It's all built up to this, folks. Though I could venture a guess (and I did, yesterday), the truth is I've got no idea how this is going to go down. And since I'm not overly obsessed with any of the songs this year, that at least will make this an interesting final.
EDIT: Geez, this stream is really crappy today.
EDIT: And by "really crappy," I mean "unwatchable" thus far. Come on, svt, get this fixed!
EDIT: For those having the same trouble as me, setting the quality to "low" seems to help a little. It's still jerky beyond belief, though.
DANNY: Barely saw this because of the crappy stream, but the energy level seemed to be higher than it was in Heat One. I still think this is a strong contender to win, though it's very, very far from my favorite (even though I like his past material)
SARA: I've grown to love this song. Unfortunately, the video stream was even worse than in Danny's. I have a feeling this live blog is going to be a lot of me complaining about the video!
....
Looks like I won't be able to do this today. The stream's too bad. It's like watching a succession of pictures. I'm not sure what happened with svt, but it's pretty disappointing. I'll have to watch the final later when it's not "live" and give my thoughts after. Sorry, guys, but it's pointless to try to offer thoughts when I can barely see/hear what's going on. I'll try to watch it again when the voting starts.
EDIT: OK, I'm back for the voting/results. I had the show on this entire time but sort of came in and out. The streaming hasn't gotten much better, but I know if I don't watch this live the internet will spoil the winner for me! (Also, I'm changing my vote to Swingfly. I think it would work best in Eurovision and I really like the song.)
EDIT: Well, that Rock You Like A Hurricane sounded awesome, but I could barely see it :(
EDIT: International juries go for Eric, barely (by two points). Danny and Sanna (!) are close behind. If it ends up between Eric and Danny, which it likely will, I hope it's Eric. Surprised at how well the Moniker did and how poorly Swingfly, Sara and Nicke did.
EDIT: That heavy metal cover of Anna's (crappy) winning song from last year wasn't as good as I hoped.
EDIT: WOW, that was even more of a nail-biter than I expected!! I won't spoil who won for those who don't want to know, but that's gotta be the closest vote in years!
Showing posts with label Melodifestivalen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Melodifestivalen. Show all posts
Melodifestivalen 2011 Finale - Preview
It's been an odd year for Melodifestivalen. While I don't hate any of the tracks in tomorrow's finale, I'm not in love with many of them, either. Even stranger, I feel like there are about five songs that have the potential to win this year's competition. It's going to be a nail-biter. (but honestly, the thing I'm looking forward to the most is a second appearance by the Ark!)
Below, what I'd like to happen vs. what I think will happen:
IF I WAS VOTING:
1. Sanna Nielsen - I'm In Love Though I don't think it's their best bet if they want to do well at Eurovision, it's one of my favorite tracks this year.
2. Swingfly - Me And My Drum A much wiser choice for Eurovision, and a song that's grown on me considerably as the contest has gone on.
3. Brolle - 7 Days And 7 Nights This could be a very interesting choice. It's another of my personal favs.
4. Eric Saade – Popular In the battle of Danny vs Eric, I'm supporting Eric all the way this time. Both songs left me underwhelmed, but this is the superior effort.
5. Sara Varga - Spring för livet Another song that's grown on me quite a bit. The melody's gorgeous.
6. Linda Bengtzing - E det fel på mej In the schlager battle, I prefer Sanna's song, but this is pleasant enough.
7. The Moniker - Oh My God! I'm surprised at the amount of support he's received. This is a great single, but seems oddly misplaced in this contest.
8. Nicke Borg - Leaving Home Rock ballad by numbers. Pleasant, but unimpressive.
9. Danny - In the Club This song's actually grown more annoying as I hear it. It just doesn't have a melody. Unfortunately, I feel it's got the momentum (see below)
10. The Playtones - The King Easily my least favorite song in the final. It's way at the bottom.
WHAT I THINK WILL HAPPEN:
1. Danny - In the Club (which would make it the 2nd winner in a row that I've disliked)
2. Sara Varga - Spring för livet
3. Eric Saade – Popular
4. Swingfly - Me And My Drum
5. Nicke Borg - Leaving Home
6. Linda Bengtzing - E det fel på mej
7. Sanna Nielsen - I'm In Love
8. The Moniker - Oh My God!
9. Brolle - 7 Days And 7 Nights
10. The Playtones - The King
Melodifestivalen 2011: Andra Chansen - Live Blog
In anticipation of the final next weekend, today we see who gets to take those last two covered places to compete for Eurovision. I can't say I've been able to summon all that much interest in this second chance round this year, but my predictions is that Sara Varga and Linda Pritchard will come out of this today very happy. We'll see.
EDIT: Literally, the four best songs today are all in the first half. Whoever programmed this did a horrible job.
EDIT: Those "duel" skits were hilariously awkward. But Loreen looks like some weird anime character. I love how Loreen/Sara got the biggest applause. Weird that they're facing each other, when they're probably the public's two favorite acts this week.
EDIT: Who knew Jenny Silver played guitar?
DUEL ONE - Jenny vs. Love Generation: My vote easily goes to Jenny, but I have a feeling Love Generation will pull this out.
RESULT: It's Love Generation through, as expected.
DUEL TWO - Loreen vs Sara: This is the big one, and the hardest to predict. I'd give the slight edge to Sara, though I think I prefer Loreen just a bit more. She certainly has the more interesting stage show, though Sara did much better this time than she did in the qualifiers. I like both songs, though.
RESULT: I was right again, and Sara is through. Poor Loreen looked devastated!
DUEL THREE - The Moniker vs. Linda: I think this is Linda's to lose, though I prefer the Moniker (who, oddly enough, is the only guy in this week's contest!).
EDIT: Anybody else's video feed totally screwing up all of a sudden?
EDIT: I get the feeling that, if the Moniker gets cut, he'll shrug and go "whatever." Whereas, if Linda gets cut, she'll take it as the single greatest disappointment of her life.
RESULT: Wow, the Moniker through. Now that is a genuine shock.
DUEL FOUR - Shirley's Angels vs. Pernilla: This seems like a done deal for Shirley's Angels, though I'm not that excited about either songs so I really don't care who goes through. Pernilla could easily get the same types of votes that came for Sara, though.
RESULT: Hmmm... well, I'm seeing how this is going to go now. Pernilla is through, which means I bet it will be her and Sara in the final. Sweden loves these anti-MF MF acts, for some reason.
EDIT: For the record, out of the ones we've got left (which aren't necessarily the right choices), I'd want Sara and the Moniker through.
EDIT: WTF is this toilet paper roll thing happening now?
EDIT: Oh, jeez... I forgot we now have to see all of these performances AGAIN. Seriously, guys. We know which ones we want to vote for by now. They should just do a five minute medley of all four contenders and be done with it.
No guts, no glory PREDICTION: Sara's song will not only go to the final, but it will become the Snalla, Snalla of this year, easily landing in the top 5.
EDIT: I'd vote for the Moniker, if only for the crazy pair of dancing girls. They make me laugh.
FINAL RESULTS: Sara and the Moniker through. Well, I got one right!
EDIT: Literally, the four best songs today are all in the first half. Whoever programmed this did a horrible job.
EDIT: Those "duel" skits were hilariously awkward. But Loreen looks like some weird anime character. I love how Loreen/Sara got the biggest applause. Weird that they're facing each other, when they're probably the public's two favorite acts this week.
EDIT: Who knew Jenny Silver played guitar?
DUEL ONE - Jenny vs. Love Generation: My vote easily goes to Jenny, but I have a feeling Love Generation will pull this out.
RESULT: It's Love Generation through, as expected.
DUEL TWO - Loreen vs Sara: This is the big one, and the hardest to predict. I'd give the slight edge to Sara, though I think I prefer Loreen just a bit more. She certainly has the more interesting stage show, though Sara did much better this time than she did in the qualifiers. I like both songs, though.
RESULT: I was right again, and Sara is through. Poor Loreen looked devastated!
DUEL THREE - The Moniker vs. Linda: I think this is Linda's to lose, though I prefer the Moniker (who, oddly enough, is the only guy in this week's contest!).
EDIT: Anybody else's video feed totally screwing up all of a sudden?
EDIT: I get the feeling that, if the Moniker gets cut, he'll shrug and go "whatever." Whereas, if Linda gets cut, she'll take it as the single greatest disappointment of her life.
RESULT: Wow, the Moniker through. Now that is a genuine shock.
DUEL FOUR - Shirley's Angels vs. Pernilla: This seems like a done deal for Shirley's Angels, though I'm not that excited about either songs so I really don't care who goes through. Pernilla could easily get the same types of votes that came for Sara, though.
RESULT: Hmmm... well, I'm seeing how this is going to go now. Pernilla is through, which means I bet it will be her and Sara in the final. Sweden loves these anti-MF MF acts, for some reason.
EDIT: For the record, out of the ones we've got left (which aren't necessarily the right choices), I'd want Sara and the Moniker through.
EDIT: WTF is this toilet paper roll thing happening now?
EDIT: Oh, jeez... I forgot we now have to see all of these performances AGAIN. Seriously, guys. We know which ones we want to vote for by now. They should just do a five minute medley of all four contenders and be done with it.
No guts, no glory PREDICTION: Sara's song will not only go to the final, but it will become the Snalla, Snalla of this year, easily landing in the top 5.
EDIT: I'd vote for the Moniker, if only for the crazy pair of dancing girls. They make me laugh.
FINAL RESULTS: Sara and the Moniker through. Well, I got one right!
Melodifestivalen 2011: Heat Four - Live Blog
Here we go! My most anticipated Heat of the year, and it's starting in just 30 seconds :)
EDIT: This "Chicago" opening is very strange. Who comes up with this stuff? (I think Marie just wanted an excuse to sing)
EDIT: Can I just add that last year's hosts were much more entertaining?
EDIT: Dang, looks like the Ark won't be opening the show. I still hope they get to perform two songs.
1. MELODY CLUB: Yes!!!! PLEASE MAKE IT TO THE FINAL. Great song, great performance, great staging. I am nervous for them in this strong heat.
2. JULIA: Those background pillar things were kind of cool, especially when they melded into one and gave birth to background singers (!). The song itself is, unfortunately, quite boring. Not bad, but it screams last place. And she's got zero charisma.
3. LASSE: Here's one of those acts that I'm worried about, especially given their good reception in the arena (and their song, which is actually alright). But please, Sweden, we've already got the Playtones in the final. Come to think of it, can't we just replace the Playtones with these guys?
4. LINDA P: Wow, this does sound like Hollow! If any ballad has a chance this year, it's this one, but I can't help but be a little underwhelmed. It seems like there was something missing... but I'm not sure what it was. Lots of arm motions/waving, though. That's for sure!
5. ANDERS: I am gonna LOVE the studio version of this, but his vocals did not work at all in this setting. Plus the whole thing was unintentionally campy. The song itself, though, is excellent. Performance... less so.
6. LINDA B: It's hard to see this not going through in some capacity. It's ridiculously catchy schlager in a year without much competition in that genre. And I like it very much. So far, it's Melody Club and Linda B in the final for me. Weird staging, though.
7. NICKE: The other possible spoiler that I'm worried about. I just don't see how something like this isn't going to the final. It's a good song, too. Aaargh... I'm worried. Oh god, and he's got those crowd lights that Anna had last year! This is definitely a contender :(
8. LOVE GENERATION: I still don't think the public is going to warm to this the way everyone thinks. But I think it's andra chansen at the very least... just not the 100% winner that people were predicting. And I'm not sure the stage show transferred to video as they wanted, but I could be wrong.
OK, my (probably wrong) predictions:
Straight through: Linda B., Nicke (though I hope he and Melody Club switch spots)
Andra Chansen: Melody Club, Love Generation and maybe Lasse
But I've gotta say, this is by far the hardest heat to predict, and I could be pleasantly surprised.
EDIT: Vote Melody Club and Linda B!!
EDIT: MELODY CLUB IS TRENDING ON TWITTER WORLDWIDE! Probably the only time I'll ever see that in my life! haha
EDIT: The Ark!!
EDIT: YES YES YES I love the Ark :) And I love this performance! Can they just win MF all over again? They just showed everyone how it's done!
EDIT: Top 5 - Love Generation, Lasse, Nicke, Linda P and Linda B. AND MELODY CLUB DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT TO THE TOP 5! In fact, they got 7th!! I knew I was worried for a reason >:(
EDIT: Direct to the final with the most votes - Linda B. I am still in shock over Melody Club.
EDIT: Easily the worst results of the whole year. I don't know what happened. Even Julia got more votes? REALLY?? Happy for Linda, but I feel so bad for the guys!
EDIT: So the next spot in the final is going to Nicke, right? I don't see any other options, except maybe Love Generation if they sneak in.
EDIT: Final results - To final: Nicke To andra chansen: Linda P, Love Generation Out: Lasse
EDIT: Hmmm... for the first time in several years, I don't see a clear winner in our final so far. I'm really not sure who Sweden will send this year! (but I'm pissed it's not Melody Club!)
EDIT: And why didn't they have the Ark do a cover song like all of the other interval acts?
EDIT: Ugh. I guess I'll just wait for that new Melody Club album and forget that they ever competed in MF :) They're still a trending topic on Twitter, at least!
