Hello everyone! National finals season wraps up tonight, and we are closing our Team Reviews with the Eurovision titan itself: Sweden!
We’ve subjected all 12 Melodifestivalen hopefuls to scrutiny for your pleasure and interest. Six written autopsies detailing why we (our motley crew of article gremlins) like or dislike certain Swedish finalists.
In the first part of the Sweden reviews we’re taking a closer look at the following 6 acts:
Participating in the final round of Team Reviews are:
- Boris Meersman – falling in love with tripe again.
- David Popescu – hates you so much (like actually).
- Daniel “DK” Kennedy – just a cowgirl in a rodeo.
- Jasmin Prisc – will show you what “mild like” is.
- Rebecca Green – her voice won’t be silenced.
- Sam Siegal – has opinions that will change the world.
Each editor has submitted a review for each of the 12 finalists with a score out of 10. Highest percentage wins the ranking. If there’s a tie, the highest and lowest score are deducted and we look at the median percentage. If there’s still a tie, then the highest unique score takes it.
But before we jump in: here’s the ubiquitous disclaimer:
All opinions stated in Team Reviews belong to the person quote and do not represent the views of ESCUnited as a whole! Also, they’re subjective opinions of other people, so you’re bound to disagree with some of them down the line. Be an adult and get used to it.
And now that we’ve lectured the Twitter Stans lurking on our website, let’s kick off with a voice that will be heard:
Boris – 6
“The name Lundvik is often synonymous with the spectrum of slow songs that range from ‘”‘adequate’ to ‘”‘below average schmalz'”‘. ‘Voice of the Silent’ skews more towards adequacy for me, in part because the music at least attempts to be modern and polished, with a message that -if very simple- feels in character with Lundvik’s naïvely optimistic personality. The biggest issue with ‘Voice of the Silent’ is that Måns overpowers it, in the same way a loud vapid extravert thunders over a timid cerebral introvert.”
David – 3
“Heavily over-produced and very empty. While listening to the song, you get the idea that this should perhaps be far more emotional in sound, along with those lyrics, but unfortunately, none of that is felt while hearing the song. It aims for that perfection, but sacrifices everything that could make the song feel far more personal.”
DK – 5
” Like, I get why Sweden keeps making these types of songs because they are radio-friendly, sell records, etc. The cat ladies will love this and that’s the point. John’s brand is all about that. He can sing well at least, but it’s nothing I haven’t seen before, and something I will see again – probably when he enters Melfest again in 3 years. Eurovision wise, I’ll pass”
Jasmin – 8
“I don’t get how this song is giving “opener” energy compared to Yihaa but okay… I don’t want to admit it, but I’m becoming a fan. Definitely better than his 2019 song (controversial opinion, I know). I will keep being controversial and say this – better than Mans as well… the vocal is amazing, the chorus is catchy, he’s not doing a lot on stage, which I actually like.”
Rebecca – 6
“John Lundvik is the source of my biggest one-sided beef in the history of this contest—I hate his pants more than anything in the universe, and no I will not elaborate otherwise we will be here until May. All I will say on the matter is that his pants are much better this time around. The vocals here are on point, and the staging is excellent in its simplicity and uniqueness. The song is… plain. John’s vocals and stage presence do a lot of the heavy lifting, because without those this song is not nearly as impressive. Luckily I’m not just grading the songs here but the whole package, so as a whole this performance is decent and would easily get Sweden another Top 10 finish at Eurovision.”
Sam – 4.5
“Genre-wise, this is very much in the same family as that other song, but far less offensive. I’m not a fan of faux-inspirational charity singles like this, but John Lundvik has a beautiful voice that distracts from the mindless platitudes he’s singing. “
Total: 32.5/60
Highest: 8 (Jasmin)
Lowest: 3 (David)
Percentage: 54%
Boris – 7
“Look, I can’t always explain why some of the nonsense novelty songs make me want to hurl the artists into a wood chipper while I actively endorse the stupidity of others. All *I* know is that “YIHAA BACK ON THE HORSE” is an unethically viral hook, that has been swimming around my brain for weeks like a mindflayer tadpole. A rare win for the still very off-putting Dolly Style (the music is giving “TikTok Brainrot For Children”, the styling is giving “Sells Foot-related Content on OnlyFans”), who still score a seven for making me -very briefly- imagine a scenario where they won Melodifestivalen over Måns, which would have been the funniest outcome of any NF in the multiverse.”
