Melodifestivalen 2012: Heat Two - Preliminary Judging

It's time for a sneak peek at Heat Two of this year's Melodifestivalen. Will it be better than last week's (mostly) dire offering? I hope so! As always, my opinions will likely change when I hear the songs in full.

(Listen to clips here)

Ulrik Munther - Soldiers
Well, it's good enough. Honestly, I was hoping for more, though I have a suspicion that this will improve upon full listen. But from the sound of this one minute clip, he's got better songs on his album. 3.5/5

Top Cats - Baby Doll
Oh god, this is like that stupid The King song last year. Luckily, it sounds better than that one, but I'm just not a fan of this rockabilly stuff. I hope that the big names in this heat will prevent them from going further. 3/5

Sonja Aldén - I din himmel (In Your Heaven)
I know she's well loved for her 2007 entry, but I was never that big of a supporter. This kind of wet balladry just isn't my thing. And this doesn't sound as melodically strong as that 2007 hit. 2/5

Andreas Lundstedt - Aldreg, Aldreg (Never, Never)
Now, I believe Andreas also competed in 2007. Back then he had a weak song, but I think this is much better. In fact, I'm really digging this clip. We'll see how it sounds in full, but I love the electro vibe I'm getting from this. 4/5

Timoteij - Stormande hav (Storming Sea)
These girls were such a pleasant surprise two years ago, and this sounds like it could repeat that. I'm not sure it's quite as good as Kom, but so far it's my favorite clip of the Heat. 4.5/5

David Lindgren - Shout It Out
I love this! His vocals sound a bit ropey, but this is the blast of pop/dance energy I've been waiting for. I have no idea who this guy is, but I'm delighted that the tempo has been brought up a notch. 4.5/5

Mimi Oh - Det går för långsamt (It Goes Too Slow)
Better than almost everything last week, but I'm still waffling on this one. I like the sound, but the melody's failed to grip me right off the bat. It could be more of a grower. This entry will depend on the performance, I think. 3.5/5

Thomas Di Leva - Ge aldrig upp (Never Give Up)
The big name in the competition this week. This is actually better than I thought it would be. It's still not my favorite of the week, but I'm happy it manages to be a little galvanizing and anthemic. I kind of wish it was in English, though. 4/5

On first listen, this is MUCH better than last week. I'm not sure there's a song as good as Loreen's Euphoria amongst the competitors, but the general quality is much more in line with what I'd expect from MF. My early predictions? Ulrik and Thomas through to final, though Timoteij could sneak in. For second chance round, I'm thinking Timoteij and Sonja or Top Cats, though this Heat is far more difficult to predict than last week's. That makes it fun again!

*I'll be live blogging tomorrow throughout the show, so be sure to check back for my thoughts (and to see if my predictions come true)