EDIT: This "Chicago" opening is very strange. Who comes up with this stuff? (I think Marie just wanted an excuse to sing)
EDIT: Can I just add that last year's hosts were much more entertaining?
EDIT: Dang, looks like the Ark won't be opening the show. I still hope they get to perform two songs.
1. MELODY CLUB: Yes!!!! PLEASE MAKE IT TO THE FINAL. Great song, great performance, great staging. I am nervous for them in this strong heat.
2. JULIA: Those background pillar things were kind of cool, especially when they melded into one and gave birth to background singers (!). The song itself is, unfortunately, quite boring. Not bad, but it screams last place. And she's got zero charisma.
3. LASSE: Here's one of those acts that I'm worried about, especially given their good reception in the arena (and their song, which is actually alright). But please, Sweden, we've already got the Playtones in the final. Come to think of it, can't we just replace the Playtones with these guys?
4. LINDA P: Wow, this does sound like Hollow! If any ballad has a chance this year, it's this one, but I can't help but be a little underwhelmed. It seems like there was something missing... but I'm not sure what it was. Lots of arm motions/waving, though. That's for sure!
5. ANDERS: I am gonna LOVE the studio version of this, but his vocals did not work at all in this setting. Plus the whole thing was unintentionally campy. The song itself, though, is excellent. Performance... less so.
6. LINDA B: It's hard to see this not going through in some capacity. It's ridiculously catchy schlager in a year without much competition in that genre. And I like it very much. So far, it's Melody Club and Linda B in the final for me. Weird staging, though.
7. NICKE: The other possible spoiler that I'm worried about. I just don't see how something like this isn't going to the final. It's a good song, too. Aaargh... I'm worried. Oh god, and he's got those crowd lights that Anna had last year! This is definitely a contender :(
8. LOVE GENERATION: I still don't think the public is going to warm to this the way everyone thinks. But I think it's andra chansen at the very least... just not the 100% winner that people were predicting. And I'm not sure the stage show transferred to video as they wanted, but I could be wrong.
OK, my (probably wrong) predictions:
Straight through: Linda B., Nicke (though I hope he and Melody Club switch spots)
Andra Chansen: Melody Club, Love Generation and maybe Lasse
But I've gotta say, this is by far the hardest heat to predict, and I could be pleasantly surprised.
EDIT: Vote Melody Club and Linda B!!
EDIT: MELODY CLUB IS TRENDING ON TWITTER WORLDWIDE! Probably the only time I'll ever see that in my life! haha
EDIT: The Ark!!
EDIT: YES YES YES I love the Ark :) And I love this performance! Can they just win MF all over again? They just showed everyone how it's done!
EDIT: Top 5 - Love Generation, Lasse, Nicke, Linda P and Linda B. AND MELODY CLUB DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT TO THE TOP 5! In fact, they got 7th!! I knew I was worried for a reason >:(
EDIT: Direct to the final with the most votes - Linda B. I am still in shock over Melody Club.
EDIT: Easily the worst results of the whole year. I don't know what happened. Even Julia got more votes? REALLY?? Happy for Linda, but I feel so bad for the guys!
EDIT: So the next spot in the final is going to Nicke, right? I don't see any other options, except maybe Love Generation if they sneak in.
EDIT: Final results - To final: Nicke To andra chansen: Linda P, Love Generation Out: Lasse
EDIT: Hmmm... for the first time in several years, I don't see a clear winner in our final so far. I'm really not sure who Sweden will send this year! (but I'm pissed it's not Melody Club!)
EDIT: And why didn't they have the Ark do a cover song like all of the other interval acts?
EDIT: Ugh. I guess I'll just wait for that new Melody Club album and forget that they ever competed in MF :) They're still a trending topic on Twitter, at least!
Melodifestivalen 2011: Heat Four - Preliminary Judging
Aargh! It's the last round of original songs tomorrow for Melodifestivalen. In anticipation, here are my quick reviews based only on the short clips svt has provided. As always, they're likely to change when I hear the songs in full.
(Listen to clips here)
Melody Club - The Hunter
Easily my most anticipated entry of the contest from one of my favorite bands. I am loving the sound of this (and why wouldn't I? It's pure Melody Club). It sounds a bit further on the schlager scale than I thought it would (a good thing), and has a great hook. These guys have had quite a story in their build-up to MF. First they lose a drummer to a lawsuit, then they nearly lost their guitarist when he badly injured his foot this week. After all of this, It'll be a small victory just to get on stage! All you Swedish readers, please call tomorrow and throw in a vote for me! They need to make the final! 5/5
Julia Alvgard - Better Or Worse
This sounds leaps and bounds better than the other wildcard entry this year, but in this strong heat, it's still one of the least memorable tracks. It just doesn't make much of an impression. 2.5/5
Lasse Stefanz - En blick och nånting händer
Well, it's obviously old fashioned. That being said, I already like it better than last week's dreaded Playtones entry. I will be very angry, though, if this steals a spot from someone more deserving. 3.5/5
Linda Pritchard - Alive
We haven't had many big ballads this year (and the ones we've had have done quite poorly). This sounds like it has more potential to move on, but it's no Empty Room. I'm not sure it's even another Hollow, despite sounding similar. 3.5/5
Anders Fernette - Run
His vocals sound awful in the rehearsal video, but I really like the sound of the song. It doesn't have much of a chance in the context of the contest, but I'm enjoying this. 4/5
Linda Bengtzing - E de fel på mig
The verses to this sound so similar to Nanne's entry from a few years back (which I loved). It's pure bubblegum schlager, which should sound spectacular on the stage tomorrow. My second favorite, based on the clips. 4.5/5
Nicke Borg - Leaving Home
Very worried about this, as I have a horrible feeling that it could sneak in and steal a spot to Globen. It's not that I dislike it (I have a feeling I'll enjoy the full version even more), but there are at least four songs that I think I like better. 3.5/5
Love Generation - Dance Alone
I'm failing to see what all the excitement is about here. It just sounds like a hundred other things you'd hear on the radio, with a so-so melody and hook. I still think they'll benefit from an elaborate stage show and the pimp spot in the competition, but this is more than a little underwhelming for me. 3.5/5
I'm not sure that I can even predict this one! I'm thinking the top four will be Love Generation, Melody Club, Linda B and Nicke Borg, with Linda P taking the fifth spot, but I have no idea in which order those names will fall. Though Lasse could do well, too. It will be a nail-biter for me. But I urge all alienhits readers to watch tomorrow because not only do we have Melody Club, but the Ark will be performing, too!
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
*Also, for all you movie-buffs, I'll have my thoughts on the Oscars up sometime tomorrow!
(Listen to clips here)
Melody Club - The Hunter
Easily my most anticipated entry of the contest from one of my favorite bands. I am loving the sound of this (and why wouldn't I? It's pure Melody Club). It sounds a bit further on the schlager scale than I thought it would (a good thing), and has a great hook. These guys have had quite a story in their build-up to MF. First they lose a drummer to a lawsuit, then they nearly lost their guitarist when he badly injured his foot this week. After all of this, It'll be a small victory just to get on stage! All you Swedish readers, please call tomorrow and throw in a vote for me! They need to make the final! 5/5
Julia Alvgard - Better Or Worse
This sounds leaps and bounds better than the other wildcard entry this year, but in this strong heat, it's still one of the least memorable tracks. It just doesn't make much of an impression. 2.5/5
Lasse Stefanz - En blick och nånting händer
Well, it's obviously old fashioned. That being said, I already like it better than last week's dreaded Playtones entry. I will be very angry, though, if this steals a spot from someone more deserving. 3.5/5
Linda Pritchard - Alive
We haven't had many big ballads this year (and the ones we've had have done quite poorly). This sounds like it has more potential to move on, but it's no Empty Room. I'm not sure it's even another Hollow, despite sounding similar. 3.5/5
Anders Fernette - Run
His vocals sound awful in the rehearsal video, but I really like the sound of the song. It doesn't have much of a chance in the context of the contest, but I'm enjoying this. 4/5
Linda Bengtzing - E de fel på mig
The verses to this sound so similar to Nanne's entry from a few years back (which I loved). It's pure bubblegum schlager, which should sound spectacular on the stage tomorrow. My second favorite, based on the clips. 4.5/5
Nicke Borg - Leaving Home
Very worried about this, as I have a horrible feeling that it could sneak in and steal a spot to Globen. It's not that I dislike it (I have a feeling I'll enjoy the full version even more), but there are at least four songs that I think I like better. 3.5/5
Love Generation - Dance Alone
I'm failing to see what all the excitement is about here. It just sounds like a hundred other things you'd hear on the radio, with a so-so melody and hook. I still think they'll benefit from an elaborate stage show and the pimp spot in the competition, but this is more than a little underwhelming for me. 3.5/5
I'm not sure that I can even predict this one! I'm thinking the top four will be Love Generation, Melody Club, Linda B and Nicke Borg, with Linda P taking the fifth spot, but I have no idea in which order those names will fall. Though Lasse could do well, too. It will be a nail-biter for me. But I urge all alienhits readers to watch tomorrow because not only do we have Melody Club, but the Ark will be performing, too!
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
*Also, for all you movie-buffs, I'll have my thoughts on the Oscars up sometime tomorrow!
Melodifestivalen 2011: Heat Three - Live Blog
Here we go! I wasn't so impressed by the clips yesterday, but I'm hoping this heat will end up as entertaining as the first two. I'm expecting the overriding theme/feeling is going to be the coronation of Eric Saade, but who will get that second spot in the final?
EDIT: And more importantly, why won't my stream start?
EDIT: Hmmm... this could be a pretty boring blog post if SVT don't get the stream working.
EDIT: Eleven minutes and it's still not started. NOT a happy camper.
1. LINDA: The song grew on me a little, even though I only got to hear half of it because of the stupid stream. She's as charming as ever in person, but she's got so many better songs than this!
2. SIMON: Extended interview with the beloved Kempe before this song could help its chances. I still think this song is boring as hell, though. And with the poor showing of ballads so far this year, I don't think its chances are all that great, though he did perform it rather well. And judging by the applause, he may actually make it through.
3. SARA L: She looks good and I like the staging, but this song is still sounds very bland and derivative to me. Still, I'm liking it better than I thought I would. I just wish her vocals were better. It feels quite amateur.
EDIT: That "Snemy" sign at the end cracked me up.
4. PLAYTONES: We had the drag queen last week, now the dansband. MF cliches are being checked off left and right. This song is enjoyable, but pointless. It'll make the top four, I'm sure, but there have been better dansband songs in years prior. Plus, didn't Brolle do this ten times better just last week? Nice flaming piano, though. Fire worked for Crucified Barbara last year!
5. SHIRLEY'S ANGELS: Wow, you'd only see something like this in MF. I'm still not sold on the song, but the performance was simple and well-executed. When those back-up dancers skipped out at the end, I couldn't help but laugh. These ladies could do well, though I wish the song was better.
6. SEBASTIAN: Why did Sebastian shave his head?? That aside, this is easily the best song so far. I still think, in some regards, that this sounds like some horribly cheesy religious song. I'm choosing to believe that that's not the case, as I thought Sebastian had a bit more edge than that.
7. SARA V: Oh, how I wish she was actually performing to the track they played during her intro! This is a pretty song, but it's just so misplaced here. And she's quite boring. She looked terrified up there!! And so happy when it was over!
8. ERIC: Here we are... it's the second coming of Jesus! Well, not quite, but you'd think it was from everyone's reactions. If he wins the whole thing, it will be down to his popularity (ironically, given the title of his entry), and not the song. Not saying this is bad. It's the best of the night, easy. But it's the same as all of his other songs, and I don't think it's as effective as last year's entry to be honest. Still, he'll sail through. Obviously.
OK, my (probably wrong) predictions:
Straight through: Eric, Playtones
Andra Chansen: Sebastian, Simon, and maybe Shirley's Angels
As I feared, though, it's a weak heat.
EDIT: Go Lena! This is kind of cool. And way to put yourself out there, unlike lame I Love Europe guy last week.
EDIT: Top 5 - Shirley's Angels, Sebastian, Eric, Playtones & Sara V. Well, I got 4/5. Surprised about Sara, but I thought that Linda would finish 6th.
EDIT: Highest votes go to... Eric. Duh. I think he would have been very surprised and embarrassed if he didn't get the highest.
EDIT: This Eric song sounds just like "It's Gonna Rain" in the verses. Seriously. Except "Rain" is a better song.
EDIT: Weird that they don't have the smashing glass in the encore as well? As it was the coolest thing about the performance.
EDIT: Now that Sara seems to be popular with the voters, I think she could really cream the lackluster competition here if people want something different.
EDIT: Linda looked pissed in the background of the green room, then all of a sudden she made this huge, unnatural smile, as if someone prodded her from behind.
EDIT: Sebastian's out. I thought he might be after the lackluster applause. And Sara becomes andra chansen fodder.
EDIT: And the Playtones to the final, as I predicted. Blech. Shirley's Angels to andra chansen. This is really such a disappointing heat. I didn't love anybody. Bring on Melody Club next week!!
And our updated list of finalists. Is is just me, or do we still not have a winner here?