David – 2
“How many jokes am I allowed to make? Just imagine this as the theme song, at a “swinger party” and then you’ll bang your head in shame for 3 full minutes. Excuse my dirty mind! This song, is just absolutely ridiculous lyrically, and the peak of country-pop. The tune is fine, but we’re on the border of everything being completely ridiculous.”
DK – 10
“Ok I get it. Is Dolly Style the most talented group in the contest? Well, no. But do they have the best vocals in the contest? Well, no. But do they have the most radio-friendly song in the contest? Well, no. Do they have the song that is the most ready to win a jury vote? Well, no. Are they a televote friendly song? Well, no. Did they even place top 2 in their heat? Well, no. But will they get any points beyond the 3-9 age group? Well, no. And that’s why it is a perfect song. I have been stanning Dolly Style since Hello Hi and for their first time in the final of Melfest, they deserve this from me”
Jasmin – 9
“I expected to crush this mercilessly, but look at me summoning my inner country girlie. I am surprised this made it to the final. I’m here for it… not the spot 2… oh well it’s a party and I’m living for that key change in the last chorus. Listen to those whiplashes in the background. All I’m saying is: “Yihaaaaa back on the horse” and I hope they won’t come last in the final. Sweden will never give us something funny will they?”
Rebecca – 5.5
“This is probably the closest that Sweden will ever get to a “gag” entry, because while it certainly has a gimmick to it, it’s still about as radio-friendly as any country pop song can be. That being said, this is definitely not something I would associate with Sweden at the contest and automatically endears me to it, if only slightly. The stage show is colourful and fun, the song is catchy and not unpleasant to have stuck in your head, and the girls have a great stage presence. I’m positive this won’t win Melodifestivalen, let alone Eurovision, but I hope we see more things like this from Sweden in the future that attempt to push the envelope of “polished, Billboard Top 100 pop song”. Maybe one day they’ll even break free from it!”
Sam – 10
“I unironically adore this. The outrageously fun, delightfully cheesy Vengaboys-meets-Steps-meets-S Club Y2K throwback of my dreams. It leans into itself and doesn’t try to be anything it’s not, and the execution is perfect as a result. “
Total: 43.5/60
Highest: 10 (DK, Sam)
Lowest: 2 (David)
Percentage: 73%
Boris – 8
“The impact of Swedish songwriters on the American pop scene cannot be felt harder than in this showmanesque number. “Believe me” sounds like it would naturally fit into a Broadway musical or on a Bryan Adams tribute track. It’s a great début for Kristofer Greczula at Melodifestivalen, who will hopefully be awarded with a winner’s trophy soon (ideally this year.)”
David – 2
“This just screams cheesy, I’d assume calling it some mix of classical pop-rock, but it just fails to impress with how much it tries to achieve in such sort time. The voice is great, but the music is just all over the place and actually hard to remember, leaving me wondering what I’m even listening to. Better luck next time.”
DK – 7
“I love his stage presence. He is extremely captivating and definitely knows how to draw a crowd. Lazily reminds me of Prince. I think he deserves a better song than whatever “Believe Me” is. He has a great vocal but the song fades to nothingness pretty quickly, and that will probably be his downfall on Saturday. For my personal taste it’s not my favorite, but it is serviceable.”
Jasmin – 7.5
“The beginning of the song surely brings me back to the last century. I can’t say with precision, but it sounds familiar and maybe slightly derivative of the famous rock bands that were in peak popularity back in the day. The more I listen to it, the more I like the vocals and the general feeling of the song. I know this will not make sense to many of you, but in places, the song is giving me Christmas vibes… am I the only one? Probably I am… Sweden will not pick this, this is too edgy for them.”
Rebecca – 7
“Listening to this makes my throat hurt so much. His voice is great, don’t get me wrong, but I grew up as an overweight asthmatic with a chain-smoker for a father so that raspy voice activated some sort of long-buried muscular memory in my oesophagus. Anyway, this song is very solid, with an upbeat, Elton John sort of vibe to it that is extremely catchy. I think the staging needs a little bit of work—there are some great ideas there, with the piano in the air and the camera inside of it, but the middle portion definitely felt a little flat in comparison. Whether it’s just more of a choreographed romp around the stage or a second flight on the piano, it needs to be more engaging for me to say this stands a chance against you-know-who.”
