For months now, rumours have been swirling about which acts are making a run for Melodifestivalen 2016. The spotlight on Sweden is even brighter this time around following Måns Zelmerlöw's Eurovision victory in Vienna. To alleviate some of the tension while we wait for the acts-announcing press conferences, we've put together a list of acts that the contest would greatly benefit from having participate.

The Party

Dinah Nah

Dinah Nah hasn't exactly been shy about her desire to return to Melodifestivalen. She even said as much when we interviewed her back in September. Despite her last-place finish at the Melodifestivalen 2015 finals, it's nice to see that she hasn't been scared off of trying it again, especially given how strong of a song she competed with. Dinah has live vocals that can blow the roof off of whatever venue she's performing in and knows how to deliver a quality dance-pop track, as evidenced by her follow-up single, "Taste Your Love."

Samir & Viktor

Despite an 8th-place finish, "Groupie" was the second most successful song of Melodifestivalen 2015, only being beat by the winning song, "Heroes." "Groupie" was a double-platinum hit and their Success was only further perpetuated with their follow-up single, "Saxofuckingfon," a summer/party anthem which charted in both Sweden and Norway, and has been streamed on Spotify over 10 million times. The boys' greatest downfall in their first go in the contest was their lack of polish. Their live vocals and ability to hit their marks were often shaky but to their credit, they improved with each new competitive performance, from the semi-finals, to Andra Chansen, to the finals. With another year of performing experience under their belt, it may be just enough to creep up towards a top 5 finishing place, given the right song of course. But for better or worse, we know that these two would deliver pure entertainment.

The Andra-Andra-Chanseners

Kristin Amparo

Kristin Amparo came into Melodifestivalen 2015 with high expectation placed upon her. Having featured as the vocal power on successful tracks such as John De Sohn's "Dance Our Tears Away" and Albin's "Din Soldat," Kristin surprised many by competing with a ballad that was not up to the challenge of igniting excitement in large crowds. Still, there is no denying Kristin Amparo's soulful vocal prowess. Though we're doubtful of her making a run for Melodifestivalen 2016, she hasn't ruled out the possibility of returning to the competition some day. We just hope that if/when she does, it's with something that'll have us up and moving.

Andreas Weise

The greatest mishap of Melodifestivalen 2015's Andra Chansen was the bypassing of Andreas Weise's red hot charisma during the duels. Disappointment was entirely evident in his reaction and that determination to compete and succeed in Melodifestivalen is one that could serve him well should he return to the contest. Andreas has a sultry vocal tone and the ability to work a song and number like few others in the Swed-pop scene. His follow-up single, "More," was very much in line with the evolved artistry he presented with "Bring Out The Fire," but with even more groove and danceability.

The A-Team

Awa

At the mere age of 15, Awa Santesson-Sey won the first and only season of Sweden's X-Factor back in 2012. Now that Awa has had a few years to mature and develop her artistry a bit more, Melodifestivalen is a perfect place to further grow her following and make a more powerful impression. She recently made her rounds on the Swedish tour circuit with her single, "Obvious," a song which displays an impressive depth and maturity. She's modern, vocally on point, and the breath of fresh air we've been waiting for in an industry that would greatly benefit from diversification.

Amaranthe

Remember Elize Ryd? She dueted with tenor opera singer Rickard Söderberg in Melodifestivalen 2015 with the delightfully melodramatic "One By One"? Well Amaranthe is the Scandinavian metal band that Elize sings for. Upon further research, we found that the band is fronted by three vocalists in total: Elize on pop vocals, Jake E on rock vocals, and Henrik Englund on unclean vocals. While we're often the first to raise objections when rock songs participate in Melodifestivalen, this is due in large part to the fact that they're often terrible. But Amaranthe's style of metal is glossier and more produced, thus allowing for a cross-genre appeal to those who don't typically partake in the metal genre. We're also not inclined to like unclean vocals, but in smaller doses (i.e. a 1:3 ratio of unclean: clean), and when part of an otherwise strong track, we'll make an exception. Amaranthe are already a successful band, having toured extensively throughout Europe and North America. Sweden may be a pop-powerhouse, but Scandinavia also has a long-standing reputation for putting out quality metal (amongst those who listen to the genre). Amaranthe's participation in Melodifestivalen would not only expand the show's viewership, but demonstrate that the show is capable of representing more than one style of music well. We've embedded Amaranthe's arguably strongest single, "The Nexus," for your viewing pleasure but we'll also link their singles, "Drop Dead Cynical" and "Digital World," which are also worth a listen.

