inches away from Benjamin. Not to be dramatic, but the Pink Velvet Theatre show on Saturday night felt like a private performance from a twenty-first-century Queen. Ingrosso was one of the most charismatic and confident performers I have had the privilege of seeing live. 

Philadelphia was the fifth stop on his brief seven-stop North American leg of the Pink Velvet Theatre tour, promoting an album that was released in October of 2024. Ingrosso was backed by a full band – guitar, bass, drums, keys – with him on vocals and piano. The entire band contributed to backing vocals, adding depth and richness to the very impressive live arrangements. 

I was initially expecting a pop performance, but what I got was rock – 70’s inspired, full band, electric rock and roll. Many of Ingrosso’s tunes reminded me of Queen and Elton John – the way he writes his music and plays piano, how he starts many songs as ballads before the full band comes in. After a deep dive on his TikTok, I found a recent video where Benjamin highlighted growing up listening to both of those artists, which made so much sense to me. He also wears a lot of glamorous 70’s inspired outfits at his shows as well, I noticed while scrubbing through his socials. Saturday’s concert was full of power ballads, dramatic key changes, and anthemic moments.

The 70s glam rock inspiration was clear. I was hoping to see one of his more extravagant outfits, like the suits and jumpsuits I’ve seen on TikTok and Instagram, but it seems they kept things low-key for the small venue. Everyone in the band was dressed very casually. But there was nothing casual about the music and the performance. Full-on arena rock. Every song felt like an anthem, and there was power ballad after power ballad, each dramatic, moving, and growing in energy as it went on. The melodies and lyrics were instantly memorable, sticking in my head for days.

The crowd at the TLA was small – maybe 250 people total – but the energy was electric. Everyone was smiling, jumping, dancing, and singing. I felt like I was in a movie, making friends with two sweet guys behind me, as we giggled and blushed every time Benjamin came over and flirtatiously sang to us. I danced like I was the mysterious girl in the front row of a concert scene, carefree and lost in the music. The room felt safe, warm, and lovely, and the tunes made everyone feel so alive. I was also very moved to hear that many audience members had travelled from Europe and followed him across the North American tour. It further proves that he has a widespread and loyal audience in Europe that is slowly beginning to globalize. 

So who is this performer I keep comparing to world-renowned rock prodigies? Ingrosso is a 27-year-old Swedish singer-songwriter specializing in pop and electro-pop. A born star, he has been performing since childhood, appearing in musical theatre, singing and dance competitions. He gained widespread recognition after winning Lilla Melodifestivalen in 2018 and representing Sweden in Eurovision, where he made it to the finals. He returned to Eurovision years later as a headliner in 2024, with a huge arena performance of his original music. I would recommend watching that performance, it’s pretty impressive.

In 2024, he embarked on his sold-out European “Better Days” Tour featuring many songs from Pink Velvet Theatre, some of which were unreleased at the time. Ingrosso now has over four million monthly Spotify listeners and has released five studio albums since 2018. He has a massive social media following, as well as endless live performance and music video content, like his most recent sci-fi music video for “Back to You.” 

There were a ton of highlights that struck me throughout the show on Saturday night. The first heavy hitter was “All My Life - And Then…,” a song I had only listened to once before the show, yet I immediately recognized the catchy tune. The entire audience sang along during the bridge, which seemed to genuinely excite Benjamin. His charisma was undeniable – flirty, engaging, and full of boundless energy. His jumps reached incredible heights, highlighting his dance background, athleticism, and performance excellence.

Other standout moments included “Look Who’s Laughing Now,” which gave me early 2000s Disney breakup song vibes (in the best way possible – think Lemonade Mouth or Jonas Brothers). “Angela” was a personal favorite; Ingrosso sat at the piano and slammed hard on those keys, evoking the stage presence of Elton John or Billy Joel.

For the song “Only For You”(which I believe is an unreleased single), he stripped it down to an a cappella beginning, with electric keys creating a choir-like ambiance. It was somber, beautiful, and had the crowd (me included) in tears. Then came “I Know I Know,” an indie-leaning, upbeat song that brought the mood back up post-crying.

