Alcazar (group)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Andreas Lundstedt, Tess Merkel, Annika "Annikafiore" Kjærgaard |
| Headquarters | Stockholm , Sweden |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Alcazar is a Swedish nu-disco ensemble originating from Stockholm, recognized as one of Sweden's top-selling music groups, having moved over 12 million records worldwide between 2001 and 2004. Their international breakthrough occurred in 2000 with the hit single "Crying at the Discoteque", which charted across the United States, Brazil, Australia, Japan, and various European countries.
The group officially parted ways in August 2011 following a performance at Stockholm Pride, reunited in 2013 to compete in Melodifestivalen 2014, disbanded once more in 2018, and since then have only come together sporadically.
Band career
Established in 1998 by Andreas Lundstedt, Tess Merkel, and Annika "Annikafiore" Kjærgaard (), Alcazar's initial release "Shine On" found success within Sweden. Their major breakthrough was achieved with the track "Crying at the Discoteque", which incorporated a sample from Sheila and B. Devotion’s "Spacer". Both songs were featured on their album Casino, produced by Alexander Bard alongside Anders Hansson.
Subsequent versions of Casino featured a rendition of The Human League's "Don't You Want Me", released as their third single. In the United States, "Crying at the Discoteque" reached No. 44, while "Don't You Want Me" climbed to No. 30 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
Magnus Carlsson became part of the lineup in December 2002. Their sophomore album, Alcazarized (2003), was highly successful domestically and saw an international release in 2004 with refreshed artwork and an updated tracklist. The single "This Is the World We Live In" (September 2004) sampled Diana Ross’s "Upside Down" and Genesis’s "Land of Confusion". Following this, "Physical" was released, sampling Londonbeat’s "I've Been Thinking About You". Both singles preceded the August 2004 release of Dancefloor Deluxe. During the winter of 2004/2005, they issued the holiday-themed single "Here I Am".
In 2005, they unveiled "Start the Fire". During filming for its music video, Kjærgaard sustained a broken foot. Later that year, the group took a break; Lundstedt explored musical theatre including a role in Saturday Night Fever, while Tess embarked on a career as a professional poker player.
In May 2007, Alcazar appeared live at London's nightclub G-A-Y, where Lina Hedlund joined them on stage. This event marked the beginning of what became known as the "New Alcazar" lineup.
Their comeback single "We Keep on Rockin'" was released in January 2008 under Anders Hansson’s production and quickly attained gold certification. In March 2009, they launched Disco Defenders in Sweden—a double-disc collection combining fresh material such as "Burning" with established hits like "Crying at the Discoteque". The album was met with favorable reviews from Swedish critics.
In 2010, Alcazar collaborated on a duet titled "Karma Karma" with British pop duo Same Difference, featured on Same Difference’s album The Rest Is History. Although not formally released as a single, it charted on Swedish iTunes driven by Alcazar’s strong local fanbase.
Following Disco Defenders, work commenced on their fourth studio album, incorporating contributions from emerging German songwriter Victor Finke. The lead single "Good Lovin" debuted in August 2014.
The band reunited to perform during the interval segment of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 final held in Malmö.
Melodifestivalen
Alcazar has participated in Melodifestivalen, Sweden's national contest for selecting its Eurovision Song Contest entry, on five occasions. In 2003, their track "Not a Sinner, Nor a Saint" did not initially secure a spot in the final but progressed through the second chance round, ultimately achieving third place. Although it did not win, the song became the most successful hit of Melodifestivalen 2003, earning Alcazar their first number-one single in Sweden and receiving Gold certification.
In 2005, Alcazar opted out of entering the UK national selection and instead took part in Melodifestivalen 2005 with "Alcastar". Mirroring their 2003 experience, they advanced via the second chance round and finished third behind winner Martin Stenmarck. "Alcastar" reached the top of the Swedish charts, becoming Alcazar's second chart-topping single.
The group returned for Melodifestivalen 2009 with "Stay the Night". Performing during the first semifinal at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, they qualified directly for the final for the first time and placed fifth overall. The song climbed to number two on the Swedish Singles Chart. In Melodifestivalen 2010, they entered with "Headlines", produced by Tony Nilsson and Peter Boström, but only reached the second chance round without advancing to the final.
On 23 February 2013, Alcazar reunited to perform a "best of hits" medley at Melodifestivalen 2013 in Malmö, joined by Swedish artist Danny Saucedo.
Later that year, on 28 November 2013, Alcazar announced their fifth participation in Melodifestivalen with "Blame It on the Disco". They progressed from the fourth semi-final to compete in the final held at Friends Arena on 8 March, where they again secured third place.
On 1 May, Alcazar was chosen as Sweden's spokespersons to announce the voting results during the final of the Eurovision 2014 on 10 May.
Break and line-up changes
In March 2005, Alcazar declared a hiatus. Lundstedt hinted at a comeback by summer 2007. During this break, male members pursued individual endeavors: Lundstedt joined the international ensemble six4one for Eurovision 2006, while Carlsson participated twice in Melodifestivalen.
Lina Hedlund took over from Annikafiore, joining Tess Merkel as female vocalists alongside Lundstedt as the male lead.
Performances
Alcazar reassembled in July 2007 to perform at London Astoria during a Swedish music showcase organized by producer Alexander Bard. Their setlist included three songs—"This Is the World We Live In," "Start the Fire," and "Crying at the Discoteque"—performed alongside BWO and Army of Lovers. Despite positive reception, Lundstedt indicated that future appearances would be sporadic.
On 5 July 2008, Alcazar appeared at G-A-Y Astoria for Pride London, delivering their popular tracks plus a rendition of "Funkytown" with BWO. They also performed at Bologna's Italian Gay Pride parade in June and returned to G-A-Y’s new venue Heaven on New Year's Eve 2008.
All five members reunited for EuroPride 2018. In 2020, they briefly regrouped for Melodifestivalen's Hall of Fame event hosted by Lina Hedlund and reunited once more as an interval act during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
Discography
- Casino (2000)
- Alcazarized (2003)
- Disco Defenders (2009)
External links
- Alcazar (band)
- Swedish musical trios
- Musical groups established in 1998
- Swedish dance music groups
- Swedish pop music groups
- Swedish Eurodance groups
- Swedish electronic music groups
- Musical groups disbanded in 2011
- Sony Music Publishing artists
- Schlager groups
- Europop groups
- Nu-disco musicians
- 1998 establishments in Sweden
- English-language musical groups from Sweden
- Musical groups from Stockholm
- Musical groups disestablished in 2011