Rehearsals are underway for Heat 3 of Melodifestivalen 2025 and we can bring you all the inside information about how this week’s acts are performing!
Phoenix would also like to take this opportunity to thank SVT for once again granting us accreditation to this years Melodifestivalen – we can’t wait to bring you all the exclusive content as and when we get it!
To learn more about the six artists competing this week, click here.
Read on to find out more about the upcoming performances and see images from rehearsals!
Greczula – Believe Me
Opening Heat 3 is Greczula with the song ‘Believe Me’. Starting the performance by playing a white piano that’s suspended in mid-air, it’s sure to kick proceedings off with a bang. The piano slowly lowers to the ground for Greczula to command the stage where he’s definitely giving Freddie Mercury energy with camera shots of him lying on the floor and standing on top of his piano towards the song’s climax. In terms of lighting, the stage starts off dark with Greczula and his piano illuminated by twinkly white lights which match his studded leather jacket. As the song kicks in to its more rocky chorus, red and warmer lights pump in time with the drumbeats. Greczula has delivered plenty of rock star swagger in each and every run-through during rehearsals.
Malou Prytz – 24K Gold
As the title of this song might suggest the main theme of this staging is…gold! For a visual reference, think Marcus & Martinus‘s staging for ‘Unforgettable’ but with gold chains instead of LEDs. Clad in a gold sequin bodysuit with matching knee-high boots, Malou Prytz starts off in a long corridor-like structure made of chains that dangle from the ceiling before being joined by dancers in matching outfits. In the song’s bridge, the dancers lift the chains to do some choreography around Malou as she performs and there are floor LEDs used to simulate gold glitter. It’s clear from the backing track there’s room for Malou to do some big riffs towards the end of the song although she’s held back from doing so in rehearsals, possibly to preserve her voice for the big night. Nevertheless, this is a confident performance from Malou who made her Melfest debut when she was just 15-years-old.
Björn Holmgren – Rädda mig
After Björn Holmgren‘s performance, there’s unlikely to be a dry eye in the ABB Arena in VästerÃ¥s. Having written ‘Rädda mig’ (‘Save Me’) as a tribute to his sister, who sustained lasting brain damage after contracting tick-based encephalitis in 2020, Björn is using his staging to bring the story to life. The stage is set up to look like a hospital waiting room, with three identical red seats and a clock on the wall with hands that turn to show the passage of time. There’s plenty of close camera shots which really allow Björn to deliver an emotionally impactful performance. Björn has put his heart and soul into the song and also into every rehearsal, meaning even non-Swedish speakers will find it difficult not to be moved by this.
Dolly Style – YIHAA
Dolly Style‘s performance of ‘YIHAA’ is cute, country and totally camp! The girls wear cowgirl outfits in their trademark colours and the lighting also flashes in the colours associated with each group member. An elaborate blue and pink archway is flanked on either side by two giant pink horses and the girls are joined by dancers dressed in white cowboy outfits. This is a total change of pace from ‘Rädda mig’ but that could well make it stand out, especially with a chorus that’s going to be stuck in your head for the rest of this week.
Angelino – Teardrops
Having first competed in 2022, Angelino seems like a much more confident performer this time around. He is joined by male dancers who do choreography simulating his emotions throughout the song. The stage is dark with white and blue lighting that really helps the performance to stand out. The use of LEDs is a particular highlight of this performance, with graphics behind and below Angelino that glow and pulsate, as well as LEDs used in the chorus to give the appearance of rain. Angelino’s vocal has been perfect throughout rehearsals, meaning he should have no reason to cry ‘Teardrops’ this weekend.
Annika Wickihalder – Life Again
Last to perform is Annika Wickihalder and if you enjoyed her song ‘Light’ last year, you’re sure to be even more impressed by her performance of ‘Life Again’. Annika delivers a vocally powerful performance right from the start and is joined by four female dancers in the latter half of the song. Transparent draping hangs from the ceiling and there are prisms in front of the lighting, illuminating the stage in a range of colours. It’s sure to leave a lasting impression before the voting intervals and we could definitely be seeing Annika in a Melfest final for the second year running.
Melodifestivalen Heat 3 takes place on February 8th 2025 at 20:00 CET // 19:00 GMT Live on SVT – click here to watch live.
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