One of the most raw and vulnerable moments was “Roses in the Desert,” an unreleased track. Ingrosso opened up about his music, sharing that most of his songs, even the upbeat ones, are sad. He explained how past relationships influenced his music, revealing that his previous two albums were about an ex, but this new album wasn’t. He warned us that he might cry while singing “Roses in the Desert,” as he often gets choked up performing it. His vocal clarity was unreal – it sounded like it was auto-tuned, yet it was live. You could hear his technical theatre training in every note.

Other notable performances included “Worst in Me,” which felt like a theatrical, early 2010s pop hit with a dramatic key change. “Crazy Stupid Love,” another unreleased track, was pure Freddie Mercury energy – starting soft on piano before exploding with the full band.

Ingrosso closed out the night with “Honey Boy,” his viral TikTok hit. In a thrilling moment, he left the stage (brushing past me) and came into the crowd, dancing with fans as everyone sang along. It was a euphoric way to end the night. Everyone was so excited. To my disappointment, there was no encore. The band took a bow and exited, leaving me and the audience wanting more. I was surprised, especially because there was no opener, so the concert was only a little over an hour in total. 

Benjamin Ingrosso delivered an unforgettable performance. His ability to command the stage with charisma, musicianship, and energy was astonishing. He took us on a journey – through rock, pop, ballads, and pure theatrical moments – leaving a lasting impression on everyone lucky enough to be there. He really had me drawn in for the entirety of the performance, I almost forgot to take notes. While the venue may have been small, the concert was nothing short of stadium-worthy. I would travel far to see him perform again. It is well worth it.

Brenna Hallman

Copyright ©2025 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: February 17, 2025.

Photo ©2025. Courtesy of Press Here Media. All rights reserved.

[brookston]

Holidays 2.15

Holidays

Angelman Syndrome Day

Annoy Squidward Day (SpongeBob Squarepants)

Battleship Day

Broken Hearts Day

Clifford the Big Red Dog Day

Commonwealth Day (Gibraltar)

Court of International Justice Day

Day of Ashakalia (Kosovo)

Day of the Mexican Woman (Mexico)

Decimal Day (UK)

Digital Learning Day

ENIAC Day (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

European Perioperative Nursing Day (EU)

First Connections Awareness Day (Rhode Island)

Galileo Day [also 2.29]

Hazel Day (French Republic)

Hazrat Alis Day (Uttar Pradesh, India)

International Angelman Day

International Bottom Appreciation Day

International Childhood Cancer Day

International Duties Memorial Day (Russia)

International Fanworks Day

International Green Wall Day

International Male Chastity Day

John Frum Day (Vanuatu)

Love Reset Day

Lui-Ngai-Ni (Manipur, India)

Memorial Day of Warriors—Intrnationalists

National Bad Breath Day

National Black Girl Magic Day

National Friendzone Day

National Plan B Day

National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day

National Side Chicks Day

National Wisconsin Day

Plastic Pollution Awareness Day (Georgia)

Remember the Maine Day

Sandlasting Day

Singles Awareness Day

Slap Day

Sretenje (Serbia)

Sticky Stamp Day

Stop and Smell Your Compost Pile Day

St. Skeletor’s Day

Susan B. Anthony Day

Total Defense Day (Singapore)

World Cholangiocarcinoma Day

YouTube Launch Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Burger Lover's Day

Cherry Garcia Day

Florida Craft Beer Day

Mustard Day

National Cheap Chocolate Day

National Chewing Gum Day

National Gumdrop Day

National I Want Butterscotch Day

National Lamb Day (New Zealand)

Nature Celebrations

Cedar Day (I Live For You; Korean Birth Flowers)

World Hippo Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Barbettia (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Dadingisila (Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Flag Day (Canada)

Liberation Day (Afghanistan)

Iustus (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Serbia (from the Ottoman Empire, 1804)

St. Louis (Establishment Day; Missouri; 1764)

3rd Saturday in February

Barley Wine Day (San Francisco) [Saturday before Presidents Day]

Community Pubs Week begins (UK) [3rd Saturday through 4th Saturday]

International Restaurant Day [3rd Saturday] (also May, Aug & Nov)

National Black Movie Day [3rd Saturday]

Red Sock Day [3rd Saturday]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sentimental Saturday [3rd Saturday of Each Month]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Steak Saturday [3rd Saturday of Each Month]

World Pangolin Day [3rd Saturday]

World Whale Day [3rd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 15 (2nd Week of February)

Hardee County Fair (Wauchula, Florida) [thru 2.22]