Sam – 4
“I know a lot of people love this entry, but it’s just not clicking for me. Greczula shoots for Freddie Mercury and lands on Benson Boone at the Grammys. It’s giving mid-2000s Idol/X-Factor/Voice winner. “
Total: 35.5/60
Highest: 8 (Boris)
Lowest: 2 (David)
Percentage: 59%
Boris – 7.5
“Fun basic bop with underwhelming staging – the presentation is too static for a song with this many beats per minute, and Klara spends a disturbingly long time lounging on her little pillar bed. “On and on and on” only comes alive with the tempo shift near the end, (I propose we call this the “Shumification of the song” from hereonout), which is when it creates A Moment. For this to become more than a “adequate filler bop” Klara’s team will need to rethink her staging a bit, because her song really calls for something more dynamic and engaging during the first two acts.”
David – 3
“I have a huge problem with the lyrics, the way it feels and sounds like that all there is to it, is the chorus. The same lines being repeated so often in such a short time, makes it eventually bothersome. Music is alright and well produced, it has a good beat, but does sound familiar, can’t quite put my mind from where. Overall, repeated lyrics this much, is the main problem.”
DK – 8.5
” Klara has been Melfest’s pop princess for her last few entries, and “On and On and On” is no exception. The staging for this song is obviously brilliant, and has some moments that are extremely captivating (the bridge into her falling into the clock? SLAY). I find her vocal to be slightly “breathy” for the performance itself, but my god the song is catchy. It wasn’t an instant favorite of mine, hence why I am pretty low on her chances to win Melfest. This has become a big hit in my car on the way to work though, and that’s good enough for me!”
Jasmin – 7.5
“I am happy to see Klara back, however this won’t be her year either. It’s unfortunate that some big faves are always in your way, right… the song is good, in her style, exactly what I would expect from her. I have to praise the staging, everything is in place and Eurovision ready. Is it generic? Absolutely, that is what Sweden likes but their generic is top-tier. The chorus got stuck in my head the whole afternoon. Maybe sending something like this would be smart considering all the “menu songs” we have this year… eh, it’s good.
“
Rebecca – 5
“Objectively, there’s not much I can find fault in with this. The staging is slick and the choreo is great, the song is catchy and the slow-down, speed-up section towards the end gives it a memorable quality. The vocals seem to be relying heavily on the backing track to compensate for a lack of power in certain sections, but hey, it’s not necessarily a dealbreaker. Unobjectively, this just isn’t up my alley. You can’t help what you like and don’t like, unfortunately, so while I have nothing but positive things to say about this it’s not my favourite package.”
Sam – 8
“If you’re too pretentious cool for Dolly Style, might I recommend this more grown-up Y2K throwback club banger? The obligatory made-for-Eurovision girl bop of the lineup, but done very well. “
Total: 39.5/60
Highest: 8.5 (DK)
Lowest: 3 (David)
Percentage: 66%
Boris – 8.5
“The “DIA” in “Dia de los Muertos” should stand for “GODDESS” in this glorious campfest. “Sweet ‘n’ Psycho” is an adrenaline spike with spectacular visuals and great vocals. It very much deserved the hype. How did it then not win its heat? I think the answer simply might be that Scarlet look too ridiculous for their own good – if you’re going for a sinister, menacing vibe you should not look like you just walked off the set of a Grim Fandango action movie. Great song overall though, and they really should have tried for Norsk MGP, where they would have easily mopped the floor with everyone.”
David – 5
“From the sound and the attitude that these girls have, I honestly expected something more deadly and intimidating, but it’s quite lame and soft. If you go with this creepy and psycho style, then go full out on it. Lyrics are very family friendly, and just rhyme for the sake of it, not even good rhymes. It’s a shame, the song overall is really held much back.”
DK – 7.5
“I think I am one of the only gays on planet Earth that don’t love the aesthetic that Scarlet brings, despite me having Bambie Thug as my #1 after it was all said and done. However, they are bringing something that is just so unique to the rest of the field that I have to give it a lot of credit. I prefer Circle X which sorta jades me to Sweet n’ Psycho, and their vocal takes me out of it. The song itself is a bit lazy. I think in the future we could see them at Eurovision with a song that is truly genre-breaking and pushing the boundary of what Sweden does. Right now, it is a well needed breath of fresh air from the typical Swede-pop.”