The Vengeance-Seekers

Molly Pettersson Hammar

It wouldn't be Melodifestivalen without a bit of scandal, controversy, and so on. 2015's scandal was Molly Pettersson Hammar's crashing out of the semis due to a technical malfunction in the show's new voting app. Sure, her live vocals were less than perfect, but few were not still shaken up by the shocking results. Even more of a shame than the unjust results is the fact that for the time being, Molly's name is largely associate with just that: a voting scandal. But what she should be hereby known for is making soulful pop singles that are bursting with exuberant energy and personality. The stage is set for Molly to come back and show everyone what she's made of. "Something Right" was Molly's follow-up single, and an excellent one at that, leaving no doubt that Molly knows just what her artistic niche is.

Ace Wilder

The actual winner of Melodifestivalen 2014 Ace Wilder is a consistent source of rebellious and fun pop music. (Friendly reminder that "Busy Doin' Nothing" went triple-platinum and hit number 1 in Sweden while "Undo" went Gold and peaked at number 2). While some feel that Ace will not be able to outdo the impact she made in Melodifestivalen with BDN, we can't help but note that those naysayers fail to note that Ace is one of the few artists in the Swed-pop scene that has an entirely unique and fully developed artistry. She has also been nothing but consistent in the quality of the songs she has put out since then, as evidenced by all the tracks on her EP, "The Wild Card." Instead of going for the obvious choice to drop one of her singles below, we've chosen "Throne," as it's the song that packs the biggest punch of the six-song track list.

The Heavy-Hitters

Darin

We struggle to think of any other Swed-pop artist that has matched the level of Darin Zanyar. From the moment he finished as runner-up on the first season of Swedish Idol, he has consistently put out successful and quality pop singles/albums. This is a man who has never had an artistic identity crisis get him off his path of success. Even now, after a decade in the industry, Darin remains bolder than ever, daring to put out a full album in Swedish and with a drastic shift in style from his glossier pop to that of a more folk-influenced sound. His first single of this new era, "Ta Mig Tillbaka," had elements of Simon & Garfunkel but fully adapted for the 21st century, and blended intricate melodies and harmonies that beautifully enhanced the intimacy of the song's personal narrative.

Melodifestivalen producer Christer Björkman has made it very clear that he is gunning for Sweden's seventh Eurovision win. Darin's latest studio album, "Fjärilar i magen," was his sixth number one album. He's even been promoting himself in Asia as of late, and Eurovision 2015 was the first year the contest was broadcast in China. If you're looking for someone experienced, consistently quality, and with the ability to appeal to a wide demographic, Darin Zanyar is a strong candidate. Whether he goes with a folksier song fitting in his newer artistic style or a killer pop banger, Darin can pull it off.

Zara Larsson

The "how on earth are they so young?" sentiment gets thrown around quite a bit, particularly amongst the Eurovision scene as the average age of competing acts seems to get younger and younger. But really, how on earth is Zara Larsson only 17? With a prolific amount of success as a pop artist, with singles including 7x-platinum "Uncover," 4x-platinum "Lush Life," 2x-platinum "Carry You Home," and platinum "Rooftop" and "Never Forget You," it's borderline inconceivable that Zara has yet to be groomed as the next Swedish Eurovision victor. The girl can sing, handle a bit of choreography, and she's also a strong voice for intersectional feminism/human rights, making her an ideal candidate to follow in the footsteps of Loreen and Måns, both of whom are known for their humanitarian efforts in addition to their musical talents.

The Icons

Alcazar

If you were to ask for one musical act to sum up the spirit of Melodifestivalen, it would have to be Alcazar. Though they've never won the contest, their passion for Melodifestivalen, Swedish pop, and their spectacularly bedazzled brand of disco-pop never cease to impress. They have moved their successful "Disco Defenders" show to have a run in Stockholm and to help promote it, they made an appearance this summer on "Allsång på Skansen" during which they performed for the entire hour. Singing both their own greatest hits as well as some covers of other pop songs, they worked the crowd like nobody's business and honestly, if Sweden hasn't been wise enough to send this group to Eurovision yet, we can't help but implore SVT to let them host Melodifestivalen. Despite how much we'd love to see them back competing again, there are numerous upsides to having them host the contest. For one, they're enormously charming, charismatic, and have terrific chemistry with one another already so there wouldn't be any bizarre clashing of styles often seen in bringing miscellaneous talent together. Another upside is that viewers would get to see them strut their stuff not one/two weeks, but all six of the contest. Just think of the musical numbers and dare we say it... actually funny comedic bits? Our bodies are ready so make it happen, SVT!

Who are your picks for Melodifestivalen 2016? Sound off in the comments section below and tell us who you want to see compete (or host)!

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Here at Museled, we've been bringing you weekly coverage on the glorious spectacle that is Melodifestivalen. But now that the contest has finished, and we'll have yet another year to wait for more songs, staging, and all-around Swedish silliness, what better way to send off this year's show than count down our top 12 songs from this year's line-up! There were so many solid (mostly) pop numbers in this year's contest and though not all could make the cut, we thought it only fitting to give recognition to some of the stronger songs that may not have made it to Friends Arena, but have certainly earned a spot on our playlist. So let the countdown begin!