National FFA Week (thru 2.22) [Saturday to Saturday containing 2.22]

National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekend

Omaha Beer Week (Omaha, Nebraska) [thru 2.23]

Real Bread Week (thru 2.23) [2nd to Last Saturday to Saturday]

Festivals On or Beginning February 15, 2025

Asian American Expo (La Verne, California) [thru 2.16]

Arizona Strong Beer Festival (Phoenix, Arizona)

Bay Area Renaissance Festival (Tampa, Florida) thru 3.30]

Bayou King Cake Festival (Thibodaux, Louisiana)

Carnival of Acireale (Acireale, Sicily, Italy) [thru 3.4]

Cedarburg Winter Festival (Cedarburg, Wisconsin) [thru 2.16]

Chinese New Year’s Parade (San Francisco, California)

Color the Wind Kite Festival (Clear Lake, Iowa)

Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival (Cortez, Florida) [thru 2.16]

Florida Keys Seafood Festival (Key West, Florida)) [thru 2.16]

International White Wine Festival in Anderson Valley (Boonville, California) [thru 2.16]

Jupiter Seafood Festival (Jupiter, Florida) [thru 2.16]

Melodifestivalen (Västeras, Sweden)

Menton Lemon Festival (Menton, France) [thru 3.2]

Nice Carnival (Nice, France) [thru 3.2]

NYS Ice Wine & Culinary Festival (Fairport, New York)

Palm Beach Marine Flea Market and Seafood Festival (West Palm Beach, Florida) [thru 2.16]

Takeuchi Festival (Rokugo, Japan)

Writers Guild Awards (Los Angeles, California)

3rd Thursday in February

Energy Saving Day (Italy) [3rd Thursday]

Global Information Governance Day [3rd Thursday]

National Conductive Education Day [3rd Thursday]

Switch Off Thursday (UK) [Thursday of Go Green Week]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

World Anthropology Day [3rd Thursday]

World Cholanglocarcinoma Day [3rd Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 15

American Association for the Advancement of Science Week [thru 2.17]

National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekends [thru 2.18] (also in Apr, Sep & Nov)

Feast Days

Agape (Christian; Virgin Martyr)

Candlemas (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Chongwoldaeboreum (Korean Folk Festival)

Claude de la Colombière (Christian; Saint)

Drink More Wine Day (Pastafarian)

Faunus (celebrates animals helping humans)

Faustinus and Jovita (Christian; Martyrs)

Februata — Day of Juno Febuata (Pagan)

Festival of Naked Pan (Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Wolves (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Grigori Rasputin Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Guardian Angel Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Kamakura Matsuri (Snow Cave Festival; Japan)

Lupercalia (Festival of Lupercus; Festival of purification honoring Lycaen Pan or Faunusl Ancient Roman god of flocks and fertility)

Michał Sopoćko (Christian; Blessed)

Nirvana Day (Buddhist; Jain; Sikh)

Oswiu (Christian; Saint)

Parinirvana Day (Mahayana Buddhism)

Phaedrus (Positivist; Saint)

Quinidius (Christian; Saint)

The Raggmopps (Muppetism)

Sarkis of Armenia (Christian; Saint)

Sigfried of Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Sigfrid’s Day

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Tanco (a.k.a. Tatto; Christian; Martyr)

Thomas Bray (Anglican & Episcopal Church)

Walfrid (Christian; Saint)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 18 (Yi-Mao)

Day Pillar: Wood Rabbit

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Remove Day (除 Chu) [Auspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Susan B. Anthony (Politics)

Harold Arlen (Music)

John Barrymore (Entertainment)

Claire Bloom (Entertainment)

Norman Bridwell (Art)

Roger Chaffee (Astronaut)

Charles-François Daubigny (Art)

Galileo Galilei (Science)

Matt Groening (Art)

Douglas Hofstadter (Literature)

Harvey Korman (Entertainment)

Melissa Manchester (Music)

Sax Rohmer (Literature)

Jane Seymour (Entertainment)

Ernest Shackleton (Exploring)

Art Spiegelman (Art)

Charles-André van Loo (Art)

Alfred North Whitehead (Science)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Uncyclopedia Bad to Be Born Today (because so many reasons carrying on from the night before.)

