Sweden – My System – Is soulless and plastic
After last year’s enjoyable visit to the sauna, Sweden is back to what they sent best. A soulless plastic of a song. And not just plastic but a recycled one,I will get to that part in a minute.
We start with the song. In 2012 Cascada participated in Eurovision with the song Glorious, which relied heavily on the winning Swedish song in 2012. Come 2026 and Sweden choose a song with similarities to a Cascada’s song-Everytime We Touch. Hence the recycled plastic and apparently originality is not required by Melodifestivalen.
The song sounds like a dance track in your nearest club. Unfortunately, it misses all the marks of a good track. A good build up, a variation in beat and the ability to make you dance. It is so sterile, monotone and soulless that when this track is played in a club, you stop dancing and go buy yourself a drink and just wait for the next track.
Let’s talk about the mask she wears while singing. I understand that she has some kind of phobia and the mask represents the phobia. Removing the mask toward the end of the song is her way to overcome the phobia. But this mask and the way she holds the mic are hiding her lips and I am not entirely convinced she is singing this completely live. Eurovision is a singing contest and I want to see the singers’ lips moving. How she can sing so clearly behind the mask is another mystery for me. Remember Corona. We all had to wear masks and it was pretty uncomfortable. You couldn’t breathe properly and understanding what others were saying was also a challenge. The whole mask thing is off putting and creates a distance between her and the audience. When she finally removes the mask from her mouth, she places a mask on her eyes and that is played visually on the great screen to create another off-putting moment.
And then there is the red and black staging. Albania may get away with red and black staging, but in the terms of reality talent shows, red and black staging was for the producers a way of hinting the elimination of a contestant. I would be very happy if this gets eliminated in the semi, but what are the chances that this will happen.
Sweden will sing 2nd in the first semi and that’s baffel me quite a lot.
Is Sweden singing 2nd is the way for the EBU to show that everyone gets the same treatment? Or if Sweden will qualify from that will the EBU use this as an example for other countries to say, you can succeed from that place, you just need to have a strong song? Should I be surprised that if Sweden qualifies, and gets 2nd half or producer choice in the final, they will get a favorable running order?
I don’t know how many times before I’ve said this, but if this song would have been sung by a different country, it would be butchered. Expect the usual love for Sweden from the juries and less love from the televoters.
As you understand, I dislike the Swedish entry for 2026. I hope they will not get to the final, but hey it’s Sweden, so the chances for that to happen are nil.
My marks- 0 points.
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