The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — concludes our look at the songs competing in the grand final of Sweden’s Melodifestivalen 2019. Finally we take a look at 2018 bronze finisher John Lundvik with his song “Too Late for Love”. Is it too late for Mello glory? Read on to find out!

John Lundvik – “Too Late for Love”

“Too Late for Love” reviews

Angus: “Too Late for Love” ticks all the boxes. It pops on stage, offers a cocktail of funk, soul and disco, and in John Lundvik it has a charismatic performer that can deliver the goods live. Visually, it also delivers, making good use of a stage that for many performers this year has been an awkward beast to grapple with. This is all to say that this is the full package. Considering how well John Lundvik did with a bog standard ballad last year, we should expect “Too Late for Love” to challenge hard for the win at Friends Arena.

Score: 8.5/10

Antranig: Take it from someone who thought “My Turn” was awful — “Too Late for Love” is incredible! John Lundvik is an exceptional performer and his connection with the song is so pure, genuine and engrossing. He feels every note and his delivery is captivating. The soulful nature of the song gives it its identity and John Lundvik is undoubtedly one of the best options for Sweden.

Score: 9/10

Cinan: “Too Late for Love” is such a good song, but even better performed by the amazing John Lundvik. I love how the staging at Melodifestivalen is simple and all about the voices. It’s not my favourite song in the final, but this one has started to grow on me. Sweden has always good music to offer.

Score: 7.5/10

Florian: I prefer this much more than “My Turn”. Lundvik also proves his vocal abilities in this track, but the overall approach is much more contemporary. His voice really fits with the uptempo elements of this song. This could definitely win it all in Stockholm and fly straight to Tel Aviv.

Score: 8.5/10

Luis: What a great surprise! Coming from last year’s snoozefest, the expectations with John Lundvik were not so high, but man, he has delivered! “Too Late for Love” feels like an anthem. John performs with such ease and his smile is so contagious, that he elevates this song to higher than the moon. The track itself is a bit dated, but John makes it feel timeless. People from all ages will love this equally.

Score: 9/10

Ron: This is the perfect song to be the 28th song of Melodifestivalen 2019. Such a great anthem and such a feel-good song — you can’t watch it without smiling and it is so empowering. To that you add John Lundvik, who is such a great performer. He has the charisma and a great voice — one of the best in the whole competition. His voice control is amazing and so precise — he is always on point and on the right note. John is so likeable, you can really feel how genuine he is on stage. The only things that I would improve are the transitions after the choruses that are a bit too sharp, and I would also fill the stage with more lights at the end. However, “Too Late for Love” is a real contender for the win.

Score: 8.5/10

In our Melodifestivalen Wiwi Jury, we have 12 jurors but only room for 6 reviews. The rest of our scores can be found below:

Anthony: 8.5/10

Bernardo: 7.5/10

Deban: 8.5/10

Lucy: 7.5/10

Robyn: 8.5/10

Tobias: 8/10

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 7.5 and a high of 9.

Wiwi Jury verdict: 8.3/10

Read all our Melodifestivalen 2019 Wiwi Jury rankings here

Read more Melodifestivalen news here

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Malin
Malin
5 years ago

Now I really think John vill win this easy. Blir nog promenad seger ändå. Detta i kombination med spotyfychart.
https://melodifestivalklubben.se/publiken-i-solna-rostar-sa-under-publikundersokningen/
https://melodifestivalklubben.se/utkast-den-internationalle-juryn-rostar-sa/p

gilpgilp
gilpgilp
5 years ago

Agreed!

gilpgilp
gilpgilp
5 years ago

This is great in a down year. Barring any Alcazar-style tragedy in judging (who else remembers that??), this will win tomorrow at MF and automatically top 5 in Tel Aviv. Very possible ESC winner overall.

Greg
Greg
5 years ago

This song is basic AF and I’m tired of everyone hyping it up. It’s gonna get the Ingrosso treatment and fail with the voters, but score with the judges.
Jon-Henrik deserves to go to the Eurovision, because it’s different, it sounds traditional, and it’s a superior song!

Michael Rice
5 years ago
Reply to  Greg

I could not agree more @ Greg. I feel like Wiwi are treating this like it has already won. Maybe they know something we don’t or maybe they need to stop being Christer’s cheerleaders.

Make Eurovision Sanremo Again
Make Eurovision Sanremo Again
5 years ago

<3 this song and John so much!

Belle
Belle
5 years ago

This is great and I think John will win tomorrow. I think Sweden will be in top 5 in ESC 2019. Go Sweden.

