Last night the Wiwi Jury, our in-house panel of musical unprofessionals, visited a tattoo parlor in Gotheburg. That made us think of Linus Svenning, so we decided to review his Melodifestivalen song “Bröder” (Brothers). Did we end up loving Linus like he was one of our own? Or were we a family divided? Read on to find out…

Deban: Whoever thought of butching up Melodifestivalen is probably creaming their knickers right now. Linus is the poster boy for a pop backlash. He oozes raw masculinity in a contest famous for showcasing bubblegum acts. He’s refreshing to watch, and has a commanding presence. He breathes life into Frederik Kempe’s melancholy composition, by delivering a heartfelt performance. Throughout the three minute number, he maintains his authenticity. I believe in Broder, and hopefully, many televoters will share my view.

Score: 8/10

Angus: I quite like all this emotion and Linus has one of the strongest male voices in the final. The song is one of the deepest in the competition and actually has some emotional feel to it. This is quite muted though. The subtle – though beautiful — strings will probably get lost amongst the larger production performances of the night. If this went I also think it would go down as well as Pernilla did in Baku for Finland…Zzzz Zzz.

Score: 4.5/10

http://youtu.be/HFVPA8sQ9q0

Padraig: If I saw Linus walking towards me in the street I’d probably turn around and speed-walk in the opposite direction. Because, let’s be honest, he looks very scary. Luckily for us, the Melfest producers thought differently. “Bröder” may be slow to build, but once that hook get’s lodged in your head, there’s no removing it. I think this could be the “Eg a Lif” of 2013, but with the possibility of doing even better. If a group of monsters can make it to Eurovision, what’s to stop a skin head covered in tats and piercings?

Score: 7.5/10

Zach: I really don’t get all the hype about Linus. There’s no arguing that his song’s message and lyrical content is extremely heartfelt and powerful. But his vocals are a bit too husky for me, the pace of the song isn’t memorable or good for following along, I just think it will get lost in the mix. Despite a lot of Swedes liking it, it will have little to no impact in Europe, and if sent I won’t be surprised if he’s left in the semi final. Hey Anna!

Score: 3/10

Anthony: Trying to express personal tragedy in a song is no easy task, so full credit to composer Fredrik Kempe. This is full of emotion. Sadly, I can’t see this making much of an impact at Copenhagen, especially as non-Eurovision fan viewers might not realize the entry is about Linus’s late brother, who died in a car crash. Reaching the final of Melodifestivalen this year is an achievement his brother would definitely be proud of.

Score: 7/10

LINUS

Sami: I was so, so happy that Linus got to the final from Andra Chansen, since it’s the best ballad in the contest. I love the contrast between Linus’ looks and the song, but what I love more is just the feeling. It’s highfalutin’ which is just a good thing when it comes to an ESC ballad and Linus is amazing singer. I would love to see it representing Sweden, but I think Swedes are too scared to send a song in Swedish. It doesn’t have any chance.

Score: 10/10

James: Svenning gets all my love for having sung this in Swedish – tack så mycket! But what do I think of the song? I really do not like it. I mean, yes, it probably has a lovely emotional message that anybody can relate to, but when I even try to remember how it goes, all I can think of is the repeated first line of the chorus – nothing more. It’s a shame, he seems like a good chap, and the orchestration is authentic – y’know, like they’ve used proper violins instead of midi files. But I don’t connect with it. I won’t be putting it on my iPod anytime soon.

Score: 4/10

Patrick: I really like the Swedish language… and this is why! This song is absolutly amazing. Sure he may not have the glamour-eurovision-look like Sanna or Helena, but don’t judge people because of their looks. I was really sad when Linus didn’t make it to the final directly but when he passed Andra chansen, I screamed with joy. The message of the song is so sentimental and cloudy that it will touch your heart, even if you’re a snowman. The chorus is so touching and adorable that I get goosebumps. With his strong voice and his masculine looks he commands attention. Don’t forget – We are all “Bröder” even when we’re different!

Score: 9.5/10

linussvenning

Ramadan: The singer’s a bit scary. *hides* Not a bad song from Linus. This song has emotional lyrics, however it doesn’t really touch me. He has a good voice, but I believe another song that was better to work with would’ve done the trick. The audience gets involved with the lighting, but it’s a slow burner. I don’t think he will be doing well in Melodifestivalen. 2nd last or 3rd last for me.

Score: 5/10

Franceska: Well, the boy’s got pipes. The song really picks up during the second verse and chorus, which pleases me. It’s also clearly an emotional song with a great deal of passion. It even gets more intense during the last chorus, and gives so much meaning in such a small amount of time. Going in Swedish is already gutsy, so I applaud him even more.

Score: 8/10

Wiwi Jury Verdict: 6.65/10

Final Ranking: #3 of 10

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

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CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
10 years ago

@Sami: You’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking: Will they send a Swedish-language song to ESC? Or did the outcome for Pernilla (for FIN) in 2012 scare them? Again, I thought the Wiwi jury was going to tear Linus apart. If he is selected, he deserves it. If not, I hope someone else from my top 5 goes.

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
10 years ago

Well, I’ll be damned. I expected this Wiwi to run Linus out of town! I don’t know Swedish, but this song sounds very good the way it is. It starts out with the calmness of Eyþór’s “Ég Á Líf”, then immediately ascends to the ferocity of Marija’s “Molitva”.

When was the last time Sweden sent a Swedish-language song to ESC? 1998? Long overdue for one. If Linus wins Melodifest, I think he will do way better than Pernilla did for Finland in 2012 (did not qualify), and I’d give him an outside chance at finishing in the top 10.

Arianna
10 years ago

This song grew on me over time, but yeah, it’s really only the chorus that plays in my head. Touching, emotional song! & LOL Padraig, you reminded me of someone I knew in high school who wore a spiked jacket and had piercings. He was a very nice person & people would literally clear a space in the hallway cause they thought he was scary :’D So, we always had a free path.

beccaboo1212
10 years ago

Um, no. Helena’s better

abelsg
abelsg
10 years ago

I really liked this song since the first time I heard it. He could be the dark horse and win the competition.

Alex
Alex
10 years ago

I’d be pretty happy if Linus won.

D
D
10 years ago

One of my favourites. Such an emotional song with great lyrics, melody, vocals, and performance. And I actually agree with Dhani, you kinda need to understand Swedish to get the full experience with this song as its lyrics are one of the focal points. I may vote for this one but I don’t think it’ll win.

Thiefo
10 years ago

It amuses me how a guy with tattoos and piercings is automatically “scary” for everyone…really? look at his face! His expression is anything but scary.

About the song itself, I admit I didn’t like it at first and I didn’t want it to win Andra Chansen, but I’ve heard it a few times now and it’s growing on me. I’m still not sure if I want it to WIN, but I can say it is a very touching song, even if I don’t understand swedish, the music and the way Linus sings it conveys the emotion very well.

Dar
Dar
10 years ago

I find this guy very hot indeed .. The stretched lobes are a bit too much but he looks like a hot bad boy ..
The song ..umm . Doesn’t do anything for me ..

Dhani
10 years ago

did you expect a song to touch you when you doesn’t understand the language of the song?
I’m danish so i understand Swedish, and the lyrics of the song is really emotional and sweet. And i can say it really touches someone when you know the language.