1. Danny
2. Swingfly
3. Sanna
4. Brolle
5. Eric
6. The Playtones
EDIT: And more importantly, why won't my stream start?
EDIT: Hmmm... this could be a pretty boring blog post if SVT don't get the stream working.
EDIT: Eleven minutes and it's still not started. NOT a happy camper.
1. LINDA: The song grew on me a little, even though I only got to hear half of it because of the stupid stream. She's as charming as ever in person, but she's got so many better songs than this!
2. SIMON: Extended interview with the beloved Kempe before this song could help its chances. I still think this song is boring as hell, though. And with the poor showing of ballads so far this year, I don't think its chances are all that great, though he did perform it rather well. And judging by the applause, he may actually make it through.
3. SARA L: She looks good and I like the staging, but this song is still sounds very bland and derivative to me. Still, I'm liking it better than I thought I would. I just wish her vocals were better. It feels quite amateur.
EDIT: That "Snemy" sign at the end cracked me up.
4. PLAYTONES: We had the drag queen last week, now the dansband. MF cliches are being checked off left and right. This song is enjoyable, but pointless. It'll make the top four, I'm sure, but there have been better dansband songs in years prior. Plus, didn't Brolle do this ten times better just last week? Nice flaming piano, though. Fire worked for Crucified Barbara last year!
5. SHIRLEY'S ANGELS: Wow, you'd only see something like this in MF. I'm still not sold on the song, but the performance was simple and well-executed. When those back-up dancers skipped out at the end, I couldn't help but laugh. These ladies could do well, though I wish the song was better.
6. SEBASTIAN: Why did Sebastian shave his head?? That aside, this is easily the best song so far. I still think, in some regards, that this sounds like some horribly cheesy religious song. I'm choosing to believe that that's not the case, as I thought Sebastian had a bit more edge than that.
7. SARA V: Oh, how I wish she was actually performing to the track they played during her intro! This is a pretty song, but it's just so misplaced here. And she's quite boring. She looked terrified up there!! And so happy when it was over!
8. ERIC: Here we are... it's the second coming of Jesus! Well, not quite, but you'd think it was from everyone's reactions. If he wins the whole thing, it will be down to his popularity (ironically, given the title of his entry), and not the song. Not saying this is bad. It's the best of the night, easy. But it's the same as all of his other songs, and I don't think it's as effective as last year's entry to be honest. Still, he'll sail through. Obviously.
OK, my (probably wrong) predictions:
Straight through: Eric, Playtones
Andra Chansen: Sebastian, Simon, and maybe Shirley's Angels
As I feared, though, it's a weak heat.
EDIT: Go Lena! This is kind of cool. And way to put yourself out there, unlike lame I Love Europe guy last week.
EDIT: Top 5 - Shirley's Angels, Sebastian, Eric, Playtones & Sara V. Well, I got 4/5. Surprised about Sara, but I thought that Linda would finish 6th.
EDIT: Highest votes go to... Eric. Duh. I think he would have been very surprised and embarrassed if he didn't get the highest.
EDIT: This Eric song sounds just like "It's Gonna Rain" in the verses. Seriously. Except "Rain" is a better song.
EDIT: Weird that they don't have the smashing glass in the encore as well? As it was the coolest thing about the performance.
EDIT: Now that Sara seems to be popular with the voters, I think she could really cream the lackluster competition here if people want something different.
EDIT: Linda looked pissed in the background of the green room, then all of a sudden she made this huge, unnatural smile, as if someone prodded her from behind.
EDIT: Sebastian's out. I thought he might be after the lackluster applause. And Sara becomes andra chansen fodder.
EDIT: And the Playtones to the final, as I predicted. Blech. Shirley's Angels to andra chansen. This is really such a disappointing heat. I didn't love anybody. Bring on Melody Club next week!!
And our updated list of finalists. Is is just me, or do we still not have a winner here?
1. Danny
2. Swingfly
3. Sanna
4. Brolle
5. Eric
6. The Playtones
Melodifestivalen 2011: Heat Three - Preliminary Judging
Okay, here we go. As always, these quick reviews are based only on the short clips svt has provided and are likely to change. Makes it more fun!
(Listen to clips here)
Linda Sundblad - Lucky You
I'm worried about this. I've been a longtime Linda fan, but I'm not into this clip. It sounds far too much like too many other songs and the repetitive chorus isn't grabbing me. I hope that it improves when I hear it in full, because I was really looking forward to this entry. 2.5/5
Simon Forsberg - Tid att andas (Time to Breathe)
A slow, syrupy ballad. Ballads have had rotten luck in the competition this year so far, so I'm not sure what his chances are. I'd rate them better than Elisabeth's last year, but this song sounds equally as dull. 2/5
Sara Lumholdt - Enemy
I'm not all that thrilled with this entry either. From the clip, it sounds like some sub-par American pop song ( a Jordin Sparks b-side?), without a lot of creativity. I hope I'm wrong, but so far this is looking like the weakest heat this year by far. 2.5/5
The Playtones - The King
A little bit of rockabilly. Why not? It's not my thing at all, but at least it's got some energy. It'll probably do well, but won't go down as one of my favorites. Still (and quite sadly) it sounds the most promising of the songs so far. 3/5
Shirley's Angels - I Thought It Was Forever
I expected such a different sound from this. I wish it was more dramatic and more uptempo. Right now, it sounds like a forgettable Ace Of Base album track. Still, I hear a bit more potential in this than in many of the other songs. 3/5
Sebastian - No One Else Could
I love Sebastian, and I love the sound of this song. This isn't some weird religious song, though, is it? From the lyrics in the chorus, I'm not so sure. But that aside, this is easily the standout so far. 4/5
Sara Varga - Spring för livet
I don't see this working at all. MF is just not the place for a pleasant jazz song. On its own, this is nice, easy listening. It just shouldn't be in the contest. 2.5/5
Eric Saade - Popular
Well, they couldn't have given him easier competition, could they? This year's most likely winner comes back with a song that sounds like all of his other songs. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though I kind of wish for something a little different. Still, this is quite obviously the best song of the week and a no-brainer to qualify to the final. Like Danny in week one, all he really needed to do was get on stage and burp and everyone would have voted. 4.5/5
After the quality of the past two weeks, this seems like such a comedown. I only hope that things improve with the show tomorrow. My guesses based on these clips? Eric and Sebastian direct to the final, Linda and the Playtones to second chance.
And next week we've got MELODY CLUB!! And, as the interval act, THE ARK! It's like my dream come to fruition :)
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
(Listen to clips here)
Linda Sundblad - Lucky You
I'm worried about this. I've been a longtime Linda fan, but I'm not into this clip. It sounds far too much like too many other songs and the repetitive chorus isn't grabbing me. I hope that it improves when I hear it in full, because I was really looking forward to this entry. 2.5/5
Simon Forsberg - Tid att andas (Time to Breathe)
A slow, syrupy ballad. Ballads have had rotten luck in the competition this year so far, so I'm not sure what his chances are. I'd rate them better than Elisabeth's last year, but this song sounds equally as dull. 2/5
Sara Lumholdt - Enemy
I'm not all that thrilled with this entry either. From the clip, it sounds like some sub-par American pop song ( a Jordin Sparks b-side?), without a lot of creativity. I hope I'm wrong, but so far this is looking like the weakest heat this year by far. 2.5/5
The Playtones - The King
A little bit of rockabilly. Why not? It's not my thing at all, but at least it's got some energy. It'll probably do well, but won't go down as one of my favorites. Still (and quite sadly) it sounds the most promising of the songs so far. 3/5
Shirley's Angels - I Thought It Was Forever
I expected such a different sound from this. I wish it was more dramatic and more uptempo. Right now, it sounds like a forgettable Ace Of Base album track. Still, I hear a bit more potential in this than in many of the other songs. 3/5
Sebastian - No One Else Could
I love Sebastian, and I love the sound of this song. This isn't some weird religious song, though, is it? From the lyrics in the chorus, I'm not so sure. But that aside, this is easily the standout so far. 4/5
Sara Varga - Spring för livet
I don't see this working at all. MF is just not the place for a pleasant jazz song. On its own, this is nice, easy listening. It just shouldn't be in the contest. 2.5/5
Eric Saade - Popular
Well, they couldn't have given him easier competition, could they? This year's most likely winner comes back with a song that sounds like all of his other songs. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though I kind of wish for something a little different. Still, this is quite obviously the best song of the week and a no-brainer to qualify to the final. Like Danny in week one, all he really needed to do was get on stage and burp and everyone would have voted. 4.5/5
After the quality of the past two weeks, this seems like such a comedown. I only hope that things improve with the show tomorrow. My guesses based on these clips? Eric and Sebastian direct to the final, Linda and the Playtones to second chance.
And next week we've got MELODY CLUB!! And, as the interval act, THE ARK! It's like my dream come to fruition :)
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
Melodifestivalen 2011: Heat Two - Live Blog
It's week two! Here we go :) Refresh this post, as I'll be live blogging the show.
EDIT: Is it just me or do these hosts look like Same Difference in this Aqua parody?
EDIT: And the video after that. Oh my god. That was actually scary...
EDIT: Oh god, it's that "I Love Europe" guy. It just reminds me how much I hated that song. Not sure why he's doing this opening, but it's unnecessary.
EDIT: Ooh, this preview is in English!
BROLLE: I really liked this. Of course, I've been a fan of his for awhile. The vocals were excellent, the song was great and the styling was perfect. For some reason I still sort of worry for his chances, but this is a personal highlight, regardless of what happens.
LOREEN: That thing (tattoo? paint?) on her lips is very distracting. And she looks like she's wearing a mop! The vocals were excellent, but the song still hasn't won me over. And with her lack of name recognition, I don't think it will be enough. But the voters could surprise us. Maybe a 5th place finish?
BABSAN: It's time to bring in the drag queen. What MF would be complete without one? I get the entertainment value, but this song is not good. The video screen thing was a bit odd, too. And the video feed kept cutting out on this performance. The audience loved it, though.
ELISABETH: Lots of holding out of the arms in a "this is me, aren't I grand?" fashion. As far as MF ballads go, this was pretty middling. Still, the vocals were flawless and she'll get the older vote, despite the song sounding very similar to many others. This could, unfortunately, be a qualifier.
SANNA: Goodwill alone should get her in the final (in my--possibly unpopular--opinion, she should have won in 2008). And this song is excellent. I'm not sure what that thing was supposed to be that she was performing in. It really restricted her movement, but it doesn't change the fact that this was good schlager! And the people flying up at the end was AWESOME.
THE MONIKER: This, as the lyrics described, was a wonderful surprise. The song was good, the staging was fantastic and Daniel sounded pretty good. I fear this will follow the Le Kid route and fail to qualify, but I quite liked it. Funny how it's the second song in a row shouting "I'm in love" over and over.
ANNIELA: Cool staging! I still love the chorus to this, but I don't think anything about the song is distinct enough to make much of an impression. The verses really let it down. It just sort of came and went.
CHRISTIAN: Um... bad beard. That aside, I like this song but sort of wish it was sung by a different singer (like Darin). It's very much a retread of Darin's entry from last year. I still think it will qualify easily. Unfortunately, my feed kept cutting out towards the end. Why couldn't it have done that with Elisabeth's song instead?
OK, my (probably wrong) predictions:
Straight through: Sanna, Christian
Andra Chansen: Brolle, Elisabeth (and maybe the Moniker if audience reaction is any indication)
EDIT: Oh my... the I Love Europe Guy is gonna do glam rock. This should be interesting. (And it's gonna be "Life On Mars"? My ears! My ears!!)
EDIT: And moving on are Christian, the Moniker, Brolle, Sanna and Loreen. Couldn't have asked for much better! And that stupid ballad was last place! YES!
EDIT: I am feeling all sorts of love for The Moniker...
EDIT: And Sanna is the first to go direct to the final! Well deserved, for sure :)
EDIT: I say that Loreen is the obvious fifth place finish, but I've been surprised before....
EDIT: As stated before, I have a hunch that the Moniker may beat out Christian for the second direct to final spot.
EDIT: What an interesting assortment of outfits in that green room!
EDIT: Despite a couple of clunkers, I think I prefer the songs from this week to last week's.
EDIT: Wow, "Cosmos" sure went all out in the glam rock department, didn't he? Lame. This PERFORMANCE is a "saddening bore."
EDIT: Christian is out! Wow, that's a huge surprise. And Loreen to andra chansen. Brolle direct to final! Another huge surprise, which means that the Moniker is in andra chansen. I guess my hunch about him was only slightly right. VERY happy for Brolle! Very well deserved. This performance is amazing.
EDIT: So now we have our first four finalists. Danny, Swingfly, Sanna and Brolle. Is there a winner here yet? I don't think so, but I like all four!
EDIT: Is it just me or do these hosts look like Same Difference in this Aqua parody?
EDIT: And the video after that. Oh my god. That was actually scary...
EDIT: Oh god, it's that "I Love Europe" guy. It just reminds me how much I hated that song. Not sure why he's doing this opening, but it's unnecessary.
EDIT: Ooh, this preview is in English!
BROLLE: I really liked this. Of course, I've been a fan of his for awhile. The vocals were excellent, the song was great and the styling was perfect. For some reason I still sort of worry for his chances, but this is a personal highlight, regardless of what happens.
