Eurovision Song Contest 2016 tonight was awarded the Golden Rose for best entertainment program. The prize was awarded at a gala in Berlin and among there to receive it was executive producer Martin Österdahl and TV host Måns Zelmerlöw.

- We are among the winners from all over Europe and honorary laureate John Cleese and have won Europe's oldest television price! It's absolutely magical, and a real reward. This award is for all who have worked to make Sweden and SVT a global leader when it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest, greets executive producer Martin Österdahl from Berlin. SVT's production of this year's Eurovision Song Contest was a huge success and was hailed by the media and the audience, both in Sweden and worldwide. The semi-finals and final were seen by over 200 million viewers and now production has thus won one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious television awards, Gold Rose (Rose d'Or). Other nominees in the category were the concert "Adele at the BBC" and German "Mordkomission Berlin". To produce the Eurovision Song Contest is a huge apparatus, with hundreds of people involved and tons of technology. Executive producers for the broadcasts were Martin Österdahl and Johan Bernhagen. Competition manager Christer Björkman, Sven Stojanovic as producer.

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SVT has finalised the cities and venues for Melodifestivalen 2017 and they are as follows:

• 4 February 2017 - Semi-final 1: Göteborg (Scandinavium)
• 11 February 2017 - Semi-final 2: Malmö (Malmö Arena)
• 18 February 2017 - Semi-final 3: Växjö (Vida Arena)
• 25 February 2017 - Semi-final 4: Skellefteå (Skellefteå Kraft Arena)
• 4 March 2017 - Andra Chansen: Linköping (SAAB Arena)
• 11 March 2017 - Finals: Stockholm (Friends Arena)

The next order of events will be the artist press conference, the date of which is TBD.

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Eurovision fans, you have your first song! Though some other countries had already announced their acts to compete at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, none had selected a song till now. Eneda Tarifa was crowned the victor for Albania at the 54th Festivali i Këngës with her song "Përrallë", which translates to "Fairytale". Though many critics and fans wrote off the song when going through the studio versions of the Albanian national selection entries, Tarifa truly made the song come alive with her powerful live vocals and raw emotionality. Even with the language barrier for non-Albanian-speakers tuning in to the show, there was something truly gripping about her performance. The song would greatly benefit from a re-vamp to modernise and energise it further. Some may even be suspicious as to whether or not the song will end up at Eurovision at all, given the fact that Elhaida Dani (the 2015 Albanian Eurovision act) made a song-switch when making the move from Festivali i Këngës to Eurovision. But for the time being, it appears as though this will be the song to represent Albania in Stockholm, though Tarifa herself has already stated that the song will be changed to English first. See Eneda Tarifa's winning performance below and share your thoughts in the comments!

It has yet to be announced which semi-final Tarifa will compete in for a spot at the Eurovision finals.

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Måns Zelmerlöw has kicked off his European tour with style and grace. We were able to catch his show at the famed London gay club, Heaven, and it was just the sort of show to satisfy old fans as well as bring on board plenty of new ones who were in attendance just as friends of Eurovision/Måns fans, the likes of which were not about to miss his first solo tour performance in London.

Similar to the set list of his Swedish "Heroes" tour, Zelmerlöw kicked off the show with the cinematic and chic "Someday." As we've written before, "Someday" is one of the stand-out tracks of the album, "Perfectly Damaged," and an ideal choice to rev up an already eager crowd.

The set list brought an eclectic mix of songs from all of Zelmerlöw's studio albums. From "Miss America," "Brother Oh Brother," "Impossible, "Children of the Sun," and "Run For Your Life," the full spectrum of his development as an artist throughout his career was on display. He even delivered some covers, such as "Shut Up and Dance," "Human, and "Sunday Bloody Sunday." It's more clear than ever that Zelmerlöw has found his stride as an artist and as a vocalist, as the covers were all stamped with his style, and his more classic hits were revamped with a rockier edge more in tune with his current sound.

As Zelmerlöw's songs off "Perfectly Damaged" have more of an electro-pop infusion, it begged the question of just how he would pull off performing so many songs from this album using just a live band and no backing track. But any skeptics were silenced upon hearing the quality of each live performance, as Zelmerlöw has surrounded himself with a team of musicians that are more than up to the task of delivering high-quality interpretations of the studio versions.

There was never any doubt that Zelmerlöw would perform his three most popular songs, all of which he competed in Melodifestivalen with. His older entries were revamped with such gusto, "Hope and Glory in particular," that it had us downright craving for these newer adaptations to be recorded and made available for purchase.

"Heroes" may have been the song many concert-goers were most craving to hear, but Zelmerlöw actually ended the night on a more intimate note, with a performance of "Barcelona Sessions" single, "Broken Parts." Perched on the end of the stage, Zelmerlöw simply sat and poured out a performance drenched in emotionality.

Zelmerlöw also took the opportunity during his show to promote his ZB foundation, which works to build schools in various African nations, and also spoke up to offer his support for Syrian refugees.

We were able to briefly meet Zelmerlöw before his show, and he offered up a few snippets about his artistry. In discussing his songwriting, he doesn't mind being a bit more forthcoming in drawing inspiration from his personal life as he is a firm believer that it makes for better songs. "Something About This Town," a song off of "Barcelona Sessions," was written about his hometown in Sweden, Lund. He still says that winning Eurovision was a more surreal experience than winning Melodifestivalen, and remains coy about whether or not he will be a host for Eurovision 2016. Only time will tell till the big announcements start rolling in. But until then, don't miss out on the opportunity to catch this show on any one of his European tour stops.

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Måns Zelmerlöw is making the most of his Eurovision win. While many a winner to come before him have quickly faded back into relative obscurity, Zelmerlöw is capitalising instead. Following a tour throughout Sweden that saw him perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people by the tour's completion, promotional trips to many other countries including Israel and China, the release of his follow-up single "Should've Gone Home" and its music video, he is now on the verge of beginning the European leg of his "Heroes" tour.

There are many big-name stops indicative of having 'made it' in Sweden, including summer shows like Allsång på Skansen (which Zelmerlöw hosted for several years during his solo-career hiatus), Lotta på Liseberg, and the Rix FM festival, all of which Zelmerlöw made appearances on this summer. Another stop of significance is Radiohuset, a 'radio house' in Stockholm's bougie Eastern neighbourhood where many artists perform mini-concerts that typically consist of a multi-track set list.

Zelmerlöw paid a visit to Radiohuset on 4 September 2015 and began his show with the ethereal, spiritually divine, "Kingdom In The Sky." The song clearly draws musical influence from Zelmerlöw's time spent in Africa doing charity work with his "Zelmerlöw & Björkman" foundation. Following this, Zelmerlöw unleashed the explosive "Someday" onto the audience. Audience members unfamiliar with Zelmerlöw's non-single tracks were still undeniably affected by it, a testament to the song's raw power.

After slowing things down with a stripped back, acoustic take on the sunny and summery "Live While We're Alive," Zelmerlöw spoke with the radio program's host and was entirely charming and charismatic. With humour and wit delivered in spades, there was no room for doubt as to why so many rumours are swirling about Zelmerlöw being a potential Eurovision host for 2016.

To close off the show, Zelmerlöw next performed his most recent single "Should've Gone Home," the music video of which was released early due to extensive streaming of the song on Spotfiy by his fans, (who have been affectionately dubbed "Månsters"). Naturally, the biggest crowd-pleaser was saved for last, as his rousing rendition of "Heroes" had the crowd on their feet (no easy feat to elicit amongst a Swedish audience).