12. Kristin Amparo - "I See You"

Kristin may have gotten off to a rough start in the competition, as her surprisingly shaky vocals earned her a spot at Andra Chansen instead of the finals, but her second time out more than redeemed herself. Not only were her vocals better, there was more life in her overall performance and by the end, she had sent our hearts soaring. There is a wide range in "I See You," as Kristin's voice can masterfully swell in the bigger moments but also flow in a quieter falsetto. We're not as surprised that this song didn't do as well in the contest, but we're hoping Kristin will return to Melodifestivalen with a more uptempo song that she can drop her incredible voice all over and show everyone what she's made of.

11. Kalle Johansson - "För din skull" (For your sake)

Little Kalle Johansson may be only 18 years old but he left quite the impression on us. The boy makes solid feel-good pop music with a boy-next-door charm and his voice bears the utmost sincerity as it sings those sweet melodies. The fact that his songs are in Swedish only enhance the authenticity of his artistry and so long as you know the translation of the song title, Kalle can communicate the emotion of the song and tell you the story regardless of whether or not you understand Swedish. "För din skull" is unassuming in its charm and warmth. Kalle's live performance was decent, given how young and upcoming he is. But for our sake, we hope this is just the beginning for him.

10. Linus Svenning - "Forever Starts Today"

We were rightfully critical of Linus Svenning's live performance throughout the competition, as he let everyone and everything around him carry his dead weight. But make no mistake, "Forever Starts Today" is a good song. It's bright, uplifting, and has a well-executed Celtic influence. He also sounds good singing it, and once you remove his lack of stage presence from the experience, Linus will have you up and motivated and ready to take on the world.

9. Jon Henrik Fjällgren - "Jag är fri" (I am free)

Before this year's contest, we had never heard of "Joiking" before. A Joik is a traditional form of Sami song, and for those unfamiliar, Samis are an Indigenous group of people that are mostly found in regions of northern Europe. A Joik doesn't often have lyrics and can bear some similarities to chanting found in other Native cultures. It's all very fascinating and we'd highly recommend reading up more on the subject but as for "Jag är fri," there's an almost transcendent spirituality to the song and the weight of the inspiration that Jon Henrik offers to so many underrepresented people only magnifies the impact of his song. The live staging of the song was quite beautiful as well, as Jon Henrik had meticulously developed various pieces of imagery to illustrate cultural staples of his Sami upbringing, from the Northern lights, the Sami dancers, his traditional attire, and even the tree. The music video is also representative of Sami life, as Jon Henrik can be seen tending to his reindeers amongst other things.

8. Rickard Söderberg & Elize Ryd - "One By One"

Though Elize Ryd is often billed as a "metal" singer, due to the fact that she sings vocals for a metal band, we'll tell you straight out that this is false advertising. Her voice has all the loveliness you want in a pop singer but unlike many an established popstar, she can actually carry a tune. "One By One" paired her up with opera singer Rickard Söderberg and both are more than capable of making dramatic musical impact. The production of the song is good but it's the the beautiful blending of their voices that is at the forefront of why this song is so strong. The live version was most certainly worthy of a better result than 5th in their heat, as we love a well-used wind machine to add more flair to an already enjoyable song.

7. Magnus Carlsson - "Möt mig i Gamla Stan"

Shame on anyone who ever thought that schlager would stop being relevant. Thank goodness for Magnus Carlsson, who arrived on time to prove to everyone that there's always room in life for a bit more sparkle. Magnus looked dapper as ever in his sharp suit, and rightfully advanced straight to the finale from his heat. The music video is of course set in Gamla Stan, stirring feelings of sentimentality in us of partying at a gay club while watching Eurovision. (That's what we did the last time we were in Gamla Stan). "Möt mig i Gamla Stan" starts off with alluring come-hither verses before transitioning into a pleasant, cheery chorus that reminds you all of why schlager will never die.

If that wasn't enough to convince you of the power of schlager, check out this viral (in Sweden) hit of one of the official sign-language-signers getting his groove on and having the time of his life signing to this slice of schlager heaven.

6. Samir & Viktor - "Groupie"

We did not expect this song to grow on us as much as it did. We had initially felt let down that "Groupie" wasn't as clubby as Samir & Viktor's first single, "Success," but lo and behold, these two managed to win us over. If there's one thing we can say for certain is that these two improved enormously during their time competing, from the semi-finals, to Andra Chansen, all the way through the finals, which concluded with them in bed together. Literally. The energy and enthusiasm of these two is unmatched and there's something truly endearing about how much fun they have on stage together.