Diana
Diana
5 years ago

I hate the fact that we’re probably gonna send another man with a pop song to eurovision but this song (and jon henriks Song) is by far the best in the finals and my personal favorite so I’m okay with this lol

Denis
Denis
5 years ago
Reply to  Diana

I never get why some people make an issue about gender. Like why is it so important that we send another man? They have had the best songs and personalities. Apart from Mariette and maybe Ace Wilder no woman has been that great or unique.

Pasadena
Pasadena
5 years ago

I’m tired of the Cesar Sampson plagiarism accusations. Nobody But You rather got its inspiration from Hozier whereas Too Late for Love has clear EDM influences. Both have gospel elements but that’s nothing new for Lundvik. So did My Turn, Natural (Anton Ewald, 2014, written by Lundvik) etc.

Rasmus
Rasmus
5 years ago
Reply to  Pasadena

its because hes black. Dont take fans serious. Its the only reason they say it

sangfreudx
sangfreudx
5 years ago

Sweden with a genuinely soulful song? Shocker! I love it like I haven’t loved a Swedish entry in years.

Chance
Chance
5 years ago

This song is so boring. There is nothing to latch onto in the chorus. It’s a pale attempt at copying Cesar.

M_K
M_K
5 years ago

Don’t you think this song would have perfectly fit in this year’s UK national final?

Jake
Jake
5 years ago

My issue with this song is that every time it’s building, it just STOPS. It never builds momentum to explode. I’m actually shocked this is such a popular choice with Sweden. I think there’s something missing for me although I do like it. But I thought Austria was more of a radio friendly song than this.

Pihlas
Pihlas
5 years ago

These kind of gospel songs have been there before Cezar’s. And i think this is better than overrated “Nobody but you”. This brings me joy.

Jake
Jake
5 years ago

I’m shocked this is as popular in Sweden as it is. I really like it but there seems this ongoing build-STOP in the song that is repeated that feels like you can’t fully just explode with it. I’m sure it’ll be an easy top 10 especially with juries giving it a top 3 if not top 1. But something is holding me back from the pure joy I’d want this song to give me

crime_dog
crime_dog
5 years ago

“Genuine” is the last word I’d use to describe this song. It sounds like pure jury-bait to me.

Grftn
Grftn
5 years ago
Reply to  crime_dog

Preach

tom
tom
5 years ago

Bishara will win 🙁

eurovision6
eurovision6
5 years ago
Reply to  tom

Think so too unfortunately, prepared to be dissapointed tomorrow

tom
tom
5 years ago
Reply to  eurovision6

me too but i still hoping that Lisa, Wiktoria, Jon Henrik, Mohombi, Nano, Anna will win ! 🙂

Malin
Malin
5 years ago
Reply to  tom

I don’t think the jury will vote for him, but the people. For him personally it would be better that he didn’t. To young.

Tom
Tom
5 years ago
Reply to  Malin

Franz 2.0 is coming

Niya
Niya
5 years ago

I personally enjoy this entry quite a bit and I do think that if Sweden would send this it would probably be top 10 in the grand final. I think it’s obvious by now that matter what song Sweden would send to Eurovision, ESC fans would call the song “bad” and “overrated”. Let’s try to not have so much prejudice against entries from Sweden just because they’re from Sweden.

Brexit Queen Young and Sweet Only 17
Brexit Queen Young and Sweet Only 17
5 years ago

we have heard it all before, it tries hard, but no cigar

Héctor
Héctor
5 years ago

Unoriginal and generic, even more after last year Cesar Sampson’s “Nobody but you”. It also sounds a bit dated. If this was chosen in any other country would be struggling to qualify. As it’s Sweden they will place top 10. I like the vibe coming from the backvocalists though.

Catriona Colville
Catriona Colville
5 years ago
Reply to  Héctor

If Sweden send this it will contend for victory.

Alon I srael
Alon I srael
5 years ago

i don’t like it.. expected more from Swedem and from such a long selection… this year i don’t like any of the songs in MF final..

Grftn
Grftn
5 years ago

Great but 8.3… that’s a bit overrated

Malin
Malin
5 years ago

Like the song but not my favorite. But I think John will get most televotes followd by Bishara, Hanna & Lismo and Anna. Although the Spotify chart maight not tell us exactly how the people will vote it tell us someting about the most apprishiated songs. And Anna maight surprise us, I think she will get a lot of telewotes from the older generation. I think she is nr 1 on the chart svensk toppen. But I I don’t think the juries will have Bishara, Liamo&Hanna in there top. I guess John, Wiktoria and Lisa and Anna. So today I… Read more »

Malin
Malin
5 years ago
Reply to  Malin
Colin
Colin
5 years ago

Too Late For Love – John Lundvik is a very charismatic performer and even with a middle-tier song last year, he was in my top 10 of Melfest songs. This year (which is way more competitive), he is my 4th. Some similarities with last year’s Austrian entry are undeniable (handsome black guy dressed in black sings about gaining his love back while the choir and bright light kick in). That said, this is far from being a copy, cause the construction of the song is quite different and John gives his own, unique mark to it. I think, if picked,… Read more »

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
5 years ago

i don’t really get the hype over this, it’s a one-note version of nobody but u. the gospel choir is a cute addition tho

James
James
5 years ago

“Nobody But You” is not the first gospel/RnB song of its kind though.

