Melodifestivalen: Round 4

This was, by far, the most competitive week of Melodifestivalen. Lots of old favorites were back, and they brought the schlager with them.

The line-up:
1. "Blame It On The Disco," Alcazar
2. "Fight Me If You Dare," I.D.A.
3. "Hollow," Janet Leon
4. "Raise Your Hands," Ammotrack
5. "Hela natten," Josef Johansson
6. "Ta mig," Linda Bengtzing
7. "En himmelsk sång," Ellinore Holmer
8. "Natural," Anton Ewald


The Great: Alcazar, Linda Bengtzing, and Anton Ewald

Alcazar, the Queens of Schlager, were back on Saturday with "Blame It On The Disco." This is Alcazar's fifth appearance at Melodifestivalen, and they have always done well in the contest. This song is exactly what you want from Alcazar: a pop-disco beat, cheesy choreography, sequins, and lots of key changes. And a giant disco ball that they pop out of. I know it's a ridiculous song, but I don't care. It's perfect. And I'm just happy to live in a world where it's socially acceptable to be in your 40s and still make music like this. Alcazar, thankfully, qualified to go direct to the final. See their performance here.

Linda Bengtzing, another Melodifestivalen alum with a schlager background, performed "Ta mig" (translation: "Take Me").This is also Linda's fifth attempt at Eurovision fame. However, she doesn't have the international following that Alcazar has, and it hurt her in the contest. I was surprised when this did not qualify for the next round. What's really sad is to realize that had she been placed in a different semi-final (last week's very boring show, for example), she probably would have progressed to the next round. This is still a great song, and it will no doubt be a hit in Sweden.

Anton Ewald is young, but he's no stranger to Melodifestivalen. Last year, he came fourth place in the final with "Begging" (featuring a spectacular performance by the back-up dancer on the left). Before that, Anton was a choreographer and back-up dancer for the legendary Danny Saucedo and Andreas Lundstedt (from Alcazar). He premiered his new song, "Natural," on Saturday, and he brought his same back-up dancers with him. I have to admit I liked "Begging" a bit more, but Anton has a strong fan base behind him, and he was sent directly to the final. It's too bad he's not more handsome, because his star potential is definitely being held back by his ugly face. Just kidding! He's probably the prettiest man I've ever seen! Watch his performance here.

Side note: If anyone knows who the back-up dancer on the left is, please email me. I want to be friends with him.

The Good: Josef Johansson

Newcomer Josef Johansson performed "Hela natten" (translation: "All Night"). His hair and wardrobe are strange choices, but the vocals are good here. Like Linda, I feel that a different placement in the contest would have sent Josef to the Andra Chansen round, at the very least. There was just too much competition this week for him to succeed.

The Worst: Janet Leon

Well, this was upsetting. After a great premiere performance in last year's Melodifestivalen, we all had high hopes for Janet Leon. She's a beautiful girl, and her voice is strong. However, "Hollow" was a mess. The modern dancers behind her are distracting, almost comical. The outfit does nothing for her, and the song is just wrong for such a young, poppy singer. Janet came in last place on Saturday: a huge disappointment. But she's a talented young star, and I think she'll be back at Melodifestivalen again. The next time will be better, Janet!

Other qualifiers for the night were rockers Ammotrack and a ballad from Ellinore Holmer. They are both headed to the Andra Chansen round next week, where they will compete for the two open spots in the final.