Throughout the performance, Zelmerlöw made good use of the space on stage, and interacted with both his band and the audience. If the quality songs and spot-on vocals weren't enough for you, the other thing to appreciate about the performance is the way his expressive movements demonstrate his oneness with his songs. Having now developed his own artistic identity has enabled Zelmerlöw to better connect with the material he performs and thus makes for a more moving show. See it for yourself at one (or more) of the stops on his upcoming European tour. If you have yet to do so, check the dates here.

Watch Måns Zelmerlöw's Radiohuset show here:

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As far as Swedish pop goes (or "Swed-pop" for those familiar), it doesn't get much bigger than Melodifestivalen, Sweden's annual national selection contest for their Eurovision entry. Many non-Swedish fans of the Eurovision Song Contest tune in to Melodifestivalen, as it has developed a reputation for being ripe with new talent to discover. Indeed the contest is one of the greatest opportunities for Swedish talent to gain exposure to an international audience. Such was the case for Dinah Nah, who gave this year's contest it's only true pop banger, "Make Me (La La La)."

Long-time followers of Swed-pop will remember Dinah for being a part of the pop group Caramell, which had a successful run from 1998-2002. Between then and Dinah's return as a solo artist, she kept busy both in and out of her work in the music industry. Not only was she a back-up singer for the likes of Haddaway and Dr. Alban, she also became a licensed skin therapist and nurse, and gave birth to two children with her sambo (the Swedish word for a non-married long-term romantic partner).

We met up with Dinah at her record label in the southern neighbourhood of Stockholm and were able to sit down and discuss her experience in Melodifestivalen, her artistry, and the path she is paving for herself.

At first glance, Dinah Nah appears every bit the glamorous popstar, with bright pink hair and large gold hoop earrings to accentuate a stylish outfit. Her music videos that accompany her singles are often glossy and polished; a visual treat to enhance the overall effect of the dance-pop tracks that have quickly become her signature. Her artistry is expressed by more than just the sound that she has developed.

"I want to give the audience not only good music, but something nice to look at."

In an industry that has often perpetuated the stigma against women as they age, 35-year-old Dinah Nah is groundbreaking in many ways. She releases the type of singles likely to be heard at 2am in the hottest Euro-clubs, and remains disinclined to let the music industry's "age fascism" deter her from pursuing her career on her own terms.

"Age has nothing to do with talent. If you're good at what you're doing, what does it matter if you're five years old or eighty-five?"

While fans were shocked by Dinah Nah's last-place (in the finals) placement in Melodifestivalen 2015, Dinah looks back on the experience as a positive one, noting how it kick-started her solo career and allowed her greater opportunities to tour across Sweden and perform at larger shows including Allsång på Skansen.

"This year, I've actually grown not only as an artist but also as a person. I know more and more each day what I want with this, my career."

Melodifestivalen can be seen as an exemplification of Sweden's propensity for egalitarianism. As of 2015, its rules stipulated that at least 50% of the selected entries were to be written/co-written by female composers/lyricists. When asked about the atmosphere for women in the music industry, Dinah has nothing but the utmost praise to offer about Melodifestivalen's updated policy.

"It's a good thing that they did that because I think that women [have] to be recognised more in the music industry, not only as artists but as producers, as musicians playing instruments, because men are overrepresented in that area. They are, and that's not right. That has nothing to do with that there's more men that [have] talent. That's not the issue. The issue is that more women need to get into the industry and be able to show what they can do because there's a lot of talented women out there."

In addition to the original version of "Make Me (La La La)," Dinah released an acoustic version of the song, complete with a more stripped down music video of it.

"I wanted to catch a bigger audience. I wanted to show that I can also do a wider genre of music, because I love dance music and that's the kind of music that I want to do but I love all types of styles."

Though she currently has no plans to release a full album or an EP, this choice is a deliberate one. Dinah shares how she sees herself as more a 'singles' artist and thus will continue to work on putting out quality singles for the public to enjoy. Her follow-up single to "Make Me (La La La)" was another dance-pop number, entitled "Taste Your Love." Upon its release, some were quick to unleash salacious jokes about the title and meaning of the lyrics, but Dinah offers up an honest explanation of the song's message.

"I think that everybody has been at one point in their life, been in a relationship where you have a sort of 'love and hate' feeling towards that person that you're with. You love them so much but you argue and you fight a lot so you can't be together, and you break up and then you go back again, and it's like a back-and-forth thing. The song is really about that; about not being able to be together because you're maybe so different but you can't stay away from each other because the passion is so big. So 'Taste Your Love' is just that you want to feel the love, just right then and there. But maybe tomorrow you can back off again. [laughs]"

Dinah also drew inspiration from her love for U.S. TV series, "The Walking Dead" in choosing a darker, outdoor setting for the "Taste Your Love" music video. She decided against embracing the scarier imagery that the show is well known for due to the children that follow her music career.

Many Swedish pop-stars have shied away from collaborating with the other artists in the Swed-pop industry. It's not entirely clear why. But when the idea is posed to Dinah about a potential collaboration with fellow Swed-pop-banger-hitmaker Ace Wilder, she is fully receptive to it.

"I would definitely do a collaboration with Ace, definitely."

So what is next for Dinah Nah? The first thing on her hopeful to-do list is another go at Melodifestivalen. However, fans will have to wait another few months before the participating acts are announced. Though Dinah has currently only toured in Sweden, she is eager to get out into other countries to perform for international fans. She has nothing but kind words to send out to them.

"I would just love to say that I am so happy that you find me on Instagram and on Facebook and everything, and all of the comments that you write. I am so so happy. There is so much love. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, so much."

Watch the video of our full interview with Dinah Nah here:

Dinah Nah can be found on Facebook here, Twitter here, and Instagram here, as well as her official website here.

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We should've known better than to doubt the unrelenting work ethic of Måns Zelmerlöw. After reading the ever-loving daylight out of the ghastly single cover and then the lyric video (though in our defence, that was when we thought that this was all we'd have as opposed to a proper music video), Zelmerlöw has delivered a solid visual narrative to his follow-up single, "Should've Gone Home."

While the lyrics spin a tale of a man regretting his foray into infidelity, the music video delivers a surprisingly eerie twist on what could have been an echo of songs already sung by others. Much of the video shows Zelmerlöw moving in reverse from his confrontation with his jilted lover back through his drunken shenanigans to his decision to go out for a night on the down. That, or he is moving at a normal pace while those that surround him, be it Swedes or raindrops, move in reverse. The eeriness climaxes with Zelmerlöw's sit-down with himself as his lover's voice delivers whispered words, still in reverse. If the video-makers had only upped the ante a bit more, we'd have had a full-fledged horror classic on our hands.

We always have to commend Swedish artists for getting a video out to go with their singles, as Swedish labels are rarely willing to cough up the budget to get one made. But if a 3rd-highest-points-ever Eurovision victory isn't enough to get you a music video, then what is? (Though we'll forever be waiting for a music video for "Heroes" ~ Darin took years to get one out for "Nobody Knows" so there's still room for hope, people).

Only time will tell as for what other singles (and hopefully more music videos) will be released from "Perfectly Damaged." Of course our greatest hope is that "Someday" will be one of the elite, chosen ones. Come on now, "Fire and Gasoline"? That video concept has all but written itself!

Check out the "Should've Gone Home" music video here:

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Our favourite new Swed-pop diva, Molly Pettersson Hammar is back with a vengeance following her falling out of Melodifestivalen 2015 in the show's biggest scandal of the year (a voting app glitch saw her being knocked out of the contest in the first round of voting). But just as we predicted, Molly P H is fine and dandy.

