Oh dear.

Eric Saade is being vilified in the Swedish press. Again. Although this time it seems like everyone - other high profile artists included - is chiming in with either an opinion, a swipe, or a joke. All to the tune of 1,495 SEK.

An opinion is allowed, a swipe is the swiper's prerogative, and a joke is harmless. But in this case, they're all coming together in harmony, and very audibly at that, but unfortunately with a misleading message. If you read Aftonbladet, Facebook, or Twitter, (in Swedish 'circles') then at one point either yesterday or this morning, you'll have read that Eric Saade is charging fans 1,495 SEK for an autograph. Perhaps you'll have known straight away that this statement is ludicrous, and endeavoured to go and research exactly what Eric Saade is charging fans 1,495 SEK for. Perhaps you haven't. And reading more and more tweets, celebrity status updates, and online comments - it's becoming increasingly difficult to know if absolutely everyone knows exactly what's being being exchanged for cash here.

This is what's really happening: On Eric Saade's Pop Explosion tour, which kicks off in over a week's time, he's offering fans a backstage pass to come and meet him after the concert. They can chat with him. And they can have a picture with him and an autograph too if they want. And this backstage pass comes for that infamous 1,495 SEK sum.

Now, that's expensive, there's no denying that. But it's also quite difficult to criticise it objectively. What he's doing is pretty much untested waters. Growing up and going to concerts, none of my pop idols ever offered such a thing at their tours. As a fan, what is it worth to go backstage after your favourite popstar has just performed a show, to meet them, and to chat with them? And similarly, as an artist, what cost do you put on the decision to not go home and relax after you've just finished a 90 minute show, but rather forget your exhaustion, put on a friendly demeanour, and go and spend another 90 minutes entertaining as a popstar?

Actually, another artist experimenting with such an idea on their tour which kicks off in the UK next month, are Steps. Their price for a similar backstage pass package to Eric's? A great deal more expensive, at 2,495 SEK.

It's all completely subjective. Some fans will see it as a justified cost to meet their idol, and they'll pay it. Others will think it's totally not worth it, and they won't bother. And it's quite simple - if you think it's too expensive, then don't pay for it. Just treat Pop Explosion as the standard concert going experience - you pay 320 SEK, and you get to see Eric Saade perform on his new tour. And incidentally that 320 SEK price tag is cheap in 2012. You'd have had to pay double that figure to see Eric perform at Heat 3 of Melodifestivalen in Linköping last year.

Pop artists, particularly in Sweden, aren't making a lot of money from album sales anymore. So their management and team are trying to find new ways of sourcing a living from making music. Finding the right price for such an idea is obviously something that needs to be kept an eye on. So let's do exactly that. But let's not jump on and attack new ideas. Let's just see how they work first. And certainly, let's not vilify one 21 year old who's trying out one of these new ideas (in the land of jäntelagen, bravely enough!).

Oh, and going back to that autograph that supposedly costs 1,495 SEK - if you want Eric Saade to give you his autograph, just go to one of the many signing sessions he does up and down Sweden for every album he releases, and for most of his singles. They're free of charge. They always have been. http://www.finest.se/userBlog/entry.php?uid=50460&beid=2072388

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Hej! Vet jag jag är jättedålig på blogga här men jag uppdaterar Facebook sidan om Eric som är samma namn som här. Jag hoppas ni mår bra och jag ska försöka hinna blogga här med. Glöm inte rösta på Rixtopp 6 ikväll :) ...

Hade tråkigt redigerade denna bild :)