I recently made a playlist of songs from #melfest 2002-2010. A very extensive one. A very good one. And suddenly I know what I hope the new team in charge will do.

When the entries were mainly selected through open submission, that left songwriters the chance to write what they wanted, for who they wanted. Quite a lot of quirky brilliance was born like that. #melfest

People could write for whoever they wanted to write for, rather than to hammer something together to suit someone SVT wants on their show. That opened up for surprises. #melfest

These days, when most of the entries are not just handpicked but rather tailormade to suit the SVT wishlist, there’s a lot less diversity. No organic surprises, just surprises commissioned by the SVT team. #melfest

When I listened to the snippets of #melfest semi two, what I heard just underlined this feeling. It’s not bad at all but very samey in a way the lineups never were before. Obviously designed to suit someone’s wishlist.

”But that’s the way the music industry works now.” Perhaps. But it’s not creative. It’s not building up to another Swedish victory. It’s not making a very good show either. #melfest

I hope the team will focus on open submission again. Give songwriters a chance to take risks and occasionally giving you something wonderful and original. (And sometimes entries that are bad but in the most entertaining ways.) #melfest