Dance Like You're The Only One Around

David Jordan

First a MASSIVE shout out to Paul for introducing me to this track. I never would have heard it if not for the reccomendation.

There are certain songs that deserve to be hits. They demand to be heard and need to be recognized on charts around the world. Often times songs like this struggle to find an audience and fall victim to the recording industry and mis-management.

This is one of those songs. The good news is that it is starting to get some recognition! It was just added to BBC's Radio 1 Playlist and is currently sitting at #22 in the Uk singles chart.

It's hard to believe that David Jordan is only 23 years old and that this is his 2nd single off his debut album. The song 'Sun Goes Down' is about the madness that begins when the sun goes down in London. It's such a funky high energy track makes you want to get up and sing along. What a great song this would be to see live!

The single is officially released on February 4th in the Uk. Here's hoping he makes the top 5!

David Jordan - Sun Goes Down

P.S. I played it for a friend and he said it sounded like a celtic pop song. It doesn't :)

That Girl Is Dangerous

M.Pokora

WOWSA! Timbaland sure knows how to pick em! If you don't know him already, let me introduce you to Matt Pokora, better known as M.Pokora.

Matt shot to fame back in 2003 as in a season of Frances 'Popstars.' He eventually won and became a member of the band 'Linkup.' They had a few hit singles in France... one of those being a surprising duet. The song 'Bubblin' from Uk boyband 'Blue' was turned into a duet with Linkup. The result was an extremely cheesy video where clips of Linkup are simply inserted into Blue's oroginal video. You can see the video here.

All that was over soon enough and Matt was able to start a successful solo career. He actually has acouple good songs on his own. He dueted with Ricky Martin on 'It's ALright' which you can look up on youtube if you're interested.

Things are about to change for this relatively unknown french singer though as he has teamed up with the mighty Timbaland for his new single 'Dangerous.' Everything Timaland touches turns to gold and it won't be any different for M.Pokora.

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I don't normally get into a lot of R & B songs but I really like the beat of this song. That being said it is very "Timbaland" sounding. I can't help but wonder how long these kinds of songs will last for. This formula can only be successful for so long before people get tired of the same sounding songs over and over. I hope Timbaland can adapt and come up with new sounds on his future recordings instead of sticking to the same thing over and over.

M.Pokora - Dangerous

I'm Gonna Get Stage Fright, Caught In The Headlights

The Corrs

I've been listening to my old Corrs albums lately and found myself missing them... so here is a post about one of the most talented bands around.

I find it interesting how a band can go from being on top of the world to struggling to have a hit single. There was a time when The Corrs were on top of the world. In the late 90's they started to get international attention. Then in 2000 - 2002 they hit the mainstream. Their albums and singles sailed high in the charts across the globe. Their 2000 album 'In Blue' hit number 1 in 7 countries. Who wasn't singing along to 'Breathless' back in 2000?! WHO?! Their tours were massive and sold out across the globe.

Eventually something seemed to change and their popularity began to decline rapidly. In 2004 they released the album 'Borrowed Heaven.' I remember seeing them live in the Uk in 2004 at Party In The Park. Even the band seemed baffled at the lack of response from the audience. Only 3 years before on the same stage the band had full command of the audience. In 2004 it seemed the audience had little interest in the band or their new single 'Summer Sunshine.'

Now I happened to love the singles that were released from 'Borrowed Heaven' and feel like they deserve continued success. The band are currently on hiatus while they focus on their families. I really hope that they make a comeback in a year or two and reclaim their rightful place at the top of the pops around the world again.

The Corrs - Long Night

This song might be a little slow for you guys but it is actually one of my favorite Corrs songs of all time and since it's my blog I'll post it! I don't know what it is about it that I can't get enough of. Andrea has the most amazing voice and Sharon on the violin is flawless. I think if you give it a chance you'll enjoy it :) It's the kind of song you listen to when you're in the mood for some quiet mellow music.

We're Only Prisoners Of Circumstance

So I after my year end countdown I was meaning to do another post on Amy Diamond and this whole plagarism thing reminded me to do it and so here it is!

