The Wiwi Jury—our in-house panel of music un-professionals—will be reviewing each of this year’s Melodifestivalen finalists ahead of the March 9 showdown in Friends Arena. First up is Louise Hoffsten with “Only the Dead Fish Follow the Stream”. Did it turn out to be the catch of the day? Or did it wreak of bad seafood? Read on to find out…
Deban: I really like Louise Hoffsten. She’s an acclaimed singer songwriter whose body of work fuses rock, blues, jazz and traditional Swedish folk. Many of her songs do have a moral tale. This Melodifestivalen entry encourages her audience to keep fighting to keep their dreams and passions alive. It’s such a positive message. Do I like this song? Hmm…Well, here’s the thing. I’m gonna be honest. It’s a dead fish served well. Will this song score a victory? In the words of Texas Lightning, No No Never.
Score: 4.5/10
HK Dick: I know the title is supposed a meaningful metaphor but I just couldn’t take it seriously. The country twang makes it a pleasant listen and she has nice eyebrow movement but polar bears also follow the stream to catch the salmon. She is a fish waiting to be eaten alive in a final of men (though the Swedes have a fishy taste and will probably place her 2nd).
Score: 5/10
Mr Häggkvist: I think we have in this entry a very good song, the lyrics are well made, and this is in a higher level than other songs in terms of quality and production… but come on, for Eurovision I don’t think it will work. It’s a beautiful melody, but it’s not the type of song that will stay in everybody’s mind for months. I do love this song but, this isn’t a Eurovision winning entry.
Score: 7/10
Vebooboo: Only the dead fish follow the stream. And only deaf people would vote for this song. Don’t get me wrong — Louise has a nice voice, and botox has clearly served her well. But this song just lacks pizzazz compared to a number of other entries this year. Just as Louise herself sings, “Don’t get too comfortable.” Yep, she won’t be staying in the Melodifestivalen world for much long. (You can read the lyrics to this by clicking here).
Score: 4/10
Wiwi: I love her blend of rock and folk, and I give her props for bringing such an organic and grown-up song to a generic pop contest. And while I love the premise of the song, I’m not a salmon or a trout or a mackerel, so I really struggle to take the lyrics seriously. I wish she could have packaged this up with different words. Then maybe I’d bite.
Score: 5/10
Wiwi Jury Verdict: 5.1
You can read all of this year’s #melfest reviews by clicking here. Then be sure to vote in our poll “Who Should Win Melodifestivalen 2013?”
She looks lovely but her song is too boring Just like the lyrics only the dead fish follow the scream. Well, maybe the dead people in Sweden will come back to life and vote for her on Saturday. Surely not me!