Watching the second semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2018 on Saturday night, one thing became inescapably clear: everyone viewing knew exactly which two songs would qualify for the final and which performers would be leaving the competition. And why? All because of the heart.

The app voting, you see, is fine. It’s had its critics since being introduced in 2015, and justifiably so – asking viewers to give up to 5 “hearts” to the participating songs produces a far less representative and differentiated result than a straightforward televote ever did. But viewers are familiar with the system now, and broadcaster SVT clearly enjoys being able to boast about a new voting record every year. Who can blame them?

The question has to be asked, though: Why do they insist on displaying the “beating heart” graphic on screen, showing us exactly how much love each entry is getting from the public in near-real time?

On Saturday, it meant we all knew that LIAMOO and Samir & Viktor were the two qualifiers even before the voting window had closed – and, conversely, that poor old Jonas Gardell and Stiko Per Larsson were on their way home, taking their lifeless hearts with them. Even the supposedly tighter fight for the Andra Chansen places was something of a foregone conclusion for anyone who had been paying proper attention. The betting markets know it, too, with the entries favoured by the on-screen graphics immediately plummeting to ultra-short odds.

Cold hearted

Perhaps SVT is confident the average viewer at home won’t be paying enough attention for the heart to spoil their enjoyment, or perhaps the argument is that the heart increases engagement because people feel like their votes are having an immediate impact (again with an eye on that all-important voting record).

For a show that thrives on the drama of the big reveal, though, it seems bizarre that the producers would be happy to repeatedly undercut the tension this way – and yet the on-screen heart appears to be here to stay.

The one saving grace is that, because juries are introduced into the equation, the app vote has far less of a say in the grand final. That means even a song that doesn’t make the heart explode can still finish safely in the middle of the public vote and find itself propelled to victory by the international juries. So at least a certain amount of tension is saved for the climax of the six-week Melodifestivalen process, even if it’s tension that essentially stems from an imbalance in the voting system.

But let’s be honest here: For fans, a big part of the appeal of the Swedish format since its introduction in 2002 has been following the shocks and surprises of the semi-final results. If we already know what they’re going to be in advance, where’s the fun?

Do you agree or disagree? Let us know!

image source: SVT