LOREEN: That thing (tattoo? paint?) on her lips is very distracting. And she looks like she's wearing a mop! The vocals were excellent, but the song still hasn't won me over. And with her lack of name recognition, I don't think it will be enough. But the voters could surprise us. Maybe a 5th place finish?
BABSAN: It's time to bring in the drag queen. What MF would be complete without one? I get the entertainment value, but this song is not good. The video screen thing was a bit odd, too. And the video feed kept cutting out on this performance. The audience loved it, though.
ELISABETH: Lots of holding out of the arms in a "this is me, aren't I grand?" fashion. As far as MF ballads go, this was pretty middling. Still, the vocals were flawless and she'll get the older vote, despite the song sounding very similar to many others. This could, unfortunately, be a qualifier.
SANNA: Goodwill alone should get her in the final (in my--possibly unpopular--opinion, she should have won in 2008). And this song is excellent. I'm not sure what that thing was supposed to be that she was performing in. It really restricted her movement, but it doesn't change the fact that this was good schlager! And the people flying up at the end was AWESOME.
THE MONIKER: This, as the lyrics described, was a wonderful surprise. The song was good, the staging was fantastic and Daniel sounded pretty good. I fear this will follow the Le Kid route and fail to qualify, but I quite liked it. Funny how it's the second song in a row shouting "I'm in love" over and over.
ANNIELA: Cool staging! I still love the chorus to this, but I don't think anything about the song is distinct enough to make much of an impression. The verses really let it down. It just sort of came and went.
CHRISTIAN: Um... bad beard. That aside, I like this song but sort of wish it was sung by a different singer (like Darin). It's very much a retread of Darin's entry from last year. I still think it will qualify easily. Unfortunately, my feed kept cutting out towards the end. Why couldn't it have done that with Elisabeth's song instead?
OK, my (probably wrong) predictions:
Straight through: Sanna, Christian
Andra Chansen: Brolle, Elisabeth (and maybe the Moniker if audience reaction is any indication)
EDIT: Oh my... the I Love Europe Guy is gonna do glam rock. This should be interesting. (And it's gonna be "Life On Mars"? My ears! My ears!!)
EDIT: And moving on are Christian, the Moniker, Brolle, Sanna and Loreen. Couldn't have asked for much better! And that stupid ballad was last place! YES!
EDIT: I am feeling all sorts of love for The Moniker...
EDIT: And Sanna is the first to go direct to the final! Well deserved, for sure :)
EDIT: I say that Loreen is the obvious fifth place finish, but I've been surprised before....
EDIT: As stated before, I have a hunch that the Moniker may beat out Christian for the second direct to final spot.
EDIT: What an interesting assortment of outfits in that green room!
EDIT: Despite a couple of clunkers, I think I prefer the songs from this week to last week's.
EDIT: Wow, "Cosmos" sure went all out in the glam rock department, didn't he? Lame. This PERFORMANCE is a "saddening bore."
EDIT: Christian is out! Wow, that's a huge surprise. And Loreen to andra chansen. Brolle direct to final! Another huge surprise, which means that the Moniker is in andra chansen. I guess my hunch about him was only slightly right. VERY happy for Brolle! Very well deserved. This performance is amazing.
EDIT: So now we have our first four finalists. Danny, Swingfly, Sanna and Brolle. Is there a winner here yet? I don't think so, but I like all four!
Melodifestivalen 2011: Heat Two - Preliminary Judging
Okay, here we go. As always, these quick reviews are based only on the short clips svt has provided and are likely to change. Makes it more fun!
(Listen to clips here)
Brolle - 7 Days & 7 Nights
This is certainly different for MF, but I'm loving the clip. It's an odd mix of the old and the new, and Brolle's popularity should help him. I'm not sure about the chorus yet, but I love the overall sound. 4.5/5
Loreen - My Heart Is Refusing Me
Knowing next to nothing about this singer, I didn't expect much out of this song, but I'm pleasantly surprised. It does sound like the type that isn't represented well by a short selection, so I'm hoping it will grow even more on the full. The sound is more upbeat and electronic than I thought it would be. 3.5/5
Babsen - Ge mig en spanjor (Give Me A Spaniard)
Hmmm... I was expecting a lot of entertainment value from this. The visuals will probably deliver, but the song sounds very weak. I hate the Latin sound for a song like this, and the melody isn't anything special. Too bad. 1.5/5
Elisabeth Andreasson - Vaken i en dröm (Awake In A Dream)
The kind of schlager ballad that has its place in the competition, but always bores me (then usually grows on me). This sounds like it's going through the motions, hitting all the right notes, and managing to be quite a bore. 1.5/5
Sanna Nielsen - I'm In Love
Wow, I'm loving this! Sanna's yet to have a bad entry, but this could be her best yet! It's the kind of thing you'd only hear in MF, and an excellent example of uptempo schlager. Should qualify easily. 5/5
The Moniker - Oh My God!
Now this is weird. I loved his last single a few years ago, but this is so different. It's like he threw a hundred genres in a blender and came up with some odd waltz. This could go either way when I hear the full thing. For now, I'm being optimistic. 4/5
Anniela - Elektrisk (Electric)
The chorus here sounds very strong, and for that alone it's getting a high mark. The verses are a little less memorable, but may grow in time. Unfortunately I don't see this doing amazingly well, but it could surprise. 4/5
Christian Walz - Like Suicide
A Tony Nilsson song, and you can definitely hear it! This sounds like a cross between Darin and Salem's songs from last year and that may be just the trick to get him to the final. I'm hesitant about the vocals, which sound underwhelming on this sample, but the production's amazing. 4.5/5
Not as consistent as last week, but I think there are more highs here. I think it'll be Christian and Sanna straight through, with Brolle and Elisabeth (if only for the ballad factor) to andra chansen.
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
*OH YES, AND GAGA'S NEW SINGLE IS AMAZING (I can't be the only blog that doesn't mention it, right?)
(Listen to clips here)
Brolle - 7 Days & 7 Nights
This is certainly different for MF, but I'm loving the clip. It's an odd mix of the old and the new, and Brolle's popularity should help him. I'm not sure about the chorus yet, but I love the overall sound. 4.5/5
Loreen - My Heart Is Refusing Me
Knowing next to nothing about this singer, I didn't expect much out of this song, but I'm pleasantly surprised. It does sound like the type that isn't represented well by a short selection, so I'm hoping it will grow even more on the full. The sound is more upbeat and electronic than I thought it would be. 3.5/5
Babsen - Ge mig en spanjor (Give Me A Spaniard)
Hmmm... I was expecting a lot of entertainment value from this. The visuals will probably deliver, but the song sounds very weak. I hate the Latin sound for a song like this, and the melody isn't anything special. Too bad. 1.5/5
Elisabeth Andreasson - Vaken i en dröm (Awake In A Dream)
The kind of schlager ballad that has its place in the competition, but always bores me (then usually grows on me). This sounds like it's going through the motions, hitting all the right notes, and managing to be quite a bore. 1.5/5
Sanna Nielsen - I'm In Love
Wow, I'm loving this! Sanna's yet to have a bad entry, but this could be her best yet! It's the kind of thing you'd only hear in MF, and an excellent example of uptempo schlager. Should qualify easily. 5/5
The Moniker - Oh My God!
Now this is weird. I loved his last single a few years ago, but this is so different. It's like he threw a hundred genres in a blender and came up with some odd waltz. This could go either way when I hear the full thing. For now, I'm being optimistic. 4/5
Anniela - Elektrisk (Electric)
The chorus here sounds very strong, and for that alone it's getting a high mark. The verses are a little less memorable, but may grow in time. Unfortunately I don't see this doing amazingly well, but it could surprise. 4/5
Christian Walz - Like Suicide
A Tony Nilsson song, and you can definitely hear it! This sounds like a cross between Darin and Salem's songs from last year and that may be just the trick to get him to the final. I'm hesitant about the vocals, which sound underwhelming on this sample, but the production's amazing. 4.5/5
Not as consistent as last week, but I think there are more highs here. I think it'll be Christian and Sanna straight through, with Brolle and Elisabeth (if only for the ballad factor) to andra chansen.
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
*OH YES, AND GAGA'S NEW SINGLE IS AMAZING (I can't be the only blog that doesn't mention it, right?)
Melodifestivalen 2011: Heat One
My thoughts on heat one of this year's contest:
Let's hope for a nice stream and a good outcome :)
(uh-oh, preshow video's already a bit jumpy... does not bode well...)
OPENING: Lots going on with the hosts singing and dancing around in all manner of outfits and gags. Still nowhere near as good as last year's opening, though.
Edit: Their new logo looks like a Transformer. Autobot or Decepticon, I'm not sure...
Edit: From audience applause alone, it seems like Danny (duh) and Jenny (!) will be going through.
DILBA: The Tron outfits are cracking me up, but it really doesn't sound like she's singing live? I mean, she has to be according to the rules, but the vocals sound so processed. This works better in studio form than live, I think. It won't go through, but it's a good dance song. Unfortunately, Dilba doesn't have any charisma.
Edit: This backstage woman looks like she's from Mad Men.
SWINGFLY: Does Swingfly really not speak Swedish? Or were they just being funny in that opening? Hmmm... Anyways, I've always liked this guy's music, and this is no exception. Not for MF, but he's got more energy than Dilba did. I like the singer with him, too. Who is he? Oh my god, and that woman at the end? She cracked me up for some reason.
JENNY SILVER: Here's Jenny with her Abba pastiche! It's so campy, but so much fun. I love the "tribute" to her strange silver arm of 2010 on the dancers. The song's great, the performance was well staged and well choreographed... I think she may be through with this one. It definitely deserves it.
JONAS MATSSON: Had a funny opening, but once the performance started... erm... well, this is really bad. So cheesy, and not in a good way. Plus, the melody's lacking any sort of identifiable hook and his vocals annoy me. Actually, he annoys me. Polite, muted applause at the end.
LE KID: I love this! Of course, I already loved the band, so that helps. It's a great song... probably the best so far. And they've got such identifiable styling and staging. I do have my doubts about this going through, though. Still, they've put on the biggest "show" of the night so far.
RASMUS VIBERG: I liked this, but I'm not sure if it's as good as I wanted it to be. The vocal performance was excellent and I love his presence, but it seems like the song's just a bit too predictable. I'd like to hear this guy do something rockier, because he's definitely got the voice. I think this has a chance of pulling an upset, though.
PERNILLA ANDERSSON: What the hell were those things she was having to eat in the opening? This is a very Swedish-sounding rock/folk ballad, and it's very pretty. No Snalla, Snalla, but then again, what is? Vocals were excellent, but this may end up lacking some oomph by MF standards. This is an insanely difficult heat to predict!
DANNY: ...Except I can pretty much guarantee than Danny will be going through. He didn't even need to perform, honestly. It was already a done deal. Doesn't hurt that he had the most accomplished performance of the night. I'm still not sure if I'm 100% sold on the repetitive song, but this is a definite contender. Great vocals, though like Dilba's performance, it was hard to tell how much was actually sung live.
My BOLD, and probably INCORRECT predictions:
To final - Danny, Jenny
Andra Chansen - Pernilla, Le Kid (fingers crossed)
Possible upset - Swingfly
Edit: Love it that #mel2011 is the #1 (non-promoted) trending topic on twitter worldwide right now. Never underestimate the power of Melodifestivalen!
Edit: Dilba, Jonas and Rasmus eliminated. My predictions could actually be right! Poor Dilba got last place. Not surprising (and I love how the guys announced the song, ironically, as "Try It Again"
Edit: Danny's the first to go directly to the final. Not surprising in the least. I would have been shocked if this hadn't happened. I'm sure he would have been too!
Edit: BTW, I think I can say it now without jinxing it. The stream today is EXCELLENT.
Edit: Danny's song is growing on me, though it's nowhere near being up there with his best. And I hate that stupid spoken bit in the interlude.
Edit: Four good songs vying for the three remaining spots. I'd probably knock off Pernilla's, but I'm a bit worried for Le Kid's chances against these big guns.
Edit: Nanne!! I love her, but she better stop singing this crap Whitney Houston song and bust into one of her own.
Edit: Apparently, that's not gonna happen. Nanne and Whitney do not mix well.
Edit: Le Kid eliminated :( Pernilla and Jenny in Andra Chansen and Swingfly direct to the final. Hmmm... this is a bit of a surprise. I guess you can never rule out name recognition. Swingfly's had a lot of hits.
Edit: The good news - I like this Swingfly song and Le Kid finished in the top five, which hopefully means they got some nice exposure.
Let's hope for a nice stream and a good outcome :)
(uh-oh, preshow video's already a bit jumpy... does not bode well...)
OPENING: Lots going on with the hosts singing and dancing around in all manner of outfits and gags. Still nowhere near as good as last year's opening, though.
Edit: Their new logo looks like a Transformer. Autobot or Decepticon, I'm not sure...
Edit: From audience applause alone, it seems like Danny (duh) and Jenny (!) will be going through.
DILBA: The Tron outfits are cracking me up, but it really doesn't sound like she's singing live? I mean, she has to be according to the rules, but the vocals sound so processed. This works better in studio form than live, I think. It won't go through, but it's a good dance song. Unfortunately, Dilba doesn't have any charisma.
