Tim: Every other even slightly music related site is right now doing their “20 best” or “50 most underrated” or “2,517 that went under the radar” or whatever of 2015, so let’s not concern ourselves with that sort of stuff. Instead, let’s dig out the ever reliable Best Of Melodifestivalen compilation and pay a trip to this 1993 runner up, with BAGPIPES!
Tom: A brave choice, there, in a production that contains a lot of brave choices. That flute. That tie.
Tim: Oh, that tie. Elephant in the room, quickly: yes, the first lines of the verses here are the same as those of The Best, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Instead, though, I am utterly transfixed by those dancers, and the way that they are just about coordinating with each other, but don’t really mind that it isn’t perfect because they’re just having so much fun.
Tom: It’s a bit different from now, isn’t it? They’d just be hidden in the shadows at the back of the stage and replaced with some projection-mapping.
Tim: And where would be the fun in that? I say most of the time they don’t mind – the expression of the one on the left when she almost does that closing thumbs up one beat too early is a joy to behold, and you wouldn’t get that with a stick drawing. So there’s a lovely message to take into 2016: in real life, WE ARE ALL THE WINNERS, and even if we mess up the dancing a bit we’ll still manage second. I’m happy with that.