5. Midnight Boy - "Don't Say No"

We've almost always hated Melodifestivalen songs that are heavily influenced from a past decade, but Midnight Boy's passion and commitment to the magic of the 1980's is felt in the synth-heavy, magnificently camp "Don't Say No." Midnight Boy is precise in his development of a sound that combines all of the magical melodrama of the 1980's without feeling like a relic. It's sleek enough to fit in nicely amongst all your favourite 21st century club songs and another strength of Midnight Boy is that he places high importance on the visual element of his art, too. From the live performance to the music video, Midnight Boy has laid out his vision in a manner that only serves to strengthen his music. Don't you worry, Midnight Boy, we'll never say no to you. Keep delivering that sweet, 80's goodness!

~ Read our Museled interview with Midnight Boy here ~

4. Molly Pettersson Hammar - "I'll Be Fine"

By far, the biggest 'WTF moment' of this year's Melodifestivalen was the elimination of Molly Pettersson Hammar, as a technical glitch of the contest's app prevented her from making it past the first round of voting in her heat. "I'll Be Fine" is a punchy, up-tempo song that is ripe with attitude, soul, and Molly's vocals are fantastic. Molly herself is also brimming with personality and energy, which translates well on stage, so all the ingredients are in place for her to be the next big female powerhouse in Sweden so long as she manages her career right. "I'll Be Fine" is modern, well-arranged, and sounds much like something that an established UK diva would drop and become the breakup-anthem of the year. Your ex didn't treat you right? Doesn't matter because Molly's got your back, and you're gonna be fine.

3. Andreas Weise - "Bring Out The Fire"

Andreas Weise is one of the biggest breakout stars for us in this year's Melodifestivalen. From his vocal ability to his on-point showmanship, the groove of the song, and the good use of instrumentation, this ended up being one of our favourite songs of the whole contest. It was downright criminal that this didn't make it to Friends Arena because we are confident that Andreas Weise was one of the few artists that could work a crowd of that size. It's our understanding that much of Andreas' back catalogue is a bit more old-fashioned, but we're hoping that this hybridisation of big band music with a modern groove will be present in more of what he puts out next.

2. Dinah Nah - "Make Me (La La La)"

Dinah Nah is undoubtedly the Queen of this year's contest. "Make Me (La La La)" was thoroughly well-produced and while that break-down is already strong to begin with, it was magnified a thousand times over with the most epic shaky-cam action of the year and some decent choreography to boot. Dinah Nah has made it clear that she's not a dancer, but though some might not realise this because of how heavily produced the song is, she's actually a solid vocalist. Dinah Nah can reign supreme as the only act to give us a banger this year. It's the type of song that grabs hold of you and compels to unleash all your stresses by dancing it out. It can be a highly cathartic experience, so surrender yourself to Queen Dinah Nah and go on and La La La!

1. Måns Zelmerlöw - "Heroes"

Don't pretend you didn't know this was coming. All the (mostly international) fans that have been clamouring for Måns Zelmerlöw to make a big come-back have been vindicated for the years of unwavering support. "Heroes" is a highly current, radio-friendly song, with it's plucky-guitared verses, big sweeping chorus, and Måns' so-good-it'll-change-your-life vocals. Yet again, the Debs (Joy and Linnea Deb) are billed as composers on the break-out hit of the year. Last year it was Ace Wilder's "Busy Doin' Nothin'" but while that song was a delightfully clever statement on the attitude older generations have about younger ones, "Heroes" has a more inspirational message: that of being a better example to our children so as to bring about change in the world. If that all weren't enough for you, "Heroes" has the hands-down strongest visual staging we've ever seen. With projection mapping, animation, lighting, and Måns making grey the new black, it's a visual treat from start to finish. Following Måns' multi-record-breaking victory, "Heroes" quickly rose to the top of the Eurovision betting odds and we'll be (loudly) cheering it on when it competes in Vienna in May. So treat yourself, be a hero, and watch this Melodifestivalen masterpiece again and again.

~ Read our interview with Måns Zelmerlöw here ~

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Which songs were your favourite of this year? Let us know in the comments section below and stay tuned for our commentary on this year's Eurovision!

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That's right, Museled readers! Another week, and another set of picks for the next round of Melodifestivalen. The semi-finals are over and now only Andra Chansen (the second chance round) remains till the big finale in Friends Arena. But before we give you our selections for these duels, let's go over what happened last week.

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After a semi-decent (for once) opening number, the strongest heat of these first four weeks kicked off. It was almost unfair how much quality was packed into one heat when you consider how many weak songs and numbers have been able to advance because of the low overall standard in their respective heat.

First up was Midnight Boy's "Don't Say No" and the song was everything we wanted it to be. It fully committed to its 1980's synth-fuelled dance beat and the visuals accompanied it perfectly. Midnight Boy was an excellent performer as well. It's an absolute crime that this came last place in this heat but thankfully, the song has been doing well on Swedish iTunes.

