For watchers of national finals, Sweden's national Eurovision selection process is the be all and end all. The final, held on March 8th, was a show that pretty much delivered on all levels--strong songs, quality production values, and a nail-biting voting process.
For Eurovision lovers, there was something for everybody.
The Swedish take on Henry Rollins:
Linus Svenning "Broeder"
A former Eurovision winner:
Helena Paparizou "Survivor"
Alcazar "Blame It On The Disco"
And had they been performed in another country, those three songs would have been sure winners. But it's Melodifestivalen, so they were some of the also-rans.
A strong ballad with a little vocal ornamentation trumped all the bells and whistles in the other songs. Seventh time's the charm for Nielsen, who has been attempting to represent Sweden at Eurovision since 2001.
Sanna Nielsen "Undo"
Annia W., my favorite Swede, agrees with the result. She texted me after the contest telling me "the best song won".
Usually Annia and I are simpatico when it comes to Melodifestivalen, but this year I have to disagree. The song I would have voted for was this number.
Panetoz "Efter solsken"
I must confess a personal preference for Afropop, and this song was very well performed. I would have voted for it, knowing it would have not likely not gone anywhere.
And it didn't. It came in ninth out of ten songs in the final.
But even so, I still don't think "Undo" would have been the most successful of the Swedish choices come Eurovision time.
Ace Wilder "Busy Doin' Nothin'"
Wilder came in second at the end of the final, losing to Nielsen by only two points and is by far the more memorable song. It's immediately infectious and unforgettable, while Nielsen's song is very nice. In fact, the Swedish pop charts agree with me. "Busy Doin" Nothing" is number one while "Undo" is number two.
But I'm sure that Sweden's going to sail through the semifinal and have another successful finish. "Undo" is likely to make a top 10 finish, and not let Swedes down.