Edit: This backstage woman looks like she's from Mad Men.
SWINGFLY: Does Swingfly really not speak Swedish? Or were they just being funny in that opening? Hmmm... Anyways, I've always liked this guy's music, and this is no exception. Not for MF, but he's got more energy than Dilba did. I like the singer with him, too. Who is he? Oh my god, and that woman at the end? She cracked me up for some reason.
JENNY SILVER: Here's Jenny with her Abba pastiche! It's so campy, but so much fun. I love the "tribute" to her strange silver arm of 2010 on the dancers. The song's great, the performance was well staged and well choreographed... I think she may be through with this one. It definitely deserves it.
JONAS MATSSON: Had a funny opening, but once the performance started... erm... well, this is really bad. So cheesy, and not in a good way. Plus, the melody's lacking any sort of identifiable hook and his vocals annoy me. Actually, he annoys me. Polite, muted applause at the end.
LE KID: I love this! Of course, I already loved the band, so that helps. It's a great song... probably the best so far. And they've got such identifiable styling and staging. I do have my doubts about this going through, though. Still, they've put on the biggest "show" of the night so far.
RASMUS VIBERG: I liked this, but I'm not sure if it's as good as I wanted it to be. The vocal performance was excellent and I love his presence, but it seems like the song's just a bit too predictable. I'd like to hear this guy do something rockier, because he's definitely got the voice. I think this has a chance of pulling an upset, though.
PERNILLA ANDERSSON: What the hell were those things she was having to eat in the opening? This is a very Swedish-sounding rock/folk ballad, and it's very pretty. No Snalla, Snalla, but then again, what is? Vocals were excellent, but this may end up lacking some oomph by MF standards. This is an insanely difficult heat to predict!
DANNY: ...Except I can pretty much guarantee than Danny will be going through. He didn't even need to perform, honestly. It was already a done deal. Doesn't hurt that he had the most accomplished performance of the night. I'm still not sure if I'm 100% sold on the repetitive song, but this is a definite contender. Great vocals, though like Dilba's performance, it was hard to tell how much was actually sung live.
My BOLD, and probably INCORRECT predictions:
To final - Danny, Jenny
Andra Chansen - Pernilla, Le Kid (fingers crossed)
Possible upset - Swingfly
Edit: Love it that #mel2011 is the #1 (non-promoted) trending topic on twitter worldwide right now. Never underestimate the power of Melodifestivalen!
Edit: Dilba, Jonas and Rasmus eliminated. My predictions could actually be right! Poor Dilba got last place. Not surprising (and I love how the guys announced the song, ironically, as "Try It Again"
Edit: Danny's the first to go directly to the final. Not surprising in the least. I would have been shocked if this hadn't happened. I'm sure he would have been too!
Edit: BTW, I think I can say it now without jinxing it. The stream today is EXCELLENT.
Edit: Danny's song is growing on me, though it's nowhere near being up there with his best. And I hate that stupid spoken bit in the interlude.
Edit: Four good songs vying for the three remaining spots. I'd probably knock off Pernilla's, but I'm a bit worried for Le Kid's chances against these big guns.
Edit: Nanne!! I love her, but she better stop singing this crap Whitney Houston song and bust into one of her own.
Edit: Apparently, that's not gonna happen. Nanne and Whitney do not mix well.
Edit: Le Kid eliminated :( Pernilla and Jenny in Andra Chansen and Swingfly direct to the final. Hmmm... this is a bit of a surprise. I guess you can never rule out name recognition. Swingfly's had a lot of hits.
Edit: The good news - I like this Swingfly song and Le Kid finished in the top five, which hopefully means they got some nice exposure.
Melodifestivalen 2011: Heat One - Preliminary Judging
Yes, yes, yes! Melodifestivalen is back for another year, and it's poised to be the biggest yet. While I can't say I'm behind the decision to post the clips in these weird lo-fi audio/video teasers this year, that doesn't mean I won't follow tradition and do some preliminary ratings before the show tomorrow. As always, my opinion can radically change once I've heard the songs in full, but that's half the fun!
(Listen to clips here)
Dilba - Try Again
This sounds so much clubbier than I expected to. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it seems like the vocals need to be brought up in the mix. This shouldn't matter in the live performance, but the recording seems to be missing just a bit of oomph. Altogether, it sounds great, but the contest has a history of forgetting this type of track. 4/5
Swingfly - Me & My Drum
Swedish rap is so much better than American rap. This sounds like a typical Swingfly song -- so-so verses, excellent hook. He's got the name recognition, but doesn't seem to fit very well in the context of the other acts. Right now, this sounds pleasant but forgettable. 3/5
Jenny Silver - Something In Your Eyes
Couldn't be more different from her entry last year. I love the blatant Abba production. It certainly sounds like the campiest entry in this heat, but also the catchiest. A showstopping performance could see this advance. 4.5/5
Jonas Matsson - On My Own
The sound of this has potential, but the melody and vocals seem very dull. It's hard to tell from the clip, but it doesn't seem to have much of a hook. Probably my least favorite of the heat right now. 2/5
Le Kid - Oh My God
I think a lot of people are counting on this being Le Kid's big breakthrough. And, as with their other songs, it sounds quite good. Not sure if it's up with their best yet, but I'm very eager to hear more. It seems like the full version could be quite anthemic. 4/5
Rasmus Viberg - Social Butterfly
This could be the big surprise of the first week. As others have said, this has a sound very reminiscent of Alexander Rybak's Fairytale (and we all know how that turned out). I can see this doing well. 3.5/5
Pernilla Andersson - Desperados
One of the bigger names in this heat, I have a feeling this song will do well. It's the only ballady one, though it's not quite a ballad. It's definitely the most "mature" sounding of the pack. Not necessarily my cup of tea, but it sounds pleasant enough. 3/5
Danny - In The Club
This is harder and more American-influenced (or at least UK-influenced) than I expected. I'm not sure how I feel yet, though it's definitely catchy. And he'll sail through on name recognition. I have a feeling I'll like this more when I hear the full version. 3.5/5
All in all, strong heat. Though I don't think we have the eventual winner here. As to who I think will go through? Danny and Pernilla straight through, with Le Kid and Rasmus Viberg (though Jenny or Swingfly could eke it out) through to the second chance round.
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
ALSO, I'M PLANNING ON A SORT OF UNVEILING ON THE BLOG FOR MONDAY. SOMETHING THREE YEARS IN THE MAKING, SO STAY TUNED.
(Listen to clips here)
Dilba - Try Again
This sounds so much clubbier than I expected to. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it seems like the vocals need to be brought up in the mix. This shouldn't matter in the live performance, but the recording seems to be missing just a bit of oomph. Altogether, it sounds great, but the contest has a history of forgetting this type of track. 4/5
Swingfly - Me & My Drum
Swedish rap is so much better than American rap. This sounds like a typical Swingfly song -- so-so verses, excellent hook. He's got the name recognition, but doesn't seem to fit very well in the context of the other acts. Right now, this sounds pleasant but forgettable. 3/5
Jenny Silver - Something In Your Eyes
Couldn't be more different from her entry last year. I love the blatant Abba production. It certainly sounds like the campiest entry in this heat, but also the catchiest. A showstopping performance could see this advance. 4.5/5
Jonas Matsson - On My Own
The sound of this has potential, but the melody and vocals seem very dull. It's hard to tell from the clip, but it doesn't seem to have much of a hook. Probably my least favorite of the heat right now. 2/5
Le Kid - Oh My God
I think a lot of people are counting on this being Le Kid's big breakthrough. And, as with their other songs, it sounds quite good. Not sure if it's up with their best yet, but I'm very eager to hear more. It seems like the full version could be quite anthemic. 4/5
Rasmus Viberg - Social Butterfly
This could be the big surprise of the first week. As others have said, this has a sound very reminiscent of Alexander Rybak's Fairytale (and we all know how that turned out). I can see this doing well. 3.5/5
Pernilla Andersson - Desperados
One of the bigger names in this heat, I have a feeling this song will do well. It's the only ballady one, though it's not quite a ballad. It's definitely the most "mature" sounding of the pack. Not necessarily my cup of tea, but it sounds pleasant enough. 3/5
Danny - In The Club
This is harder and more American-influenced (or at least UK-influenced) than I expected. I'm not sure how I feel yet, though it's definitely catchy. And he'll sail through on name recognition. I have a feeling I'll like this more when I hear the full version. 3.5/5
All in all, strong heat. Though I don't think we have the eventual winner here. As to who I think will go through? Danny and Pernilla straight through, with Le Kid and Rasmus Viberg (though Jenny or Swingfly could eke it out) through to the second chance round.
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
ALSO, I'M PLANNING ON A SORT OF UNVEILING ON THE BLOG FOR MONDAY. SOMETHING THREE YEARS IN THE MAKING, SO STAY TUNED.
Casablanca (ft. Malena Ernman) - La Voix
"I'm forever yours"
This will probably be my last Melodifestivalen-related post of the year, and it's fitting to send 2010's competition off with a rendition of last year's winner. Casablanca and Malena Ernman brought the house down last Saturday when they performed this duet version of La Voix. "Popera" turned into hair metal shouldn't work, but everything connects here. Having Malena join in at the end is icing on the cake. I'm already a big fan of Casablanca (mostly because they're composed of members of Melody Club and Sahara Hotnights, but for musical reasons, too), though I was kind of apprehensive about their sound melding with opera. They've converted the chorus to English but don't change a whole lot else melodically. And as an added bonus, lead singer Anders Ljung can perform. By the way, Casablanca's debut album comes out next month, or so I hear.
Casablanca (ft. Malena Ernman) - La Voix by alienhits
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listen to more Casablanca here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
Melodifestivalen 2010: Final Predictions
Okay, so there are only two ways that I think this can go tomorrow.
a) Anna Bergendahl wins the public vote and the favor of the international juries with her overrated ballad This Is My Life.
b) Anna takes the public vote, but the international juries go with Timoteij, resulting in a split (or possibly, Timoteij rightfully taking the crown)
You'll notice that I'm pretty confident that Anna will win the public vote. My evidence? She's been atop the Swedish itunes singles chart since the MF songs were released, she was the first to the final in her respective heat, and she was lucky to have a spot in the final heat, making her a fresh commodity in voters' minds.
The only other possible upsets (besides Timoteij) would be Darin or Salem, but I don't see them getting above second place. I hope I'm wrong. If Anna ends up winning, it'll be the most boring MF winner in years.
So, here's how I predict the results to pan out, give or take a few minor changes in the middle:
1. Anna Bergendahl
2. Timoteij
3. Salem Al Fakir
4. Darin
5. Eric Saade
6. Jessica Andersson
7. Peter Joback
8. Ola
9. Andreas Johnson
10. Pernilla Wahlgren
Now, if I was determining the winners, they'd look a little more like this:
1. Timoteij
2. Ola
3. Eric Saade
4. Darin
5. Salem Al Fakir
6. Peter Joback
7. Pernilla Wahlgren
8. Anna Bergendahl
9. Jessica Andersson
10. Andreas Johnson
Of course, it's not going to look anything like that.
On the plus side, having listened to the full MF album quite a bit lately, it's really been a remarkably consistent year for entries with some superb standouts (which, ironically, aren't even in the final). Neo and Alcazar, especially, are among the best MF songs of the past couple of years.
Be sure to check back tomorrow. I'll be live-blogging the final, if svt's video stream actually lets me watch it!
LIVE SHOW UPDATES:
I love these over-the-top openings! American Idol could learn a thing or two. Lots of fun.
Thoughts on Darin: looks much more like a popstar than last time. The curtain things were a nice addition, too. I still love this song.
Thoughts on Pernilla: Meh. Same old, same old. The song seems too lightweight to be any competition. It's fun, though, as usual.
Thoughts on Andreas: Poor guy. I feel like everyone's forgotten about him. The song's nice and he sings it well, but it's not memorable enough compared to the other ballads in the final. On the plus side, it sounds like it should be on the soundtrack of some big action movie, doesn't it?
Thoughts on Timoteij: This is so Eurovision it's ridiculous. I didn't even like it at first, but I've completely come around to its charms. The rightful winner, whether they pull it off or not.
Thoughts on Peter: He seemed to be very well-liked in the stadium, though he still doesn't have a chance of winning. This is one of my favorite ballads of the competition, though. And the addition of the choir made it MASSIVE.
Thoughts on Ola: Oh, Ola. So under-appreciated in the context of MF. He's still got one of my favorite songs this year but seems doomed to finish in the bottom five. He's bringing the energy back, though, and getting out in the crowd!
Thoughts on Jessica: This song seems to have gained momentum. I've gotta admit, I wasn't an early fan. But it's definitely catchy... sort of Abba-ish. Jessica herself is very ruffly tonight.
Thoughts on Salem: Salem could be a darkhorse. It was smart to release the album this week. It was also a good move to step away from the piano at the end. A bit more energy.
Thoughts on Anna: Here we go. To reiterate, this song is not bad. But it should by no means win the whole thing. There are SO many better acts this year. Like, almost all of them.
