The studio versions are all out apart from Robin Bengtsson and Tenori at this moment, at least from what I can find.

 

Cornelia's is wonderful <3

Klara was by FAR my favourite tonight so I'm glad she was the first finalist :wub: Anna was my next favourite but it's not as good as Kingdom Come so I can't begrudge her "only" going to the semis. Medina were a lot of fun so a pleasing finalist.

 

Tenori... genuinely wtf, thank god I don't have to hear that again Angelino didn't do it for me, song was lifeless and the vocals were actually a bit grating? Him making it through when Lancelot didn't would have been an injustice x

holy shot Klara’s song might be my favorite MelFest entry in a long time so if that gets rejected then this is truly a bad eurovision year

Run To The Hills is AMAZING, but them sending Anders over that and Hold Me Closer is the most Sweden thing ever

I still can’t get over how the verses of Faith’s song just sounds like a carbon copy of Tussle’s voices.

So the 8 acts competing in next week's 'semi final' are:

 

Alvaro Estrella - Suave

Anna Bergendahl - Higher Power

Cazzi Opeia - I Can't Get Enough

Danne Stråhed - Hallabaloo

Lillasyster - Till Our Days Are Over

Lisa Miskovsky - Best To Come

Theoz - Som du vill

Tone Sekelius - My Way

 

In the most unSweden way, there will be a RANDOM DRAW on Tuesday to split them into two groups of 4, with the top 2 of each group progressing to the final.

 

I'd like Anna, Cazzi, Theoz and most of all Tone to get through, so watch them all end up in the same group.

Anna, Cazzi, Lisa and Danne are my favourite four but I like Tone too. Could live without the other three, honestly, but I'm not expecting Cazzi or Danne to make it really. And if Anna and Lisa end up in the same group I'm not quite sure what way that would go or if both could make it as they appeal to the same demographic.

 

In other news, the studio versions of Hold Me Closer and Run To The Hills are easily my two favourite songs of this entire Eurovision year so far. And both would stand out so high above the current crop of confirmed entries for Turin. So watch them pick Bigger Than The Universe.

 

Also John Lundvik's song I've realised reminds me of Lonestar's Amazed, the verses at least, it does have that timeless late 90s/early 00s ballad feel to it.

Edited February 27, 20223 yr by gooddelta

My ranking:

 

Song of the year good

 

1. Cornelia Jakobs – “Hold Me Closer” (this is the one with the heart, and it would join Brividi at the top of the Eurovision odds too I think, just stunning, it's a little bit Shallow meets Oh Laura's Release Me)

2. Klara Hammarström – “Run to the Hills” (pop SMASH, would be very intrigued to see how this would do at Eurovision too)

 

Great

 

3. Niello & Lisa Ajax – “Tror du att jag bryr mig” (bit of a mystery that this came last in its heat, it's top 10 in the charts now, and it's brilliant)

4. Linda Bengtzing – “Fyrfaldigt hurra!” (so much better than her last few entries, deserved better)

5. Lisa Miskovsky – “Best To Come”

 

Very good

 

6. Danne Stråhed – ”Hallabaloo” (an old Swedish folk song like this gets me every year, just insanely catchy)

7. Robin Bengtsson – “Innocent Love” (I've really liked all of his entries, even though others find him overrated)

8. Cazzi Opeia – “I Can’t Get Enough”

9. Liamoo – “Bluffin”

 

Good

 

10. Anders Bagge – “Bigger Than the Universe” (I do like this to be fair, although more the verses than the chorus, just don't want it to win)

11. Anna Bergendahl – “Higher Power”

12. Medina – “In i dimman” (fun, can definitely see this being more of a big chart hit than a Melfest force)

13. Browsing Collection – “Face In the Crowd” (very late 90s girlband/US teen film soundtrack sound - deserved better)

14. John Lundvik – “Änglavakt”

15. Tone Sekelius – “My Way”

16. Faith Kakembo – “Freedom” (reminds me of the stuff on Emeli Sandé's second album, on the verge of being really rousing but just needs to go up one last gear)

17. Tribe Friday – “Shut Me Up”

 

Quite good

 

18. Samira Manners – “I Want to Be Loved”

19. Tenori – “La stella”

20. Malou Prytz – “Bananas”

21. Theoz – “Som du vill”

22. Omar Rudberg – “Moving Like That”

23. Lillasyster – “Till Our Days Are Over”

24. Malin Christin – “Synd om dig”

25. Alvaro Estrella – “Suave”

 

Ok

 

26. Shirley Clamp – “Let There Be Angels”

27. Angelino – “The End”

28. Lancelot Hedman – “Lyckligt $l*t

 

Overall it is a solid year for me to be fair, there's nothing I really dislike but a few quite dull songs at the bottom there. The top 17 will be playlist keepers I reckon.

 

Sweden would top my Eurovision rankings if they went for Cornelia, Clara or Lisa.

