I'm taking:

01 KAJ

02 Dolly Style

03 SCARLET

04 Greczula

05 Saga Ludvigsson

06 Klara Hammarström

07 Meira Omar

08 John Lundvik

09 Maja Ivarsson

10 Annika Wickihalder

11 Erik Segerstedt

12 Måns Zelmerlöw

KAJ and Dolly Style my clear favourites, both are so joyful and fun and so different to anything Sweden normally sends, I beg for it to change this year, far more likely with the former than the latter of course. SCARLET and Greczula are also very great examples of their genres - as are the next 4, even Lundvik is a much better in-class comparison to Revolution IMO.

I've considered that I'm putting Måns last as a reaction to its perceived huge contender status and that may be part of it but I'd like to think it's not principally, it's genuinely awful and generic in an insulting way, and its lyrical topic is like rubbing salt in as it's the opposite of a revolution. To quote a reddit comment that got picked up by a Swedish newspaper 'a protest song for people without opinions'. Sanded down, focus-group pop that leaves me feeling absolutely nothing and it winning Melfest, let alone Eurovision would be an indictment*.

*though the history of Melfest winners is already quite an indictment of this sort of music x

01 Saga Ludvigsson

02 Klara Hammarström

03 Dolly Style

04 Meira Omar

05 Maja Ivarsson

06 SCARLET

07 Måns Zelmerlöw

08 John Lundvik

09 Greczula

10 Annika Wickihalder

11 Erik Segerstedt

12 KAJ

KAJ just... isn't my cup of tea and I really hope it doesn't win, it'd be the worst Melfest winner in the time I've been following it. I don't dislike the rest but find Annika and Erik varying shades of bland. Greczula is at least interesting, and I've downloaded everything above so they're songs I'd like to hear again.

Other takeaways from this year's contest have been Nomi Tales (my favourite song of the contest this year), Adrian Macéus, Arwin, Malou Prytz and Vilhelm Buchaus, so I've got a pretty great selection from this year despite feeling like it wasn't quite as strong as last year's was for me.

01 KAJ

02 SCARLET

03 Klara Hammarstrom

04 Dolly Style

05 Grezcula

06 Saga Ludvigsson

07 John Lundvik

08 Meira Omar

09 Måns Zelmerlow

10 Maja Ivarsson

11 Annika Wickihalder

12 Erik Segerstedt

KAJ and Scarlet’s songs are what Eurovision and Melfest should be about, I’ve fallen out of love with Melfest because it’s so much sterile predictable stuff. There’s nothing I flat out dislike here but I do find the bottom 2 bland and Revolution is just uninspired, if it does win and win Eurovision if will be my least favourite winner since Portugal 2017. It’s fine, but it’s not Eurovision staging and camera angles contest…

The producers must be thrilled with the amount of new talent advancing this year, I can see a whole bunch of them coming back and this kicking off a new wave of regulars. Last year, 9 out of the 12 finalists had already made the final in a previous year compared to 5 out of 12 this year (or 4 solo, Erik obviously has with EMD).

Greczula, Saga, Meira, Arwin, Ella, perhaps KAJ (though it does feel like a one off). I expect we'll see them all back at some point, in addition to the likes of Jacqline & perhaps Froken Snusk from last year.

I just GO WITH THE FLOW!

Utterly obsessed with this absolute TAT, one for the ages.

my heat 5 ratings:

Love It (7/10)

Sweet N' Psycho (6/10)

This Dream Of Mine (6/10)

Hate You So Much (6/10)

I'm Yours (5/10) (the way i have to repeat this a couple of times because i forget to rate this shows how forgettable this is oops )

Ring Baby Ring (4/10)

My top 3 : Kamikaze Life, Don Juan, Love It!

Edited March 7Mar 7 by Last Dreamer

Heard KAJ for the first time... HOOKED IMMEDIATELY! I need that to win! It's so good.

Dolly Style are as reliably fun and camp as ever. Amazing.

Twenty minutes until showtime, anyone who wants the link can find it here

There should be English language commentary available as an option if you want it

Major FOMO that I was too busy at work this year to be able to get over to Stockholm for the final

Hoping for a KAJ win of the two only real contenders, but that's up to the juries if they wish to screw them over or not.

Obsessed with that and Klara's song <3 But as usual, despite looking ropey at times, Sweden have pulled together a stellar line-up for the final.

not followed any of the semis so playing catch up!

klara by far the best so far, though i preferred run to the hills i think.

also hate to admit it but i kinda miss problematic harajuku dolly style. this scouse horse girl moment is not it.

Strong final this year, seeing the performance of Dolly Style, Greczula and particularly SCARLET is a reminder that Sweden can really do performances and great songs if they want to. God I would love any of those to be representing Sweden.

John Lundvik has been the only skip so far - gotta be the highest quality final in years!

John's is definitely the worst song by a mile, what a generic bore. The public vote could be in single figures for that.

Greczula would have been a very credible (and successful) lane for the UK to go down post Sam Ryder.

SCARLET really were great. Klara too although she looked lilke she had a few vocal struggles.

I love Maja <3 This has been on repeat since the first heat. Hope she doesn't get a bottom two result. Still think it's cool that the lead singer of The Sounds is on here, I'd love to see Nina Persson do it one day (as if).

Edited March 8Mar 8 by gooddelta

KAJ is the one if they want to stand a chance of winning the Eurovision televote this year, not Måns.

Go on, I dare the international juries to back this. Think outside the box for once, fun is great.

I am biased but that KAJ performance felt like far more of a winning performance than Mans' clinical one. Holding onto cope for a bit longer.

OMGGGGG WE'VE DONE ITTTTTTTTTTT!!!!

OMG! Yassss!

Finally, a song in Swedish! Sweden back up to their rightful place of 1st in my rankings.

So amazed the juries didn't kill it off, but also unmarked Måns - shame for him that he didn't bring a great song.

I really wasn't expecting this! Swedish song and a fucking TUNE. Sweden, you've got me on board this time.

I am happy for KAJ and tbh also glad Manz and Dolly Style did so well they was my top 3 the whole of Melfest