Thoughts on Eric: Such a ridiculous entry, but so much fun. Thank god they closed on an uptempo. The performance is what really makes this a contender. It's entertainingly staged, for sure, and the crowd loved it (almost as much as Anna?).
It's a testament to Melodifestivalen, by the way, that there wasn't an act in the final this year that I wanted to skip over.
UPDATE: That medley was EPIC. MF is powerful. Only it could be enough of a draw to get last year's Eurovision winner to perform on the finale.
UPDATE: Darin takes the first 12 points! Please continue this way!
UPDATE: That's two 12-pointers for Ola! Thank GOD.
UPDATE: And Anna starts to pull away. Groan.
UPDATE: It looks like a neck and neck race between Anna and Salem. Here's hoping Salem edges out.
UPDATE: Casablanca's cover of La Voix was pretty awesome. I love that they reinvent the songs like this each year. And bringing Malena back on was inspired. BRILLIANT.
UPDATE: Moment of truth... and the winner is Anna :( Very poor result, as evidenced by the international juries, which didn't care for this track at all. We'll see how it goes down in Oslo. My guess? It'll get lost in the shuffle, and rightfully so.
a) Anna Bergendahl wins the public vote and the favor of the international juries with her overrated ballad This Is My Life.
b) Anna takes the public vote, but the international juries go with Timoteij, resulting in a split (or possibly, Timoteij rightfully taking the crown)
You'll notice that I'm pretty confident that Anna will win the public vote. My evidence? She's been atop the Swedish itunes singles chart since the MF songs were released, she was the first to the final in her respective heat, and she was lucky to have a spot in the final heat, making her a fresh commodity in voters' minds.
The only other possible upsets (besides Timoteij) would be Darin or Salem, but I don't see them getting above second place. I hope I'm wrong. If Anna ends up winning, it'll be the most boring MF winner in years.
So, here's how I predict the results to pan out, give or take a few minor changes in the middle:
1. Anna Bergendahl
2. Timoteij
3. Salem Al Fakir
4. Darin
5. Eric Saade
6. Jessica Andersson
7. Peter Joback
8. Ola
9. Andreas Johnson
10. Pernilla Wahlgren
Now, if I was determining the winners, they'd look a little more like this:
1. Timoteij
2. Ola
3. Eric Saade
4. Darin
5. Salem Al Fakir
6. Peter Joback
7. Pernilla Wahlgren
8. Anna Bergendahl
9. Jessica Andersson
10. Andreas Johnson
Of course, it's not going to look anything like that.
On the plus side, having listened to the full MF album quite a bit lately, it's really been a remarkably consistent year for entries with some superb standouts (which, ironically, aren't even in the final). Neo and Alcazar, especially, are among the best MF songs of the past couple of years.
Be sure to check back tomorrow. I'll be live-blogging the final, if svt's video stream actually lets me watch it!
LIVE SHOW UPDATES:
I love these over-the-top openings! American Idol could learn a thing or two. Lots of fun.
Thoughts on Darin: looks much more like a popstar than last time. The curtain things were a nice addition, too. I still love this song.
Thoughts on Pernilla: Meh. Same old, same old. The song seems too lightweight to be any competition. It's fun, though, as usual.
Thoughts on Andreas: Poor guy. I feel like everyone's forgotten about him. The song's nice and he sings it well, but it's not memorable enough compared to the other ballads in the final. On the plus side, it sounds like it should be on the soundtrack of some big action movie, doesn't it?
Thoughts on Timoteij: This is so Eurovision it's ridiculous. I didn't even like it at first, but I've completely come around to its charms. The rightful winner, whether they pull it off or not.
Thoughts on Peter: He seemed to be very well-liked in the stadium, though he still doesn't have a chance of winning. This is one of my favorite ballads of the competition, though. And the addition of the choir made it MASSIVE.
Thoughts on Ola: Oh, Ola. So under-appreciated in the context of MF. He's still got one of my favorite songs this year but seems doomed to finish in the bottom five. He's bringing the energy back, though, and getting out in the crowd!
Thoughts on Jessica: This song seems to have gained momentum. I've gotta admit, I wasn't an early fan. But it's definitely catchy... sort of Abba-ish. Jessica herself is very ruffly tonight.
Thoughts on Salem: Salem could be a darkhorse. It was smart to release the album this week. It was also a good move to step away from the piano at the end. A bit more energy.
Thoughts on Anna: Here we go. To reiterate, this song is not bad. But it should by no means win the whole thing. There are SO many better acts this year. Like, almost all of them.
Thoughts on Eric: Such a ridiculous entry, but so much fun. Thank god they closed on an uptempo. The performance is what really makes this a contender. It's entertainingly staged, for sure, and the crowd loved it (almost as much as Anna?).
It's a testament to Melodifestivalen, by the way, that there wasn't an act in the final this year that I wanted to skip over.
UPDATE: That medley was EPIC. MF is powerful. Only it could be enough of a draw to get last year's Eurovision winner to perform on the finale.
UPDATE: Darin takes the first 12 points! Please continue this way!
UPDATE: That's two 12-pointers for Ola! Thank GOD.
UPDATE: And Anna starts to pull away. Groan.
UPDATE: It looks like a neck and neck race between Anna and Salem. Here's hoping Salem edges out.
UPDATE: Casablanca's cover of La Voix was pretty awesome. I love that they reinvent the songs like this each year. And bringing Malena back on was inspired. BRILLIANT.
UPDATE: Moment of truth... and the winner is Anna :( Very poor result, as evidenced by the international juries, which didn't care for this track at all. We'll see how it goes down in Oslo. My guess? It'll get lost in the shuffle, and rightfully so.
Melodifestivalen: Andra Chansen - Predictions & Results
Tomorrow is the Andra Chansen round of Melodifestivalen, where eight acts will get a second chance to make it to the final. Out of the eight, only two will progress, and there's some stiff competition.
The way it's organized will make it tough for some acts, since they'll be competing head-to-head, tournament style. Here's what I think might happen based on what we've already seen:
Match 1 - Pain Of Salvation vs Pernilla
Now personally I'm supporting Pain Of Salvation here, but I think Pernilla has the edge. She's better known and she's got an uptempo. Over half of the songs in the final already are ballads. Voters may want to break that, which will give Pernilla the calls she needs.
Match 2 - Pauline vs Crucified Barbara
Though Pauline's riding high on the itunes singles chart, Crucified Barbara has that firey stage show that begs for votes. I think that will end up putting them over the edge, though this one will be close.
If I'm Right: Pernilla vs Crucified Barbara
And I think Pernilla will take it.
Match 3 - Kalle Moraeus vs Neo
This is an easy one for me to call personally, and (I hope) an easy one to predict. Neo has one of the best pop songs in the competition, and he should win here. The older, traditional stuff hasn't been playing that well this year.
Match 4 - Alcazar vs Jessica Andersson
Another seemingly easy one to call. Again, poor Jessica got saddled with another ballad and there are much stronger ballads in the competition. Alcazar have the name recognition and the right song. They'll sail through.
If I'm Right: Neo vs Alcazar
Alcazar has the edge, though I wish both would go straight through.
SHOW UPDATES:
First off, Måns covering Duran Duran was completely awesome. About time he got to do some singing.
First duel - Pain of Salvation vs. Pernilla
Pernilla goes through, as I predicted :)
Second duel - Pauline vs. Crucified Barbara
Crucified Barbara wins. I'm two for two!
Third duel - Kalle vs. Neo
Kalle takes it and I've gotta say that's pretty much the worst decision Sweden's made this year.
Fourth duel - Alcazar vs. Jessica
Whoa. Jessica. This thing's pretty much become ridiculous. Alcazar and Neo both eliminated? What's Sweden suddenly got against uptempo music? The last thing we needed in the final was another weepy ballad.
And at this point, I really don't care who goes onto the final. All my favorites have already been eliminated. What's up with Sweden's taste this year? Makes me a little nervous for my favorite musical country.
And the winners are: Pernilla and Jessica, neither of which add much to the final. Groan. What a disappointment. Stay tuned for my predictions on the final next week!
The way it's organized will make it tough for some acts, since they'll be competing head-to-head, tournament style. Here's what I think might happen based on what we've already seen:
Match 1 - Pain Of Salvation vs Pernilla
Now personally I'm supporting Pain Of Salvation here, but I think Pernilla has the edge. She's better known and she's got an uptempo. Over half of the songs in the final already are ballads. Voters may want to break that, which will give Pernilla the calls she needs.
Match 2 - Pauline vs Crucified Barbara
Though Pauline's riding high on the itunes singles chart, Crucified Barbara has that firey stage show that begs for votes. I think that will end up putting them over the edge, though this one will be close.
If I'm Right: Pernilla vs Crucified Barbara
And I think Pernilla will take it.
Match 3 - Kalle Moraeus vs Neo
This is an easy one for me to call personally, and (I hope) an easy one to predict. Neo has one of the best pop songs in the competition, and he should win here. The older, traditional stuff hasn't been playing that well this year.
Match 4 - Alcazar vs Jessica Andersson
Another seemingly easy one to call. Again, poor Jessica got saddled with another ballad and there are much stronger ballads in the competition. Alcazar have the name recognition and the right song. They'll sail through.
If I'm Right: Neo vs Alcazar
Alcazar has the edge, though I wish both would go straight through.
SHOW UPDATES:
First off, Måns covering Duran Duran was completely awesome. About time he got to do some singing.
First duel - Pain of Salvation vs. Pernilla
Pernilla goes through, as I predicted :)
Second duel - Pauline vs. Crucified Barbara
Crucified Barbara wins. I'm two for two!
Third duel - Kalle vs. Neo
Kalle takes it and I've gotta say that's pretty much the worst decision Sweden's made this year.
Fourth duel - Alcazar vs. Jessica
Whoa. Jessica. This thing's pretty much become ridiculous. Alcazar and Neo both eliminated? What's Sweden suddenly got against uptempo music? The last thing we needed in the final was another weepy ballad.
And at this point, I really don't care who goes onto the final. All my favorites have already been eliminated. What's up with Sweden's taste this year? Makes me a little nervous for my favorite musical country.
And the winners are: Pernilla and Jessica, neither of which add much to the final. Groan. What a disappointment. Stay tuned for my predictions on the final next week!
Melodifestivalen 2010: Heat Four
My thoughts on the songs/performances/etc:
First off, I'm gonna begin yet again by stating my annoyance with svt's crap streaming of the video. This week was the worst yet, buffering throughout almost the entire show. So, my thoughts on performances could change when I have the chance to watch them without a million stops in the middle.
Sibel: Kind of Veronicas-esque? Weird dress. The song's catchy, but I wish it was better. So far this year this type of uptempo, frantic pop song hasn't fared that well. I liked the weird background dancers, though, and the very strange ending. The audience didn't know when to clap.
Py Bäckman: My god, she looks like Ozzy Osbourne and Elton John mixed together! This is horrible, quite possibly the worst this year. The older voters better not put her through.
Neo: Of course the feed goes crazy when the one artist I care about this week comes on. Even with all the skipping (I really only got to hear about half the song), I can tell that this is going to be my favorite of the week. Now he needs to go direct to the final so I can see the performance in full.
Lovestoned: I love the sound of this, too, even though the feed was jerking around again. Why did it have to be perfect for that hideous Py song and horrible for the good ones? Anyway, this has a real jaunty feel to it that makes it a definite standout for me.
Anna Bergendahl: Hard to comment on this because I could barely hear it through all the buffering. From what I could hear, it sounded better than most ballads this year. I liked the lighting and Anna sounded good (I think). Could be a darkhorse.
Pernilla Wahlgren: I bet she goes through. The competition has been devoid of a good schlager entry so far, and this fits the bill, even though it's nothing spectacular. Catchy chorus, though. And better than Sibel's entry.
Noll Disciplin: If the song was better, I'd say they were a sure thing going through, just because they're different (and have pyrotechnics), but I don't think it's gonna work. I wouldn't be so angry if they found their way into andra chansen, just for some diversity in song style.
Peter Jöback: He gets the pimp spot, for sure, and it was a good finale. VERY dramatic, theatrical performance that suits his background and spectacular voice. Not my favorite entry, but very, very good.
My hopes to make it through: Neo, Lovestoned, Pernilla, Peter
Who will make it through: Neo, Lovestoned, Pernilla, Peter (yep, I'm thinking my hopes and the actuals will match up for once)
UPDATE: What I could see of that Malena Ernman skit was VERY funny. Pity the feed is cutting out literally each second...
UPDATE: Top 5 - Noll Discipline, Neo, Anna, Peter and Pernilla. And Anna direct to the final! And boy is she happy. Another shocker. Not entirely disappointing, though. Having followed her on Idol, I'm happy for her.
UPDATE: Now the question is, who's gonna get that dreaded 5th place spot? Better not be Neo, though with this group it could really be anyone. I'm surprised that Peter didn't get the highest votes, though.
UPDATE: Christine and Måns and some other famous Swedish folks are singing, though I can't see or hear half of it :(
UPDATE: Neo to andra chansen (he should have been through), which means of course that Peter is in the final and Pernilla is also in andra chansen (next week's show is gonna be strong, yeah? Lots of great second-chancers). And, crap! Neo has to go against that Underbart song. He better get through.