Premieres

Alice’s Mysterious Mystery (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1926)

Alice Solves the Puzzle (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1925)

Alice’s Orphan (Disney Cartoon; 1930)

Angel and the Badman (Film; 1947)

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion (Animated Film; 2019)

Autumn (Silly Symphony Disney Cartoon; 1930)

The Bears and the Bees (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1932)

The Blue Danube, by Johann Strauss II (Waltz; 1867)

The Breakfast Club (Film; 1985)

Blue Moon, recorded by The Marcels (Song; 1961)

Broad City (TV Series; 2010)

Bugs Bunny’s Wild World of Sports (WB Animated TV Special; 1989)

Burn, by Deep Purple (Album; 1974)

Burr Gore, by Vidal (Historical Novel; 1973)

Cinderella (Animated Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Clifford the Big Red Dog, by Norman Bridwell (Children’s Book; 1963)

Corregidora, by Gayl Jones (Novel; 1975)

Cowboy Blues (Aesop’s Sound Fable Cartoon; 1931)

The Crackpot Quail (WB MM Cartoon; 1941)

The Crystal Maze (UK TV game Show; 1990)

The Deep Boo Sea (Caspar Cartoon; 1952)

Doom Patrol (TV Series; 2019)

Eastbound & Down (TV Series; 2009)

Eight Days a Week, by The Beatles (Song; 1965)

Elegy Written in. A Country Churchyard, by Thomas Gray (Poem; 1751)

11.23.63 (TV Series; 2016)

Escape from Planet Earth (Animated Film; 2013)

Felix Crosses the Crooks (Felix the Cat Cartoon; 1927)

Felix the Cat Rests in Peace (Felix the Cat Cartoon; 1926)

Fly by Night, by Rush (Album; 1975)

Flying Yeast (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1929)

Fun, Fun, Fun, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1964)

The Gay Anties (WB MM Cartoon; 1947)

Get Happy!!, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1980)

Glad All Over, by the Dave Clark Five (Song; 1964)

The Haunted Mouse (WB MM Cartoon; 1941)

The Heritage (Hearst-Pathe News Cartoon; 1918)

A Horse’s Tale (Sugarfoott Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1954)

Lifehouse, by The Who (Rock Opera; 1971)

Marlowe (Film; 2023)

Mechanical Man (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Orphan’s Picnic (Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Presidential One-Dollar Coin (U.S. Mint; 2007)

Professor Dabbler (Kriterion Kosmos Kartoons Cartoon; 1915)

Radio Riot (Fleischer Tarlkartoon Cartoon; 1930)

Red Dwarf (UK TV Series; 1988)

Return to Never Land (Disney Film; 2002)

Robin Hoody Woody (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1963)

The Screwball (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1943)

Shake, Rattle and Roll, recorded by Big Joe Turner (Song; 1954)

The Stars, Like Dust, byIsaac Asimov (Novel; 1951) [Galactic Empire #1]

Sucker Games (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1926)

Super Troopers (Film; 2002)

Take the A Train, recorded by Duke Ellington (Song; 1941)

Taking the Blame (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1935)

A Tuba to Cuba (Documentary Film; 2019)

The Umbrella Academy (TV Series; 2019)

University of Nebraska (School; 1869)

Vision Quit (Film; 1985)

YouTube (Video Sharing Website; 2005)

Today’s Name Days

Georgia, Siegfried (Austria)

Faustin, Onezim, Vitomir (Croatia)

Jiřina (Czech Republic)

Faustinus (Denmark)

Neidi, Tiina (Estonia)

Sipi, Sippo (Finland)

Claude, Georgina, Jordan (France)

Georgia, Jovita, Siegfried (Germany)

Evsevios (Greece)

Julianna, Lilla (Hungary)

Giuliana (Italy)

Džuljeta, Juliāna, Jūlija, Smuidra (Latvia)

Julijona, Julijonas, Tautvydas (Lithuania)

Jill, Julian, Juliane (Norway)

Bernard, Dan, Danisz, Danuta, Julianna, Symeon (Poland)

Pamfil, Valentin (Romania)

Anna (Russia)

Ida (Slovakia)

Juliana (Spain)

Julia, Julius (Sweden)

Cliff, Clifford, Clifton, Jeremiah, Jeremy, Sonnie, Sonny, Sunny (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Clementine Day

National Marcus Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 46 of 2025; 319 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 6 of Week 7 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 26 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 18 (Yi-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 8 Amshir 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Hackberry (Feb 9-18) [Day 7 of 10]

