Listen to Your Heartbeat

{{Main|Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001}}

Melodifestivalen 2001 was the selection for the 41st song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the 42nd time that this system of picking a song had been used. 1,567 songs were submitted to SVT for the competition, of which 10 were chosen to compete in the show. In the contest, "Listen to Your Heartbeat" would earn first in both the jury and televote, earning a total of 237 points.

In a Q&A from February 24, 2001, Friends announced that the song would be performed in English for the Eurovision Song Contest 2001.{{Cite web |date=February 24, 2001 |title=Aftonbladet: Friends firade hela natten |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,34676,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124163146/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,34676,00.html |archive-date=November 24, 2005 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=Aftonbladet}}

The song was performed 7th on the night of the contest, following {{esccnty|Russia|y=2001}}'s Mumiy Troll with "Lady Alpine Blue" and preceding {{esccnty|Lithuania|y=2001}}'s SKAMP with "You Got Style". The song received 100 points, placing 5th in a field of 23.{{cite web |title=Final of Copenhagen 2001 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/copenhagen-2001/final |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410142841/https://eurovision.tv/event/copenhagen-2001/final |archive-date=10 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021 |publisher=European Broadcasting Union}}

Before the contest, the songwriters were accused of plagiarism, with some claiming that the song had plagiarized "Liefde is een kaartspel", Belgium's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1996, with "Listen to Your Heartbeat" facing disqualification. After "Listen to Your Heartbeat" won Melodifestivalen 2001, Agneta Thigerström, project manager of Sveriges Television Malmo said that "there is nothing to worry about and nothing that can change Friends' victory. And nothing will happen now."{{Cite web |last=Olsson |first=Caroline |date=February 24, 2001 |title=Aftonbladet: "Ingen risk att låten diskas" |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,34673,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010303101143/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,34673,00.html |archive-date=March 3, 2001 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=Aftonbladet}}

On February 23, 2001, Björn Kjellman, in an interview on show P4, spoke about the similarities between the two songs. On the same day, Kris Boswell, host of Radio Sweden, played the song for judges at the Melodifestivalen 2001 after-party, to which most replied "It's just a coincidence".{{Cite web |last=Bjurman |first=Per |date=February 24, 2001 |title=Aftonbladet: ... och så anklagas gruppen för plagiat |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,34512,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010303100833/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,34512,00.html |archive-date=March 3, 2001 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=Aftonbladet}}

On March 1, 2001, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet ran a poll asking readers if they thought the song was plagiarism. The vote came to around 70% saying that they thought the song plagiarized "Liefde is een kaartspel".{{Cite web |last=Bakker |first=Sistse |date=March 1, 2001 |title=Eurovision Almost 70 percent: "This is plagiarism" ! |url=https://esctoday.com/32/almost_70_percent_this_is_plagiarism_/ |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=ESCToday |language=en-US}} On a Belgian TV special in February 2001, Lisa del Bo, the singer of "Liefde is een kaartspel", voiced her opinion, saying that "It's very similar indeed, but I don't think it was active plagiarism. It might be on purpose."{{Cite web |last=Bakker |first=Sistse |date=February 27, 2001 |title=Eurovision Lisa del Bo sings along with Friends |url=https://esctoday.com/30/lisa_del_bo_sings_along_with_friends/ |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=ESCToday |language=en-US}} The EBU Reference Group eventually ordered that the matter had to be settled in court, with the song eligible to compete if the court did not find any evidence of plagiarism.{{Cite web |date=December 22, 2009 |title=The end of a decade: Copenhagen 2001 |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/the-end-of-a-decade-copenhagen-2001 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=Eurovision.tv |language=en-gb}}

In 2003, it was announced that after Belgian music association SABAM had determined that the song was plagiarism. Composers of "Listen to Your Heartbeat", Thomas G:son and Henrik Sethsson, both denied the allegations, but after both SABAM and the lyricists and composers of "Liefde is een kaartspel" threatened a trial, the Swedish delegation eventually came up with a monetary settlement.{{Cite web |last=Bakker |first=Sistse |date=August 9, 2003 |title=Swedish entry 2001 now officially plagiarism |url=http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/1744 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040214010835/http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/1744 |archive-date=February 14, 2004 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=ESCToday}}

Per Bjurman, a writer for Aftonbladet, praised the song, saying that the song was "a hit of international caliber".{{Cite web |last=Bjurman |first=Per |date=February 24, 2001 |title=Aftonbladet: Visst har Friends chans att vinna Europa-finalen |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,34535,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010228173219/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,34535,00.html |archive-date=February 28, 2001 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=Aftonbladet}}

A Japanese translation of the song, sung by Prière, can be heard as the opening for the anime series Di Gi Charat Nyo! from 2003.{{Cite web |date=July 14, 2021 |title=LIMPOP. Het verhaal achter 'Liefde Is een Kaartspel' van Lisa Del Bo: "Ik begrijp de tekst nog steeds niet" |url=https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20210714_98030404 |url-access=registration |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=www.hbvl.be |language=nl-BE}}

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| before="När vindarna viskar mitt namn" by Roger Pontare

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{{Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

{{Eurovision Song Contest 2001}}

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Category:Eurovision songs of 2001

Category:Eurovision songs of Sweden

Category:Melodifestivalen songs of 2001

Category:Songs written by Thomas G:son

Category:Friends (Swedish band) songs

Category:2001 songs

Category:Mariann Grammofon singles

Category:2001 singles

Category:Songs involved in plagiarism controversies