Her new single, "Something Right," is right in the same soul-pop genre as her debut single, "I'll Be Fine," indicating that Molly P H has something that even Swed-pop artists with 10x more experience than her have yet to find: a clear musical and artistic identity. Despite being a mere 19 years old, Molly has strong signatures in place, including killer vocals, an ever-present smile, and a more vibrant attitude than anyone else currently making waves in the Swed-pop industry. Are the more seasoned Swed-pop artists worried? We reckon they should be; this girl has what it takes to make a run for the throne.

Yet another thing Molly P H has done right is have a music video to accompany her single (we'll stop moaning about Swed-pop artists releasing singles without music videos when they put a stop to that ghastly habit). Like a pro, Molly P H has some product placement to afford her the luxury of putting the video together, courtesy of Polaroid, and then Molly's off! With a fruity-themed room including pineapple walls and watermelon pillows, Molly dons a few outfits and her stick-in-the-mud friends only sign off on her final outfit, despite her looking perfectly lovely in all of her wardrobe ensembles (upgrade your squad, girl!) Then it's off to the city to start a spontaneous dance party with some unsuspecting Swedes. Follow this up with some cake in the face while maintaining smouldering eye contact with the camera, belting on a lollipop microphone, and shameless dancing on a party-bus and even on the top of the bus itself. Watch out world, Molly P H is taking numbers! This video exemplifies that Molly P H is unapologetically herself and despite only having just begun her career, she's doing far more than just 'something right'.

Watch the music video and enjoy the track below:

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Swed-pop-rebel Ace Wilder has returned with another slamming track, "Stupid," that combines lyrical mischievousness, a dancey hook, and Ace's signature laid-back but no less committed vocal delivery. Though the song makes use of instrumentation and percussion clearly influenced from South Asia, it still maintains Ace's flavour that won her so many fans since she burst onto a wider scene in Melodifestivalen 2014. There's a youthful exuberance to Ace's singles without isolating a wider demographic. This zest for life that is often a running theme in her music is one that can appeal to anyone, given the right outlook. Stupid may be as stupid does, but Ace is one smart songwriter. This pop gem should be added in to any 'adventure-seeking' playlist!

Check out Ace Wilder's "Stupid" here:

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The points have been added up and a new Eurovision winner has been crowned! Our MuseLed favourite (as evidenced by our Melodifestivalen coverage), Måns Zelmerlöw, has won the Eurovision trophy, shot to number 1 in numerous countries, and gained the 3rd highest point-total as a Eurovision winner to date!

Semi-final 1's greatest injustice was our dear Uzari and Maimuna of Belarus being left behind in a mere 12th place. Admittedly, they would have been better off re-creating the drama and energy of the music video by bringing the hour glass, wind machines, pyro, and smoke to the live performance. As such, we couldn't be completely surprised by their lack of qualifying to the finals, though we were no less disappointed, especially when the droopy, downtrodden "Wars for Nothing" and shockingly pitchy "I'm Alive" managed to make it through.

As for semi-final 2, which was disproportionately better than semi-final 1, there were more than 10 performances worthy of advancing to the finals so there was bound to be some upset. The greatest injustice was to Mélanie René, who came last in the semi-final with only 4 points in total (by comparison, Finland's PKN received 13 points). Vocally solid, visually strong in regards to wardrobe and staging, and with one of the more energetic power-ballads of this year, she definitely deserved better. Young Molly Sterling also gave a commendable performance and it's a pity that she couldn't have been one of the border-line qualifiers (as opposed to the vocally and melodically weak Monika/"In the Name of Love" or the incessantly repetitive and cheese-ridden "This Time"). The Czech Republic received their best placing to date, coming in 13th, and both Marta and Václav gave tremendous live vocal performances. We're hoping those two will pull a Valentina Monetta and come back next year with bigger and better songs (preferably something more up-tempo and energetic!)

But now that the confetti has settled, let's take a look at those finalists who shone brightest on stage in front of millions of viewers on the night of the grand finals!

11. Knez - "Adio" (Montenegro)

We can't stress enough the importance of being different amongst a jam-packed line-up. Despite the fact that this was another ballad, the melody was one of that "Balkan Ballad" flavour that appeals to many and it was also one of the few songs to not be performed in English! While many other ballads consisted of pretty women with their recycled wind-machines, Knez stayed entirely on tune, his backing vocalists also sounded excellent, and best of all, the song didn't wait till the last 30 seconds to do an entirely predictable kick-up. Instead, viewers were treated to an infectious and delightful little jig at the 2-minute mark that had us sitting up and shouting, "Teach us how to Adio, Knez!"

10. Bojana Stamenov - "Beauty Never Lies" (Serbia)

Many a non-ESC-fan viewer tunes in to Eurovision in order to see a camp spectacle that's high-energy and unlikely to be seen anywhere else in mainstream music. "Beauty Never Lies" brought just that, complete with a wardrobe change on the part of the back-up dancers and a dance-beat brought in at the 2-minute mark. But what made this number translate especially well was Bojana's powerhouse vocals and the genuine emotionality she brought to the message of the song. It was composed just for her and you could feel that she meant every word of what she was singing.

9. Elnur Hüseynov - "Hour of the Wolf" (Azerbaijan)

Elnur has spoken on record about how for him, the message of his song was about animal rights and wanting to save the wolves. How adorable is that?! No one can doubt his vocal ability, particularly when he leaps into those vocal gymnastics. Though we were a bit confused by the use of the back-up dancers and what exactly their interpretive routine was meant to be portraying, the woodsy background, strong song, and slightest touch of 'what?', had us feeling tickled by the charm of this number.

8. Il Volo - "Grande Amore" (Italy)

Though a bit old-fashioned, who can deny the Armani popera majesty of Il Volo's "Grande Amore"? It's nice to see a younger generation bringing a more classic style of music to the public and for it to be embraced so tremendously. The staging was relatively simple but decent enough and Il Volo can now revel in the fact that with the highest number of televotes received, they have a tremendous opportunity to carry on bringing their music back to the European market.

7. Maraaya - "Here for You" (Slovenia)

Oh Maraaya, you'll always have a special place in our hearts for this infectiously catchy pop-number. Perhaps one of the things we'd have liked more for the number is that the space on the stage be used more and the backing percussion be turned up louder but with the mad-air-violinist, Raay's infectious smile, and Marjetka's vocals delivering character, (also the wind machine! Drink!), it was still an excellent number.

6. Elina Born and Stig Rästa - "Goodbye to Yesterday" (Estonia)

Delivering a cinematic staging to more throughly deliver the song's narrative, "Goodbye to Yesterday" was right to earn a spot in the top 10. Both Elina and Stig were terrific actors as well, which was showcased even more so by the spot-on camera work. Stig's slightly disinterested demeanour coupled with Elina's steely-to-emotional looks made for a powerful performance. (Also Elina was hot hot hot! Behold a 1960's-era goddess on that stage!)

5. Nina Sublatti - "Warrior" (Georgia)

We wanted to rank this even higher but considering there were a couple slightly-pitchy moments (we're assuming she had trouble hearing the backing track with all those epic, pounding drums), we had to put this 5th. Putting that aside, this was truly the feminist anthem of the whole contest and Nina Sublatti rallied us all to battle against the patriarchy with her fierce wardrobe, intense staging, and relentless intensity. Smoke, flashing lights, and a raging storm with lighting and wings in her backdrop? Nina Sublatti delivered quality drama and theatricality like no other!