Hebrew: 17 Shevat 5785

Islamic: 16 Sha’ban 1446

Julian: 2 February 2025

Moon: 91%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 18 Homer (2nd Month) [Phaedrus)

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 57 of 90)

SUn Calendar: 16 Gray; Twosday [16 of 30]

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 27 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 3 of 30)

Schmidt Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 21 of 27)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 27 of 28)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Capricornus (Day 28 of 28)

[utvarpcity]

här är mitt årliga ”intryck av låtarna”-inlägg

vad gäller programledarna är det kul att vi återigen har skåningar på scenen. brukar tycka jesper rönndahl är rolig men som melloprogramledare dippar han rejält - hans typ av komedi funkar inte riktigt i dessa sammanhang. tycker farah var bra dock, hon har bra energi och flera av hennes repliker landade för mig.

jon henrik et al: jag har backat jon henrik varje gång han har varit med men känns som det tåget har gått nu… vi kan inte skicka han nu för då kommer alla tro vi härmar norge och deras eurodiscojojk från några år sedan. tråkigt för hans tidigare bidrag har i stort sett varit mycket bättre än de vi faktiskt skickat. den här är bara tråkig generisk edm, jojken är det enda bra (varför han har med sig två random stekare vet jag inte).

tone: känns som en mellanmjölksversion av östeuropeiska eurovisiondivor. hennes röst räcker inte till för den här typen av låt. har svårt för influencer till popstjärna-pipelinen och det här är ett bra exempel på hur det tar sig uttryck: mycket hype men lite kvalitet. men kan säkert få en del röster i eurovision även om hon inte är känd internationellt (vad jag vet).

mariette: på tal om tåg som gått… hon känns som en sån som dyker upp år efter år i tävlingen men aldrig riktigt lyckas, och nu tror jag att hennes peak har passerat, så blir nog svårt för henne att ta hem det om hon inte gör något ovanligt storslaget. det är inte detta. anthempop, tycker inte heller hennes röst räcker till riktigt (även om hon faktiskt sjunger skickligt har hon inte den styrkan som behövs för att lyfta låten)

m&m: eftersom jag är över 20 har jag aldrig hört deras musik innan, så var positivt överraskad över att de faktiskt verkar kunna sjunga. återigen en helt ok electropoplåt, men lite för likt det vi skickat innan… europa kommer HATA oss (lol det gör de redan) om vi skickar ännu en ung kille med en modern poplåt. och jag kan inte låta bli att nämna elefanten i rummet: kan vi verkligen skicka två norska killar att representera oss…?

panetoz: DE ÄR TILLBAKA! och vilket lyckopiller sedan?! känns nästan bättre än deras tidigare bidrag? otroligt catchy refräng (och ja panetoz är de enda som får ha svengelska i sina låtar för mig). bonuspoäng för att anders ”skrattar hela vägen till banken” wigelius är med som låtskrivare. gud vad härligt. skicka panetoz, kom igen, för min skull om inget annat!!!

maria sur: hon har en snygg röst som låter bättre i de lägre partierna än på höjden. låten är väldigt intetsägande dock. sympatiröster räcker långt men troligen inte hela vägen. ukraina vann eurovision förra året inte bara på grund av sympatiröster utan för att de också hade en grymt bra och unik låt.

smashed: hatar att det varje år är med nåt generiskt radiorockband i melodifestivalen och de målar upp sig själva som underdogs och verkar jätteöverraskade över att folk uppskattar deras ”svåra” musik som om rock är något underground och inte världens största musikgenre lol. personligen hatar jag sån här modern electroradiorock. sverige har bra rockband (vi är ett land med lång rocktradition…) men de är inte med i mello.

kiana: åh nej, hennes timing… hon är väldigt grön, rent ut sagt. (och vems idé var det att klä henne i 2000-talets mest sunkiga babydollklänning?) vet inte hur hon tagit sig till finalen, är detta ytterligare en influencer? hon är tillräckligt duktig för att vara popstjärna men skulle nog behöva mer erfarenhet innan hon är med i dessa sammanhang (och en bättre låt).

nordman: visste att de var med, för hur kunde man undvika att höra att nordman var tillbaka? känner mig gammal för kommer så väl ihåg när de var med, känns som att det var tio år högst men är tydligen mycket längre än så. var aldrig ett fan men de hade sin grej, så vet inte varför de nu kör med ett sönderanvänt housebeat (är SÅ trött på dessa anthem-refränger. trodde vi gick över till lågmält elektroniskt iom benjamin ingrossos vinst 2018 men…).

