Tim: Her first Melodifestivalen entry since 2011 (when she led the pop group Shirley’s Angels), this came sixth in last week’s very strong heat.
Tim: It’s wonderful Shirley, and a brilliantly executed powerful ballad.
Tom: It’s emotional, certainly, but it sounds more like a bit of a riff on Sia’s “She-Wolf” to me — without David Guetta, I’ll grant you, but that piano riff and voice a just a bit too similar.
Tim: Hmm, you’re possibly right, though I didn’t notice it so I’m not that bothered. Unlike Thursday’s track, this deserves emotion, and she provides it in bucketloads, and then there are the backing singers, not appearing on stage because we can’t possibly distract from Shirley and her “got them so I’ll flaunt them” attitude to her legs.
Tom: I can’t fault her performance, that’s true.
Tim: It’s all complemented perfectly by the key change and the wind machine, which let’s face it would be better described as a storm-force gale machine. Basically, in any other wear this would have deserved a straight-to-final placing; on the other hand, it’s a high quality of song we’re seeing this year, so commiserations, Shirley, but what can you do.