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EURO ALFA Panel: Review – Sweden’s KAJ with “Bara Bada Bastu” 🇸🇪


30 April 2025 at 8:27 PM

By Reza Mafi



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Raul: SAUNA Timeeeee!!! I have to admit from the beginning that I was not a fan of the song at all (yes, yes, I liked Revolution, thrown in with tomatoes), BUT the more you listen to it, the more it grabs you because it has something special – don’t ask me exactly what because I don’t know how to tell you. Let’s move on to their voices that combine wonderfully, without it seeming forced (see other moments from ESC). Now about the staging, it is really something new for Eurovision from all points of view, it is effective, meaning it steals your eye and it seems like you want to see more and more. Winners? Possibly, it depends a lot on where they are positioned in the jury vote. A top 3 in the juries (theoretically being Sweden it shouldn’t be a problem) and a top 3 in the televoting could bring them their eighth victory.
Grade: 10/10

Reza: This is a fantastic entry, and no one can deny that. However, it didn’t quite grab me on first listen, I wasn’t instantly impressed. But of course, the infectious energy of the song eventually won me over as well. I had other favorites at Melodifestivalen, but I’m glad Sweden chose something fun, different, and unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s clearly a strong favorite to win Eurovision and potentially make Sweden the country with the most wins. That said, there are other songs I personally enjoy more this year, which is why my rating isn’t a perfect 10.
Grade: 9/10

Laurentiu: This is absolutely fantastic. I’m genuinely thrilled that Sweden is sending something so fun, fresh, and culturally grounded. “Bara bada bastu” is insanely addictive; one listen and it’s already stuck in your head for days. It’s bold without being try-hard, funny without losing musicality, and charming from start to finish. I honestly think it could fight for the trophy, especially if the staging elevates the humor and charisma even more. That said, I’m not sure it will win, simply because novelty acts don’t always go all the way at Eurovision. But qualification is a given, obviously, and this is the kind of entry people will remember! I love it!
Grade: 10/10

Stefania: This is like eating an entire cotton candy at a theme park, you know you shouldn’t love it this much, but here we are. Totally addictive, absolutely chaotic, and 100% Eurovision spirit.
Grade: 10/10

Florin: THIS is just what I’ve been waiting for Sweden to send ever since I started watching ESC. They went out of their comfort zone and with one of their best songs they had in the NF. It stands out, it’s an instant earworm, it catches your attention and basically form my POV it’s just the perfect way to have an “unserious” entry in ESC. For the first time in so long it feels like Sweden is not trying to win, but the funny thing is that they might.
Grade: 10/10

Antonio: I’m just glad the runner-up stayed the runner-up. This year’s Melodifestivalen was a rollercoaster of emotions for me—I’ve been watching the entire National Final from start to finish since 2015. KAJ completely turned the tables overnight, going from least favorites to actually winning Melfest. Their performance was charming, funny, and full of joy—and the best part is, we finally have a song in Swedish! Will they win Eurovision? Maybe… but honestly, I wouldn’t mind another season hosted in Sweden.
Grade: 10/10

Overal grade: 9.83/10

Scoreboard:

  1. Malta 🇲🇹 – 10.00
  2. Sweden 🇸🇪 – 9.83
  3. France 🇫🇷 – 9.66
  4. Norway 🇳🇴 – 9.33
  5. Albania 🇦🇱 – 9.33
  6. Denmark 🇩🇰 – 9.16
  7. Germany 🇩🇪 – 8.67
  8. Austria 🇦🇹 – 8.58
  9. Finland 🇫🇮 – 8.50 (4x 10’s)
  10. Greece 🇬🇷 – 8.50 (2x 10’s)
  11. Australia 🇦🇺 – 8.50 (1x 10’s)
  12. Czechia 🇨🇿 – 8.33 (1x 9’s)
  13. Poland 🇵🇱 – 8.33 (0x 9’s)
  14. Netherlands 🇳🇱 – 8.16
  15. Luxembourg 🇱🇺 – 7.50
  16. Belgium 🇧🇪 – 7.33 (2x 9’s)
  17. Latvia 🇱🇻 – 7.33 (0x 9’s)
  18. Cyprus 🇨🇾 – 7.16 (1x 10’s)
  19. San Marino 🇸🇲 – 7.16 (0x 10’s)
  20. Montenegro 🇲🇪 – 6.83
  21. Iceland 🇮🇸 – 6.80
  22. Israel 🇮🇱 – 6.66
  23. Estonia 🇪🇪 – 6.50 (1x 7’s)
  24. Ireland 🇮🇪 – 6.50 (0x 7’s)
  25. Spain 🇪🇸 – 6.33
  26. Croatia 🇭🇷 – 6.16
  27. Italy 🇮🇹 – 5.83
  28. Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 – 5.33
  29. Portugal 🇵🇹 – 5.17
  30. Armenia 🇦🇲 – 5.00
  31. Lithuania 🇱🇹 – 4.00
  32. Serbia 🇷🇸 – 3.83 (2x 4’s)
  33. Slovenia 🇸🇮 – 3.83 (1x 4’s)
  34. Georgia 🇬🇪 – 2.00

Here you can listen to Sweden’s entry “Bara Bada Bastu” by KAJ:


Category: 🇨🇭 Basel 2025


Reza Mafi

Head of Editorial


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