Like I mentioned below Amy Diamond is one of the wildcards in Melodifestivalen this year and that's GREAT NEWS! It means that even though she JUST released an AMAZING new album recently... we're going to get a brand new single from her in February.

If you are a fan of fun POP music... you need to order Amy's 3rd album - Music In Motion. Every track is better than the one before. I am wildly impressed with the talent that she has and she's only just turning 16 years old!

Amy Diamond - Graduation Song

When I saw the title I wasn't looking forward to hearing the song. I expected something really corny and boy was I proved wrong. I wish it had a different title because although the song can apply to one's graduation... it can be applied to many different situations.

Amy Diamond - Speed Of Light

Something that sounds like it belongs on Darin's album last album. It's something a little more 'cool' sounding than some of her other songs. What I love about all of Amy's songs is that they always have some really different sounds in them that you don't hear used in a lot of songs.

Please support the artist by purchasing her album online with free shipping worldwide - Here

Plagarism? You Decide

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Amy Diamond vs Paolo Meneguzzi

Every year across the globe artists are accused of plagarism. Basically taking a song... changing the words and maybe the construction of the song and passing it off as their own.

It's a touchy subject especially when music fans get involved and are defending their favorite artists. It can be extremely hard to prove as well. How do you prove that someone who writes a song similar to someone elses was aware of the original? Many people say that it's only normal for two songs to eventually be released that sound alike.

Artists and song writers are constantly being sued for plagarising songs and often the accused end up settling outside of court with details that are never released.

Eurovision season is upon us and it is not immune to these types of allegations and it seems they come up every year. Last year Scooch's entry was accused of copying a song originally recorded by Pandora.

Well this year is no different as the finger pointing already begins.

Switzerland has already selected their song for Eurovision 2008. A beautiful ballad that picks up the pace in the second half and is going to be a real crowd pleaser for sure!

Here's the problem: The song is eerily similar to a song called 'It Can Only Get Better' that was released as a single in 2006 by Swedish pop sensation - Amy Diamond. Things are even more juicy because Amy is currently trying to win the spot to represent Sweden at Eurovision this year! I imagine if she wins there will be some awkward moments in the green room!

Now I am a HUGE fan of Amy. I've actually posted her song 'It Can Only Get Better' at least twice here before, so if you're a regular here you've probably heard it already. I've listened to both songs and I actually really LOVE Paolo's song. It's probably going to end up being one of my favorites this year. BUT... the song is VERY VERY similar to Amy's, especially the first minute.

I've read the comments online and it seems alot of people disagree with me... maybe I'm bias because I'm an Amy fan? I'd love to hear what you lot think! Vote on the right hand side.

If you haven't heard the two songs... here is are two videos. I will also post a good quality version of Paolo's track when I get it.

Welcome To The Future Of Ace of Base

So I should have posted this ages ago... but I'm finally getting to it. The time has FINALLY come... for the return of Ace of Base. Last month the band officially confirmed that Linn is no longer a part of the group and will have no role in the new album or tour. Fans of the band know that Linn hasn't really been a part of the band for the last decade... so this doesn't change much for the band.

Ace of Base played a number of concerts in November/December and they are now looking forward to a big year in 2008! Nothing is 100% confirmed... it seems plans are always changing when it comes to Ace of Base, but here is what is currently planned.

Ace of Base will go on a world tour in 2008 in support of a new remix album of their old hits. A new studio album will follow in September 2008! This will be the first new album since 2003's Da Capo. It is also the longest time that fans have had to wait between albums.

While on tour this winter the band have debuted a brand new version of their classic hit - Wheel Of Fortune. It is rumoured that this will be the first re-mix single from the remix album. The band says to expect more of this new sound from them on future recordings. Take a listen below... keep in mind that this is a live version.

Ace of Base - Wheel Of Fortune 2008

I'm a little dissapointed to hear that the first new thing we're getting from the band is a re-release of an old hit... but perhaps this is the best way to get some renewed interest in the band and then hit them with a new album! The new sound is really exciting and this is a really good mix. I'd love to hear the studio verison.

Fridays Fantastic New Singles

So I have acouple random new tracks to share that I'm currently playing and wanted to get some feedback on...