First off, I'm gonna begin yet again by stating my annoyance with svt's crap streaming of the video. This week was the worst yet, buffering throughout almost the entire show. So, my thoughts on performances could change when I have the chance to watch them without a million stops in the middle.
Sibel: Kind of Veronicas-esque? Weird dress. The song's catchy, but I wish it was better. So far this year this type of uptempo, frantic pop song hasn't fared that well. I liked the weird background dancers, though, and the very strange ending. The audience didn't know when to clap.
Py Bäckman: My god, she looks like Ozzy Osbourne and Elton John mixed together! This is horrible, quite possibly the worst this year. The older voters better not put her through.
Neo: Of course the feed goes crazy when the one artist I care about this week comes on. Even with all the skipping (I really only got to hear about half the song), I can tell that this is going to be my favorite of the week. Now he needs to go direct to the final so I can see the performance in full.
Lovestoned: I love the sound of this, too, even though the feed was jerking around again. Why did it have to be perfect for that hideous Py song and horrible for the good ones? Anyway, this has a real jaunty feel to it that makes it a definite standout for me.
Anna Bergendahl: Hard to comment on this because I could barely hear it through all the buffering. From what I could hear, it sounded better than most ballads this year. I liked the lighting and Anna sounded good (I think). Could be a darkhorse.
Pernilla Wahlgren: I bet she goes through. The competition has been devoid of a good schlager entry so far, and this fits the bill, even though it's nothing spectacular. Catchy chorus, though. And better than Sibel's entry.
Noll Disciplin: If the song was better, I'd say they were a sure thing going through, just because they're different (and have pyrotechnics), but I don't think it's gonna work. I wouldn't be so angry if they found their way into andra chansen, just for some diversity in song style.
Peter Jöback: He gets the pimp spot, for sure, and it was a good finale. VERY dramatic, theatrical performance that suits his background and spectacular voice. Not my favorite entry, but very, very good.
My hopes to make it through: Neo, Lovestoned, Pernilla, Peter
Who will make it through: Neo, Lovestoned, Pernilla, Peter (yep, I'm thinking my hopes and the actuals will match up for once)
UPDATE: What I could see of that Malena Ernman skit was VERY funny. Pity the feed is cutting out literally each second...
UPDATE: Top 5 - Noll Discipline, Neo, Anna, Peter and Pernilla. And Anna direct to the final! And boy is she happy. Another shocker. Not entirely disappointing, though. Having followed her on Idol, I'm happy for her.
UPDATE: Now the question is, who's gonna get that dreaded 5th place spot? Better not be Neo, though with this group it could really be anyone. I'm surprised that Peter didn't get the highest votes, though.
UPDATE: Christine and Måns and some other famous Swedish folks are singing, though I can't see or hear half of it :(
UPDATE: Neo to andra chansen (he should have been through), which means of course that Peter is in the final and Pernilla is also in andra chansen (next week's show is gonna be strong, yeah? Lots of great second-chancers). And, crap! Neo has to go against that Underbart song. He better get through.
Melodifestivalen: Heat Four - Preliminary Judging
A couple of this week's clips leaked online, forcing svt's hand to reveal all eight clips several days early. So, my thoughts are coming earlier this week as well.
(Listen to clips here)
Sibel - Stop
This is about as different from her last entry as possible, and definitely preferable. It sounds like a good uptempo pop track, though it doesn't seem to fit with Melodifestivalen very well. 3.5/5
Py Bäckman - Magisk stjärna (Magic Star)
It's so dull that I forgot it as it was happening. It could be the worst song of the competition this year, though I'll have to hear the whole thing to be sure. 0.5/5
NEO - Human Frontier
Yes! This is more of what I expect from this contest. Neo's such a perfect fit, and although I'm not sure this is amongst his best stuff, it's a lot of fun. I hope the contest gives him the exposure he deserves. 4.5/5
Lovestoned - Thursdays
This is a lot catchier than I'd expected. It's different than most of the stuff this year and pretty refreshing because of it. Could be shockingly good. 4/5
Anna Bergendahl - This Is My Life
She was kind of boring on Idol, and this sounds like more of the same. As far as ballads go, I think there are many stronger ones in the competition. It sounds pretty lackluster from this clip. 2/5
Pernilla Wahlgren - Jag vill om du vågar (I Would if you Dare)
This has Melodifestivalen written all over it. I mean, an uptempo schlagery song written in Swedish? It's alright, but I bet it'll improve from a full listen. 3/5
Noll Disciplin - Idiot
Not terribly original for the genre, but it's pleasant enough. The chorus could be a lot stronger. I can't imagine this song going down all that well in the context of the contest, though it sounds very radio friendly. 3/5
Peter Jöback - Hollow
The one sure thing this week, in my opinion. He's just got such an outstanding voice. I'm not as sure about the song, but I can't wait to see him perform. 3.5/5
It's a weird heat, with a lot of contrasting styles. It kind of feels like the leftovers from the past three weeks. I think Peter, Lovestoned, NEO and either Pernilla or Sibel will go through.
*I'll be blogging Saturday throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
(Listen to clips here)
Sibel - Stop
This is about as different from her last entry as possible, and definitely preferable. It sounds like a good uptempo pop track, though it doesn't seem to fit with Melodifestivalen very well. 3.5/5
Py Bäckman - Magisk stjärna (Magic Star)
It's so dull that I forgot it as it was happening. It could be the worst song of the competition this year, though I'll have to hear the whole thing to be sure. 0.5/5
NEO - Human Frontier
Yes! This is more of what I expect from this contest. Neo's such a perfect fit, and although I'm not sure this is amongst his best stuff, it's a lot of fun. I hope the contest gives him the exposure he deserves. 4.5/5
Lovestoned - Thursdays
This is a lot catchier than I'd expected. It's different than most of the stuff this year and pretty refreshing because of it. Could be shockingly good. 4/5
Anna Bergendahl - This Is My Life
She was kind of boring on Idol, and this sounds like more of the same. As far as ballads go, I think there are many stronger ones in the competition. It sounds pretty lackluster from this clip. 2/5
Pernilla Wahlgren - Jag vill om du vågar (I Would if you Dare)
This has Melodifestivalen written all over it. I mean, an uptempo schlagery song written in Swedish? It's alright, but I bet it'll improve from a full listen. 3/5
Noll Disciplin - Idiot
Not terribly original for the genre, but it's pleasant enough. The chorus could be a lot stronger. I can't imagine this song going down all that well in the context of the contest, though it sounds very radio friendly. 3/5
Peter Jöback - Hollow
The one sure thing this week, in my opinion. He's just got such an outstanding voice. I'm not as sure about the song, but I can't wait to see him perform. 3.5/5
It's a weird heat, with a lot of contrasting styles. It kind of feels like the leftovers from the past three weeks. I think Peter, Lovestoned, NEO and either Pernilla or Sibel will go through.
*I'll be blogging Saturday throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
Melodifestivalen 2010: Heat Three
My thoughts on the songs/performances/etc:
Oh no, it's not good when the video stream starts out bad. What is going on? I mean, why even offer the service if it's not going to work?
Oh well, it's back on now. The only question is... how long will it last?
What the heck, by the way, was that "commercial" thing Måns was doing?
Alcazar: Somehow their songs always get better when watching them live. The vocals struggled just a little bit, but I loved the staging and the song's quite good as well. An easy qualifier, and one of my favorites so far this year.
Johannes Bah Kuhnke: I liked the anthematic quality of this, but the vocals didn't live up to the song. I bet the studio version's great, though.
Elin Lanto: Wow, she sounded GREAT. I actually loved everything about this. Maybe the girls have a chance this year after all.
Erik Linder: I feel like this melody has been stolen from another song, at least during the verses. To me this was boring as hell, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets to andra chansen. Trotting out the background singers at the end was a wise move.
Getty Domein: I could be in the minority here, but I really like this. Something about it feels very refreshing. It's probably not catchy enough to make a dent in the competition, but I enjoyed the strangeness of it all, even though his voice did kind of grate after awhile.
Timoteij: This was one of the most cheesy-bad performances I've seen in awhile. The whole instrument thing was weird, especially at the beginning, as were the various facial expressions. The accordion was probably the most ridiculous part. On second thought... strike that, it was the flute.
Darin: It started out a little rocky but improved quite a bit after the first chorus. I love the melody and especially the instrumentation, but the lyrics are still really, really bad. Still, it's probably my favorite ballad so far this year.
Crucified Barbara: I feel like this was a missed opportunity. The vocals were great, but I didn't love the song as much. Still, depending on voters' tastes this week, this could find its way into the top five or even knock out Erik or Elin. It sounds like something that would do really well in Finland. And the fire was cool.
My hopes to make it through: Alcazar, Elin, Getty, Darin
Who will make it through: Alcazar, Elin, Erik, Darin (with Crucified Barbara in the top 5)
UPDATE: Top 5 - Crucified Barbara, Timoteij, Alcazar, Darin & Erik. WHY THE HELL WASN'T ELIN IN THE TOP 5?!?! And Timoteij are the highest vote getters? I've completely lost faith in the Swedish voting public this week. They were probably my second least favorite act today behind Erik, who better get knocked out the next round of voting.
UPDATE: My new prediction - Darin to final, Crucified Barbara & Alcazar to second chance.
UPDATE: Wow, Blue Man Group were kinda awesome. Maybe they should go direct to Globen?
UPDATE: Crucified Barbara and Alcazar to andra chansen and Darin to the final. Can't say I'm 100% excited about these results, but at least Erik's out.
Oh no, it's not good when the video stream starts out bad. What is going on? I mean, why even offer the service if it's not going to work?
Oh well, it's back on now. The only question is... how long will it last?
What the heck, by the way, was that "commercial" thing Måns was doing?
Alcazar: Somehow their songs always get better when watching them live. The vocals struggled just a little bit, but I loved the staging and the song's quite good as well. An easy qualifier, and one of my favorites so far this year.
Johannes Bah Kuhnke: I liked the anthematic quality of this, but the vocals didn't live up to the song. I bet the studio version's great, though.
Elin Lanto: Wow, she sounded GREAT. I actually loved everything about this. Maybe the girls have a chance this year after all.
Erik Linder: I feel like this melody has been stolen from another song, at least during the verses. To me this was boring as hell, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets to andra chansen. Trotting out the background singers at the end was a wise move.
Getty Domein: I could be in the minority here, but I really like this. Something about it feels very refreshing. It's probably not catchy enough to make a dent in the competition, but I enjoyed the strangeness of it all, even though his voice did kind of grate after awhile.
Timoteij: This was one of the most cheesy-bad performances I've seen in awhile. The whole instrument thing was weird, especially at the beginning, as were the various facial expressions. The accordion was probably the most ridiculous part. On second thought... strike that, it was the flute.
Darin: It started out a little rocky but improved quite a bit after the first chorus. I love the melody and especially the instrumentation, but the lyrics are still really, really bad. Still, it's probably my favorite ballad so far this year.
Crucified Barbara: I feel like this was a missed opportunity. The vocals were great, but I didn't love the song as much. Still, depending on voters' tastes this week, this could find its way into the top five or even knock out Erik or Elin. It sounds like something that would do really well in Finland. And the fire was cool.
My hopes to make it through: Alcazar, Elin, Getty, Darin
Who will make it through: Alcazar, Elin, Erik, Darin (with Crucified Barbara in the top 5)
UPDATE: Top 5 - Crucified Barbara, Timoteij, Alcazar, Darin & Erik. WHY THE HELL WASN'T ELIN IN THE TOP 5?!?! And Timoteij are the highest vote getters? I've completely lost faith in the Swedish voting public this week. They were probably my second least favorite act today behind Erik, who better get knocked out the next round of voting.
UPDATE: My new prediction - Darin to final, Crucified Barbara & Alcazar to second chance.
UPDATE: Wow, Blue Man Group were kinda awesome. Maybe they should go direct to Globen?
UPDATE: Crucified Barbara and Alcazar to andra chansen and Darin to the final. Can't say I'm 100% excited about these results, but at least Erik's out.
Melodifestivalen: Heat Three - Preliminary Judging
Now this is more like it! On names alone, this was bound to be the strongest heat and listening to the clips only confirms that.
(Listen to clips here)
Alcazar - Headlines
While I can't tell if this will be another Stay The Night, the clip sounds very strong. Alcazar were pretty much made for this type of competition. The strings in the verses are especially nice. 4/5
Johannes Bah Kuhnke - Tonight
This very Andreas Johnson style ballad sounds pretty promising, though the clip they chose makes it impossible to tell since it's the end of the song and basically the hook repeated over and over. 3/5
Elin Lanto - Doctor, Doctor
This has everything I'd hope for from a Nilsson song. I like the aggressive pop song and the hook sounds unstoppable. I'm looking very forward to hearing this in full. 5/5
Erik Linder - Hur kan jag tro på kärlek
I get the impression that this guy's one of the favorites going into the heat, but based on this clip the song sounds very forgettable to me. A ballad like this needs a stronger melody. 2/5
Getty Domein - Yeba
I really like this. It's 100% different than anything else in the competition, but the African element of this dance track makes it something very special. I may even like it more in full. 4/5
Timoteij - Kom
I've liked a lot of Johnson's past material, though this sounds a little tepid. It goes for "soaring," but may just end up being "boring." It's hard to tell from the clip, especially with this kind of song. Right now it's pretty average. 3/5
Darin - You're Out Of My Life
I'm not the biggest fan of Darin ballads/midtempos, but this sounds promising (despite some truly cringe-worthy lyrics). I especially the like guitar and the dramatic chorus. 3.5/5
Crucified Barbara - Heaven Or Hell
This could have worked, but isn't doing it for me. I'm not loving the singer's voice on the chorus and the melody doesn't strike me as being all that strong. It could just be the short clip, though. 2/5
There's a lot to love this week, and I hope all of the performances are as strong as the clips suggest. I think Alcazar, Elin, Erik and Darin will go through, though I hope Getty pushes his way in.