 ~~ Read our Museled interview with Midnight Boy here! ~~

Caroline Wennergren's "Black Swan" made it past the first round of voting but sadly couldn't nab that other spot in Andra Chansen, which is a shame as we'd really have loved to see her perform this song again. She had such allure in her demeanour and also looked absolutely stunning on stage. This song was truly unique stylistically compared to everything else in the competition, in a good way. Combine the musical Chicago, a soulful big band, with just a dash of Danny Elfman, and you'll have "Black Swan."

JTR's "Building It Up" was vocally and musically better than the rehearsal clip made it out to be, made sense since we knew they could sound better than that just by browsing other videos of them on YouTube. The number was decent but we absolutely hate the "rap" break. Seriously, just drop it, break it, kill it with fire. Overall, it's a nice enough song but admittedly, it does sound a lot like the same young boy-band-pop that's come out in the last few years. It's nothing groundbreaking but a pleasant enough listen. The fact that this advanced direct to the finale wasn't exactly surprising given the voting power of the teenage-girl demographic in Sweden, but we'd still have put it to Andra Chansen instead. For your listening pleasure, we recommending the acoustic version, as it strips the song down, better showcases the boys' vocal abilities, and also minimises the "rap" break misfire.

Hasse Andersson's "Guld och gröna skogar" is a bizarre song. There's not much more we can say about it because it really doesn't translate well outside of Swedish culture. We're not even talking about the fact that the lyrics are in Swedish, but stylistically, the song is nothing that we can wrap our heads around. Apparently he is quite famous in Sweden, hence his advancing to Andra Chansen, but this isn't something we will ever listen to after the contest wraps.

Dinah Nah's "Make Me (La La La)" was robbed out her rightful spot in the finals. Robbed, I tell you! (For those who didn't watch the show, the song only advanced to Andra Chansen). Some have criticised the song for not being more lyrically innovative but who cares! The song has strong production, she sang it well, she is absolutely the one in charge on stage, and that shaky-cam during the epic dance break is phenomenal. No other song is this year's competition is this punchy and it's a must-have for every good gym/work-out/pre-gaming playlist.

Annika Herlitz's "Ett andetag" isn't necessarily a bad song. Sure, it's basically trying to be Frozen 2.0 but Annika sounds lovely singing it. That being said, it feels a little old-fashioned to stand a chance in the current music scene and it certainly wouldn't have done well at Eurovision. But it's pretty enough that you can listen and feel pleasant from doing so.

Now onto the most important number of not just the night, but the whole damn contest. Måns Zelmerlöw's "Heroes" threw down the gauntlet like nobody's business. With production that is entirely modern, a sweeping hook, the absolute best visuals this show has ever seen (with animation and a light show to enhance the song's narrative), and Måns serving up the best vocals he's ever brought to the competition, this is the number to beat. He rightfully advanced to the finale and if this song doesn't win, it will make the no-points-from-Germany//2-point victory of Melodifestivalen 2014 look like spilled milk by comparison. We've been shamelessly promoting this song by sending it to our friends and acquaintances all over the globe and the reaction has been unanimously positive: "Wow!" "I love this!" "He sounds fantastic!" "These visuals are amazing!" "How much are flights to Sweden?"
Also, in case you didn't know, grey is now the new black; you can thank Måns Zelmerlöw for that.

Per usual, we did a video review of the show that you are welcome to watch; it also includes our reaction to watching Måns Zelmerlöw's "Heroes" for the first time. Don't judge us, or do. We're not bothered either way.

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Now onto our picks for Andra Chansen. First of all, we have to address the elephant in the room which is the fact that SVT's decision to use a "duels" format is a dreadful idea. Instead of just allowing the votes to speak for themselves, the duels format pits particular acts against one another and here is our big gripe about it: if you have two strong numbers competing against one another and then two weaker numbers competing against one another, those weaker numbers are getting an unjust advantage over the stronger ones.

But let's go through the terrible duel pairings and we'll give your our breakdown of the acts and our selection for who should (but might not necessarily will) go through.

Andreas Weise's "Bring Out the Fire" vs. Linus Svenning's "Forever Starts Today"

This is the pairing that has us most cross about this duel format. If all eight of these acts were evenly fighting against one another, these two would hopefully and probably both advance to the finale. But instead, they have to fight it out. Linus Svenning for some reason unbeknownst to me seems to be the favourite to win this duel and that makes us have to suppress the urge to rub our temples furiously. "Forever Starts Today" is a much better song than Linus' entry last year and he sounded okay singing it but his complete lack of stage presence and showmanship, as well as his horrendous styling, were so off-putting to us that we were actually shocked by how pleasant the studio version is to listen to when you remove his terribly weak visual element from the equation. All those back-up dancers with the drums are figuratively dragging his lifeless-self all over that stage to try to compensate but it's simply not enough.

