Sweden: Tusse wins Melodifestivalen – To Eurovision 2021 with "Voices"

After five weeks of shows, it was time for the sixth and final week of Melodifestivalen 2021. The 2021 edition of Melodivestivalen was different in terms of shows as the 6 week tour had been scrapped and without an audience due to COVID-19. All six shows were broadcast from Annexet, one of the venues in Stockholm Globe City.

From 28 songs and six shows, all was concluded tonight, when the Swedish public and eight international juries agreed to send Tusse for Rotterdam with the song "Voices". Tusse won the international juries and received the most votes from the public (2,964,269 votes), and the bookmakers didn't have any doubt in Tusse as the winner.

And... Once again, The Mamas beat Dotter with just 1 point.

Tusse

Tousin Michael Chiza, 19, was born in Congo-Kinshasa and came to Sweden alone as a refugee when he was just 8 years-old.

He had his breakthrough after winning the 2019 edition of Swedish Idol. Before that, in 2018, he took part in Sweden's Got Talent. Tusse had advanced to the semi final of the show and subsequently released his debut single ”My Soul Is Calling You”, a tribute to his deceased mother.

The song was followed by the ballad ”A Better You”, a rendering of Whitney Houston's ”How Will I Know”. Tusse's first post-Idol single was released, ”Innan du går” (”Before You Go”), which also was his first song in Swedish.

Tusse's winning song "Voices" is written by Anderz Wrethov, Jimmy "Joker" Thörnfeldt, Joy Deb and Linnea Deb.

Melodifestivalen 2021

• 6 February 2021: Deltävling 1
• 13 February 2021: Deltävling 2
• 20 February 2021: Deltävling 3
• 27 February 2021: Deltävling 4
• 6 March 2021: Second Chance
• 13 March 2021: Final

All the shows were broadcast from Annexet in Stockholm without audience. A total of 10 hosts guided the viewers through the Melodifestivalen season. Tonight's show was hosted by Måns Zelmerlöw, Shima Niavarani and Christer Björkman.

The format for Melodifestivalen 2021 was the same as in previous years meaning that in each of the 4 heats 2 songs qualified directly to the final and another 2 songs qualified to Andra Chansen (Second Chance).

Sweden in Eurovision Song Contest

Since 1958 Sweden has participated 59 times in Eurovision Song Contest with great succes. They have won the contest 6 times:

• 1974: ABBA – Waterloo
• 1984: Herreys – Diggi-loo Diggy-ley
• 1991: Carola – Fångad Av En Stormvind
• 1999: Charlotte Nilsson – Take Me To Your Heaven
• 2012: Loreen – Euphoria
• 2015: Måns Zelmerlöw – Heroes

They came last two times (1963 and 1977), and since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004 Sweden managed to qualify for the Grand Final 15 out of 16 times! (only skipped the qualification in 2010)