AleXa, the Oklahoma-born K-pop artist who won NBC’s American Song Contest in 2022, will compete in Sweden’s Melodifestivalen next year, according to a report by Aftonbladet.
The 28-year-old performer, whose real name is Alexaundra Christine Schneiderman, represented Oklahoma in the U.S. version of Eurovision and won with “Wonderland,” a song written by Swedish producers Moa “Cazzi Opeia” Carlebecker, Andreas Carlsson, Ellen Berg, and Albin Nordqvist, along with American songwriter Bekuh Boom.
Aftonbladet reported that the same management and publishing team connected to Cazzi Opeia is bringing AleXa to Sweden for the competition, though it is unclear whether the same songwriting team is behind her new entry.
AleXa, who has South Korean heritage through her mother, began her career as a K-pop trainee before debuting in 2019. She has released several singles and EPs, combining American pop and Korean performance styles. Her American Song Contest entry “Wonderland” has been streamed more than 25 million times on Spotify.
The Swedish newspaper noted that AleXa recently began using the name Kim Seri — her Korean name — after her recording contract ended earlier this year. Sources close to the production told Aftonbladet they are not certain whether she will perform as AleXa or under the new name.
“She’s the one who won American Song Contest. I’ve heard she’ll perform as AleXa, and she’s bringing K-pop to the show,” one source told Aftonbladet.
Her participation marks one of the first times an American K-pop artist has entered Melodifestivalen, the Swedish national competition that determines the country’s Eurovision Song Contest entry. The move could signal a broader international reach for the long-running contest, which has increasingly drawn interest from foreign writers and performers.
Swedish broadcaster SVT is expected to officially reveal the 30 competing artists and songs for Melodifestivalen 2026 on Dec. 2.
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