4. Loïc Nottet - "Rhythm Inside" (Belgium)

We're so pleased that so many of our top-ranked songs before the competition aired ended up delivering such quality performances live! Loïc's live vocals were just as good as the studio version and he brought his artistic-weirdo ways to Eurovision and we absolutely loved it! With the message of the song being that it was okay to be different, Loïc stayed true to his artistry as his staging, choreography, and crazy-eyed mouth covering made believers out of many as he ended up finishing fourth in the whole contest!

3. Nadav Guedj - "Golden Boy" (Israel)

Though Israel has had a rough go in Eurovision for the last few years, Nadav and his infectious cultural-fusion dance-pop and high energy won over fans and juries to give Israel it's best results since 2008. Unsurprisingly, the staging included flashing golden lights and Nadav's wardrobe included bright gold trainers. There was such enthusiasm to the performance and uncontrived joy that it was no wonder that this number placed in the top 10. Here's hoping for all the best for Nadav and his career. Release more quality tracks like this and keep the party going!

2. Guy Sebastian - "Tonight Again" (Australia)

Brace yourself for vocal slayage because Guy Sebastian is in the house! This may have been Australia's one-off participation in Eurovision but Guy Sebastian and his phenomenal team of backing vocalists put nearly everyone else in the whole contest to shame! On top of the magnificent vocals, there was funky choreography framed by some street lights, and more soul in a single number than the oh-so-vanilla Eurovision has had in 60 years of contests. Thank you Guy Sebastian (and back-up singers) for taking the stage and showing Europe just what it means to be a show-stopper!

1. Måns Zelmerlöw - "Heroes" (Sweden)

What can we even say about this perfection that we haven't said already? The third time truly was the charm for Måns Zelmerlöw after being robbed twice of the opportunity to compete in Eurovision. But were it not for those other missed connections, we might not have ever been graced with the pop-perfection that is "Heroes." As Måns told us back during Melodifestivalen, the story behind the song and staging is that everyone can be a hero to the children and inspire them to make a better world, and the animated stick-figure is a representation of his younger self when he was bullied, lost all his friends, only for the power of friendship to turn things around and bring everyone together once again. With the plucky Spaghetti-Western guitar, sweeping hook, killer chorus, never-miss-a-note vocals (except when you're too choked up by the fact that you just won Eurovision), and spot-on choreography interwoven with a 21st-century animation show, this is the number that is propelling Eurovision into the future, and Måns Zelmerlöw into a whole other level of stardom. Now that we've effectively waffled yet again about this magnificent number, we'll take a moment to plug the fact that Måns' new studio album, "Perfectly Damaged," will be released on June 5 and is available for pre-ordering. Congratulations Måns, and all of team #MZHeroes, on this truly deserved victory.

Honourable mention: Conchita Wurst - "Unstoppable" / "Firestorm" (Austria)

Despite the fact that host-country Austria walked away from the competition with a whopping zero points, Conchita Wurst was an utter star from the first semi-final all the way through the finals of this year's Eurovision. (Seriously, can we keep her on as the green-room correspondent next year in Sweden?) Queen Conchita took to the stage after the 27 finalists had performed to treat us all with a fabulous rendition of her latest single, "You are Unstoppable," and Euro-dance bop, "Firestorm."

Until next year, that about wraps up our coverage of Eurovision 2015. Stay tuned for further MuseLed (pop) music reviews and coverage!

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Welcome, Museled readers, to yet another set of reviews of this year's Eurovision entries. This time around, we'll be taking you through the auto-qualifiers. Each year, the "Big Five" are automatically placed in the finals. The "Big Five" consists of the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, and Germany. In addition to the Big Five, there is the previous year's winner (and host country). This year, that is Austria. Being that this is the 60th anniversary of Eurovision, Australia has been granted a one-off pass to compete in the contest, having had a long 30+ year history of broadcasting the contest in their country to large viewing numbers. So what do we make of these auto-qualifiers? Are they good enough to warrant their automatic place in the finale? Let's see!

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Germany ~ Ann Sophie - "Black Smoke"

It's difficult to say if "Black Smoke" could be any more of a mess. We can't quite make heads or tails as to whether this song is trying to go for more jazz, soul, or pop, but it completely misses the mark to make quality music in any of those genres. From the insufferably shouty vocals in the chorus to the cheaply produced garage-sale keyboard hook, this song crashes and burns from start to finish.

Museled score: 4/10

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France ~ Lisa Angell - "N'oubliez pas"

Despite a valiant effort from Lisa Angell to breathe life into this song, "N'oubliez pas" simply lacks the necessary support to elevate the drama or emotionality to a climax. The song constantly sounds like it's going to lead to some sort of big bang but alas, it never arrives and we're left feeling empty. Even after having looked up the translation of the lyrics, the song fails to stir any potent reactions from us. The production is entirely lacking as the instrumentation fails to create the necessary urgency or climax that the song would have greatly benefited from.

Museled score: 4.5/10

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Spain ~ Edurne - "Amanecer"

"Amanecer" is a not-terrible song. The melody is decent but there needed to be a greater contrast in the melodic range from the verses to the chorus. Without such, the song essentially stays in the same place for its entire duration. The rhythm of the percussion is also good but the production on it is weak, as the drums needed to be hit harder, louder, and preferably on just deeper bass drums in general. This song needed booming drums, not tapping ones. The backing instrumentation also should have been expanded on so as to broaden the song's scope and strengthen its impact. The lyrics are also highly down-trodden and Edurne's lispy delivery of "corazon" is cringeworthy.

Museled score: 6/10

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Austria ~ The Makemakes - "I Am Yours"

"I Am Yours" is a tune with an indie rock feel that follows in the footsteps of folks like Hozier or Gavin Degraw. It's a competent track in its bluesy elements and the lead singer's vocals are quite nice to listen to. The song doesn't build up to anything, though, thus sounding more like an album track than a single. But hey, if you're looking for something pleasant to listen to while you knock back a pint at your favourite local pub, you've come to the right song.

Museled score: 6.5/10

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United Kingdom ~ Electro Velvet - "Still in Love with You"

Delightfully cheery and hilariously cheesy, "Still in Love with You" pays homage to the roaring 1920s and old-school musicals. With a very clear story being told in the lyrics of a woman reassuring her patronising man that despite running off to have her fun, she is still in love with him, the song instantly made us laugh. It reads like a clever, tongue-in-cheeky parody of the even-more-casual-than-today sexism of decades past. Remember "Sixteen Going on Seventeen"? Well "Still in Love with You" seems like it was written by a lover of classic musicals that was self-aware enough to know when the the messages being sung about were entirely archaic. At its best moments, the song's got a fun bounce, making us want to jump up and lindy-hop. At the very least, we find ourselves whipping out the jazz hands and the matching dopey grins to bop along.

Museled score: 7/10

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Italy ~ Il Volo - "Grande Amore"

Oh "Grande Amore," the most Italian song to ever Italian. But all jokes aside, this is popera at its finest. In all honesty, we didn't know we could enjoy popera, as past experiences with the genre left us rather sour over lacklustre vocalists that simply lacked the discipline and vocal ability to be proper opera singers. Before we give you our review of the track, it should also be worth noting that the music video we've included is the original, unedited version of the song. (All songs to compete in Eurovision must be no longer than 3 minutes). The Eurovision-edit of the song has the first chorus transitioning straight into the build-up into the second chorus. This couldn't have worked out better, as it allows the song to maintain the momentum it has built up from the song's beginning and keep the energy levels up so as to keep the audience's interest. (This is especially important within the context of a competition). As for the song itself, the production is classically beautiful while also retaining a modern-element so as to not be so isolating to those who wouldn't normally indulge in this genre. The drums are important for the song's movement so it doesn't stall in its tracks and all three of the vocalists are strong in their own rights as well as when singing together. It's truly a collaborative effort. Also can we stop and take time to music video? It's equal parts Italian flamboyancy and all-out geekiness! Ghost, Back to the Future, and Spiderman? Yes, yes, and yes!