Jasmin – 10
“I unapologetically love everything about this. The outfits are fire, the staging is creative and grabs your attention easily. They sing it effortlessly, and performance is a bomb! C’mon Sweden, I dare you! Be original and pick this and I’ll have it as my locked winner of 2025. Their previous entry was also brilliant in my opinion. They are giving me everything I need and want from a pop genre. I already know I’ll be upset but I can still hope…”
Rebecca – 3.5
“I know I just got done praising Dolly Style for pushing the envelope, and while this is clearly doing much more envelope-pushing than Dolly Style, it’s… really not working. First of all, the lyrics are a mess of nonsensical and generic that leave me making a confused, vaguely offended face. Second, the vocals are… not bad, definitely not bad, but very unbalanced. One of them seems to have had their mic turned up to 200% because when they sing together, I can only hear her. In that same vein, their voices don’t work very well together—at least in this song. Finally, the staging concept is very Hatari-meets-Skeletor, which is cool in theory, but nothing actually happens to keep me interested. Sorry, Scarlet, but this is kind of a mess, and not in the fun, Eurovision-worthy kind of way.”
Sam – 6
“I want to like this more than I do. Both the song itself and the live performance have a lot of interesting elements, but too much going on overall. It’s as if Sweden said: “we have Bambie Thug at home…and while we’re at it, let’s clean out the fridge.”
Total: 40.5/60
Highest: 10 (Jasmin)
Lowest: 3.5 (Rebecca)
Percentage: 68%
Boris – 7
“Ah, the old Veklenko trick of wooing me via eyecontact and pearly whites. Props to Erik for knowing his niche. It’s working though. It’s *hard* for me to sit through “Show me what love is” and not have an instant, all-consuming crush on Erik throughout the song. The song’s a standard country pop bop (it’s fine but also damn’ fine), and the perfect neutral recepticle for Erik’s natural magnetism.”
David – 3
“Rather than going loud and bombastic, this probably should’ve been more silent in style. This could’ve worked really well, if it was a touching power-ballad with those lyrics. Instead, it becomes too much of a pop song, with senseless lyrics and instead it quickly becomes too much, and the interest fades quickly.”
DK – 6
“I am someone that never needs to hear another white male mid tempo pop song again. There is a clear demographic for this, and I don’t fall in that. I can still appreciate what the song does though. The vocal is clean, his raspiness juxtaposes the very clear vocals he shows. The song is once again about nothing. He clearly has a stage presence to convince me that I know what love is from a song that was probably made in one of those Swede song factories. We don’t need this at Eurovision.”
Jasmin – 7
“Catchy and memorable tune with inviting and simple staging. Sometimes less is more and you don’t have to go over the top just because you can. It lacks originality though, I feel I’ve heard it many times before already. Good effort and overall a nice package that doesn’t shake the ground, but still makes an impact.”
Rebecca – 6
“This is admittedly quite generic, but it has a certain flavour of generic to it that I find very pleasant and nostalgic. It’s got a very “old-school superstar staging a comeback with a song that is much more grounded than his old stuff” sound to it. Given that I don’t know anything about Erik Segerstedt or his career, make of that what you will. I really don’t have much to say about this other than I like it an average amount.”
Sam – 6.5
“In contrast to “Sweet N’ Psycho,” I find myself liking this much more than I want to. It’s giving 2008 American Idol winner’s first single, and I should be calling it bland and dated and corny and lame but…it’s kind of good, actually, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. It’s not that it doesn’t try too hard, because it absolutely does, making the same use of confetti as that other song. Maybe it’s a sense of authenticity, although I don’t know that Greczula’s song is inauthentic. Maybe people are just nostalgic for this type of music (or maybe it’s just me). Is it rude to call this a guilty pleasure?”
Total: 35.5/60
Highest: 7 (Boris, Jasmin)
Lowest: 3 (David)
Percentage: 59%
THE RANKING
Our scoreboard for the first half of the Swedish final looks as follows:
- Dolly Style – “Yihaa!” – 73%
- Scarlet – “Sweet ‘n’ Psycho” – 68%
- Klara Hammarström – “On and on and on” – 66%
- Greczula – “Believe me” – 59%
- Erik Segerstedt – “Show me what love is” – 59%
- John Lundvik – “Voice of the silent” – 54%
Dolly Style take the lead with a solid 73%, courtesy of two perfect 10s. Scarlet and Klara also score highly. Greczula beats Erik in the tie for having a higher median score. Bringing up the real is John Lundvik, who receive mostly average scores.
Will anyone in the second half (Kaj or Måns?) be able to top that? Find out in our second part, that we’ll publish in an hour!
What do #YOU think of the Melfest Finalists? Let us know on our forum, or visit us on Facebook, X(Twitter), Instagram, Youtube, and Discord.