Jordin Sparks Feat. Chris Brown - No Air

I'm not big on R & B tracks... I find them pretty cookie cutter usually but this new track is really different from a lot of other tracks on the radio at the minute. It's a really "full/big" sounding song. i doubt they could ever re-create the greatness of this track live... but it's a great duet. I'm really impressed!

Worlds Apart - En Ecrit Sur Les Mur

Just when you thought there was no one other boy bands from the 90's that would try to make a comeback... here from French boyband - Worlds Apart with a comeback single. It's a pretty song... but not really 'comeback' material. Does anyone else find the whole 'Riverdance' part a bit random? It doesn't really fit in with the rest of the song.

BWO - Give Me The Night (Soundfactory Radio Mix)

In less than 2 months BWO will release their new single from Melodifestivalen. Until then they leave us with their last single from their 3rd album. To be honest I've been a little dissapointed with BWO's singles for quite sometime. I don't feel like they've ever been able to live up to their first album. They've had some great rays of sunshine with Chariots of Fire and Destiny Of Love... and Give Me The Night isn't bad... although it's no 'Temple Of Love.' It's a catchy ditty and a good lead up to the greatness that is destined to be their next single! I CANT WAIT!

Man Meadow - Viva La Musica

No it's not a cover of the 'Lolly' classic (Bonus points if you got that reference). The guys are Swedish and the song was written by Thomas G:Son and is currently competing in the Polish National Song Contest to select the entry for Eurovision 2008. The song is catchy enough... but Man Meadow? I think they could use a new name.

Why Stand Up And Steal It...

V

So I was reading Pauls blog over at TheZapping.com and he posted some great thoughts on boyband 'V' and it inspired me to make a post about the short lived boyband.

'V' were a great act that deserved far more than they received. Although they were dropped prematurely they still managed to squeeze out an entire album which had some great pop gems on it. I was lucky enough to see them live back in 2004. I remember they hit the stage at a festival I was at in the Uk. When they came out I started screaming for them... the blonde one kept waving at me. It's pretty embarassing now that I think about it! I remember the guy next to me was like... "Tell me you don't actually like this sh*t." He started booing... so I screamed louder. It was rather funny.

Hip to Hip will forever be one of the catchiest boyband tracks ever and one of my all time fave songs to dance to at clubs in the Uk! The album had some great tracks like 'Hold Me' and 'Breakaway.' The video for 'Can You Feel It' was super fun and cheesy in all the best possible ways. Also let's not forget the famous TOTP singing in the rain performance... youtube it if you haven't seen it! It's classic!

Their last single was the ballad - You Stood Up. What was really interesting about the cd single was that the cd came with a whopping 10 versions of the song on it! 5 of the versions were of each guy singing the song solo. Now maybe it's a little much to have 5 versions of the same song but I thought it was pretty cool that you could have the song sung by whichever guy you liked the best. Talk about great marketing! After listening to all 5 versions I like the version sung by Ant the best. I know every pop blog out there has done a post dedicated to V... but I figured why not me!

V - You Stood Up (Acoustic Version)

V - You Stood Up (Ant Version)

V - Hip To Hip

V - Hold Me

The Final Countdown... Number 1

Here it is... my favorite song of 2007

#1: Take That - We Love To Entertain You

WOW! It's the only word that I can use to describe this song. The song was released in Germany as the b-side to 'Shine.' The track came about when the band was asked to participate in a promotion for a German television channel. The advertising slogan was 'We Love To Entertain You' and the campaign saw various celebrities using the slogan in different ways. Take That managed to write the song as theme song for the band and their comeback which has truly exceeded all expectations. Gary Barlow is turly a genius when it comes to writing amazing pop songs. In a year when aging pop bands are announcing comebacks every week... Take That have managed to re-create their success and keep it going.

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The band are currently working on a new album to be released in 2008 and I only hope that it includes more tracks like this one.

The Final Countdown... Number 2

Here is the last song before we get to my Number One song of 2007!

#2: The Attic - Remember Tomorrow

The Attic have created hands down one of the best albums of all time. Originally released in 2006... it was re-released with some new additions in 2007. One of those additions is the SPECTACULAR 'Remember Tomorrow.' The first time I heard it my heart stopped for a second it was that amazing. It was so hard not to put this song at number 1. It is so energetic and hard hitting! It has the official best key change of 2007 by far! It is the number 2 most played song on my iPod. The only song played more often is the song that made it to number 1!