Museled score: 8/10

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Australia ~ Guy Sebastian - "Tonight Again"

What's that sound? Oh, just the sound of Guy Sebastian mic-dropping all over these other auto-qualifiers (and most of the songs in this year's line-up)! Before we even get into the masterpiece that is this song, we have to let those of you who didn't already know this, that Guy Sebastian only had 72 hours to compose the song, gather his band, record it, mix it, and master/produce it, not to mention record the music video. Guy Sebastian is bringing some desperately needed soul to the overwhelmingly vanilla Eurovision. His vocals runs do laps around absolutely everyone else in the contest. Even his backing vocalists sound better than a great deal of this year's competitors. We so appreciate his use of organic instrumentation. From the the horns, piano, saxophone, drum set, all of it serves to show that old-school will never die. The groove of this song is one that has flavour and an understated attitude that doesn't have to knock you about to make you feel its impact. Nothing can take away the fact that this is one of the finest tracks to have ever graced the Eurovision stage.

Museled score: 9.5/10

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Though this concludes our preliminary reviews of the song's in this year's contest, stay tuned for further coverage of the contest as only a few weeks remain till the first semi-final kicks off!

Eurovision semi-final 1 will air Tuesday, May 19, at 12PM PST/3PM EST/8PM CET/9PM CEST.
Eurovision semi-final 2 will air Thursday, May 21, at 12PM PST/3PM EST/8PM CET/9PM CEST.
The Eurovision finals will air Saturday, May 23, at 12PM PST/3PM EST/8PM CET/9PM CEST.

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Hello, Museled readers! It's time for yet another round of reviewing Eurovision entries and this time around, we're reviewing those that will be competing in semifinal 2. As a reminder to you, our 10-point scoring system is on a curve so as to better communicate how the songs relatively stack up against one another. A low score is not necessarily an indication of the song being bad (many of the ballads have received lower scores because of the abundance of and therefore greater competitiveness for them to stand out in the pack). So let's get started!

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01) Lithuania ~ Monika Linkytė & Vaidas Baumila - "This Time"

Overly saccharine, "This Time" is a country-pop-influenced love duet that's repetitive on a melody that doesn't elicit any real emotions. The performance itself is rather grating, reads forced and disingenuous, and the number as a whole is too dull to stimulate any further commentary.

Museled score: 4.5/10

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02) Ireland ~ Molly Sterling - "Playing With Numbers"

Though it's unclear if a ballad of this style can stand out enough so early on in the night, "Playing With Numbers" is a moving song, beautifully sung by Molly Sterling. The lyrics are also some of the strongest of this whole year; Molly is a skilled lyricist and downright poetic with her imagery. With the production of the song maintaining the spotlight on Molly's voice and the piano she plays, it allows listeners to stay focused on the narrative and it's also contemporary enough to fit right in with the songs of other big singer/song-writers of today.

Museled score: 7.5/10

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03) San Marino ~ Michele Perniola & Anita Simoncini - "Chain of Lights"

Confusing from start to finish, "Chain of Lights" is a song that lacks direction or a clear identity. It falls short of dramatic impact, the instrumentation would've been better off expanded, and the sporadic chiming in the background cheapens the song's production value. Also, Anita's spoken response to Michele's call lacks believability to the point of being downright laughable.

Museled score: 2.5/10

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04) Montenegro ~ Knez - "Adio"

One of the few songs to not make the jump to English, "Adio" stays true to its roots from start to finish. There are a wider use of instruments use that allow it to have a sound unlike any other entries, or perhaps anything you're accustomed to hearing (depending on what part of the world you are from). There's enough melodically minor content to create an alluring quality much like that you'd hear in a tango. The song also stood out to us immediately due to the fact that it is a regional style of music. We welcome this expansion to our musical catalogue!

Museled score: 7/10

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05) Malta ~ Amber - "Warrior"

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you; there is more than one song in this year's Eurovision with a "Warrior" title. The melody and vocals are not bad, but the song lacks a bottom half, as the percussion is too light and there's no real bass or lower register present. Despite there being cellos visible in the music video, we can hardly hear them. They really should've turned up the volume for those or perhaps added some low brass. Without such, the song is unable to make a stronger impression.

Museled score: 5/10

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06) Norway ~ Mørland & Debrah Scarlett - "A Monster Like Me"

Though "A Monster Like Me" has a musical production that stays smaller for longer than it probably should for this competition, the melody is quite haunting in its beauty. If you remove Eurovision from the equation, we likely wouldn't be critical of the song but being that this is such a competitive lineup, it might have been wiser for the song to have its arrangement spruced up so as to build into something larger at an earlier stage instead of waiting till the last 30 seconds to jump up and make a bang. However, this is a song that could easily translate well across the bigger music markets though perhaps not as a typical "Top 40" hit but something you'd hear on episodes of all your favourite TV dramas. (This is a compliment, there have been many a song of this more sombre style that we've gotten hooked on after hearing them on a TV show).

Museled score: 6.5/10

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07) Portugal ~ Leonar Andrade - "Há um mar que nos separa"

We really weren't sure what to expect from "Há um mar sue nos separa" since it was one of the last songs we heard of the entire contest's line-up but we quite enjoy the contrast within the song's melodic arrangement from the darker edge of the verses to the more optimistic feel of the chorus. The electric guitar accentuations are a nice touch, too, and Leonar's voice transitions very well from the grittier parts of the song to the lovelier.

Museled score: 6.5/10

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08) Czech Republic ~ Marta Jandová & Václav Noid Bárta - "Hope Never Dies"

The styling of the video helps with the drama of the song but for us, the disconnect comes in the fact that instead of just being a good duet with a dark edge, "Hope Never Dies" strays a bit too far into the doom-and-gloom territory. (A more appropriate title would've been "Hope Is Dead"). The problem with this is that this puts us off wanting to listen to it more. If our greatest takeaway from the song is that it's bleak, this doesn't make us want to rally behind it. But the music video is at least styled to match the song, and we rather like the flute line at the end. The vocalists have great power in their voices and there's solid musical drama.

Museled score: 5/10

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09) Israel ~ Nadav Guedj - "Golden Boy"

What's that sound? Oh just that of Nadav Guedj (who is only sixteen, by the way!) dropping the mic all over that lacklustre first half of semifinal 2! The utter cheekiness of this boy starting off the song with a fake-out to trick first-time listeners into thinking they're going to have to sulk their way through another snooze-worthy ballad only to kick things up into high gear with a punchy, urban-influenced verse that would fit right in with all the similarly-flaired top 40 music of the noughties! It's sheer genius! If that weren't enough, the choruses are a cultural dance party to celebrate Nadav's origins, as he does the same pretentious name-dropping that many an artist has done before him, but in this case it's not to make himself look more travelled than he is, but to elevate his own city. Are you impressed yet? Well the chorus also has it's own "Golden Boy" dance that'll have you swinging your arms around and having the time of your life! This is the stand-out party track of the year's contest; there's literally the sound of drinks being poured in the song. The number is also highly self-aware, as the 3-minute/gotta-go sendoff shows that it's not taking itself too seriously. Humility is always a nice touch! Bravo, Nadav!

