Alice "Always run with lions!"
Source: Stina Stjernkvist/TT
ImageEurovision 2017InterviewsMedia
By Nathan Stella	 On Feb 24, 2017
Alice Svensson is debuting in Melodifestivalen this year, in the fourth semi-final with her song Running With Lions.
Alice was so nice to have a little interview with us, which you can read here below!
Congratulations on being selected for Melodifestivalen, Alice! What was your first reaction when you heard it?
Thank you so much. Of course I was very happy and I felt very honored and thrilled about it.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Well…. I don't even know where to begin! Haha! I'm adopted from Vietnam but raised in a small place called Hedesunda, in the middle of Sweden. A very, verb small but lovely place. I'm 25 years old and I started to sing professionally when I was around 11 years old. Nowadays I'm single and living in Stockholm. I love food and I also have a huge thing for pillows and kimonos (haha, a very weird fact about me).
What is your song about?
The song is about finding strength, with help from each other actually. Lions is such a great symbol for strong people with great energy. The song will tell it that no matter how hard life is trying to break you down you will always rise, because your surrounded with greatness and good energy. Behind every success there is always a gear team of people.
"Surround yourself with lions" is Alice's advice (Source: Per K.)
Strong people lift others up and pushes and boost each other to always become the best versions of ourself. I really think that is a very important message right now in time based on what kind of horrible things that's happening around the world. There is so much hating going on and I think we all really need to shape up and help each other out. If we all fight together I think we can survive all the haters and turn the world into a loving place again. If you surround yourself with people that has good energy it will affect you too, so always run with lions!
What made you decide to participate in Melodifestivalen?
Me and my team have been thinking of it a lot of times before but there has always been something in the way. I haven't really had that feeling deeply from my heart to do this until now. I'm such a perfectionist so I've wanted to wait until every single piece of me felt ready. When "running with lions" came up it really felt like everything was complete and I knew that this was the time for me to finally going for "Mello".
What would it mean to you to win Melodifestivalen?
It would mean the world to me! I've been dreaming for it since I was a little girl and watched Charlotte Perrelli doing "take me to your heaven" in Jerusalem. I think that winning Mello is the best response you could ever for your music since mello is such a great place for outing new music and songs and it's also a very instant response of what people really think of it. Winning the competition really means that people in the country do respect your music and also that you did a great job with the presentation of What you are trying to Tell people with your song and performance.
What kind of music do you listen to yourself?
All kind of music actually, but when I'm at home I love listening to slow, organic music like acoustic songs or instrumental tracks with a lot of strings in it. It makes me relax, and since I hear music all the time during the days in my work, for like 10 h a day I really need to listen to music that calms me down when I get home.
What is your favourite food?
I love all kind of food, I'm such a foodlover. I literately eat all the time! Italian food has always had a special place in my heart, and also French food.
Do you have a favourite Eurovision song?
My favorite besides "euphoria" is "everything" by Anna Vissi. A great song and she's Amazing singer. The whole performance was very powerful.
What's your favourite song right now?
I'm totally into "work" by Laleh right now. The whole new album by her actually.
Do you have a message for the readers of ESCBubble?
Just wanna tell u all how extremely thankful and happy I am for all your support. I wouldn't have been in this years mello if it wasn't for all of you guys out there. All of you got a lion hidden in there! Bring it out and roar with me the 25/2! Thank u so much, I'm gonna give it my all. I'm so very excited and nervous. Hope u will like it. Lots of love! / Alice
We want to thank you a lot, Alice, for having this interview with us and we wish you the best of luck in Melodifestivalen!
Alice SvenssonEurovision Song Contest 2017Melodifestivalen 2017Running With Lions
Nathan Stella 745 posts 7 comments
My earliest Eurovision memory is "Hemel en Aarde" representing us in 1998. The first edition I saw in full was 2005 in Kyiv and funny enough the first Eurovision I went to was 2017 in Kyiv as well! A wonderful and unique experience.
To me the most beautiful entry ever is 'Lejla' in 2006 and the best winning song 'Euphoria', but '1944' is a close second!
Wiktoria "Wow, winning Melodifestivalen would be incredible!"
Sada Vidoo "My uncle was his own kind of person, and that was my inspiration in life!"