Moving along to Scandinavium in Göteborg for this year’s preselection brought some interesting events, and quite frankly a lukewarm heat for this year’s competition. As usual Danny and Gina were fantastic, and I think they looked fantastic also!
The mellan-act was the absolute most amazing thing I’ve seen in a long while. First of all it started with Ann-Louise Hanson, Towa Carson and Siw Malmkvist lypsyncing their “C’est La Vie” song, like really? but then it was upstaged by Imaginethis: In Da Club Bollywood style and you get Indie Club, which as far as I’m concerned should have gotten a direct golden ticket right to Globen. Fantastic singing, fantastic music, fantastic colourful dancing, a 100% winner in my book.
Anton Ewald – Begging
=> Andra Chansen
Danny Saucedo backing dancer turned singer with a desperate attempt to charm Sweden with his innocent charm. He quite frankly looks and sounds like a Eric Saade double which in my books doesn’t play to his favour, and when it comes down to the song I think it’s a major flop. He’s a very weak singer, and frankly is a much better dancer. I’m quite convinced that the majority of the singing was backing and he just sang along as not a featured artist. It’s harsh of me, but really that’s what I think happened.
Felicia Olsson – Make Me No 1
❗ Personal Favourite
Where the hell did this shy girl come from with a voice like Adele? She’s raspy and deep, smooth and cool like Baileys and has a song that I think she pulls off extremely well. She’s clearly comfortable on a stage, but looks very unsure of herself everywhere else. The fact that she made it to 5th place kind of shocked her, but furthermore I think she just flat out surprised Sweden with her song. I don’t like the lyrics, and I feel like the music was “too strong” in comparison to the balance of her voice. I think it was a strong entry, and certainly a step up from Sean Banan.
Joacim Cans – Annelie
Well this was flat out a flop; he wanted to do well and being a lead singer from HammerFall power metal band would seemingly play in his favour but it didn’t work at all. The song left much to be desired, and I didn’t really get it. It might appeal to other people but quite frankly it would have been more effective sung by someone else with more a presence.
Swedish House Wives – On Top of the World
❗ Personal Favourite
This year’s fiasco so far; with the hopes of all the schlager fans on their shoulders, Pernilla Wahlgren, Jenny Silver, and Hanna Hedlund head out to glammify and rock us off our socks. I think they succeeded that and pulled off a fantastic performance, but it didn’t stick for the tele voters. I really am at a loss that they would chose Sean Banan over this, and not even allow it to go into the Andra Chansen round. Maybe there is a wave or a change in the culture, but as far as I’m concerned schlager music, fun songs, glittered up outfits, and love trump all else.
Erik Segerstedt & Tone Damli – Hello Goodbye
=> Andra Chansen
❗ Personal Favourite
I really think that Erik was afraid that he wasn’t going to qualify because he looked ridiculously stressed. Always singing about Goodbye, and former member of EMD which of course took the competition by storm and still lost, does a sweet duet that I didn’t expect. I really thought it was going to be some rap-type song that would crash and burn, but this pop song was actually really well executed. I think they have a good chance in the second chance round and hopefully Danny’s friend Erik can make it through with his Norwegian counterpart!
Louise Hoffsten – Only the Dead Fish Follow the Stream
=> To Final
❗ Personal Favourite
One of Swedens most recorded and decorated artists, Louise brought her very odd country-pop song to the competition clearly expecting it to go nowhere. With odd lyrics, and being assisted to move around due to her multiple sclerosis, she put on a show for the crowd and impressed the televoters to send her right to Globen, and justly so. The first time she shows up in the competition may just be the time she actually wins. It might be a long shot, but I really think that this would be a great entry for Sweden to represent itself at home. So far my dark-horse winner.
Rikard Wolff – En förlorad sommar
❗ Personal Favourite
I will get boo’ed for this one but really there is something simple and sympathetic about this piece. Maybe it’s the pathetic aspect of it that appeals to me, but who doesn’t love summer? I think it’s a miss mash between a cute ballad, and Thorsten Flink, but done poorly because his vocals are deep and raspy but not very convincing. I was enrapt by the backing and imagery, but that’s just me. I liked it, and I’ll burn in hell for it !
Sean Banan – Copacabanana
=> To Final
Well it’s no surprised at all that they sent Sean to the final again with a ridiculously grandiose parody show that is almost a cookie-cutter copy from last year. The song even sounds the same to be perfectly honest. It’s a funny play on words, and supposed to be a parody but Sweden just eats it up, and to think that they chose this over schlager? It’s sacrilegious as far as I’m concerned. I understand he’s super popular and people love him, but I just don’t “get” it like many other people. It’s just, trashy, and tacky with all the colours and craziness.
What a crazy fiasco of an evening. Lip-synching, star-studded powers, upsets, schalgerfiasco, Sean Banan’s craziness and a shocked Louise Hoffsten. I think that the bar was raised just a little bit from the last week, but we have room for improvement. Hopefully the next two heats will produce something superfantabulous!