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
(Listen to clips here)
Alcazar - Headlines
While I can't tell if this will be another Stay The Night, the clip sounds very strong. Alcazar were pretty much made for this type of competition. The strings in the verses are especially nice. 4/5
Johannes Bah Kuhnke - Tonight
This very Andreas Johnson style ballad sounds pretty promising, though the clip they chose makes it impossible to tell since it's the end of the song and basically the hook repeated over and over. 3/5
Elin Lanto - Doctor, Doctor
This has everything I'd hope for from a Nilsson song. I like the aggressive pop song and the hook sounds unstoppable. I'm looking very forward to hearing this in full. 5/5
Erik Linder - Hur kan jag tro på kärlek
I get the impression that this guy's one of the favorites going into the heat, but based on this clip the song sounds very forgettable to me. A ballad like this needs a stronger melody. 2/5
Getty Domein - Yeba
I really like this. It's 100% different than anything else in the competition, but the African element of this dance track makes it something very special. I may even like it more in full. 4/5
Timoteij - Kom
I've liked a lot of Johnson's past material, though this sounds a little tepid. It goes for "soaring," but may just end up being "boring." It's hard to tell from the clip, especially with this kind of song. Right now it's pretty average. 3/5
Darin - You're Out Of My Life
I'm not the biggest fan of Darin ballads/midtempos, but this sounds promising (despite some truly cringe-worthy lyrics). I especially the like guitar and the dramatic chorus. 3.5/5
Crucified Barbara - Heaven Or Hell
This could have worked, but isn't doing it for me. I'm not loving the singer's voice on the chorus and the melody doesn't strike me as being all that strong. It could just be the short clip, though. 2/5
There's a lot to love this week, and I hope all of the performances are as strong as the clips suggest. I think Alcazar, Elin, Erik and Darin will go through, though I hope Getty pushes his way in.
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
Melodifestivalen 2010: Heat Two
My thoughts on the songs/performances/etc:
First question: where's Dolph? Was that just a one week thing? They showed a clip of his "performance" last week on the American clip show The Soup yesterday. Cracked me up.
Eric Saade: I still can't get over the lyrics to this. The vocals were kind of weak, as was the general energy until the dance break (why backwards?) and the neat water thing. It's definitely catchier than anything else this week, though.
Andra Generationen & Dogge: It wasn't as bad as their last entry two years ago, and that made it through, so I wouldn't be that surprised to see this crap get votes. Musically, it's not my thing at all.
Anna Maria Espinosa: This improved a lot for me hearing the full version. I much prefer it to the ballad last week, but going against Andreas in the ballad category may be a problem, as he's more popular. Still, she performed very well.
Highlights & MiSt: Despite looking really creepy at the beginning, these guys have the best song so far by a mile. The woman (MiSt?) didn't really have much to do, though, did she? I hope the voters appreciate a straight-up gimmick-free pop song like this.
Pauline: I actually really liked this, despite it being a complete Amy Winehouse rip-off. She sounded great live and totally pulled off the performance. I'm a little doubtful if it'll make it through, though. And the black & white thing was unnecessary.
Andreas Johnson: Nice performance. The song's adequate, but he does a good job with it. This will get the votes because it's Andreas Johnson. In fact, it may be the highest vote-getter of the week. It does seem a little too serious for Melodifestivalen, though.
Kalle Moraeus & Orsa Spelmän: This is so left-field that it's hard to know what to say. The song's pleasant, and definitely goes for the Alexander Rybak vote. It will get through, no doubt, despite the performers having absolutely no x-factor. The audience ate it up. Maybe they'll get more votes than Andreas?
Hanna Lindblad: This surprised me by being a lot better than I expected. Lots of energy and she sounded great. The choreography was great, too. Kind of Chicago-esque. She could benefit by going last, as well, and may just take Eric Saade's place.
My hopes to make it through: Eric Saade, Highlights & MiSt, Pauline, Hanna Lindblad
Who will make it through: Highlights & MiSt, Andreas Johnson, Kalle Moraeus & Orsa Spelmän, Hanna Lindblad
UPDATE: Ah, there's Dolph! And in a wig and freckles, too! Pretty funny.
UPDATE: Sad for Highlights! Top 5 - Eric, Andreas, Pauline, Kalle, Hanna
UPDATE: Manboy got the highest votes?!?!?!?! I am actually way stunned about this. Not entirely disappointed, but VERY stunned. I guess Kempe + rain = straight to final.
UPDATE: The internet feed is really starting to cut out now. And it's been so good for the rest of the show :( In fact, now it's not playing at all...
UPDATE: Still not working. Svt needs to get this sorted out. I thought they had this year, but no video is even worse than choppy video.
UPDATE: Now listening on radio (sigh). Pauline makes it to the second chance and poor Hanna is 5th.
FINAL UPDATE: Andreas goes straight to the final and Kalle is in the second chance. Kind of surprising, really. I thought Kalle had it in the bag. Can't say I'm too disappointed, though. It was a weak heat no matter what. Next week will be better (and hopefully have video throughout the entire show!)
First question: where's Dolph? Was that just a one week thing? They showed a clip of his "performance" last week on the American clip show The Soup yesterday. Cracked me up.
Eric Saade: I still can't get over the lyrics to this. The vocals were kind of weak, as was the general energy until the dance break (why backwards?) and the neat water thing. It's definitely catchier than anything else this week, though.
Andra Generationen & Dogge: It wasn't as bad as their last entry two years ago, and that made it through, so I wouldn't be that surprised to see this crap get votes. Musically, it's not my thing at all.
Anna Maria Espinosa: This improved a lot for me hearing the full version. I much prefer it to the ballad last week, but going against Andreas in the ballad category may be a problem, as he's more popular. Still, she performed very well.
Highlights & MiSt: Despite looking really creepy at the beginning, these guys have the best song so far by a mile. The woman (MiSt?) didn't really have much to do, though, did she? I hope the voters appreciate a straight-up gimmick-free pop song like this.
Pauline: I actually really liked this, despite it being a complete Amy Winehouse rip-off. She sounded great live and totally pulled off the performance. I'm a little doubtful if it'll make it through, though. And the black & white thing was unnecessary.
Andreas Johnson: Nice performance. The song's adequate, but he does a good job with it. This will get the votes because it's Andreas Johnson. In fact, it may be the highest vote-getter of the week. It does seem a little too serious for Melodifestivalen, though.
Kalle Moraeus & Orsa Spelmän: This is so left-field that it's hard to know what to say. The song's pleasant, and definitely goes for the Alexander Rybak vote. It will get through, no doubt, despite the performers having absolutely no x-factor. The audience ate it up. Maybe they'll get more votes than Andreas?
Hanna Lindblad: This surprised me by being a lot better than I expected. Lots of energy and she sounded great. The choreography was great, too. Kind of Chicago-esque. She could benefit by going last, as well, and may just take Eric Saade's place.
My hopes to make it through: Eric Saade, Highlights & MiSt, Pauline, Hanna Lindblad
Who will make it through: Highlights & MiSt, Andreas Johnson, Kalle Moraeus & Orsa Spelmän, Hanna Lindblad
UPDATE: Ah, there's Dolph! And in a wig and freckles, too! Pretty funny.
UPDATE: Sad for Highlights! Top 5 - Eric, Andreas, Pauline, Kalle, Hanna
UPDATE: Manboy got the highest votes?!?!?!?! I am actually way stunned about this. Not entirely disappointed, but VERY stunned. I guess Kempe + rain = straight to final.
UPDATE: The internet feed is really starting to cut out now. And it's been so good for the rest of the show :( In fact, now it's not playing at all...
UPDATE: Still not working. Svt needs to get this sorted out. I thought they had this year, but no video is even worse than choppy video.
UPDATE: Now listening on radio (sigh). Pauline makes it to the second chance and poor Hanna is 5th.
FINAL UPDATE: Andreas goes straight to the final and Kalle is in the second chance. Kind of surprising, really. I thought Kalle had it in the bag. Can't say I'm too disappointed, though. It was a weak heat no matter what. Next week will be better (and hopefully have video throughout the entire show!)
Melodifestivalen: Heat Two - Preliminary Judging
Time for round two, and my thoughts on the second heat's song clips. As usual, things can change once I've heard the full versions.
(Listen to clips here)
Eric Saade - Manboy
What. The. Hell. Seriously, this is weird, from the "spooky" background to the ridiculously hilarious chorus. As far as europop goes, I like the melody. It's almost too catchy. But it's SO weird! 3/5
Andra Generationen & Dogge - Hippare Hoppare (Hip Hopper)
Utter crap. Why is this type of thing entered? And the band look way creepy, especially the guy with silly string for hair (!). 0.5/5
Anna Maria Espinosa - Innan alla ljusen brunnit ut (Before all the Lights Burned Out)
A dramatic sounding Swedish ballad, the clip is instantly forgettable. Anna's had a few good songs in the past, but this unfortunately doesn't sound like one. 1.5/5
Highlights & MiSt - Come And Get Me Now
I like the sound of the chorus of this, especially the use of strings. Actually, from the clip, it's probably my favorite sounding song from this heat. I have no idea who these guys are, though. They look a little... old? 3.5/5
Pauline - Sucker For Love
I'm not always a fan of this genre, but I like the hook on this. It'll be interesting to see how it's staged and performed live. The background music reminds me a lot of Razorlight's superior In The Morning mixed with the always-good Zutons. We'll see. 3/5
Andreas Johnson - We Can Work It Out
I've liked a lot of Johnson's past material, though this sounds a little tepid. It goes for "soaring," but may just end up being "boring." It's hard to tell from the clip, especially with this kind of song. Right now it's pretty average. 3/5
Kalle Moraeus & Orsa Spelmän - Underbat (Wonderful)
I can actually see this style doing very well in the contest, even though the band looks like a bunch of grandparents. It's not horrible, but it's definitely not the kind of thing I listen to, either. 2/5
Hanna Lindblad - Manipulated
This is a very strange one. Again, it's not the type of music I necessarily associate with Melodifestivalen. For a hard hitting club track, it's not wowing me in this clip. It could end up being really outstanding or just lame. Again, hard to tell. 3/5
This is one of the strangest (and most boring) heats I've seen in the past few years. There's nobody I love. Hopefully that changes tomorrow. I think Andreas, Pauline, Anna and Kalle will go through, though Hanna or Eric could change that with really interesting performances.
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
(Listen to clips here)
Eric Saade - Manboy
What. The. Hell. Seriously, this is weird, from the "spooky" background to the ridiculously hilarious chorus. As far as europop goes, I like the melody. It's almost too catchy. But it's SO weird! 3/5
Andra Generationen & Dogge - Hippare Hoppare (Hip Hopper)
Utter crap. Why is this type of thing entered? And the band look way creepy, especially the guy with silly string for hair (!). 0.5/5
Anna Maria Espinosa - Innan alla ljusen brunnit ut (Before all the Lights Burned Out)
A dramatic sounding Swedish ballad, the clip is instantly forgettable. Anna's had a few good songs in the past, but this unfortunately doesn't sound like one. 1.5/5
Highlights & MiSt - Come And Get Me Now
I like the sound of the chorus of this, especially the use of strings. Actually, from the clip, it's probably my favorite sounding song from this heat. I have no idea who these guys are, though. They look a little... old? 3.5/5
Pauline - Sucker For Love
I'm not always a fan of this genre, but I like the hook on this. It'll be interesting to see how it's staged and performed live. The background music reminds me a lot of Razorlight's superior In The Morning mixed with the always-good Zutons. We'll see. 3/5
Andreas Johnson - We Can Work It Out
I've liked a lot of Johnson's past material, though this sounds a little tepid. It goes for "soaring," but may just end up being "boring." It's hard to tell from the clip, especially with this kind of song. Right now it's pretty average. 3/5
Kalle Moraeus & Orsa Spelmän - Underbat (Wonderful)
I can actually see this style doing very well in the contest, even though the band looks like a bunch of grandparents. It's not horrible, but it's definitely not the kind of thing I listen to, either. 2/5
Hanna Lindblad - Manipulated
This is a very strange one. Again, it's not the type of music I necessarily associate with Melodifestivalen. For a hard hitting club track, it's not wowing me in this clip. It could end up being really outstanding or just lame. Again, hard to tell. 3/5
This is one of the strangest (and most boring) heats I've seen in the past few years. There's nobody I love. Hopefully that changes tomorrow. I think Andreas, Pauline, Anna and Kalle will go through, though Hanna or Eric could change that with really interesting performances.
*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)
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