| Eurovision Song Contest News - 2010 Oslo, Norway 

Nordic Sheep

Hello Europe and beyond!

I'm Queen Nordic (formerly Euro) Sheep the First, but you can just call me “Sheep” like everyone else! At the minute I'm 18, studying for my impending IB exams in May 2009 in the sleepiest and one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, whilst preparing myself for the massive challenge that is university!

Like the Olympic flame, the fire of my Eurovision passion was ignited in Greece during the 2006 contest held in the ancient city of Athens. It was a pivotal moment for me as I had always watched bits of the contest in past years but had my enthusiasm extinguished when I could never find the CD in the shops. As soon as I saw the Swiss flag majestically rise out of the water, I was captivated; every song was better than the last, I cast my very first vote for Sweden and out of pure chance, I found the album while waiting in a queue to buy some chocolate!

Like a staggering number of fans, my favourite country is Sweden but I believe my love for this land and its people extends further than a mere passion for the schlager greats. I never saw the attraction in Melodifestivalen until one sunny day when I needed something to listen to on a train journey. I downloaded the 2008 album and sat back in amazement as some of the best pop music I had ever heard made the hours pass like minutes! For me, MF is infinitely better than Eurovision itself (although I don't ask anyone else to share this view) and I really owe one artist in particular a great deal of thanks for saving my life – but this country is capable of so much more than pop and has given me one of my favourite bands ever: Cookies 'n' Beans! It's my dream to go to Globen to see the final live and one day...to live in Stockholm!

I joined esctoday in 2007 after the contest in Helsinki because it was a chance to meet new people, keep up to date with all the ESC news and share opinions. It takes all sorts to make a site like this great; there are some horrid, mean, boring, weird and some plain strange people that I've encountered but then there are some who have made being a member a pleasure and an experience I wouldn't change for the whole world:

- Stockholm Calling: Thank you for all your help and your patience, I am eternally grateful towards you. You are the best! A walking-talking Swedish encyclopaedia and a great friend!
- La Mark – king of Ishtaristan: For making me LMAO about 1000 times in one hour and for reminding me of what I was like before that horrid mess known as “growing up” happened
- Jonny: You were the first person to ever acknowledge that I really existed on this site – at times our opinions have seemed so scarily alike that we could have actually been the same person Thanks for your friendship, my lost long ESC-brother!
- Florian (editor!): When I first joined this site you were one of the people I really looked up to. There is such power, passion and depth to your writing that it's a pleasure to read your articles and discuss issues with you. But not only that, you have made me see that there are great guys out there in the world
- Mina Carnation: For all your kisses in the chat room!
- T K: For being my knight in shining armour and for your support!
- Ben Gray: It's very rare nowadays that you come across people who have the chutzpah and the confidence to say what they do and don't like while at the same time being so precisely eloquent and unfathomably convincing. You are a true individual and it's a real pleasure knowing you.
- Liri: For demystifying one of the most secretive yet amazing music industries in the world! And I will always remember you for giving me that mp3 – you are in my will

And last but certainly not least: Barzin, Fredde “Freddeleus” patte linouu!, Michael UK, Lady Sara of the Northern Lights - Princess of the Daisy Fields, Stew, Eurovizz Inc, Princess Engla, Ana from Serbia, Keith Timmons, togravus ceterum, Morgan S. Trouillet (even though we don't get on!), A o (Aidan), Mazzara, Ajdin Mehic, the chat people, anyone who has kindly replied to one of my reactions and the sheer genius that is Molly Parton!
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My favourite contest Kyiv, Ukraine 2005 / Belgrade, Serbia 2008
My favourite winning song LUXEMBOURG 1965: Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son – France Gall
My favourite winning act GREECE 2005: Helena Paparizou
My favourite entry of all time GEORGIA 2007: Visionary Dream - Sopho
My favourite ESC-nation Sweden
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Melodifestivalen 2009
Words cannot describe how amazing it was this year (although the voting figures really disagree ) and I doubt we'll ever see such a strong line-up again!

Tick Tock – Nina Söderquist *****
Welcome To My Life – Jonathan Fagerlund *****
Med hjärtat fyllt av ljus – Shirley Clamp *****
Jag tror på oss – Scotts *****
You're My World – Emilia *****
Stay The Night – Alcazar *****
Snälla, snälla – Caroline af Ugglas *****
Disconnect Me – Marie Serneholt *****

Show Me Heaven- Lili & Susie *****
Jag ska slåss i dina kvarter! – Lasse Lindh och Bandet ****
Never Been Here Before – Jennifer Brown *****
1000 Miles – H.E.A.T *****
Kärlekssång från mig – Markoolio *****
It's My Life – Amy Diamond *****
What If – Cookies 'n Beans ******************************************************* (you get the idea)
Hope & Glory – Måns Zelmerlöw *****

The Queen – Velvet *****
I Got U – Rigo & The Topaz Sound feat. Red Fox *****
Så vill stjärnorna – Molly Sandén *****
Baby Goodbye – E.M.D. *****
Du vinner över mig! – Mikael Rickfors **
Här för mig själv – Maja Gullstrand *****
Alla – Sofia *****
You're Not Alone – BWO *****

Love Love Love – Agnes *****
Higher – Star Pilots *****
Du är älskad där du går – Susanne Alfvengren *****
Killing Me Tenderly – Anna Sahlene & Marie Haukaas Storeng *****
Sweet Kissin' In The Moonlight – Thorleifs *****
Moving On – Sarah Dawn Finer *****
Esta Noche – Next 3 *****
La Voix – Malena Ernman *****

ESC Moscow, Russia 2009
This was my first full year as an avid watcher of the national finals and to be honest, things did not go the way I wanted them to! I expected Moscow to be the best yet, but I think it's the worst edition this century. I loved 41 songs last year and now I'm struggling to make a convincing top 10 and looking at my favourites who weren't selected, a lot of countries had the chance to be on my ranking and to do well – especially the Balkans!

12 SWEDEN: La Voix – Malena Ernman (Sverige 2010!!!)
10 ESTONIA: Rändajad – Urban Symphony
8 GERMANY: Miss Kiss Kiss Bang – Alex Swings, Oscar Sings!

7 SWITZERLAND: The Highest Heights - Lovebugs
6 ARMENIA: Nor Par – Inga & Anush
5 NORWAY: Fairytale – Alexander Rybak
4 PORTUGAL: Todas As Ruas Do Amor - Flor-de-Lis
3 : ***
2 : ***
1 : ***

Honourable Mentions: Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belarus, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Georgia, France, Ireland, Iceland, Moldova, Malta, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine ***it's up to you to choose these points to give you the best impression of me

N.B. Rankings may change after hearing all final studio versions.

Top 10 National Final Songs of 2009 - One Per Country (No Sweden)
1. Zaigraj Muzikant – Skupina Langa & Manca Špik (Slovenia)
2. Poljupci U Boji – Feminnem (Croatia)
3. Ajër – Besa Kokedhima (Albania)
4. Superstar - Oscar & Beauty Queens feat. Đorđe Marijanović (Serbia)
5. Každý Z Nás – Tomáž Bezdeda (Slovakia)
6. Amante De La Luna – Melody (Spain)
7. See Päev – traFFic (Estonia)
8. Butterflies – Tone Damli Aaberge (Norway)
9. Meren - Riikka (Finland)
10. Undir Regnbogann – Ingó (Iceland)
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Well for now that is it! Once the national final season has ended and my rankings have all settled down I will have my points from 2000-2007 plus an in-depth look at my first 'proper' ESC in 2008, that is if you're interested

Peace,

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