In an ideal world, the 4 advancers would be:

 

Alvaro Estrella - Suave

Anna Bergendahl - Higher Power

Cazzi Opeia - I Can't Get Enough

Tone Sekelius - My Way

 

Lisa and Theoz are both fairly acceptable choices too

Theoz, Alvaro and Cazzi all need to get through for me, not bothered about the fourth one but not Danne please.

 

Will be disappointed if they send anyone other than Cornelia, but after a few plays, I think this is probably Klara's best track yet. I don't think there's too much danger of Anders winning, I could definitely see it lagging 20-30 points behind in the international juries and I think that would then be too much to make up even if he wins the public vote.

I hope for Anna, Tone, Alvaro and Lisa

Run To The Hills is AMAZING, but them sending Anders over that and Hold Me Closer is the most Sweden thing ever

I mean I felt that but like COME ON, a dance pop song inspired by one of the bigger EDM smashes of the last year (Gabry Ponte/LUM!X/Prezioso - Thunder, a top 10 in Sweden)? Surely that's gotta count for something? :drama:

Spotify Sweden today:

 

01. Klara Hammarström

02. Medina

03. Anders Bagge

06. Cornelia Jakobs

08. Lillasyster

09. Cazzi Opeia

10. Niello & Lisa Ajax

12. LIAMOO

14. Anna Bergendahl

16. Theoz

17. Tone Sekelius

20. Robin Bengtsson

 

That's a good sign for Klara but could be the recency effect too. Not bad for Cornelia at all seeing as nobody in Sweden has been able to listen to it for three weeks since the performance.

 

Agree Cody that Run To The Hills is very reminiscent to Thunder, I had to check it wasn't a Gabry Ponte/LUM!X production!

Edited February 28, 20223 yr by gooddelta

My ratings:

 

1. Hold Me Closer (10/10)

2. Synd om dig (7.5/10) (Should not have DNQed)

3. Bigger Than The Universe (7.5/10) (Lyrics are so cliche tho)

4. I Want to Be Loved (7.5/10) (This is cute but could see why this DNQed)

5. Freedom (7.5/10)

6. La Stella (7/10) (Popera but more of a novelty :D )

7. The End (7/10)

8. Moving Like That (7/10) (Should have been in Andra Chasen)

9. I Can't Get Enough (7/10) (Reminds me of Julia Michaels - Issues)

10. Best to Come (7/10)

11. Bluffin (7/10)

12. Face in the Crowd (7/10)

13. Fyrfaldigt hurra (6/10)

14. My Way (6/10) (Not feeling the chorus oops :( )

15. Som du vill (6/10)

16. Tror du att jag bryr mig (6/10)

17. Run To The Hills (6/10) (This sounds so familiar to Gabry Ponte, LUM!X, Prezioso - Thunder)

18. Suave (6/10)

19. Änglavakt (6/10)

20. In i dimman (6/10)

21. Let There Be Angels (5/10)

22. Innocent Love (5/10) (Probably the weakest attempt from Robin tbh)

23. Higher Power (5/10) (A very weak attempt from Anna unfortunately)

24. Lyckligt $l*t (5/10)

25. Till Our Days Are Over (5/10) (Not a fan of the vocals in this register)

26. Shut Me Up (4/10)

27. Bananas (4/10) (Bring back the Ballerina Malou Prytz!)

28. Hallabaloo (4/10)

 

Overall rating: 6.21/10

Top 5 rating: 8.0/10

 

Overall, the high level of production is showcased in the national final. However, there are not a lot of new ideas or experimentation with their sounds so I fear they won't stand out. Cornelia Jakobs or Faith Kakembo should give Sweden a great result nevertheless.

Edited March 9, 20223 yr by HuhdMeClosting

It doesn't appear to have been posted here so...

 

Semi 1

 

1. Tone Sekelius - My Way

2. Alvaro Estrella - Suave

3. Danne Stråhed - Hallabaloo

4. Anna Bergendahl - Higher Power

 

Semi 2

 

1. THEOZ - Som du vill

2. Lisa Miskovsky - Best To Come

3. Lillasyster - Till Our Days Are Over

4. Cazzi Opeia - I Can't Get Enough

The three I care about are split so could all get through in theory, that's good. I'll be mad if Alvaro doesn't go through because he's the only one I really care for in that group.

 

The other group, as long as we get Theoz, we're good. I wouldn't expect to lose him and Cazzi, but I can see Lisa getting in the way of it going perfectly.

 

As much as I love "Run to the Hills", perhaps it's best avoided given the "Thunder" comparisons that have been made and the fact that LUM!X is in Eurovision this year and could be bringing something similar? :lol:

Absolutely the correct two through in group 1.

 

Now please let Lisa get through and I’m delighted

Sweden said trans rights!

So Anna, Tone, Theoz and Cazzi complete the final line up.

 

For all that the average quality might have dipped a bit this year, that’s a really good final lineup we’ve got here!

I'd like Anna, Cazzi, Theoz and most of all Tone to get through, so watch them all end up in the same group.

 

Not Sweden gifting me with 4/4 *.*