#melfest: Wiwi Jury reviews Ace Wilder with Busy Doin’ Nothin

Earlier this morning the Wiwi Jury—our in-house panel of musical unprofessionals—bought a bunch of cheap clothes at H&M and then headed to Sweden to review Ace Wilder’s Melodifestivalen song “Busy Doin’ Nothin’.” Should she get busy taking some vocal lessons? Or did we think that she’s fine the way she is? Read on to find out…

Anthony: Ace Wilder is a down to earth Ke$ha and a breath of fresh air. Her Melodifestivalen debut has already got off to a flying start thanks to this entry. “Busy Doin’ Nothing” is contemporary and catchy, and the chorus really explodes with life. I can imagine this becoming a hit single across Europe, not just Melodifestivalen. Amongst the cheesy pop songs and dreary ballads we see at Eurovision, this would mark a refreshing change for Sweden. An Ace entry indeed.

Score: 9.5/10

Angus: The dark horse snapping at Sanna’s heels! She might not demonstrate the killer trad. vocal that is Sanna’s chosen battleground, but Ace has carved out her own niche in the quirky pop banger category. ‘Busy Doing Nothing’ is incredibly catchy and despite not immediately connecting with it, I know see it as among the strongest contenders to lift the crown. If anyone is going to unseat Sanna at the last hurdle then I’d put my money on Ace. She has a quirky image, cracking song and she also owns the stage. All she needs is to brush up on her choreography and she’ll be a real threat.

Score: 9/10

http://youtu.be/WXTzWeY5Mvk

Zach: Where did this girl come from with an awesome song? This is probably the biggest out of left field qualifier in the whole contest, including Ellen’s upset over Helena. She’s just memorable all around, attitude, stage presence,  the whole package. And dear lord, the hook on that song is a monster. It’s perfect surprise electronic, and I think it will make a big impact. Vocals are good as well, verses are lyrically a little dull but the hook makes up for it and then some. Definitely a possible dark horse winner.

Score: 9/10

Deban: Her confidence is infectious and her swagger is reminiscent of Jessie J, but she’s quirky with it, which I like. I can’t see this song achieving victory in Sweden, or uniting Europe, but it’s cool to have it pump up the volume in the preliminary stages.

Score: 6/10

James: This is an earworm, and as has been said, this could be a dark horse; incredibly modern, very professional and without a doubt able to transcend international music borders, as far as experience tells me. Sweden does very well with young female acts which raise a cheer from the audience and, knowing just how much airplay this song could achieve, should this pass the final of Melodifestivalen, we could have another top 3-song before the contest is even held. It’s scary. And I can see why. I don’t like the song for it’s Americanisms, but that’s something I’ve had to deal with for a long time whilst being addicted to this contest.

Score: 8/10

Patrick: We all want to make money while we sleep. Ace should definitely go back to bed. Her voice is so bad. The girl looks like 19 but is actually 32 and only wants to deliver some crap lyrics about her no-work career. The song is written for her teenage fans, who are obviously more teenage than she is. I can’t belive that this song got a ticket to the final. I know the chorus is a jam and maybe funny but we already have some trash-songs in this years Eurovision and we don’t need another one. I hope that the International panel will be serious and won’t overwhelm her with points. If she represents Sweden it will be the worst Swedish act in years.

Score: 1/10

Padraig:  I’m spooked. It’s as if Ace has broken into my head, stolen my life’s mantra and coupled it with one of my favourite genres. This should be my jam. The national anthem of Padraig if you will. But oddly I’m unmoved. There’s just something that doesn’t click. Maybe she’s trying too hard to be laissez-faire. Or perhaps it’s her innate chirpiness. Such a pity, I really wanted a personal theme tune. Oh well.

Score: 5.5/10

Sami: Even though I can relate with them, I hate the lyrics of this song. Also, the staging is awful. Who let those prisoners out?! But the song is good. It could become a hit almost everywhere in the world, but I don’t know if it would do that well in Eurovision. Ace seem to have the attitude, but it feels like that’s just been glued on top. It’s nice to listen to, but the performance ruins it for me.

Score: 7/10

Franceska: Some Americans say that Sweden is a welfare state, and they would probably use this song as an example of that. The subject of the song is odd. I like how her vocals progress before the choruses, but she isn’t very proficient overall. The change in the chorus is interesting, and works as a club song, but it seems so choppy. She should come back next year with something more interesting.

Score: 6/10

Ramadan: I was surprised this qualified for the final of Melodifesitvalen 2014. I’m also surprised that she’s 32, as she looks like she is in her early 20s. Its got a nice tempo, its got that faux-country tinge and even a bit of Avicii too! But I’m not a fan of the vocals. Last place at Melodifestivalen 2014?

Score: 5/10

Wiwi Jury Verdict: 6.5/10

Final ranking: #4 of 10

See our latest #melfest reviews and rankings on the Wiwi Jury page, and then vote for your favourite in our #melfest poll.

You can keep up-to-date with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.