Our Duel 1 pick: Andreas Weise's "Bring Out The Fire"

Andreas Weise's number is the total package. The song is contemporary, has a strong groove, and he sings it very well. He's also far more of a showman than we're used to seeing on the Melodifestivalen stage and his dancers are clearly feeding off of the energy he is dishing out on that stage. Regardless of whether this song advances, it's won us over to the point that Andreas Weise is now on our list of Swedish artists to keep professional tabs on. Hopefully he'll release an album or at least an EP with more songs like these and a music video that can further showcase his strong performing abilities.

Hasse Andersson's "Guld och gröna skogar" vs. Kristin Amparo's "I See You"

We've already given you our breakdown of Hasse Andersson's entirely questionable song so it shouldn't surprise you that…

Our Duel 2 Pick: Kristin Amparo's "I See You"

We're not as big a fan of Kristin's first performance of "I See you" as it did neither the song nor her beautiful voice justice. On top of that, her styling was incredibly unflattering which was upsetting to see considering that she's such a stunning woman that we think it a crime that someone clearly unqualified to handle her was allowed to give her such a dated hairstyle. (Just so we're clear, we're not saying that a woman's value should ever be about her looks, but for Melodifestivalen, we judge every aspect of the performance, including the styling, which includes the wardrobe, hair, and make-up ~ also, we're just as inclined to be harsh on the male contestants if they show up looking a mess. Case and point: Linus Svenning). So instead, we shall recommend to you the studio version of "I See You," as it's a perfect song to click on when feeling pensive and reflective.

Dolly Style's "Hello Hi" vs. Dinah Nah's "Make Me (La La La)"

Dolly Style are weeaboo trash, and it is deeply offensive to me that SVT continues to glorify such racist acts that make a mockery of and fetishise Japanese pop culture. As for "Hello Hi," it's such a horrendously bad song that I would choose living next to a construction site for five years over having to listen to this miserable excuse for music. Also, those girls can't dance to save their lives.

Our Duel 3 Pick: Dinah Nah's "Make Me (La La La)"

Thank you, Dinah Nah, for being the one act in this year's competition to make us want to turn up. We're obsessed with that shaky cam and the song doesn't just make us want to La La La; it makes us want to throw down on the dance floor, stomp, shake, and hair-flip till the sun comes up. And yes, her number's so good that we're putting it in our post twice.

Behrang Miri feat. Victor Crone's "Det rår vi inte för" vs. Samir & Viktor's "Groupie"

Initially, we were pleased to hear that Behrang Miri would be returning to the Melodifestivalen stage since his last song, "Jalla Dansa Sawa," was a fun melting pot of a dance song that we still listen to to this day. We're not going to put the official music video in because it's an English version of the song that lacks the same magic of the original. "Jalla Dansa Sawa" is a trilingual song that combines Swedish, French, and Arabic. This type of multicultural blending is so rarely seen in popular music, let alone celebrated, that it made the song's success all the more meaningful. Though "Jalla Dansa Sawa" was good enough that it should have been in the finals, "Det rår vi inte för" is more so underwhelming. Remember those songs from five years or so ago that combined musically grand choruses with impacting rap verses (like Tinie Tempah's "Written In The Stars")? hough "Jalla Dansa Sawa" was good enough that it should have been in the finals,  is basically a D-list version of that style. Instead, we'll recommend you listen to "Jalla Dansa Sawa" and dance your heart out to it.

Our Duel 4 Pick: Samir & Viktor's "Groupie"

We know that this song has been quite divisive amongst the Swedish public but it's actually been selling and streaming very well. It was even recently certified Gold. Now we won't deny that the live vocals for this number in the first performance were horrendous. But there was something so ridiculously entertaining about the number that we really enjoyed watching it. These two are all spastic energy, and watching them be chased through the venue by middle-aged cameramen while stoic Swedish audience members stood swaying awkwardly made it all the more hilarious. If you listen to the actual studio version, the song is pleasantly catchy but it's Samir & Viktor's ability to be entertaining that has us sold on this number needing to be victorious in this duel. Watch and don't be afraid to laugh. We certainly did.

***We feel compelled to take his opportunity to plug Samir & Viktor's first single, "Success," as it had a much stronger production and was all-around excellently trashy clubby music that we love to get it popping to.***

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Be sure to watch Melodifestivalen's Andra Chansen round on Saturday, March 7, on svtplay.se at 8PM Swedish time (11AM PST, 2PM EST) and tweet along using the #Melfest hashtag.