Denis
Denis
5 years ago

In Sweden there is a general consensus that he will win. Everyone agrees upon that. Like how Frans won in 2016. Unless something amazing like Bishara or Arvingarna gets lots of televoters this will be the winner. It has the package..
And what a wonderful message it would send from Sweden.

Rasmus
Rasmus
5 years ago
Reply to  Denis

The ennoying fans will ONLY say. 1. You sent a male pop song again. 2. I will not vote for Sweden. 3. Sweden have bought Eurosvision. 4. Christer Björkman cheats when he does the drawing order. You know the drill haha with fans. They are not that bright.

Désirée
Désirée
5 years ago
Reply to  Rasmus

Don’t understand the gender thing, if the song is good it does not matter what gender the singer has.. Sweden has won esc 6 times, 3 of those times with females, 1 time mixed men and women, 2 times with males, so if anything a man should win next time to equal the score :-p

Jonas
Jonas
5 years ago
Reply to  Rasmus

Rasmus, I think you’re exaggerating. There is some of that, sure, but why do you let it bother you so much? It’s unimportant. Sweden’s record speaks for itself.

Rasmus
Rasmus
5 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

It bothers me when people were so happy in YT videos when Sweden got a low score in televote :(. they cherred like hell. That bothered me a lot

Denis
Denis
5 years ago
Reply to  Rasmus

Some of it is true. Being Swedish on this site is not favourable. Im been coming here since 2011 with pretty much the same comments over and over. It’s jury bait, its pop song again, because it’s Sweden it will do well. And so on
But most of that comes from jealousy over the fact that Sweden does well. Instead of writing to their broadcaster to select better songs they instead hope Sweden flops.
The trick is not to let it bother you and have a sense of humour about it. Sweden’s record speaks for itself

Rasmus
Rasmus
5 years ago
Reply to  Denis

i know but sometimes it gets to me. sometimes

Malin
Malin
5 years ago
Reply to  Denis

I don’t think Bishara or Arvingarna will get high points from the juries so even if they would get a lot of votes from the televotes John would beet them. Just guessing thou. : )

eurovision6
eurovision6
5 years ago
Reply to  Denis

Arvingarna? Lmao what have you been smoking? There is no way they will win ever again, they might even finish last

Malin
Malin
5 years ago
Reply to  eurovision6

eurovision6 Arvingarna might get alot of points from the people. Same kategories that voted for Hasse Anderson. But now they will count the grannies votes more than then. So it’s not impossible that they will be top five which the audience.

Liamo and Hannah is right after John on the Swedish Spotify chart and that can give us some indication of what we in Sweden like. So I don’t think it’s that strange to se Hanna and Liamo as one of the winners of the votes from the people.

eurovision6
eurovision6
5 years ago
Reply to  Malin

What? So Nano will get alot of points from the people because he won the televote 2 years ago then? Same audience right? It does not work like that. Hasse is much more loved by the people and the song from Arvingarna is not even close to as good. If they are top 5 in the televote on saturday I will owe you an excuse but I am 99% sure it wont happen. If they beat Liamoo/Hanna, Anna or Wiktoria in the televote something is seriously wrong

Denis
Denis
5 years ago
Reply to  eurovision6

They are really popular not just among older generations. I hear singing that song as well, meaning that it has a wide appeal. This could be a new Hasse Andersson

Rasmus
Rasmus
5 years ago
Reply to  eurovision6

Not last:) maybe 6th:)

Aline
Aline
5 years ago

My winner in Sweden!! Sweden will be my nr. 1 if they send John Lundvik ?

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
5 years ago

Oh my God……Tobias actually liked something.
This is great and would be a deserving winner. A million miles away from his overrated snoozefest from last year.

Milla
Milla
5 years ago

My winner of Melodifestivalen this year. I never thought I’d say this after his “My turn” last year. It was my fear that he would win with that dated song. So I thought he would enter this year with something of the same standard. A really nice surprise 🙂