Recent content by Samuel

I was sort of right, but the Swedes had to ferry in the Finns to get what they wanted. I think they’ve got a good shot at top 3 with the televote, but I don’t think the juries will go for it.

I’d put good money on the higher-ups at the BBC thinking this is a Wet Leg/Last Dinner Party-style moment. I can see the ‘raucous’ Victorian-themed dinner party staging attempt in my head already. Instead, it feels like the writer’s of SIX have attempted the dreaded sequel and arrived at Andrew...

They’ve done an amazing job of staging ‘Revolution’. It felt like a Eurovision-winning performance.

I’m going to stray from the pack and say that I think ‘Revolution’ is better than ‘Heroes’, although it does feel very much of its time. Melfest winner? Most likely. Eurovision winner? With an almost guaranteed hefty jury score, quite possibly. He’d only need a Nemo-style televote.

Their name was mentioned in the pre-contest buzz, so I wouldn't be shocked if that happened. I think Sweden would quite like to have their own Käärijä moment, and I think Scarlet are the closest they'll get, even if they're a tamer, more commercial/cynical alternative.

I’m sure Magnus Carlsson will be POPPING a bottle of SAINTS & SINNERS VIN when his good friend, Andreas is facing STRAWBERRY ARENA ELLER BUST on Saturday.

Was the ‘you can’t hang anything from the ceiling’ rule just for Liverpool ‘23 because of the constraints of the M&S Bank Arena, or does it apply to all contests? If so, they’ll have to rethink the prop.

I’m going to be a Debbie Downer and say that ‘On & On & On’ reminds me of Dotter’s ‘It’s Not Easy To Write A Love Song’, in that it feels like a collection of top-quality melodies, but they don’t feel like they all belong in the same song.

‘Den känslan’ has some of the best verses in a Melfest song I’ve heard in a long time, but that performance really wasn’t it. I think they were probably hoping for a Salem Al Fakir moment of a big name crossing over, but it was painfully misjudged. I can only really think of Emilia’s ‘You’re...

Maja Francis has released some brilliant songs, and I’m surprised to see her at Melfest as a songwriter. There hasn’t been any pre-contest buzz about ‘The Heart of a Swedish Cowboy’, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did well on Saturday.

I know Italy aren’t the biggest fans of light after breaking the sun 2 years ago, but if that stand-in footage is reflective of the actual performance they’ve lost it.

This format also flies in the face of their argument for not releasing the songs that advance to the Final until after the last heat. They always said it was to help the songs that go to AC, but if neither of the two songs that have been dominating Spotify since their heats weeks ago can topple...

They should brush this format under the carpet and never speak of it again.

You have to wonder why he’s no longer a staple of the songwriting pack for Melfest, though. I mean, you can’t move for YIMMY YOKER, YIMMY YANSSON, THE DEBS and G:SON, yet Fredrik can’t catch a break.

It could just be a case of lower expectations after four middling weeks, but I feel that four of the six songs (soz, Jay & Elektra) tonight deserve a spot in the Final.