Now that schlager music is a precious rarity and veritable oddity in Melodifestivalen’s annual line-up. Now that it doesn’t even exist outside of the contest at all, because it can’t survive without the platform that only Melodifestivalen could give it. Now that it’s treated as nothing more than novelty. Because of all of these things, every so often we need a reminder that deep down, no matter how much it wants to hide the fact these days, that Sweden still has a place in its heart for schlager music. And that moment arrived during the interval act of last night’s Melodifestivalen. A cheeky and defiant number from Charlotte Perrelli – which stated that schlager fans needed to be saved, the schlager diva needed to be brought back, and that she was the very saviour, the very woman, and the very QUEEN to do it. And all to the music of Helene Fischer’s monster German schlager hit ‘Atemlos Durch Die Nacht’. An inspired moment of absolute genius.