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What's good, Museled readers! Another set of rehearsal snippets has been posted by SVT so it's time to give our picks for this week's Melodifestivalen semi-final. We've also included a recap and review of last week's show, numbers, and results, but you're as welcome as ever to skip down to our thoughts on this week if you prefer.

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In a reverse-shocking set of results, the voting actually reflected the ranking of the quality of songs and performances given. But before we get to those, the show began with a cheesy and bland opening number that wasn't even the worst musical number from the hosts of the night. They later did some sort of knock-off version of "Empire State of Mind," which read as entirely ignorant and disrespectful to the hip-hop and urban genre. Given the origins of this type of music and the highly tumultuous ongoing current events regarding police brutality and white supremacy, SVT would do well to read up on what's going on in the world of POCs instead of delivering offensive numbers with the whitest people (never) under the sun donning gold chains and caps.

Flipper Bark, yes that's what we're calling her now, also continued to flop in her attempts to be funny. We still don't know if this character is supposed to be seven years old or forty-five, but considering that this is someone who donned a bear costume for the entire show just for one floundering punchline, we're long past any hope that we'll ever find her entertaining. But let's move on to the songs themselves.

Linus Svenning's "Forever Starts Today" opened the competition and we were pleasantly surprised by the number. Admittedly, he lacked charisma, stage presence, and his outfit looked more like that of a rebellious teenager that snuck out to do a gig at a dive-bar. But with a full team of drummers moving around and offering visual compensation, we were able to derive a bit of satisfaction, as the song was brighter and his vocals were steadier than last year. The studio version is more enjoyable since it removes the poor showmanship from the experience. Once again, he landed in Andra Chansen. Last year, he was one of two acts to advance from AC, and considering that a full four acts will advance from AC this time around and "Forever Starts Today" is his best song yet, his odds are decent that he'll be in the finale once again.

Emelie Irewald's "Där och då med dig" (There and then with you) was about as dreary as we thought it would be. It's really quite a shame because it seemed like her voice wasn't that bad, but the song and number did absolutely nothing in her favour. But surprisingly, she didn't end up in last place. Hurray?

Samir & Viktor's "Groupie" was the other song to advance to advance to AC, no doubt due in large part to the hype they have from the vastly superior "Success," their popularity on social media, and their lack of competition in this Heat for the youth demographic. The vocals were horrendous, but we can't deny that we were entertained, considering that you had middle-aged camera men scrambling to chase them around the arena and Viktor's mark-missing off-rhythm bopping struck a sentimental chord in us of nights out clubbing in Sweden and watching the locals attempt to dance. Nonetheless, we've relented and downloaded this song, and it's started to grow on us.

Neverstore's "If I Was God For One Day" came in fifth, and we're sick of talking about how mediocre the rock numbers are in Melodifestivalen, so we just hope that this will send a clear message to SVT to drop the genre unless something truly epic comes along to warrant its return to the contest.

Marie Bergman & Sanne Salomonsen's "Nonetheless" earned the infamous last place spot. We really don't want to be mean about this but this was the right result, and we'll just leave it at that.

Magnus Carlsson's "Möt mig i Gamla Stan" proved all the Schlager-hating naysayers wrong with an all-around fun number. The wardrobe, his hair, the choreography, and the song itself were all excellent. We'd like for him to turn up the attitude just a bit more for the finale, though. As far as Melodifestivalen dance songs are concerned, this wasn't exactly groundbreaking but with how weak this overall heat was, this number shined that much brighter by comparison.

Mariette's "Don't Stop Believing" was the other to advance to the finale and seriously, this staging was like a bad Vegas impersonation of Loreen's aesthetic. If this had been a stronger heat, we really question as to whether this would do any better than AC but at least she sang in tune which is more than we could say for some.

 We did yet another video review of this semi-final that you can watch here:

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Now onto this week's numbers. We hadn't heard of most of these acts, so we felt compelled to do extra research to reassure ourselves that we wouldn't have another lukewarm "Heat" to sit through. There seem to be many more capable vocalists in this heat, so a lot comes down to the quality of the songs, styling, stage production, and showmanship. As usual, we'll remind everyone that these opinions are based only off the snippets, and any past exposure to the artists themselves and their work. Even if we're critical, we could always change our opinions once we've seen the numbers in full on Saturday as well as eventually hearing the studio versions.

1) Ellen Benediktson - "Insomnia"

We've been ever so curious to see what this song and number would be like after Ellen's ridiculously hilarious antics at the press conference announcing the contest's acts. From the outlandish behaviour to her drastic change in styling, we were expecting some sort of hot mess of a pop banger. Instead, we got the same nasally vocals we were subjected to last year on an underwhelming, dramatic-pop number. Comparisons are being made to Loreen's "Euphoria," and with another 1-SAT-word song title it's admittedly not that far-fetched. But if Mariette's "Don't Stop Believing" is the Vegas-knockoff of "Euphoria," then "Insomnia" is the self-important karaoke version of "Don't Stop Believing." We appreciate the improvement from last year, as we're not a fan of underwhelming comebacks, but this just isn't good enough for us. The melody is weak and doesn't pack nearly enough of a punch for us to cheer this on. But to her credit, the styling is solid. We love her outfit, and liked the accompanying dancing.

