The problem is that not everyone is Krista Siegfrids. Not everyone can pull it off. Sometimes it is better to let some people just focus on singing and keeping track of the cameras.
The third and last semi unfortunately looked like a monument dedicated to the art of trying too hard. Ida Bois on her swing, Heidi Pakarinen taking a quick rest on her expensive sheet, Aikuinen and his attempts of being quirky. Not to mention the overblown pompousness of Angelo de Nile, by the end of which I could hardly breathe.
Unfortunately doing the opposite didn't automatically work either. My pre-semi favourite Järjestyshäiriö didn't work at all live and what was a suggestive pop song in its recorded version crumbled into being nothing much at all.
The only performance that really came across as clean and fully enjoyable was Solju, but the actual song still feels weak and a yoik-off with Sweden in Vienna would blow this one out of the water.
Tobson's current top 3 in the final:
1) Satin Circus / Crossroads
2) Jouni Aslak / Lions And Lambs
3) Shava / Ostarilla
I felt bad for young Kalle Johansson - talented but not ready for the big time just yet - as the director seemed to deliberately drown in out of his own performance. Few close-ups and an odd decision not to let him occupy the whole screen during the verses. When he finally got a full shot, he was literally drowned in confetti. Poor kid.
At least another young talent walked out on that stage and hit the bull's eye. Isa performed like a real star and got a most well-deserved spot in the final. Too bad her song isn't kicking and sparkling the way she is, but a breakthrough like this could pave way for stronger material.
Out of the two big favourites one made it all the way - Jon Henrik conquered Sweden with his raw charm - while Kristin Amparo has to content herself with a spot in the Andra Chansen round. Honestly her song still does very little for me. She has a personable voice but this entry still fails to reach out to me and I am sincerely wondering what everyone else hears and that I miss.
And as only one semi final remains I begin to wonder if there will be a really strong song or two hiding i next week's line-up. So far there are some good ones but not a single song I really love. If that doesn't change in semi four, it will be my first melodifestival since the new formula was introduced without me loving a single entry.
This is how little it takes to derail a promising national final. In its third week the show hasn't tightened, the scripts haven't bettered and the song quality didn't go up. What looked like a good year is now dangerously close to looking like a build-up to a Vienna disappointment.
Tobson's current top 3 in the final:
1) Magnus Carlsson / Möt mig i Gamla stan
2) Mariette / Don't Stop Believing
3) Jon Henrik Fjällgren / Jag är fri (Lean manne frijje)
Is it my ears longing for something unperfect, or is there something fishy going on behind the scened in Melodifestivalen? I know that backing choirs are now pre-recorded, but to me it sounded that more than one song had also the lead vocals coming from somewhere else than the mouth of the soloist. For example an unexperienced artists like Kalle Johansson sounded too perfect and during the refrains Isa (who clearly was not play back on verses) was buried under the obviously pre recorded vocals. That is what my ears tell me.
ReplyDeleteWhat do your ears tell you? Am I seeing or hearing something that isn't there, or is there something there? Whatever the truth is, the pre-recorded backing vocals certainly make a perfect show, but to me it has become a little too perfect.