Museled score: 9/10

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10) Latvia ~ Aminata - "Love Injected"

We wanted to like this song more than we did, as it's quite brave and experimental in its production. Though we respect the bravery, the song's greatest fault is the Aminata's vocal over-exertion in the choruses. It's quite painful to listen to; it's like we can see the vocal nodes forming with each botched high note. The studio version irons more of that out but once the live version comes, we have to turn the volume down or just off altogether. Perhaps if she would just lower the key (a lot), things would be more bearable.

Museled score: 3.5/10

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11) Azerbaijan ~ Elnur Hüseynov - "Hour of the Wolf"

This is another one of the stronger ballads of this year's ballad-heavy lineup. The backing chorus elevates the scale and scope of the song to another level. There's again, good use of instrumentation, and the old-fashioned militant beating of the snare drum combined with Elnur's top-notch vocals further enhance the song's impact. The music video is entirely beneath the quality of the song itself but that's just nit-picking at an already solid song.

Museled score: 7.5/10

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12) Iceland ~ María Ólafs - "Unbroken"

An uplifting, (too-)sweet pop number, "Unbroken" has a lovely melody and good use of harp. The main reason this song doesn't resonate with us more is the borderline-extreme youthfulness of the song. From the higher-pitched vocals to the almost Disney-channel-esque quality of the song, it sounds more like the big hit of the soundtrack of a children's film than something that we'd look to listen to as an adult. It's also another top-heavy song, but we're less critical of the lack of lower register because it doesn't seem like that's what the production team was going for.

Museled score: 6/10

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13) Sweden ~ Måns Zelmerlöw - "Heroes"

If you've been paying attention at all to us here on Museled, then you will know that we've been praising Måns Zelmerlöw's "Heroes" since it was just a wee little powerhouse-in-the-making, fighting to beat out its Swedish competitors in Melodifestivalen. We even interviewed Måns after he made it to the finals (but had yet to win and shatter numerous records in the process). But for those of you newcomers, "Heroes" is the song with it all. The production is modern, nicely blends organic instrumentation with synthetic sounds, the lyrics are both poetic and meaningful as the message of the song is that we can all be heroes and in turn set a better example for the youth, and seriously solid hook is made all the better by Måns' phenomenal vocals. There's also the matter of the animation and projection-mapping which further catapult the number into the future. Don't blink or you just might miss Eurovision history in the making!

Museled score: 10/10

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14) Switzerland ~ Mélanie René - "Time to Shine"

"Time to Shine" has decent drama in its lyrics and Mélanie's vocals are undoubtedly excellent. The songs also has a decent cultural element with some of its instrumentation and percussion. Our main wish is that the arrangers of the song had put more work into the song's lower register as it would have enhanced the impact the song is aiming to make. But we rather enjoy that guitar riff, as few did drama better than the 1980s!

Museled score: 7/10

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15) Cyprus ~ John Karayiannis - "One Thing I Should Have Done"

A sweet albeit minimal ballad, "One Thing I Should Have Done" relies predominantly on acoustic guitar and occasional stringed-instrument accentuations to accompany John's sweet vocals and heartfelt lyrics. To John's credit, he's entirely believable as a storyteller. This could easily be heard in the brief, downtrodden chunk of a rom-com before the starring couple inevitably reconciles. Being that is on the more minimal side, it may very well struggle to leave a strong-enough impression on viewers to trigger voting support but all in all, it's a sweet song to listen to.

Museled score: 5.5/10

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16) Slovenia ~ Maraaya - "Here for You"

"Here for You" has been an entirely welcome surprise. A fantastic blending of a retro groove combined with all the contemporariness of a radio-hit, the track is the product of wife/husband-duo Marjetka and Raay (an artist/nickname), hence the artist name "Maraaya." Marjetka's vocals are sharp and distinct, and many liken it to those of Duffy. Raay is the producer on the track as he can be seen playing the keyboard and percussive hooks throughout the performance. The live performance also has an "air-violinist," which is hilariously over-the-top and nicely embodies the joy and energy evoked by the song itself. In regards to musical merits, this is undoubtedly a top-10 track at the very least in this year's contest.

Museled score: 8.5/10

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17) Poland ~ Monika Kuszyńska - "In the Name of Love"

The narrative of "In the Name of Love" is of course deeply personal and moving as singer Monika shares the story of the car accident that left her in a wheelchair. But the musical production of the song itself leaves something to be desired and the vocals lack energy. The way the song has been sung, it's as if there was a complete lack of effort and the same goes for the producers responsible for arranging the track. Though we appreciate that the pick-up happened sooner than the 2:30 mark, it simply isn't enough. Musically speaking, this is perhaps one of the most forgettable songs of the group, even more so than many of the songs scored lower than this.

Museled score: 3/10

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Stay tuned for our next Eurovision write-up that will review the songs that are automatic qualifiers to the finale!

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Welcome, Museled readers! After all the fun of covering Melodifestivalen 2015, it's time to carry on by serving commentary on Eurovision, too.

Many of the songs we won't know the full quality of as a Eurovision competitor until we see the live versions, upon which their live vocals, staging, and overall performance will be put to the test. The most rabid Eurovision fans will have formulated opinions off of earlier performances of the chosen songs, but judging solely off of that would be tricky since many of the songs get revamped between when they are first selected and when they are performed on the Eurovision stage.

Our scoring system will be on a curved 10-point scale, to give you readers a better sense of just how the songs stack up relative to one another. What might seem like a low score does not necessarily mean that the song itself is bad. For example, as there are an incredibly high amount of ballads competing in this year's contest, the songs must do a great deal more to stand out within that style and may have received a higher score from us if the line-up had been more dance-heavy.

In the running order that the songs will be competing in, let's take a look at the songs competing in semifinal 1!

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01) Moldova ~ Eduard Romanyuta - "I Want Your Love"

This is one of the few numbers that we've seen both the qualifying live performance video of as well as the music video and the contrast between the two is enormous. "I Want Your Love" is a massive love-letter to the golden pop era of the 1990s/early 2000s. The music video attempts to paint "singer" Eduard Romanyuta as some roguish bad-boy who just can't be tamed, or even bother to pull over in a back alley before getting tongued down by his arm candy (because who cares if you're in a high-speed chase when your libido needs tending to?) The studio version (which has actually become our low-key guilty pleasure) makes bountiful use of auto tune and turns up the backing brass hook to cover up his lack of vocal ability. Admittedly, the melody of the chorus is a carbon copy of the verses of Mariah Carey's "It's Like That" but with how consistently vanilla Eurovision has been, that type of hook is certainly not something that's been played on the ESC stage. This song could have had potential to drum up some support and play on peoples' sentimentality for that glorious pop era if the song's arrangement had been spruced up a bit, as well as had an artist with actual abilities, which brings us to…

The live performance is a complete train wreck that simply cannot be unseen and we would advise all our readers to proceed with caution before doing so. It's also the reason that its Museled score is so low.  There's no way we could've given this song a higher score after seeing this mess. Imagine if you took Justin Bieber, gave him Hanson's 'Mmbop' hair, and removed 95% of his singing and dancing ability (regardless of whether or not you think he is skilled in those areas), and gave him all the charisma of that creepy bloke at the bar that simply wouldn't back off no matter how many times you told him you weren't interested, and you'll have Eduard Romanyuta's live performance. But if you go into watching it with the right attitude, you may derive some enjoyment from laughing at how absurd it is that none of what you're witnessing is meant to be ironic.

