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The Swedes are very Eurovision minded. Their national final is the biggest one around: Melodifestivalen. Each year big national and sometimes even international artists line up to take part in the biggest production SVT, the Swedish broadcaster, has to offer annually.  After a few years of not too good results in the Eurovision Song Contest, last year Anna Bergendahl did not even manage to qualify for the final, this year they were big where they belong. Eric Saade reached the top, his Popular got a well deserved third position. Yes we admit it: We love Melodifestivalen!

News Round-up of the day. Saade launches new CD, Lordi closes restaurant, 26 May it is.   

Russian main newspaper Pravda reports today that Armenia will most likely be represented by System Of A Down at next Years Eurovision Song Contest. The American band with Armenian roots has been gossiped as a possible name for the country before. Read more about it here if you know any Russian. 

While Jedward are still doing well in charts around the continent, their new single Bad behaviour entered the charts in their home country Ireland at #1..The single will be on their new album. Victory will be released on 5 August in Ireland. American gossip blogger Perez Hilton i featured in the video clip accompanying Bad Behaviour. You can watch it below.

CD's are being released continuously, on 12points.tv we have selected the most remarkable recently released CD's fow you. Please let us know what you think about the reviewed CD's, by rewarding them with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 stars. One star if you really think the CD is bad, two if you think it is reasonably bad, 3 if you are Switzerland, 4 if you like it and 5 if you think it is just fabulous! And please do let us know when you have got news about some CD that we might have missed and should really listen to, we might include it in our review section next month.

Eric Saade - Saade, Vol. 1 (2011) - Sweden - ***

After the sound of breaking glass and his well deserved third placing at the latest edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, I was just waiting for Eric Saade's new CD to be released. Even though is last CD, Masquerade, was less than a year old. For me the title of the CD could have been a bit more creative, but let's focus on contents here. At a first listening, the CD sounds very Swedish, fresh  and electro-pop. Unlike his previous CD Eric and his team really seem to be wanting to make a statement with the sound on this album. Timeless is the first song on the album. It reminds of Robyn's Dancing on my own. Hearts In the Air (feat. J-Son) is contagious, before you know it you are making heart shapes with your figers in the air too. Me And My Radio, the third song on the CD also has a Robyn sound to it  (including pling-plings and beep-beeps). The CD kind of exagerates in showing of Eric's new found sound and starts to be slightly annoying after six songs. I wondered why song number 5 is a Popular remix, rather than the original version? I do not find the remix very strong and quite superfluous. Conclusion? This CD is an absolute must have for all Eric fans, but for anyone listening carefully, there will be some critisism. But who cares? Next year Saade VOL 2 will probably hit the shops, which will add some more hits to Saade's curriculum. And what will I do? Just stuff my iPod and let the songs on this album shuffle by now and then. The CD might even get popular!

Danijela – Unikat – Croatia – ***

In 1995 she represented Croatia with the group Magazin and Lidija (Nostalgija). But she really impressed, three years later with the marvelous Neka Mi Ne Svane. That song still left enough impression to make me curious about her new CD, 13 years later, wondering how she sounds today. And just to make it clear, I do not understand Croatian, apart from some Eurovision Croatian, so it will not be the deep texts that will impress me.  The album is what I expect a Slavic album to be: vivacious, melodious and recognisable. The album combines uptempo songs wth ballads. The first song (Zivim da zivim (I live to live)) brings me straight to some Croatian coast including mandoline players. Unfortunately the songs are not very innovatory and due to the crisis it seems some costs have been saved by adding just a few too many synthesizers. Song number 10 , Danijela Casti, is a good example of that. Then suddenly the last song strikes me with familiar sounds; Za Tebe Rodena (born for you), with this song Danijela particpated in Dora in 2005, and unfortunately only ended up 3rd. This version is a duet together with Arsenom Dedicem. This man, he sounds a bit older to me, manages to ruin the song with his trembling voice. The original version is at least a 1000 times better than this one. What a pity!

Well, Carola did it, Dana did it and Charlotte did it. Let's hope Danijela will do it too, participate in the Eurovision Song Contest that is. Come back but leave your synthesizers at home!

Stella Mwangi – Kinanda – Norway - ****

I was shocked and not only I; Norway did not reach the final this year. Maybe Haba Haba was a bit too simple, too childish or presented too enthousiastically. Well whatever you thought about Haba Haba, her new album Kinanda sounds completely different. Of course the song is included (it is the opening song), but Stella shows a completely different side on the album. You could say young girls grow older or sweet girls get naughty. The style of this CD is a mix of R&B, pop-urban and of course some African sounds. That makes the album quite sunny (we can use that, this summer). That Stella knows how to shake her ass, we have seen during the Eurovision, you don't need much fantasy to see her do some shaking while listening to the other songs. The girl also knows how to rap, in fact she seems to enjoy rapping just as much as singing (don't expect nasty gangsta lyrics), or does she not know yet what she likes the most? The naughtiest song on the album, and the best one too is Lookie Lookie. Very inviting, but what is she actually inviting me to? And.. hey did you see the name of track number 10? Hakuna Matata! Not a Lion King cover version, though, but yet another shaky shaky song!

