Aftonbladet the Swedish version to the Sun came up with the headline translating as "The Super Suprise". Go to www.aftonbladet.se to see the priceless look on Carola's face.
So Carola won't be representing Sweden for a 4th time then... (She won for Sweden in Rome in 1991) Am I allowed to say that it serves her right for ditching her Schlager roots? (Evighet, Vangad and Framling were all pretty schlagerish)
Charlotte Perrelli (who has also won for Sweden - this time in Jerusalem in 1999) stayed true to schlager and sailed through directly to the final. I was really impressed at her vocals on Hero - she both holds her notes and really sells the song (by belting it at 11!)
Hopefully either Charlotte or BWO will go through to the contest. If Sanne's song actually did something I'd love for her to go through - but it doesn't really get anywhere - and for someone who normally delivers amazing vocal performances I'm surprised at the tuning issues she had in her heat.
(OMG - I'm turning into an X-Factor judge... I've only got to say "she nailed it" or "they made it their own" to fully turn into one...)
Charlotte seems to be going all out this year - lots of press coverage, and she's doing a tour of Sweden performing the song to packed shopping centre crowds (!)
I love the fact that Sweden both takes it deadly seriously - but also has a lot of fun with it. The music is throw away pop yet the show is stunningly produced week in, week out. The show has a really strong sense of humour every week (with the spoof reporter, the 007 sequences, the Lena flashbacks when she presented etc.) - yet they don't take the mickey out of the Eurovision contest at all. As ever - Sweden is pretty sorted.
(Running gag going round the EU currently is apparently that at many EU meetings there are heated debates about the best way of doing something in the EU - and at every meeting there is one delegate sat quietly in the corner. When asked by the others why he/she isn't taking part he replies "Why argue? Why can't we just do it properly, like we do in Sweden?")