If this band does not release another album I don't know what I will do. If you love good pop music you can't go wrong with their album. Every song is pure gold! If you're a frequent reader of my blog you may remember I posted a bunch of their songs back when I first started this blog! After all this time they are still wowing me with their infectious songs.

The Final Countdown... Number 3

#3: Sanna Nielsen - Vagar Du, Vagar Jag

I wouldn't be surprised if some of you didn't agree with Sanna's track being in my top 3. Is it the 3rd BEST single of the year? Probably not. But this isn't about the BEST songs... it's about my favorite songs! And Sanna sung one of my top 3 favorite songs of the year. To have a song that was released almost a year ago now still playing almost every day in my iPod!? That means it must be good!

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The track was her entry into Melodifestivalen 2007 and she made it to the final round with it! She sung her heart out on the night of the final but with such tough competition it was clear fans were looking for something a little more different from Carolas 'Invincible.' I WISH I could hear this song in english... but I'm afraid these kinds of songs end up losing some of their punch when you translate them into english. Take Evighet or Vindarna Vander Oss... while they were still amazing... neither of them were as good in english. Something about the Swedish language that really packs a punch!

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I only hope that this time next year her new track 'Empty Room' will make an appearance on my favorite songs of 2008! Not long to wait now!

The Final Countdown... Number 4

#4: McFly - The Heart Never Lies

Initially I wasn't a huge McFly fan. I thought they were a cheap, younger version of 'Busted' and I really didn't give them the time of day. But after seeing them live I remember leaving and I couldn't stop singing the infectious 'Obviously.'

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It wasn't until their 2nd album 'Wonderland' that I really became a big McFly fan. The second album was a lot more mature sounding and a bit more mellow than their first. It really proved that the band has a lot of talent. The album is still one of my favorites to this day! That being said I haven't really been impressed with the songs they've released since 'Wonderland.' It got so bad that I stopped listening to their new songs when they were being released. I simply lost interest in the band completely and what they were doing.

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Then for some random reason I decided to listen to 'The Heart Never Lies' and I was hooked. Just the way the song starts off slow and builds up as it goes along. The lryics are great and the guys sound amazing. This song is definitely worthy of a spot on anyones year end coundown.

The Final Countdown... Number 5

#5: Jimmy Jansson - Kan Nagon Saga Mej Varfor

So I know I posted about this song during my 'Men Of Sweden' post, but I really can't get enough of Jimmy Jansson. I actually bought his album on a whim without hearing any of his songs besides Amanda and Som Sommaren which was posted by PPG on her blog.

Lets just say that it was one of my best album purchases of the year. Of all the great tracks on the album this song it the one I still cannot stop playing. It doesn't matter that I don't understand a word of what he is saying :) Actually if anyone knows what the song title means it would be great if you would let me know! I could look it up but i'm far too lazy!

The moral of this post: This song rocks and is in my top 5 of the year!

The Final Countdown... Number 6

We're now at the halfway mark! Only 5 songs left in my Final Countdown of my favorite songs of 2007.

#6: Hellogoodbye - Here In Your Arms

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This song is actually not a very good representation of the rest of their album... it seems the band got extremely lucky with this track because they've failed to have anymore major chart success with the album.

So it seems that the stars aligned when they recorded 'Here In Your Arms.' It was one of those perfect summer songs. One you could blast and all your friends could sing and dance along to. The lyrics are simple and easy to sing along to (except for the chorus... you can just make up words for the chorus and noone will be able to tell the difference... it's all part of the fun really!) So thankyou Hellogoodbye for giving me one of my favorite songs of the year!

The Final Countdown... Number 7

#7: Magnus Carlsson - Waves Of Love

One of the most memorable moments for me this year was at the Globen in Stockholm during 'Melodifestivalen.' Various celebrities were coming on stage to read the results from various cities in Sweden. Every time a new celebrity came out they received a round of applause... nothing special... until they announced Magnus Carlsson and started to blast his entry that had already been eliminated 'Live Forever.' No one... not even Carola received the same kind of reception as Magnus. It was clear from his face that he was extremely surprised by the reaction as well. It was as if the audience was saying... "We're sorry for not voting for your song, you should have been up there tonight." It was an amazing moment... and the look on his face was priceless. If my voice wasn't gone from screaming for Sanna and Mans already... it was definitely gone once Magnus hit the stage!

