Tim: In 2008, Melodifestivalen celebrated its fiftieth birthday; sensing an clear opportunity for a cash-in, two weeks ago SVT released a ‘Best of’ compilation with 5 hours of tracks, and GOSH IT’S BRILLIANT.
Tom: Hold on, two weeks ago? That took a while. But that said, I’ve got to respect a five-hour schlager compilation.
Tim: Some of it, admittedly, stands up now as utter tripe, such as this, 1965’s victor. On the other hand, most of it’s like this, which took 6th place in 2009.
Tom: River Song?
Tim: I see where you’re coming from, but no – Sarah Dawn Finer, better known to a lot of non-Swedes recently as the person behind Lynda Woodruff. But she started out in music, and what a prime example of music this is.
There are a lot of good things that can be said about this, even before we get to the music: the way starts by pretending to be the god that makes the sun come up, the wind machine dialled up as high as it’ll go, and then some, the way she winks to the camera, the zombies that close in on the camera as she moves over, with a determined look on her face, to the highlight of the staging: that INCREDIBLE plinth, in case we hadn’t got enough of the deity idea already.
Tom: That is a hell of a bit of staging. And as for the music?
Tim: Oh yes, and it’s about as good a “pick yourself up and get going” power ballad as you’re going to find anywhere.
Tom: I’m not quite sure about that odd ticking noise in the first verse, and I’m sure there’s a vibraslap cameo in there somewhere. I’m also not quite sure whether it’s actually a decent song, but it’s certainly putting the effort in.
Tim: Basically, what an excellent entry it was.