Hej! The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — continues to review the songs competing in the Andra Chansen round of Melodifestivalen 2017. Next it’s time to sit down for an afternoon fika and to discuss Dismissed and their song “Hearts Align”. Did we align with this glam band? Read on to find out!
Dismissed with “Hearts Align”
About Dismissed
Dismissed is a glam rock band who are making their Melodifestival debut. Their song has been co-written by Ola Salo, who represented Sweden at Eurovision 2007 as part of The Ark.
Wiwi Jury reviews “Hearts Align”:
Chris: I am so in to this. From the genderqueer aesthetic, to their use of all the stage — better than really any other act — I think I’m a bit in love. Dismissed make me excited to see what else they’ll do in the future, which for an act debuting at Melodifestivalen is a huge thing. Maybe the song isn’t the best and yes, it does lose punch by the end, but it makes me want to put on heels and rock out. Bravo.
Score: 8/10
Bernardo: “Hearts Align” almost gets me. While the performance catches everyone’s attention from the very first shot, the song itself struggles to match it. The ticket to Andra Chansen is deserved given the diversity and originality shown by Dismissed, but I can’t see it go further. Not even the Gaga outfits will save a so-so rock song.
Score: 6/10
Edd: Dismissed is a great act and “Hearts Align” is a very good song. But the two just don’t work together. Their outlandish image promises an exciting, wacky song, so it leads great disappointment when you realise that, in fact, their song is possibly the most generic of the whole competition. It’s the perfect pop/rock song: but for me, a rock song will never be perfect.
Score: 7/10
Jason: If Melfest (and Eurovision) was solely judged on aesthetic, Dismissed would have a good shot at the whole thing. Unfortunately for the band, the song is the absolute integral part of an entry. If you close your eyes and just listen, “Hearts Align” loses a lot of its appeal. The song itself sounds like the type of music I detested growing up – and the feeling remains today. Dated rock should stay in the past.
Score: 5/10
William: Take State of Drama, put them in drag and send them down the runway! Dismissed meld alt-rock, androgyny, glamour and fashion like never before, creating something totally outré and yet somehow mainstream and accessible. They don’t just bend gender — they chew it up, spit it out and make no apologies. Catchy, memorable and somehow uplifting, this will be one of the most played songs on my iPhone this year.
Score: 9/10
Josh: Dismissed: the gender-neutral love child of My Chemical Romance and Thirty Seconds to Mars. “Hearts Align” slays on multiple levels. The fashion show entrance leading into a big, powerful punk rock track takes me back to my emo days as a teenager. It’s nostalgic, original and stylish. A deserved Andra Chansen qualifier.
Score: 7/10
Robyn: I just love everything about this performance. The song itself is so joyous and fun, but Dismissed thing so much more to the stage. Instead of performing as serious musicians right from the start, the quartet instead put the long catwalk to use and bring fashion style to Melfest. The performance loses a little energy near the end, but all up, the whole show is a treat.
Score: 8/10
Sami: This far from the music I normally listen to, even I do like some alternative rock bands. Still this somehow got me very excited when I saw it on the stage the first time. The song itself still sounds bit lazy and the chorus kills all the energy the verses are trying to build up. I think it’s nice to see them getting some recognition, but this just shows that Melodifestivalen is welcoming all genres and styles.
Score: 6/10
Our jury for Melodifestivalen 2017 contains 28 jurors, but we only have room for eight reviews. The remaining scores are listed below.
Angus: 4.5/10
Anthony: 7/10
Antony: 5/10
Antranig: 7/10
Dayana: 4/10
Deban: 7.5/10
Erdi: 6/10
Forrest: 5/10
Jordi: 7.5/10
Jovana: 6/10
Luis: 6.5/10
Mikhail: 5/10
Natalie: 7.5/10
Patrick: 5/10
Rezo: 8/10
Ron: 6.5/10
Sinan: 5.5/10
Steinunn: 6.5/10
Tobias: 1/10
Zakaria: 3/10
Before calculating the average score, the highest and lowest scores are dropped. This is to remove outliers and reduce potential bias. We have removed a low of 1 and a high of 9.
Absolutely love this song! This is my favourite in this years semi final! I got it on repeat everyday. It remind me of Tokio hotel back in the day. LOVE!
I hope they go to the final, but I do think they need to be up against someone weaker in second chance in order to qualify
Awful image. Great song! Rock is always welcome! Hopefully in the final
A very solid entry, very well performed. I would like to see them in the final, but I’m not sure if they will reach it.
The song is a YOHIO-knockoff but that does not mean that it is not well-performed. The vocalist actually brings a lot of attitude to it and is definitely an able frontman. There are worse songs than this in Second Chance but I think it needs a good draw in order to make it to the final.
I would put my opinion here, but Robyn and William have taken my word so I completely feel what they say. At first I wans’t convinced by their image, but their performance catched me since the first shot. The song and the staging are just perfect! Hope Dismissed qualifies for the final.
I thought ‘Hearts Align’ was going to receive a higher rating tbh, a 6.15/10 is too low…
Absolutely agree with Bernardo. It’s not a bad song, but nothing new and kind of boring.
One of best song this year at MF and for me they deserve to bi in TOP 5 in MF final , but I tthink hey lost so many sms and points, in semi and maybe in second chance and final because of their clothes
Drag acts shouldn’t compete! Drag acts shouldn’t feel the pressure! Is this some freaking joke for crying out loud? The front singer has a good voice I must admit, but “Hearts Align” is just BORING as drag acts from the past, including (but not limited to)…
* “Drama Queen” (Denmark 2007)
* “Rise Like a Phoenix” (Austria 2014)
Score: 1.5/10
I like the song actually. I’m dissapointed that the Wiwi jurors and my heart didn’t align. It should have scored higher than 7 in the least.
I dont mind if they are fighting LGBT rights or whatever, just pointing out that the SONG sucks
The thing is – drag acts have stopped being shocking or innovative in ESC for some time now. Sure, there are some that will associate that with fighting for gay rights and love it instantly, and there are others who protest, considering them obscene. For me, just being a drag act is as neutral as any other act. It makes it difficult to distinct between transvestites and transgendered people, though. Either way, the good song is a good song, and a pile of s#?t is a pile of s#?t. I loved Rise Like a Phoenix and hated Drama Queen. And… Read more »