2) Kalle Johansson - "För din skull" (For your sake)

We really didn't have high expectations for Kalle Johansson at first, as the P4 picks don't have a propensity for bringing the best numbers. But when we researched the acts and listened to the song that won Kalle his spot in the contest, "Den där dan," we became enormously excited because of how utterly excellent it is. (We also downloaded it and have probably listened to it a hundred times already in the last week). From what we heard in the rehearsal snippet, "För din skull" isn't quite as good. However, it's still relatively decent, and Kalle sings it well. But as he's entirely unknown and not in the best spot in the running order, we reckon he'll really need to whip out the showmanship and perhaps a few cheeky smiles and winks to charm the Swedish public into voting for him. But regardless of how he does on Saturday, Kalle is someone we'll be keeping an eye on solely for the strength of "Den där dan."

3) Andreas Weise - "Bring Out the Fire"

Now this is what we're talking about! Take the groove of an uptempo Cee-Lo Green song, add a splash of Michael Bublé-esque showmanship, and add in some pyro-techniques which we haven't even seen yet but are now greatly looking forward to, and you'll have Andreas Weise's "Bring Out the Fire." His vocals are great and his staging appears to be good as well. It also appears that he's one of the few Swedes that actually isn't afraid to show a bit of personality so we're feeling rather taken by him. The only critique we have for him currently is that the single cover for this song is all wrong. It lacks personality and spark, looking like something more appropriate for an eerie, experimental track. This is also why we chose a more lively photo from his performance instead of the single's cover itself to be the featured image on this post.

4) Andreas Johnson - "Living to Die"

What. Happened. Though. We haven't heard many of Andreas Johnson's songs but we thought him a far more capable vocalist than what SVT has posted. Then the song itself is just bland, dreary and very little about the number and production doesn't feel dated, including even the lighting. It sounds like a failed comeback from a once-great rock act from the 80s. We really expected more from him.

5) Isa - "Don't Stop"

Isa seemed ripe with potential, with youth, energy, dance experience, and decent vocal ability on her side. There's just one problem: the song. It's coming off like a lukewarm early 2000s pop song that you heard a couple of times but has long since faded from your memory. But considering that this girl is only sixteen, she could still be moulded into something great if she's given the right guidance or carves her own innovative path.

6) Kristin Amparo - "I See You"

Wow, does this woman have a voice on her or what!? This snippet isn't quite as epic as we'd like but assuming that it's only from the bridge, so we're hopeful that the number will make more of an impact once heard in full. Given the popularity Kristin Amparo has gained by mic-dropping her fantastic vocals on big dance tracks, we were hoping for something more along the lines of that. But considering some of the (questionable) numbers that have advanced to the finale already, or even to Andra Chansen, we firmly believe Kristin Amaparo's vocals deserve a spot in that finale.

7) Jon Henrik Fjällgren - "Jag är fri (Manne Liem Frije)" (I am free)

It's a rare occasion that we can say a Melodifestivalen song feels entirely original but this is very much the case for this one. We can't say that we view Melodifestivalen as a culturally sensitive program, nor does it typically have much diversity, so that in and of itself makes it all the important for a song and act like this to be present. But on top of all of that, the song is actually quite uplifting and pleasant to listen to. We haven't heard much Sami music before, but if this song is representative of the genre, it's certainly enough to make us intrigued to hear more. Also, Jon's vocals are quite lovely.

Final tally ~ Our ranking, based on the rehearsal snippets, is as follows:

Direkt till finalen (Direct to the finale): Andreas Weise's "Bring Out the Fire" & Jon Henrik Fjällgren's "Jag är fri (Manne Liem Frije)" (I am free)
Andra Chansen (Second Chance Round): Kristin Amapro's "I See You" (But it absolutely needs to advance from AC to the finale) & Kalle Johansson's "För din skull"
5th/6th (We're not bothered which places which between the two): Ellen Benediktson's "Insomnia" & Isa's "Don't Stop"
7th: Andreas Johnson's "Living to Die"

** Friendly reminder that this is not a prediction of Saturday's voting results, but our preferences**

Be sure to tune in at 20:00 Swedish time (11:00 am PST), February 21, on SVT's website to watch the third semi-final. You won't be able to vote unless you're actually in Sweden but you can watch from anywhere in the world! Also, tweet along with the #Melfest hashtag. To all the entries, break a leg!

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