Although his song 'Live Forever' didn't make it to the final in Melodifestivalen, Magnus went on to release a great first English solo album. It was exactly what you would have wanted from a summer album and 'Waves Of Love' was definitely a summer anthem for me. A great song to blast from the car when you're driving around in the summer.

We Interupt The Countdown To Bring You Something Special...

I wanted to get through the countdown before I posted anything new for all of you...

But unfortunately this cannot wait. If I had heard the song earlier it most definitely would have been in my top ten for sure. I've JUST got this song and have already played it about 15 times in a row now.

Peter Cincotti - Goodbye Philadelphia

It's not very 'pop' but it's great nevertheless... If you appreciate good songs across different genres then you will be able to appreciate this song from Peter Cincotti who is only 24 years old!

He has actually been around for quite sometime now. His new album of original material will be released in the USA in 2008 and you can expect to hear more about him very soon.

The Final Countdown...Number 8

#8: Sugababes - About You Now

*I don't know if anyone ever watches the youtube links that I post... but if there is one video you need to watch... it's this one; Sugababes perform About U Now (Acoustic)*

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I feel like I keep repeating myself lately with some of these artists and songs... but It's just a lot of these songs are really just that great! I tried to stay away from some of the songs that are going to be on everyones top 10... but there was no staying away from this track. If you haven't heard it you must have been living under a rock this year. The single has just made another jump back up the Singles chart in the Uk last week from #19 to #12! Why is this such a big deal? Because the song was released September 19th 2007! It's still in the top 20 almost 4 months after it's initial release! The song spent 4 weeks at number one and is now officially the girls biggest hit to date.

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Most acts peak early in their careers and never truly reach the heights that they started off at... but depite a number of problems, mostly involving line up changes... the band continues to have success. Why? Because they are genuinely talented and release great songs. I've been lucky enough to see them live twice now... and each time they blew me away with how great they sounded live. Something that one has to respect in a pop artist. In the comments section Paul from 'The Zapping.com' mentioned the 3 album/Greatest Hits/Split curse that has plagued so many other bands... it's a formula that the Sugababes I'm happy to say, have broken.

The Final Countdown... Number 9

#9: Markus Fagervall - All The Way

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The winner of Swedish Idol 2006 and his debut album included this gem of a track. It's a bit of rock with a bit of pop... I love the backing vocals in the chorus... when I was trying to decide if I really wanted to put this song in my top 10 all it took was hearing those vocals again and I knew it belonged as one of my top 10 faves this year. His album 'Echo Heart' is full of edgy rock/pop tracks and has already gone double platinum in Sweden.

The Final Countdown... Number 10

This is it... my top 10 favorite songs of 2007... lets begin with #10!

#10: Girls Aloud - Girl Overboard

For those of us that were slightly dissapointed with the new Girls Aloud album, one of the bright spots on the album is this hard hitting track. When I really think about it I don't actually know if it would do that well as a single actually... but that doesn't make me love it any less. The girls have really shown a lot of maturity in their image and sound in 2007 and I think this is key to their staying power. They really are a group that has been on the cutting egde of pop music since they were formed almost 5 years ago now! They've outlived almost every pop act around and they're still going extremely strong in the charts. I for one can't wait to see what they're going to do next.

The Final Countdown... The Runners Up

This will be the last post before we get to my TOP TEN of 2007!! These are the songs that I would consider to be runners up... I LOVED them this year... but they didn't get as much 'play' as the rest of the songs on my list. Still they deserve to be mentioned!

Soren Bregendal - Untold

I've posted acouple songs from Danish band C21 this year... Soren used to be a part of C21 and he released his solo album 'Life Is Simple, Not Easy' this year. While I found the album to be a little lacklustre... this song stood out and I played it regularly over the past few months.

