Earlier today the Wiwi Jury—our in-house panel of music unprofessionals—put on our dancing pants and set to reviewing Anton Ewald’s “Begging”. Were we begging for more? Or were we begging him to shut the hell up? Read on to find out…
Deban: I know that Sweden is the home of minimalism and sky-high wages, but this act has gone a step too far. Are dancers paid per second? Why are they hiding in the wings and not on stage with him during his ‘moment of truth’? The first minute reads like a demo. However, when the dancers finally join Anton on stage, things really crank up. This teen heartthrob relies heavily on his good looks and power-charged choreography. The song has a good chorus, but most of it is autotuned to studio perfection. Inspired by Eric Saade and the kingpins of Swedish dance-pop, this saccharine laced number does the trick. It gives you a high, but it’s debatable whether you’d beg for more.
Score: 7/10
HK Dick: I’m glad this made it through Andra Chansen. I like his cheekiness, swagger and smile…but he needs a trip to the hairdresser. Love his moves across the stage. Hope to see him back in next year’s competition, as he won’t be winning this one.
Score: 7/10
Mr Häggkvist: Amazing Dancer, good singer, incredibly gorgeous. What can I say? The song is a nice pop/electro song. I like it. It’s gonna be on my iPod for sure. But can it win Melodifestivalen? I’m not sure. He needs more experience and he shouldn’t try to be the next Eric Saade. From his performance we can tell that he’s a really talented guy, but like Adelén in Norway, he’s just not ready for the Eurovision stage.
Score: 6.5/10
Vebooboo: There is a polar bear out there begging for Anton to use less hair spray in the final. Her cubs are starving and the ice is melting ruul ruul fast. My favourite lyrics are when Anton sings that he can’t control his body as he jerks around from left to right in faux leather. But the song actually has something to it. Solid pop in a pop-loving country, but unfortunately the girl voters have already sold their hearts to elf Ulrik.
Score: 5/10
Wiwi: Give me a break. And while you’re at it, find a jacket that fits, cut your hair, and thank SVT for giving you a choreography: Without the dancing you’d be screwed. Most of the vocals appear to be coming from the backing. It’s tragic when viewers remember you grabbing your crotch more than they remember you hitting the right notes. It’s find that Swedes gave him an andra chansen. But I’m hoping they don’t believe in third chances.
Score: 5/10
Wiwi Jury Verdict: 6.1
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?”
No. Go away.
He seriously need a vocal lesson !