ISA, from Sweden, will participate in Melodifestivalen for the second year in a row. Last year, she finished 7th with a total of 56 points. She will compete, this year, in the second semi-final with her song ”I will wait”.

She took the time to talk to ESCBubble about her entry and her forthcoming participation in the Swedish national selection for Eurovision 2016.

What was your first reaction when you were told that you would participate in Melodifestivalen this year?

I got a little shocked, thinking “Jeez! I gotta start practicing on my song immediately!” After the shock I turned a little bit calmer and of course, happier.

Can you tell us about yourself and your musical career?

I’m 17 years old and I come from Stockholm Sweden and I live with my family. My biggest addiction in life is music. I’ve always loved being in the center of attention and performing on a stage is something I crave for. So becoming an artist has always been an obvious dream for me. And the dream started for real last year, when I got to the finals in the Swedish Melodifestivalen with my song Don’t Stop. Last year was the most amazing year in my entire life. I got to release songs I’ve written on my own and together with other songwriters. I also went touring across the country to perform and meet all my beautiful fans. And I gotta mention the day I found out I got the opportunity to compete in Melodifestivalen once more. This time with ny new song “I Will Wait”, which I love. Well, that’s a year full of more fun things than a 17-year old ever can dream of. 😉

Is there a message behind your song?

Yes, for sure. It’s about waiting for true love. I have always been the one who’s ready to wait for the real thing, no matter how long it takes. I can really relate to the song, which means a lot, since I’m the one who’s gonna stand there delivering every word.

Why did you decide to enter the contest, once again, this year?

If I tell you last year in the contest was the most exciting and crazy days I’ve experienced, I think it’s pretty obvious. This is all I ever wanted.

Do you have any goals for the contest this year?

I always step into a competition to impress people and to do my best. Going to the finals and winning would be a bonus.

Would it feel special to represent your country at Eurovision in Stockholm?

It would make me feel proud and powerful.

What do you think of the previous Swedish participants in Eurovision?

They all deserved it, and I think every single one of them did an incredible job in their on ways. But my absolute favorite is Loreen with “Euphoria”. That performance was one of a kind.

Are you a Eurovision fan? What are your favourite Eurovision songs?

Yeah, I used to watch both Eurovision and Melodifestivalen before I competed myself. My favorite songs are probably “Tonight Again”(2015), by Guy Sebastian from Australia and “Euphoria” (2012) by Loreen.

Do you have other plans for 2016?

Too many! I wanna do a lot things. Of course releasing more music, touring again, but this time with a band. During the fall I will go to the USA, writing music. In the end I want to become a big artist world wide. It’s a huge goal, but that’s the only type of goals I’m spending my time thinking about. 🙂

Do you have any special ideas (ex: dancers, choreography…) for your live performance during the national selection?

The performance is going to be something different, and I’m even more excited about this than last year. Since the new song is a beautiful, but cool ballad I will focus a lot on my voice and the feeling of the song.

Do you have musical inspirations?

Listening to music in general inspires me. Well I’m addicted. A day can’t go by without me walking around with headphones in my ears, listening to everything from R&B and hip hop to acoustic singer songwriters. But my biggest idol is Beyoncé.

You participated in Melodifestivalen last year. Do you think the experience you gained last year will help you in this year’s contest?

It will definitely help me focus on the right things, and enjoy my minutes up on stage. But my chances of winning? I have no idea. There are 28 newsongs. It’s like starting all over again. You never know what’s going to happen.

What would you like to say to your fans who are going to support during the national final?

I hope you love my song and my performance as much as I do. This is all I ever wanted to do. I’ll show you everything I’ve got.

We wanted to get to know ISA a little bit better, we asked her what is her favourite:

• Song: Right now I’m really in love with “I’ll Show You” by Justin Bieber.
• Artist: Beyoncé
• Movie: About Time
• Book: The Hunger Games (in Swedish and English)
• Sport: Dance
• Dish: Pizza

We would like to thank ISA for taking the time to do this interview and we would also like to wish her the best of luck for the Swedish national selection. Until the show, you can take a look at her performance, last year, during the Grand Final:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL1reQO8NZc