Tim: Here’s the thing about boybands and Eurovision: however good the songs might be, and however much of a reaction they might get from the live crowds, they tank. Last year, Joe and Jake came third from bottom, while Denmark’s Lighthouse X didn’t even qualify for the final. Fortunately, Sweden realised this when they binned off this otherwise really quite good one, from the band previously known as The Fooo and also as The Fooo Conspiracy (one of the Os left).
Tom: It’s rare that a boy band change their name more often than their lineup.
Tom: Okay, let’s get two things out of the way: “every time you bake I wanna eat cake” is an appalling first line…
Tim: True.
Tom: …and in general usage “gotta” is short for “got to”, not “got a”.
Tim: Picky, but also true.
Tom: ANYWAY.
Tim: ANYWAY. We’ve had songs before that halve their BPM for the chorus, most notably Norway’s Eurovision entry last year, which didn’t make the final, and while this doesn’t do that it does kind of give the impression of it, going from a fast moving and heavy beating verse to an almost euphoric chorus. Unlike previously I really really love that: it creates all the impression of variety, but none of the actual disjoint that it would otherwise provide. And it sounds great as well.
Tom: Ugh, really? I don’t hear it: it all melds into one forgettable boy band number. It’s not even a One Direction album track, it’s one that ends up being passed down to… oh. Yeah, it’s one that ends up being passed down to FO&O.
Tim: There are drawbacks: the blonde one really needs to lose the Chesney Hawkes hair…
Tom: I was thinking Mac from Green Wing, but sure.
Tim: …the choreography should be a lot more polished, and while key changes are a bit passé they’ve missed a golden opportunity for one there. So all in all, Sweden: good decision, but it’s a shame you had to make it.