Museled score: 1/10

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02) Armenia ~ Genealogy - "Face the Shadow"

Genealogy consists of six singers, one of whom is Armenian-from-Armenia, while the remaining are of Armenian descent but come from other continents throughout the world. It's a unique concept that we're fully on board with; we are all for elevating multiculturalism. "Face the Shadow"'s first verse is a slow start to the song but once the first chorus kicks in, things picks up more. It's certainly a unique song and the arrangement aims to highlight and mix the wide variety in vocal styles into an Armenian celebration. The most interesting part of the song is the post-second-chorus breakdown as it flows a bit like some sort of experimental-classical aria. Despite the less-than-stellar beginning, the song builds well and goes out on a high.

Museled score: 6/10

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03) Belgium ~ Loïc Nottet - "Rhythm Inside"

One of our top 10 from the first listen, "Rhythm Inside" is a song that commands your attention but perhaps in a more round-about way than the other strong songs. It sits comfortably between mid and up-tempo; you can definitely dance to it but the slight pull-back allows more room for you to lean into it. There's an understated but undeniable attitude to the song, from the alluring bluesy hook, Loïc's sultry vocal delivery, and the touch of scatting.

Museled score: 8.5/10

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04) Netherlands ~ Trijntje Oosterhuis - "Walk Along"

Quite forgettable, and lacking impact, "Walk Along" sounds much like a warm-up act at Lilith Fair. No, not even the 2010 revival. The original run in the 1990s. It's not a terrible song, nor is it unpleasant to listen to. But the song is repetitive, lacks range, and despite its title, does little to take the listener on any sort of journey.

Museled score: 3/10

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05) Finland ~ Pertti Krikan Nimipäivät - "Aina jun pitää" (I always have to)

PKN is a Finnish punk rock band comprised of adults with developmental disabilities. What is positive about this song being a part of Eurovision is the representation and inspiration it can offer many other similarly disabled people who do not normally get an opportunity to identify with a competitor in Eurovision. As for the song itself, the only melodic aspect is the guitars. The vocals lack any melody for us to connect to, but perhaps some viewers who do like this particular style of rock may enjoy the song.

Museled score: 0/10

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06) Greece ~ Maria Elena Kyriakou - "One Last Breath"

A good but not great ballad, "One Last Breath" is one that suffers from the heavy competitiveness that has been established by the abundance of ballads this year. It takes too long to build to its climax and had the tone and momentum of the last 30-seconds been the song's starting point, it may have been able to stand out more in the pack. It's also a bit of a downer, both melodically and especially lyrically. Maria sings the song well enough but being that there are plenty of other decent vocalists in the contest, her vocals simply aren't enough to carry the song to a higher score.

Museled score: 5.5/10

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07) Estonia ~ Elina Born & Stig Rästa - "Goodbye to Yesterday"

Taking a page right out of the 1960s with its guitar, horns, and understated drum set, "Goodbye to Yesterday" is a duet that has a well-written backing instrumentation. On top of that are vocalists Elina Born & Stig Rästa. Stig starts the song off and on our first listen, we were rather underwhelmed by his introduction. But as soon as that cheeky guitar hook came in to transition the song over to Elina's vastly-superior voice, we were sold. That guitar hook sounds like it could have been done by the grandchild of the Clifford Essex used to birth the James Bond theme. This is decade-influenced music done right, and Elina's vocals are what carry the song into the 21st century. Elina and Stig's voices blend well together best when the volume is set to be 70% her, and 30% him and the song's producers have wisely levelled it as such.

Museled score: 7.5/10

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08) Macedonia ~ Daniel Kajmakoski - "Autumn Leaves"

Here's yet another ballad, folks, and it won't be the last of the night! The arrangement of the backing on "Autumn Leaves" is more contemporary, and the percussion has a little bit more layering than some of the lower-scored ballads. This song is something that you could find from a bigger Top-40 artist of today, but perhaps more likely as a song from their album as opposed to something released as a single. But it's quite pleasant to listen to and in the biggest moments of the chorus, Daniel's voice bears some similarities to Nate Ruess'.

Museled score: 7/10

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09) Serbia ~ Bojana Stamenov - "Beauty Never Lies"

This is another song we've seen both the qualifying live performance of as well as the music video. It was actually difficult for us to score because of this. Originally, the song was in Serbian, entitled "Ceo Svet Je Moj." The general consensus is that the song sounded better in Serbian, which we have to agree with. When sung in Serbian, the song was able to stand out more since the English lyrics aren't exactly innovative. But vocally, Bojana sounds fantastic no matter what language she's singing in. It's quite tricky for non-native-English-speaking countries because many of the Eurovision fans prefer for them to stay true to themselves and sing in their own languages but often the songs selected for Eurovision get translated to English so as to better appeal to the masses. The song is decent to being with, but once it builds up to the inclusion of a dance beat, it really soars. The staging is highly visually appealing, from the light projection onto Bojana's dress, the dramatic back-up dancers, and the wardrobe change mid-number. It's exactly the type of spectacle to make many a new fan of Eurovision but what's great is that it's a spectacle on top a song that's actually good.

Museled score: 6.5/10

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10) Hungary ~ Boggie - "Wars for Nothing"

A pandering song about world peace, "Wars for Nothing" is incredibly weak melodically. It's more like something that would be sung around a campfire and put everyone to sleep. We don't mean to be callous about the intended message, but on top of the abundance of ballads, many of those other songs also have subject matter intended to play on people's hearts and humanity so this song just gets lost in the shuffle.

Museled score: 2/10

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11) Belarus ~ Uzari & Maimuna - "Time"

A song with great dramatic flair and danceability, "Time" goes above and beyond to make use of strings to strengthen their song by making the track a partnership between singer Uzari and violinist Maimuna. The urgency of the song (which lines right up with the song's concept) is what sets it apart from typical dance tracks, as well as the aforementioned larger incorporation of non-synthetic instrumentation. The hook is also strong as it sinks in immediately and Uzari's phonetic stretching of certain words further individualises the song's identity.

Museled score: 8.5/10

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12) Russia ~ Polina Gagarina - "A Million Voices"

Many a joke has already been cracked about Russia's "ironic" sending of a song about world peace. Last year's Eurovision entry from Russia was subject to booing each time they performed due to the strong LGBT following that Eurovision has. As for a "A Million Voices," it's a decent ballad and Polina sounds great singing it. It certainly has great potential to translate well live as there's a lot of big musical swells in the song. For better or worse, this song sounds much like something you've probably heard before, be it generally speaking or specific to Eurovision itself. It sounds like a typical "official Olympic Games theme tune" released every 2-4 years, but all in all it's not a bad song.

Museled score: 5/10

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13) Denmark ~ Anti Social Media - "The Way You Are"

Again, we have another song influenced by the 1960s but this one is from the "boy bands" of that era. If The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" hooked up, "The Way You Are" would be the love child born from it. It's a perky, summery, feel-good song that had us swaying back and forth going "Bahp, bahp, bahp." We're honestly amazed that anyone under the age of 60 could nail this style of music, let alone put out new content of it for us to enjoy.

Museled score: 7.5/10

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14) Albania ~ Elhaida Dani - "I'm Alive"

By far, one of the strongest ballads of this year, "I'm Alive" nails pacing and building. It starts off with the guitar laying groundwork to keep it from feeling too slow, and the first chorus only picks things up further with the percussion adding more layers. The construction of the song is really solid because the second verse and chorus are not mere repeats of their first-verse counterparts. The song continues to build and Elhaida even adds more melodic vocalisations as the song carries on. By the time the song hits its climax, Elhaida has you jumping out of your seat and cheering for her. Her vocals are magnificent and those harmonised "Ay-ay-ay"s used for transitioning throughout the song are quite lovely.