loreen: helt omöjligt att missa att hon var tillbaka såklart. har svårt för när folk som är så gott som eurovision royalty kommer tillbaka för de lever aldrig upp till sin legendstatus, är dessutom orolig för att resten av europa ska tycka att vi är desperata att vinna igen… men gud vilken vacker låt. modern produktion, snygg dynamik med det lågmälda till ett explosivt klimax, otrolig känsla (det ÄR ju loreen), häftig scenshow… hon sopar banan med konkurrenterna. men omöjligt att ha samma effekt som euphoria.

theoz: inte för att jag vet något om tiktok men det här är väl en sån tiktokvänlig låt, va…? sättet han dansar och uppträder säger mig det iaf. låten är inte alls så dålig som jag trodde, den är catchy och han sjunger helt ok, och den är lite småroligt arrad med rytmerna och blåsinstrument med retrokänsla. inte min grej men en av de bättre ikväll.

paul rey: vafan är liamoo med som låtskrivare? hade gillat om han var med istället, här är ju nån som faktiskt kan rappa. låten är… meh. verserna hade varit nice om det inte vore för dunka dunka-beatet som känns lite ivägen. och som sagt, har svårt för den här typen av refräng, tycker det blir alldeles för lökigt. en av de sämsta ikväll, sorry, att han är skåning hjälper inte honom nu.

[eurovision-revisited]

1997 Dublin - Number 3 - Andreas Lundstedt - "Jag saknar dig, jag saknar dig"

Oh, Andreas! Perennial Melodifestival contender. Never the winner. In 1997 I think you were really done dirty. Jag saknar dig, jag saknar dig (I Miss You, I Miss You) is so much better than almost anything else in Melodifestivalen 1997 and your televoters only gave it enough votes for 7th place.

It's more restrained and downbeat that its rivals. It's an introspective, quiet yearning for a love who's moved on (literally - they moved house), who Andreas can't forget, even if he has let go. The last ember of a relationship that's about to be extinguished by the early morning drizzle, as he retraces the steps that used to take him to their front door.

This is Andres's second attempt at Melfest. The first was the previous year when he came second. He tried solo on two other occasions, in 2007 and 2012 but he didn't make it into the final.

More significantly, the year after this he was a founding member of Swedish group Alcazar. Not only were they big in Sweden (selling huge number of albums and singles throughout the 2000s), but they tried to win Melodifestivalen on five separate occasions. In 2003 they reached the viewers' choice final, winning that by miles before finishing third. In 2005 they thought about trying for the UK national final, before SVT came in with a better offer. They had exactly the same result as 2003.

After a two year break, they reformed in 2008, in 2009 they finished fifth, in 2010 they missed the final, then after another break they tried for one final time in 2014. They came third again! They wanted to enter in 2018, but Christopher Bjorkman said no. Andreas and Alcazar are the Melfest supergroup. I'm certain they're going to be featuring regularly in forthcoming top 26s for the next few years.

Despite never winning in Sweden, Andreas has sung on the Eurovision stage. He was part of the Ralph Siegel Euro supergroup Six4one that represented Switzerland in 2006. Jag saknar dig, jag saknar dig is different from most of the other music Andreas was involved with at Melfest and Eurovision, and I'm happy to place it high in my 1997 list.

[comicaloverachiever]

Because of Gaza, which is occupied by Israel. Carina Berg seems to be implying that if Palestinians just peacefully protested none of them would be dead now. (Palestinians tried in 2018 and over 200 of them were murdered by Israeli forces)

I was hesitant about watching Melodifestivalen this year because Israel is allowed to compete in Eurovision, and the fact that she started the show like this turned me off right away.

Melodifestivalen talking about the Baltic Way with apparently no reason?

[kailuabunny]

I have a FO&O Discord server if anyone would like to join. I would love to meet more fans of FO&O. Here's the link if you're interested or know someone who would be interested.

https://discord.gg/zmuWnGk

[kailuabunny-art]

Earlier i drew Felix Sandman.  I love his Melfest entry.  It’s so good, his other music is great too.  Idk how many of you know, but i’ve been a big fan of FO&O since March.