Ballad-lover Sanna Nielsen and Swedish hip-hop group Panetoz have won the second semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2014, and booked their spots in the grand final in Friends Arena. Martin Stenmarck, one of the bookies’ pre-show favourites, has been relegated to Andra Chansen along with the (overly styled) JEM. Let’s review the complete semi-final results.
Qualifiers
Sanna Nielsen – “Undo”
For Sanna, it wasn’t third time lucky at Melodifestivalen. Or fourth time, fifth time, or sixth time. Now competing in her seventh #melfest, she cruised to the final with her song “Undo”. It’s almost like she’s singing to Swedish voters: “Undo what hurts so bad, undo my pain…” Well, hopefully tonight’s success will help you a lil’ bit.
Panetoz – “Efter solsken”
This group brought an infectious song and the dance moves to go with it. They were one of the few acts that made us take notice this evening, and this will no doubt become a staple in Swedish clubs…at least for the summer of 2014.
Andra Chansen
JEM – “Love Trigger”
Martin Stenmarck – “När änglarna går hem”
Eliminated
SVT does not release the placements for those continuing in the show. However, they do release the placements for eliminated contestants. Here’s how they finished.
5. The Refreshments – “Hallelujah”
6. Little Great Things – “Set Yourself Free”
7. Pink Pistols – “I Am Somebody”
8. Manda – “Glow”
At the moment the final consists of YOHIO, Ellen Benediktson, Sanna Nielse and Panetoz. The Second Chance round consists of Helena Paparizou, Linus Svenning, Jem and Martin Stenmarck.
Who is your favourite finalist so far? And who do you think should advance from Andra Chansen at this point? Let us know in the comments box below.
Willy Lee Adams contributed this report from London. Follow him on Twitter @willyleeadams. You can also keep up with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following wiwibloggs.com on Twitter and Facebook.
Sanna really blew me away. I loved her and I have ‘Undo’ on repeat! Ellen was lovely, but not for eurovision. Helena’s song was a killer – really, I still don’t understand why for god’s sake people vote for Yohio. He is terrible, whatever he brings to the stage. I really, really, really, really hope Sanna wins the whole thing, although I really look forward to hearing Janet Leon’s Hollow in Deltävling 4.
Sanna is likely going to Copenhagen. There’s a winning buzz about her amongst Swedes that can’t really be described to non-Swedes looking from the outside in. Unless something major comes from the next two semis, we most certainly have a winner.
@Alex finally I agree with you that Undo is the best entry so far!!!
@T: Actually, I can see your point now – they’re both kind of soft, delicate girls (Ellen and Anna), but I think Ellen does a better job of it. Her song stands out, and so does her staging – the song is stripped of percussion and they zone in on a very small part of the stage. I thought Anna’s song was drowsy, though, with nervous live vocals. Ellen seems more confident, which is key.
I love Sanna and I want her to go to Eurovision… but when I heard Songbird I was convinced I was listening to a Eurovision winner… so Sanna = second again…as much as I hate to say it;
Current Favourites:
FINAL
1. “Undo” – Sanna Nielsen | 8 POINTS
2. “To The End” – YOHIO | 7 POINTS
3. “Songbird” – Ellen Benediktson | 6 POINTS
4. “Efter Solsken” – Panetoz | 5 POINTS
ANDRA CHANSEN
1. “Survivor” – Helena Paparizou | 12 POINTS
2. “Love Trigger” – J.E.M. | 10 POINTS
3. “Bröder” – Linus Svenning | 4 POINTS
4. “När Änglarna Går Hem” – Martin Stenmarck | 3 POINTS
T: It -is- something special. It’s delicate and well written. This is no generic ballad, and this is no banality like “This Is My Life”…
I can’t understand why people are cheering for Ellen here. Sure, she seems to be like a sweet girl and her song is good, but a boring ballad is the last thing Sweden need right now. People here learned their lesson after Anna Bergendahl 2010 and if a ballad will win again, it need to be something special – otherwise people will not vote. I doubt Songbird will have anything to do with the victory in the national selection. Ballads like this bareley ever do well in Eurovision. Anouk is the only exception.