Museled score: 8/10

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15) Romania ~ Voltaj - "De la capăt (All over Again)" [From the beginning (All over Again)]

Remember what we said about ballads with meaningful messages? Well, here's another one. "De la capăt (All over Again)" is about Romanian parents who leave their children in Romania in order to work elsewhere so the children may be provided for. That's all quite moving and we do appreciate the fact that the song has chosen to dig a little deeper and be more personal in its message. However, the production of the song itself is a bit underwhelming. Many of the ballads we've had to repeatedly go back and re-watch in order to be able to remember and differentiate which is which, including this one. Like a majority of the songs in this year's contest, this one isn't unpleasant to listen to. But without a bigger musical impact, it more so fades into the background of the lineup.

Museled score: 4.5/10

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16) Georgia ~ Nina Sublatti - "Warrior"

Nina Sublatti has absolutely exploded onto the scene with "Warrior" and we couldn't be more thrilled! The original version of this song (which we didn't see until later) didn't make as much of an impact but once big-name Swedish composer Thomas G:son got his hands on the track to help Nina revamp it, the new production combined with Nina's powerful lyrics are enough to give us chills. It's sleek, modern, and make no mistake, this is an "I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar" anthem. The scope and scale of the song is downright epic and there's so much dimension created from all the moving cogs in this machine.  From the almost dubstep-like swelling used to transition into the chorus to the pulsing sixteen-note-percussion in the post-second-chorus breakdown, there are many plenty of details for even the most well-trained musical ears to geek out over. Nina also fully commits to her vocal delivery and throws herself right in. She delivers top-notch drama and it suits the song entirely. The Eurovision show runners have wisely saved the best for last in this semifinal, and here's hoping that Nina's new staging will match the levels of the song itself.

Museled score: 9/10

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Which semifinal 1 songs do you have on repeat? Let us know in the comment section below and stay tuned for our reviews of the rest of the songs!

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Måns Zelmerlöw On Melodifestivalen, International Fans, And The Story Behind "Heroes"

By far, the most talked-about and anticipated act of Melodifestivalen 2015 has been Måns Zelmerlöw, who has competed two prior times; in 2007 with "Cara Mia" and 2009 with "Hope and Glory." No stranger to competition, Zelmerlöw got his musical start in Sweden in 2005 on Swedish Idol (the Swedish branch of the 'Idol' franchise). After appearing as one of the hosts of Melodifestivalen 2010, he spent the next few years hosting Sweden's long-standing sing-along show, "Allsång på Skansen," and most recently released the album "Barcelona Sessions."

Now, he has returned to Melodifestivalen with "Heroes," a song co-written by the same songwriters that gave us last year's triple-platinum smash hit, Ace Wilder's "Busy Doin' Nothin'," and the song has now skyrocketed to the top of the charts. We already gave praise to "Heroes" off the preliminary 30-second rehearsal clip but now that the song has been performed in full, it's entirely evident why this is the favourite amongst many. "Heroes" combines equal parts strong vocals, a sweeping hook on top of a song that's borderline cinematic in its scope, strong visuals that include a charming animated character and a light show, solid camera work, and Zelmerlöw's phenomenal stage presence.

Having now secured a place in the Melodifestivalen finals, Måns Zelmerlöw was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to give us this interview.

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Museled: Hello Måns, thank you for taking time to speak with us here at Museled.com ~ We're thrilled to have you!

Måns Zelmerlöw: Nice talking to you too! :)

Museled: Congratulations on making it to the finals! Relative to your previous times competing, how has this year felt different for you thus far?

Måns Zelmerlöw: The response has been huge! I've never felt that before. People are loving the performance and the song, and for the first time ever, they're also people my own age!

Museled: It's been six years since you last competed in Melodifestivalen, during which you were the host of Swedish sing-along-show "Allsång på Skansen"; how did this job influence your artistic and performing development?

Måns Zelmerlöw: Of course I gained knowledge and stage experience but most of all, it was an important stepping stone. I needed to host some TV to realise that singing and performing is what I love the most.

Museled: How did you come to decide that this was the year you'd come back to Melodifestivalen?

Måns Zelmerlöw: I felt I needed a big comeback in music after four years hosting TV, and in Sweden, Melodifestivalen is huge and probably the one place where you can actually make waves in the music industry. I just needed the right song. When I heard "Heroes," I realised that was it!

Museled: Even when you weren't competing, you still often found ways to be a part of the contest, such as being a host or songwriter. What is it that you love about Melodifestivalen that has made you stick around?

Måns Zelmerlöw: I like the competition-part; always having dreamt of becoming a tennis pro, this is as close as I get! Haha!

Museled: Tell us about your experience of hearing "Heroes" for the first time, with its Spaghetti Western guitar and that sweeping hook.

Måns Zelmerlöw: I had actually decided on another song and went to my AnR to play it. He said, "Great, but listen to this one." He played me "Heroes" and I loved it straight away. The hooky guitars in the verse and the epic chorus. Also the message is beautiful, that we all can be heroes and that we have to be role models to our kids.

Museled: Many are saying "Heroes" has the strongest visual component the show has ever had. How did this animation and lighting set-up come to be part of the number, and can you talk us through the narrative being told with it all?

Måns Zelmerlöw: The creators behind the number are Fredrik Rydman and David Nordström. I came to them asking for a new effect, something that hadn't been seen on a Melodifestivalen-stage before. Fredrik showed [me] some clips of projection mapping and I loved it! After telling the guys some stories of my life, Fredrik liked one in particular. Back when I was 11-12 years old, I was bullied and lost all of my friends for a year and a half. But during a summer break, I started playing tennis with a new guy and we became friends. The next semester, he started in my class and he made my old friends come back to me. The number is about that, how I invite the lone stick man to sit next to me in the beginning, and how that makes him stronger and brings back his friends. They all come marching in at the end.

Museled: You've had quite the musical evolution from your first few albums and then most recently with "Barcelona Sessions"; is "Heroes" emblematic of the type of music we can expect to hear from you next?

Måns Zelmerlöw: Well not really, I would say that the next album will sound like a hybrid of the "Barcelona Sessions" and the "Heroes" sound.

Museled: A lot of musicians in Sweden seem to skip making music videos for the singles they release; will "Heroes" have a music video? Do you have an album ready to release?

Måns Zelmerlöw: We've already released a lyric video but we're hoping to be able to record a real video soon. [It's] probably a bit dependent on if I'm competing in Vienna or not. The album is half-ready, [and] looking to be released in October.

Museled: In regards to your relationship with the international fans, how has it been for you to receive such diverse support throughout your career? Any memorable stories?

Måns Zelmerlöw: I have the most amazing international fans! One of them actually took a flight from Mexico just to come to ONE "Allsång på Skansen" show! It's crazy, really. I mean, my music hasn't been released in that many countries over the years but even so, it feels like my most hardcore fans are foreign.

Museled: There's already rumblings that not only could you win Melodifestivalen, but that you could win Eurovision itself. How does that make you feel and what would those victories mean to you?

Måns Zelmerlöw: Winning Melodifestivalen has always been a dream of mine and representing Sweden in Eurovision would mean the world to me. I do think that "Heroes" would be a great song for Eurovision! But I try not to focus on winning too much; if there's one thing I know about Melodifestivalen, it's that you NEVER know what the outcome is gonna be.

Museled: Thank you very much, Måns, and we look forward to your performance at the finals!

Måns Zelmerlöw: Thank you!

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Find Måns Zelmerlöw on Facebook here and follow him on Twitter (@manszelmerlow) and Instagram (manszelmerlow).

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