Melodifestivalen 2003 [2 CD]

The only national preselection compilation I own so far, and a very good one to be such, as it was probably one of the highest-quality preselections ever. Both CDs contains entries from two semifinals, 8 apiece.

CD1

#1 Crosstalk - Stronger 9½

There's something in this that talks to me. Maybe it's the "strength".

#2 DeDe - Someone, Somewhere, Someday 9½

Too bad the "haa-haa-aa" choir isn't so prominent in this CD version. Well, at least they manage to modulate their voices properly here. The verses are weak but the chorus makes up for it.

#3 Mendez - Carnaval 9

The beginning has been very strong so far. This is not as good as Adrenaline last year but still pretty good. I love the way he mixes English, Spanish and Swedish and the phrase "Que que que guente conmigo" or something is just my favourite. I'm afraid I have to award one more 9. The latin boom seems to finally have caught me.

#4 Jesse Martins & Alive - Ingen annan 6

This might've been the worst entry of the year. Completely pointless, even more so than the pathetic Pandora.

#5 Jill Johnson - Crazy in Love 9

Funnily old-fashioned, though not perhaps happy (=fast?) enough for my taste.

#6 Da Buzz - Stop! Look! Listen! 9½

"They probably dropped the exclamation marks from the title for this album to avoid Roxette associations but I liked it better that way. But why did they resort to someone's else's work as their Melodifestivalen entry? Surely, this is not bad at all, but not something you'd love on the first listening, unless you're a fan. There are many tracks on this album that would certainly have done better. Of course their stage performance (and styling) was a bit apathetic but still..." Like said in the above extract from More Than Alive, this wasn't by far one of their best works and not so glamorously presented either but still I have to root for them by nominating them as my favourites from this semifinal.

#7 Marcus Landgren - Television 8

Oh telly telly. I still can't understand this getting to the last four. Hey, I just got the impression that with a different arrangement this could well be a song by The Ark. Could be the singer's voice. That gives an instant extra ½.

#8 Pernilla Wahlgren & Jan Johansen - Let Your Spirit Fly 9½

At first I thought this very mediocre but in the final this even was for some time my favourite. The performers' outfits in the semis were just my favourites, Pernilla in her gleamy pasta princess dress and Jan in his bright blue suit and silver shirt too tight for his midsection. That's something I could consider as my wedding gown. I mean the latter one.

#9 Andres Esteche - Just Like a Boomerang 7

Another incomprehensible verse presented by the first of the years plentiful openly gay entrants (not counting the presenters).

#10 Sanna Nielsen - Hela världen för mig 7

Poor entry from the magical Mr G:sson. This total mediocrity only made it to the final thanks to Sanna's powerful ("exceptional", said the news) voice.

#11 Kerli & The Locatellis - Let's Go 8½

Initially I thought this was quite crap but now this has grown on me but I still can't understand why this was called "the year's most modern entry". The lead singer, always reminding of the house dance teacher Anniina. I understand twice why she has chosen to write her name with a k instead of the g it to my knowledge should be. Firstly, Finnish people never realise that voiced stops in Estonian ortography must be pronounced as their unvoiced equivalents (g [k], b [p], d [t]). Secondly, English speakers would pronounce the g version as "Girly", so I think "Curly" is quite better.

#12 Pandora - You 7

Poor Pandora. She tried to make a comeback but failed spectacularly despite her pink dress.

#13 Brandsta City Släckers - 15 minuter 8

Much less annoying than last year, much less successful. I've forgotten the name of the 80's hit the synth riff is totally ripped from. And I've totally come to adore the lead singer's eye(brow)work.

#14 Fame - Give Me Your Love 9½

Let's face it, this is just a weaker version of Waiting for Life. At first I liked this very much, then became a bit tired and now as it's already been quite a time since the ESC, I'm starting to like this more again. But still, there would've been many more progressive tracks to choose from... But then again, who needs progress anyway? :] (at least if you can reach the top ten year after year with bare recycling)

#15 Sheena - Better Believe It 7

The singer's name was so generic that I probably didn't remember it correctly. I learnt that she had also participated in writing many of the other entries.

#16 Alcazar - Not a Sinner, Nor a Saint 9

If there was someone to beat Fame's unoriginality, it was Alcazar. I just loved their choreography but the song itself was something of a disappointment.

CD2

#1 Barbados - Bye Bye 9

In a way I like this a lot more now than back then. There's power in the song, even though the plagiarism "scandal" destroyed their chances in the final. And I like the way they talk about being UFOs.

#2 Shanna Smith - Tonight's the Night 7

Quite a basic ballad, with the scary/ed lady who at least didn't have any pronunciation problems.

#3 Nanne Grönvall - Evig Kärlek 9

Despite Nanne's apparent insecurity the most interesting performance of the year. Probably too eccentric for the Swedish people, though, judging by their voting.

#4 Sarek - Genom eld och vatten 9

This one's a problem for me as I don't know whether I'd have chosen this among my list of final entries. I always seem to like this better when listening than before or after doing so.

#5 Sofia Källgren & Robert Wells - My Love 7½

Not something you'd have expected from Marcos Ubeda, the man behind Afro-dite and Sweden's winning entry from 99, Take Me to Your Heaven. Very reminiscent of Disney ballads.

#6 Liverpool - Love Is All 8

It's kinda refreshing in the middle of all the ABBA plagiators to see a Beatles one for a change. The beginning is very good but from there on it somehow gets weaker.

#7 Shirley Clamp - Mr Memory 9½

With a more variable arrangement this would be so good. As it's now, it sounds very cheap. And in the performance everything went wrong. Her hair, her dress, camera work and most of all, her lack of movement! You could clearly see she was Sweden's most popular backing singer and not a pop star of her own. With a creative arrangement (especially beat) and a decent girl band (or capable backing singers at least) this would've been strong.

#8 Style - Stay the Night 7½

Another promising beginning turning into a disappointment.

#9 Sahlene - We're Unbreakable 7½

Previous year's Estonian success story returned with a mediocre tune. Clearly worst of the three Estonians of the year.

#10 Fernando Brito - No dudes en llamarme 8

You wouldn't expect such bad Spanish stressing from clearly a native (or comparable). "Si algun di-A te sientes so-Laa...", uh. Was this the entry getting the least votes? Anyway it got in only because Carola's song was DQed.

#11 Bubbles - T.K.O. (Knock You Out) 7

I'd expected more from the fabulous Bubbles but I guess they've now reached the point where they have to try to be "mature", though I'd say "manure" would be a lot closer. They performed very professionally, though.

#12 Maarja - He Is Always on My Mind 10

I doubt anyone's ever going to understand why this touches me so deep. Perfect melody, kaiheus and singer, well arranged to boot. In a way this could be a sad version of It's the Way You Make Me Feel. I have to find out whether Maarja has more songs like this and start buying her CDs.

#13 Östen med resten - Maria 6

Perfect atmosphere-killer after the lofty heights of HIAoMM. That's all I accept to say here as this is a family program. I must skip this, it's too painful to listen to.

#14 Lina - Nothing Can Stop Me 10

My second favourite, hömpähtävä and groovy. And the performance was great with pinafores and all. I'd like the lyrics to be "From old Sweden we love to Monaco, via Berlin we vanish to London and Paris" but I guess that's not the case.

#15 Mikael Erlandsson - Tills jag mötte dig 7½

Ooo the intro is so beautiful but as the song goes on, it becomes mediocre at best.

#16 Afro-dite - Aqua Playa 10

Trying to reproduce their 2002 success - with no success, though this is almost better than Never Let It Go. The best thing is the "additional chorus" that brings much variety.