Charles, I mean, didn’t everyone in Panetoz have a microphone at that time? I’m pretty sure they were all singing. Actually, the studio version seems to have fewer harmonies than I remember being in the live version. But you’re right, it’s still a possibility… though people can do crazy choreography and still sing really well (Georgia 2010, Ukraine 2008) and I think if any act is likely to be able to do this, it’s Panetoz who are a well-established act in Sweden already. I just listened to Ellen again, and I think I might’ve been a little too critical of… Read more »
@Alex: If u seek for a powerhouse belting female voice to emerge at MF, then maybe Shirley Clamp will be up to that task. But considering her insisting persue for schlager songs .. I doubt her vocals will be enjoyed to the fullest if the song is just the same Swedish schlager she did already in the past, with everything sounding like an ABBA-esque song of lower quality. A great vocalist, but her MF repertoire just makes her sound musically irrelevant for me. Maybe I’m wrong by the time we listen to her song but … I wouldn’t put my… Read more »
One little note, though: I too appreciate music with my ears, and I was talking about the audible aspects of the performance, not the visual ones.
Charles, that’s fine, just wanted to point out the merits of their performance.
Songbird was good too (and probably my favorite in Semi 1), but Ellen could improve on her vocals a little bit. I’m still waiting for a really strong vocalist to come out of Sweden’s national selection – for me the strongest vocalist so far has been Linus from Semi 1.
@Alex: It’s not my jam … that means it’s not the type of music I listen to or care for no matter how great they performed. If I cannot relate to the song itself nothing else matters to me. Let me just brainstorm on you little detail about my relationship with music on Eurovision: performances mean zero, when the song is zero to both my ears and heart. Don’t forget that! I enjoy music through my ears not through my eyes … Nonetheless if Sweden liked those kids, fine … they still have a worse song than “Songbird” as so… Read more »
Sweden has to bad songs this year therefor the results are difficult to guess
I’m surprisingly happy with the result. Sanna and Panetoz brought super different entries to the table, both of which are excellent and assets to the final even if I can’t see either of them winning (Panetoz is fun but the juries will hate it; Sanna’s ballad is lovely but female ballads have done poorly since 2010). Would also like to point out that Panetoz’s success is a great counter argument to people claiming Aleo and Survivor flopped because of Swedish racism. Also pleased with AC results: Martin was excellent (loveloveloved his styling) and JEM was all right as well, though… Read more »
Torn opinions over here lol I cannot say I was surprised with Sanna going to the final: regardless the quality of the song, she has the popularity required to move forward to any final. I just regret the song sounding too Wrecking Ball-esque and being a rip-off of another composition Kempe did for Eric Saade. Originality is all over the place here … :S I was surprised with Panetoz going to the final. Whatever Swedish televoters saw in those kids I have no clue, but nonetheless this is not my kind of jam. I would have preferred Martin Stenmarck. I… Read more »
Sanna amazed me!
I have loved Yohio since last Melodifestivalen, I cried when he didn’t win (aka was robbed big time) but now Sanna is my absolute favourite.
*the other band that made it is funny enough but that’s it! I guess Little Great Things should’ve gone to the Final with Sanna. I really didn’t care much about the other entries.
I really love Sanna and her song. She is my favourite by far till now.
TOP 4
1.Martin Stenmarck
2.Helena Paparizou
3.Yohio
4.Ellen
TOP 4 in final for me
1.Yohio
2.Ellen Benedikston
3.Panetoz
4.Sanna Nielsen
TOP 4 in second chace for me
1.Martin Stenmarck
2.Helena Paparizou
3.Linus Svenning
4.JEM
So far:
1) Ellen Benediktson with “Songbird”
2) Panetoz with “Efter solsken”
3) Sanna Nielsen with “Undo”
4) YOHIO with “To the End”
Sanna was amazing. She will go far in the final. She is one of the most popular singers in Sweden.
Very disappointed. Panetoz was ok, but Sanna had a ballad that didn’t really go anywhere. Little Great Things weren’t too good live but their song showed how diverse Sweden could be, and I’m surprised it didn’t fare well. Also, I’m very surprised Manda placed last. She was my favourite in the whole semi and she sounded very good. The Refreshments are the biggest surprise though. In my opinion, it was just overall terrible, everything, but it somehow managed to make it to fifth place.