With just a few days left until the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 and in the midst of the dress rehearsals, social media is abuzz with accusations of plagiarism concerning one of the finalist entries. Specifically, regarding “Unforgettable,” the song by Marcus & Martinus, representing Sweden in the 68th edition of the European competition.
On social media, the song has been accused of sounding similar to “Salva Mea” by Faithless, a track released in 1996. Marcus & Martinus themselves responded to these claims on TV4’s Efter Fem, stating, “There are probably just four identical notes. Those same four chords are found in every other song in the world, so it doesn’t really matter.”
You can compare both songs below:
«Unforgettable» – Marcus & Martinus
«Salva Mea» – Faithless
For Jan-Olof Gullö, professor of music and audiovisual production at the Royal College of Music, he would be surprised if these accusations “turned into a legal process.” Therefore, he does not believe they have much legal traction in the event of a possible lawsuit. As a result, the music and audiovisual production expert asserts that the song has not been plagiarized.
SVT noted that the last favorable court ruling proving plagiarism dates back 20 years when Drängarna were convicted of copying a song. “In that case, there were about 20 identical notes,” says Jan-Olof Gullö. In 2002, the Swedish Supreme Court determined that the violin loop in “Om Du Vill Bli Min Fru” was similar to the violin melody in “Tala Om Vart Du Ska’ Resa” by the 1970s group Landslaget, confirming the plagiarism.
It is worth noting that in 2023, there were also discussions about plagiarism in “Tattoo,” the winning entry performed by the Swedish singer Loreen at the Eurovision Song Contest. At that time, several users on social media saw too many similarities with “Flying Free,” the track by Pont Aeri.
Who are Marcus & Martinus? Meet Sweden’s representatives for Eurovision 2024.
Marcus and Martinus Gunnarsen are a Norwegian duo, both 22 years old, born in Elverum, near Oslo. However, they grew up in Trofors, a small village with just 800 inhabitants. At only 10 years old, they gained fame by winning Melodi Grand Prix Junior in 2012 with the song “To dråper vann.” Three years later, they released their first studio album “Hei,” which reached number 1 on the Norwegian Albums chart, remaining on the chart for 35 weeks.
In 2016, they began releasing music in English, establishing themselves as teenage idols across Scandinavia. They achieved further success with their first English-language album, “Together,” and collaborations with artists like Madcon.
In 2017, the duo gave Norway’s points at Eurovision, just days before performing at the 40th birthday of Sweden’s Princess Victoria with “On This Day,” a song composed especially for her. Later that year, they released “Moments,” their third and most recent album to date. In 2022, they won the Swedish version of The Masked Singer. Afterward, they released their first single entirely produced by a Swedish team, “When All the Lights Go Out,” with Melodifestivalen veterans Herman Gardarfve, Melanie Wehbe, and Patrik Jean among the songwriters.
A year later, SVT announced the duo as participants in Melodifestivalen, where they finished second. In 2024, they returned to Melodifestivalen as clear favorites, ultimately winning the competition.
“Unforgettable” the Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024
Like their previous song at Melodifestivalen, “Unforgettable” is composed by both twins along with the veteran Swedish preselection songwriters Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt and the siblings Joy and Linnea Deb. Thörnfeldt won Eurovision last year as the composer of Loreen’s “Tattoo” and is also in charge of producing the song alongside Joy Deb. This marks the third time one of his songs has won the competition in four years.
With “Unforgettable,” the siblings have now won Melodifestivalen four times, only surpassed by Lasse Holm and Bobby Ljunggren, who each have five wins, although Linnea is now the woman with the most victories, surpassing Ingela “Pling” Forsman. It’s the duo’s first song to reach the top of the Swedish singles charts and is about a girl whose love is unforgettable, yet at the same time dangerous, toxic, and addictive—the kind of relationship that leaves you drained and empty, but from which you can’t escape.
Download our Guide to the Eurovision Song Contest 2024!
As is tradition, with the arrival of Eurovision 2024, ESCplus International has prepared a comprehensive guide to the European contest so that you won’t miss a single detail of everything happening in Malmö, Sweden.
In the guide, you’ll find an initial introduction with detailed general information about this edition’s organization, the hosts, the voting system, and other interesting aspects of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Additionally, each country will have an illustrated section where you’ll find information about the song, its lyrics, and the biography of each performer, as well as a series of appendices where you can not only record the official votes cast during the festival but also your own scores.
Eurovision Song Contest 2024: “United By Music”
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will be held in Malmö, Sweden, on May 7, 9, and 11. The 68th edition maintains the same level of participation as the previous Liverpool 2023 edition, with a total of 37 countries. Among them, Luxembourg returns after over 30 years of absence, while Romania has withdrawn.
The contest promises to be a celebration of music and diversity, with a special tribute to ABBA, a group that made a significant impact on the history of Eurovision and pop music.
Sweden is one of the most successful countries in Eurovision, with a total of seven victories, tying with Ireland, which makes them the two most winning countries in the contest. Besides ABBA and Loreen, who won twice, other Swedish winners include Herreys, Carola, Charlotte Nilsson, and Måns Zelmerlöw.
Under the motto “United By Music,” the 68th edition of the European contest will feature a colorful and vibrant theme art that moves away from the classic logo. It embraces the simplicity, originality, and minimalism that have always characterized Swedish design.
“The Eurovision Lights” centers around the aurora borealis and the harmonious rhythm of sound equalizers. The design is characterized by yellows, oranges, pinks, and purples, which, when combined, flood the screen with color and light, giving a dynamic touch to the concept.
Poor guys
I think it was very wrong for these two artists to steal the work of someone else as that is a huge crime is utterly unfair