Melodifestivalen: Heat One - Preliminary Judging

It's that time of year again, folks. Sweden's annual song contest begins tomorrow with the first eight entries. As usual, the official site is streaming minute long clips of each contender. And, as usual, I'm here to offer my thoughts, however misguided they may become once I've heard the full versions!

(Listen to clips here)

Ola Svensson - Unstoppable
I love the piano line that runs throughout this. The song has the harder sound we were promised, especially in the chorus. It's not as strong as his best tracks (or his past entry), but it'll do. 3.5/5

Jenny Silver - A Place To Stay
While I don't think this will go anywhere in the context of the contest, I really like the sound of it. It's got that subtle electro beat that gives it a really cool feeling. The melody might be a bit lacking, though. 3.5/5

Linda Pritchard - You're Making Me Hot-Hot-Hot
Not nearly as dreadful as I expected based on the title, this is actually a bit of a pleasant surprise. Totally cheesy, but I like the beat and melody. It's not as latin-influenced as I thought it would be. 3/5

Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt
This sounds like something that will do very well, though it's hard to get much of a read on it based on the short clip. I really like the guy's voice and it sounds like it's going to build into something pretty grand. We'll see. 4/5

Anders Ekborg - The Savior
Here's what I expect from Melodifestivalen! It's so theatrical and ridiculous, and I think it would do a lot better sung by a different artist, but it gets points for the bombast. 3.5/5

Jessica Andersson - I Did It For Love
I'm not a fan of this type of ballad. It brings the energy down, and not in a good way. I like the dramatic drum beat, and the song sounds like it's going to be uber-dramatic, but it's not really my thing. 2.5/5

Frispr�karn - Single
This sounds like so much Swedish rap out there right now. It's popular on the charts, but will it work in Melodifestivalen? Maybe, but it's not working so much for me. I've heard so many better tracks in this style. 2/5

Salem Al Fakir - Keep On Walking
Exactly how you'd expect a Salem song to sound. The hook sounds very strong, though I wish the whole thing had some more energy. Still, one of my favorites. 4/5

It sounds like a really strong heat. There's nothing I hate, which is good. As to who I think will go through? Ola and Salem, on name recognition, as well as Pain Of Salvation and either Jessica Andersson (depending on the full song) or Frispr�karn.

*I'll be blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true!)