The final episode of the 2014 season of Allsång på Skansen aired last night.
Famously, it’s been Petra Marklund’s first season as the TV show’s host. And how did she do?……
Very well actually!
Personally, we never really understood why she decided to take on this job. Her last album was mega successful, in terms of sales, radio play, and being able to tour with it. And thus she has a lot of respect as a singer. With both the media and public waiting for a new album. On the flipside, she’s never exactly been known for her personality – giving tame and often awkward interviews around her music. So it did seem a bit of an odd choice when she was appointed for the job – she didn’t really have much to gain from taking it, and SVT didn’t really have much to gain from offering it to her either.
In the end though, she did it well. And with a strong and diverse line-up of talent each week, this season has raised the bar on Allsång. Icona Pop, John de Sohn, John Martin, Albin & Kristin Amparo, Ace Wilder – a whole new generation of Allsång artist.
We can’t imagine she’ll be back for a second season though. Not just because she doesn’t need to come back to it, and will have music to be getting on with next summer (we hope!), but also because there are so many other entertainers in Sweden that would be a much better fit for it. And besides – ratings have been down. Not so much that SVT need to worry about them, but enough so that the Swedish press have been making a fuss about it, and pointing the finger in the direction of Petra. So the whole experience may have done her more harm than it was worth.
We’re never ones to concentrate on the negative here though. And we salute Petra for her efforts on the show. Particularly the times she got to take to the stage and sing rather than present. Below you can watch the highlights of her music performances on the show while acting as host. From her own biggest hit, to duets with other artists, and of course the usual Allsång fare.
And we await a new Petra Marklund album. Soon. A new September album would be much appreciated too. If she can do Allsång then she can bloody well do an September album too thank you very much!
Händerna Mot Himlen
Tack För Alla Sånger
Live Tomorrow (with Laleh)
Teddybjörnen Fredriksson (with Lasse Berghagen)
Sommärlangtan (with Magnus Carlson)
Fix You (with Magnus Carlson)
Stockholm i Mitt Hjärta
