The run of Mello heats comes to a close tonight at the iconic Friends Arena. Last week saw a shock with Faith snatching a final spot at the last minute. Let’s take a look at what we have in store for tonight.

This heat has a clear top 3 which are tough to separate. Klara takes the traditional pimp slot with “Run To The Hills.” I had high hopes for Klara because of rumours that she had a strong song & big staging. Yet after watching the rehearsals it’s clear she hasn’t brought a Mello winner. “Run To The Hills” is an EDM banger with a superwoman themed staging. The song sounds dated to me but Klara is a very likeable performer. She has improved her vocal significantly over the last few days. Klara performs very well with younger groups and in combination with the pimp slot, I’m expecting her to win the semi.

Anna Bergendahl completes her trilogy of recent entries with “Higher Power.” This is much more country than her previous numbers and I think this is by far her weakest. Whilst the staging concept is quite cool it is way too dark. On top of this, Anna has struggled vocally in rehearsals. I also think she struggles with stage presence without accompanying dancers. However, we know based on past data the strength Anna has with older voters and this is significant for the 2nd round of voting.

Angelino’s “The End” is arguably the strongest song of the heat. It is a subtle pop ballad inspired by Duncan Laurence and Tom Walker. I would have preferred for this to be staged with Angelino at the piano but he still sells the song well despite a lack of prior experience. I can also see this having cross-generational appeal which is important for the 2nd round. There are still questions over if this will appeal to the Swedish audience, I am taking the bet that it does.

The battle for 4th place is also a tough one to call. I am leaning towards Medina taking this slot. They have a fun number which sounds like Liamoo’s “Bluffin” in the verses but then has an eastern/oriental sound in the chorus. There is a lot of production behind this, but sometimes it feels like the performers lack energy. It is difficult to predict how Tenori will place due to lack of precedent. However, I think this will have some appeal to older age groups that should save it from the bottom 2. Malin Christian is bringing a gentle Swedish ballad, in the same vain as Lovad from 2021. This is performed better but it is still uncompetitive. I still think it has the capability of avoiding last place, as these sort of ballads have avoided the bottom in this years heats. Lilyaster’s number is executed poorly. Whilst they had some success last year, I find this entry to be unmemorable and a potential outsider for last place.

Recommended bets:

Back Median to Qualify for the Semi Final @ 2.2 (Unibet)

Back Lilyaster for Last Place @ 6.5 (Unibet) (Small stake)

Lay Anna Bergendahl to Qualify for the final @ 1.55 (Betfair Exchange)