Absolute Summer Hits – 2011 – Sweden - *****

Okey, when reading the name of this album you will probably not think of Eurovision immediately, but this compilation does contain quite some Eurovision links, apart from the actual international summer hits in Sweden that are on it too (Britney Spears, Jeniffer Lopez, Pink, Enriqie Iglesias, Lady Gaga, Shakira and Robyn):

Martin Stenmarck (Sweden 2005) offers us his best summer nights on this double CD with Tonight’s The Night. Goose bumps!! ***** That The Ark (Sweden 2007) was the worrying kind, we knew by now, but now they also broke up with God. Did they get a bit too much sun maybe? **** Peter Jöback (MF 2010) left his hollow English period behind him and joyfully sings in Swedish for us now; Räddaren i nöden ***. Danny Saucedo (MF 2011) clubs along with his contagious Tonight *****. Anyone of you haveing attended a concert in recent years, has probably been asked to make a heart in the air. Even though Eric Saade sings he is king of his own life, he also asks us to do the same (Hearts In The Air) *****. Apart from Swedish Eurovision artists Jedward and Ell & Nikki also made it to this CD. Jedward scored a minor hit in the Nordic country and fortunately this years winners have not been forgotten either.

Let the Swedish summer come along with Absolute Summer Hits – 2011

Sweden is popular, Estonia excels, and Ireland defies good taste.

The second semi-final is about to start and I am prepared. I have my laptop, a bottle of beer, some sour cream and onion potato chips, and my friend Johan sitting with me to watch tonight's proceedings. I don't know how on earth I managed to convince him to join me as he's not at all a Eurovision fan. But I think his other options tonight for entertainment were:

1. A rerun of CSI: Miami

2. Contemplating the lint in his belly button

3. Playing "Tetris Battle" on Facebook.

On the first of september, one of the last summer days in northern Europe, Sweden has announced further details about Melodifestivalen this winter..... who will follow up Eric Saade .....

For the eleventh time in a row, the ever so popular Melodifestivalen tour will cross the country. The competition that doubles as Sweden's selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest, has quite a repetiotion of its own. Its viewing figures have been rising since 2002. In 2007, approximately 4.1 million Swedes—almost 44% of the country's population—watched the final, and between 2.9 million and 3.2 million viewers watched each of the semifinals.

News Round-up of the day. Saade meets a princess and Junior Eurovision heats up.

Eric Saade performed three songs, including an acoustic version of "Popular" for Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. Unfortunately, the queen of Swedish schlager, Charlotte Perrelli, was not in attendance. 

Azerbaijan has issued some conflicting statements lately. First all hotel bookings are not able to be made in the country around the dates Eurovision takes place, but the Culture and Tourism Ministry has promised improvements in their local tourist sites before Eurovision. 

San Marino has confirmed itself as the twelfth contestant in this year's Junior Eurovision, according to eurovision.tv. Latvia and Serbia have withdrawn this year thanks to ongoing financial crises.

And don't forget articles you may have missed here on 12points.tv:
Go here for Eurovision song chart action for this week.
Go here for Louis' profile of amazing San Remo diva Anna Tatangelo

Today - Blue radio shock, Saade glass and Hungary's advance

Greetings 3Minuters. Since all the staff have happily shuffled off to Dusseldörf, I had work and wedding (not my own) duties this week in London, I have had to try to smile, knowing everyone was surrounded by all things Eurovision. Meanwhile, here is what I picked up today across Europe.

Jedward critics, the Swedish-Russian schlager war, Estonia's chances and bloc voting..

3Minutes is really happy to bring you an exclusive - Jedward (Ireland) have taken to Twitter to discuss the Irish Euro bailout discuss what they did yesterday morning.

Sorry to say that I can't take these kids too seriously. Can we stop the hopeful talk that Dublin will host the 2012 competition? Puh-lease.

News Round-up of the day. Tommy Seebach's son recorded one of his three Eurovision songs on his new cd, we love it.....

This week Rasmus Seebach released his new album Mer end' kærlighed. As a tribute to his dad that passed away in 2003, the singer included Under Stjernene På Himlen (Denmark 1993). Tommy's son is very popular all over Scandinavia. His biggest hits include Engel and Natteravn. Listen to his Eurovision cover below. Very nice!