I sat in my room, I was eating candy, connecting to the live SVT feed, and then by the end of the night I had laughed, screamed, and let out cries of pain and “whoohoos.” To my luck, the neighbours were having a party and thus the noises probably meshed in! A bit of a shocker night, but great never-the-less! I will refrain from Skåne jokes, or talking about Malmö and Denmark. 🙄
Agnes – Love Love Love
=> Globen
I’ve never been a fan of Agnes, and this song is okay. It’s a disco-hit that she starts off with a flattery shaky voice but then gets into it a lot better. I think it was funny that she got confetti stuck in her hair, but I don’t like her attitude at all. She’s a former Idol winner, and despite having grown up since then she’s clearly still immature. In fact, at the post-show interview she asked what the International Jury was. Obviously she doesn’t care about the competition if she doesn’t even know what it is. She comes off as a ditzy, naive, and immature girl. Too bad she can sing…
Star Pilots – Higher
=> Andra Chansen
❗ Personal Favourite
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I love Finsksvenskor! Simple as that. This song is one foot in the 90’s with a sexy Baywatch sort of feel, with a high singing man in the presence of real life pilots. They are sexy, they have a greatly uplifting song that got voted and bumped to Andra Chansen by Agnes. I would have chosen it to go instead and Agnes to Andra Chansen, but oh well. Blonde sexy Finns singing on stage with dancing pilots is just wow. Please Johan Fjellström, take your show to Helsinki and teach the Finns how to put on Eurovision semifinal!
Susanne Alfvengren – Du är älskad där du går
This song is a nice sweet little ballad but it got lost in the shuffle, as a lot of songs. There was no hype about it, and although sung beautifully and sweetly, it just didn’t have anything more to it. It’s a shame though that so much good stuff gets trampled over, but alas what can we do?
Anna Sahlene & Maria Haukaas Storeng – Killing Me Tenderly
❗ Personal Favourite
A bit of a shock that this song didn’t go through and came 7th. I was thinking it was going to be top-4 or top-5 at least considering the popularity and success of both Anna and Maria. I guess Swedes don’t want to see an international pairing go to Eurovision, considering that Maria has gone, and Anna a few times for Estonia. Despite that, this song is a beautiful fun duet that shows their singing abilities. I’ll always be a fan of Anna, but tragic that it was dropped.
Thorleifs – Sweet Kissin’ In the Moonlight
There is something endearing about seeing a legend on stage, who’s put on weight and looks awkward in the camera when clapping his hands to go along with the song. I like the song, I’m not going to lie, but I don’t think it was really up for any chance considering the competition. It’s sort of the Christer Sjögren of last year, but with a little less cheese factor and cute dancers and a catchy tune that just makes me want to do the twist!
Sarah Dawn Finer – Moving On
=> Andra Chansen & International Jury’s Choice
❗ Personal Favourite
Well well well, what do we have here SDF? This is a monsterous epic ballad, that was expected to be as such, but what a shocker being beaten to Andra Chansen by an Operatic-FunkDisco song? This song is truly epic, with rising hydraulic lifts, suns, and sexy Sarah Dawn Finer singing. It’s a great song that quite literally brought a tear to my eye before the second verse. It was just chillingly intense and sent shivers down my spine. My prediction is that it will breeze through Andra Chansen, and if I’m shocked then it’s the best of the International Jury’s Choices so it’s getting to Globen regardless. Shocker that it wasn’t voted though!
Next 3 – Esta noche
First go home song of the year. I was disgusted to hear this, and even to see it. They all look like ghetto teenagers gone wrong with horrible style. I don’t like how they look, how they dance (or lack of), and the rap isn’t floating my boat. This should have come 8th, as it was rubbish. I also took a bad screencap because they are bouncing around so much like annoying rappers do it’s impossible to get a good shot. Go home!
Malena Ernman – La voix
=> Globen
❗ Personal Favourite
What a shocker, but a pleasant one for me, for Sweden, for her, and for Sarah Dawn Finer. She got beaten by an operatic-disco song! I think it’s fabulous, with the effects and simplicity of an opera singer singing something out of their realm and making it work. I think she was the most shocked of everything in the night. But really I think that it’s endearing that Sweden finally voted for a voice and a great singer, and not necessarily a star. Her opera career is already great, but it’s going to shoot up because now she’s versatile, and humble as a Cinderella. Congrats and all the best, but I think that it will finish in the middle of the pack in Globen, sort of lost in the star-studded shuffle.
What a great show, and a great finish for the semi-finals, count-down till Stockholm now, but before that we are going to Nörrköping to get through Andra Chansen. Despite this and the excitement of all 32 song being done now, I can start to think about what’s going to happen.
In greater news, Petra Mede is again a star and even can manage to be funny, stall, and get things done! Props to her, and her family.
This couldn’t have been better moment of shock for an artist. I think the only thing more shocking is Suzzie Tapper last year, but in a good way. She’s believing that nothing will go on, but she finds a ticket straight to Stockholm. Go opera, sista-diva!