Erik Segerstedt - How Did We Change

Erik Segerstedt - 2 Happy 2 Soon

Back in the spring I posted a comparison of Erik Segerstedt vs Markus Fagervall. At the time I said that Erik's album was superior to Markus'. While I still agree that Erik's album is better overall, Erik failed to have a song in my top ten... can the same be said for Markus? Check out my next post for the answer.

Backstreet Boys - Helpless When She Smiles

Backstreet Boys - Any Other Way

Backstreet Boys - Something That I Already Know

'Unbreakable' is probably the first BSB album to really flop... and I say it's because the band didn't work with Max Martin at all which is a crime! But still... I've always been a huge BSB fan and I did enjoy the new album. 'Inconsolable' was a lame first single I thought... but there are definitely some bright spots on the album. The album also did extremely well in Canada where there has always been a lot of support for the band. At the end of the day I think this might be the end of BSB. These songs are some of the best songs from 'Unbreakable.'

Ultra - Feeling Alive

Uk Band 'Ultra' came back out of nowhere and released an independant pop album... something that is rarely seen in the world of pop. While no one even knew they did it... the album was really good... Feeling Alive is a great song from the alb.


BWO - The Destiny Of Love

BWO continue to show us that they know how to make the oddest videos in the history of Pop. Every video they release is more creative and odd than the last. While I wasn't truly impressed by any of their singles this year, Destiny Of Love was a solid track backed by a wonderfully strange video.

Danny - Feat. Therese - If Only You

One of the smartest moves in the world of pop in 2007 was deciding to add Therese to this track from Danny's album and release it as a single!

Alphabeat - 10'000 Nights Of Thunder

I dedicated a post to Alphabeat last month and I think you all should go out and buy their album!

Da Buzz - Take All My Love

Da Buzz showed us just how many hits they've had in the last 10 years with the release of their Greatest Hits album this year which gave us this amazing track.

Damien Leith - 22 Steps

This song only gets posted because I think the song has wonderful lyrics. I'd actually love to hear someone cover it and make it better, I don't think Damien does it justice. He does sing it quite nicely live though!

Girlband - Electric

Australia shows us that the 'Popstars' brand isn't dead with 'Girlband'

Girls Aloud - Call The Shots

One of the girls best selling singles in sometime... it stayed in the top 5 for ages in the Uk.

Enrique Iglasias - Wish I Was Your Lover

These are the kinds of songs Enrique needs to be releasing as singles!

Sugababes - Never Gonna Dance Again

The Sugababes really brought me back as a fan this year... their album was spectacular!

The Final Countdown...

Melodifestivalen 2007

Some of my favorite songs of the year came from Melodifestivalen. It's been almost a year since the 32 songs were released and some of these songs are still so good that I play them constantly. While I loved so many of the songs... the ones I'm listing here are the ones that are so good that I continue to play them constantly. Since most of these songs have been around and posted on numerous blogs over the year I won't be posting links to the mp3... but if there is one you would like feel free to leave a comment and I will add the link.

Sonja Alden - For Att Du Finns

Uno & Irma - God Morgon

Mans Zelmerlow - Cara Mia

Of coarse Melodifestivalen 2007 helped pave the way for the massive success that Mans has had in 2007. It was clear that Mans won over the publics heart with his performance of Cara Mia. When his album was released soon after the competition he showed us what a true pop album should sound like. 'Stand By' is one of my top 5 pop albums of the year and had some of my favorite songs like...

Mans Zelmerlow - Miss America

Mans Zelmerlow - Brother Oh Brother

Mans Zelmerlow - Work Of Art (Da Vinci)

Linda Bengtzing & Markoolio - Varsta Schlagern

One of my favorite Swedish female singers of all time was supposedly denied a place in Melodifestivalen in 2007. So she shot back by releasing the song on her own... a cheecky duet with Markoolio. 'Varsta Schlagern' was their way at poking fun of of the chaos that is 'Melodifestivalen.' The music video has to be one of the best videos of the year as well. If you follow Melodifestivalen at all you'll see spoofs of all your favorite artsits from 2006 including BWO and Carola.

The good news is that Linda Bengtzing is BACK in 2008 with a massive Schlager Stompter! She's going to be guaranteed entry to the final round for sure!