Melody Club: This actually was a bit of an disappointment. But it had a lot to do with the expectations. I thought it would be different and a bit alternative, but the song turned out to be a very mainstream and a watered down version of Melody Clubs music. If you've become successful by being different, the worst thing you can do is to suddenly try to please the masses by being generic. Another problem I had was the singing. I've never heard them live before but they sounded like a band who needs a lot of time in the editing room before releasing their music. They didn't make it through this elimination round.
Julia Alvgard: I was very impressed! The song itself was ok, I think I liked it a bit, but I will give her a perfect score for her nerves and live performance. Being a more or less completely inexperienced artist, she really held her own. She looked confident and her voice was strong. She didn't make it passed this round, but I believe it's because people preferred other artists, not so much because they minded her. Personally, I would have wanted her to get a Second Chance, but I didn't feel strongly about it and didn't mind that she was eliminated.
Lasse Stefaz: I have never been this happy about being wrong! I was right to predict that I would hate it. I really did! This might have been the worst song in this year's competition. However, I predicted that they would do well but as it turned out, I was dead wrong! Hurray! I was absolutely sure that they would advance! Given the reaction from the fellow competitors when they announced the result, I wasn't the only one surprised!
Linda Pritchard: This has the potential to become my favorite sing-along-song from this competition. There is nothing better than singing your lungs out in the car, to a good power-ballad. I love it and I know this song will suit me perfectly! Linda Pritchard has a deeper voice than many female singers, which I prefere (maybe because I, personally, can't hit the high notes). The song itself was nice enough. Are there better female artist out there? Sure! I still dream about the day when Sarah Dawn Finer will compete with a perfect power-ballad. I get chills just thinking about it! Apparently, I'm not the only sucker for power-ballads. The Swedish people liked it enough to want to see it again, in the Second Chance.
Anders Fernette: I don't have a whole lot to write about this artist or performance. It was nothing special at all. It was not good, not bad, not exciting, not boring, not modern, not dated and if there is one thing more frustrating than being bad, it's being nothing at all. However, this contribution was so much nothing that I'm not even frustrated by its nothingness. I don't know if the Swedish people agree with my description, but they did agree with my conclusion. We don't need/want to see it again.
Linda Bengtzing: If Anders Fernette is nothing, Linda Bengtzing is an abundance of everything. This was exactly what I expected. Crazy energy, up-beat, super smily and an insane wardrobe. She seems like such a darling, but what on earth was she wearing? I hope and believe that it was intensionally "tacky", because it suits her music. Also, I like her better with short hair. However, she made me smile, as always. This was not her best song, but then, most of her songs have a very similar sound, so if you've heard one you've heard them all. I've bashed other artist and songs for being predicable, generic and dated. She was all of the above. But I still liked it and wanted her to go straight to the finale. Luckily this meant agreeing with the Swedish people rather than wishful thinking. She was this elimination round's winner.
Nicke Borg: Best song of the night! So simple and so beautiful! One very tattooed man alone on the stage, singing a rock-ballad with heart and soul. He was not as good as last year's "Pain of Salvation" nor this year's "Christian Walz", but definitely one of my favorites still in the competition. Because he is very much still in it to win it. He was voted straight to the finale and it was well-deserved! I'm not expecting him to win the finale but I'm very much looking forward to seeing and hearing him again.
Love Generation: My mistake! I didn't mean to exclude them from my previous blog-post. I must have been in a hurry or forgot that there always are eight artist competing in each elimination round. Not that I would have had a whole lot information to share, Love Generation is a very "secretive" group. The group is made up of four pretty girls in their 20s. They are super trendy with their eclectic wardrobe and perfect make-up. They are "super-produced" and their sound ties it all up in a tough and edgy package. They are the 21st Century's "Spice Girls". The song and performance they delivered was very competent and well-produced, but again, fairly generic. I didn't mind them and as a result I didn't mind when they got a Second Chance.
Now we've heard all the songs competing in this year's Melody Festival. On Saturday it's time for the Second Chance and in 8 days it's time for the grand finale!
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