Melodifestivalen 2022: Our first reactions to the heat 2 studio versions

Last week, the first heat of Melodifestivalen 2022 kicked off. Two acts made it to the grand final and another two will try their luck in the new second-chance semi-final. This Saturday, seven more acts will perform their songs in heat two of Mello 2022.

Today SVT previewed studio versions of this week’s competing songs for the Mello media. Join us as we bring you our first reactions to the seven competing entries in heat one. Fans will get their first listen of the heat two entries when snippets of the songs are released on Thursday.

Melodifestivalen 2022: Heat 2 first reactions

Disclaimer: The media listening sessions involve the studio versions of the competing songs being played over a video call. This is not the same as the experience of seeing the song performed live so please keep that in mind. We will do our best to convey our first impressions of the songs.

Liamoo – “Bluffin'”

Sample lyric: All the heartbreaks in my life they made me lonely /  I do not wanna fall in love when I’m this cold

Liamoo is keeping within in comfort zone — and things are very comfortable there. “Bluffin'” is a cool R&B-infused pop tune. It has a hint of a pop-drop chorus, but it never takes the spotlight away from Liamoo. The chorus makes the most of the pre-recorded backing vocals rule, with deep pitch-shifted vocals adding a contemporary flavour. The dynamics are great, with plenty of potential for dramatic moments with the staging. Personally, I love this kind of music and this is my favourite track of this week. If the live performance is just as fierce, I expect it will be a strong DTF contender. (Robyn)

Niello & Lisa Ajax – “Tror du att jag bryr mig”

Sample lyric: Se mig hälla drinkar i såren / 1, 2, 3, sen välkommen åter
(Watch me pour drinks into the wounds / 1, 2, 3, then welcome back)

This is very different from the kind of songs Lisa Ajax has previously brought to Melfest. Here, she isn’t playing the diva. She’s very much in partnership with Niello, supporting his contribution and bringing her own flavour. The song is about estranged lovers, each insisting (a little too much) that they no longer care about the other. But a lot of that involves the Swedish lyrics which likely won’t carry to an international audience. The live performance should add more to the story, with the two exes playing off each other. (Robyn)

Samira Manners – “I Want to Be Loved”

Sample lyric: It’s not as if you’ve broken me / Or made my life a sea of ​​misery

Samira was born and raised in Sweden, but she has an English dad and sings with a strong English accent, a sort of London folky-pop. The song is that kind of fragile folk-pop that was big about five years ago. The song starts to build, but never goes much further than the central lyric of the chorus (“I want to be loved…”). I fear that it won’t stand out enough come Saturday’s live show. (Robyn)

Alvaro Estrella – “Suave”

Sample lyric: Suavemente contigo / Suavemente con migo / Dancing slowly / You and me

“Suave” feels like it was written in 2017, in the hype of “Despacito”, and has been sitting around waiting for an artist. There’s a lot going on here. It starts out like a fairly ordinary dance-pop song, then suddenly RAVE HORNS and things get Latino. The Spanish lyrics seem kind of cheesy, but then the whole song is enjoyably cheesy. We know that Alvaro is an experienced and confident performer, so as far as Latino-inspired dance-pop songs go, “Suave” is probably going to end up more polished and more accessible than Omar Rudberg’s “Moving Like That”. Maybe through to the second-chance semi. (Robyn)

Browsing Collection – “Face in the Crowd”

Sample lyric: When the lights go out and the world shuts down / We’ll keep playing

“Face in the Crowd” reminded me the cool female-fronted grunge rock bands that were around in the ’90s, but there’s also plenty of influence from the emo rock of 2000s, as well as punk-pop flavours in the chorus. There’s plenty of attitude, but there was something missing — and I suspect that is simply the extra energy that will come when the band performs the song live. So I’m holding out to see what the live performance is like. (Robyn) 

John Lundvik – “Änglavakt”

Sample lyric: Våra hjärtan slår i takt / Jag kommer alltid va din änglavakt
(Our hearts beat in time / I will always be your guardian angel)

I get the feeling that this is the kind of song that John Lundvik really enjoys the most. It’s sentimental, romantic ballad, with no sense of trying to be a Eurovision slayer. As a ballad it seems to be building to a big chorus, but it never quite goes all the way. I suspect the strongest part is the sweet, romantic lyrics — but those will be mostly lost on an international audience. Being a John Lundvik work, it’s well written and well performed, but it doesn’t feel like it will be in contention for Turin. (Robyn)

Tone Sekelius – “My Way”

Sample lyric: Your words made me stronger / And I got bigger, better, smarter

Tone is a trans woman and is the first transgender person to compete in Melodifestivalen. Her song is a self-empowerment anthem, of finding strength and confidence within, even in a tough world. Tone isn’t the most powerful vocalist and “My Way” isn’t a trendy modern pop hit, but she absolutely sells it and has what it takes to create a magic Mello moment. I suspect the live performance will add more depth and emotion and may underscore the message even further. (Robyn)