Sweden: Loreen and Smash Into Pieces are the two direct finalists of the Fourth Heat of Melodifestivalen 2023!

Ninety minutes ago, the show for the Fourth Heat of Melodifestivalen 2023, started off on SVT and SVT Play. And we are here to share the results of the night with you!

The two numbers that qualify directly to the finals are Loreen and Smash Into Pieces which we will get to see perform their songs live, on the 11th of March, when the finals will take place at Friends Arena.

But how things developed during the night?

The show

Jesper Rönndahl and Farah Abadi will present Melodifestivalen 2023. The heats are following the touring concept again, after SVT had pulled back last year due to health restrictions in Sweden, with the finals being held at Friends Arena! With the next show of the contest on Saturday February the 25th, Melodifestivalen will take place in Malmö then Örnsköldsvik follows and finally the final show in Stockholm on the 11th of March.

Back in 26th of February, almost 40 years ago, by just a day, Carola won Melodifestivalen 1983 with the song “Främling“. Fourty years later, there are seven contestants, bidding to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 to be held in Liverpool.

Jesper and Farah are at the arena and everything is ready to begin! It’s time to face the music!

Initially they go through the previous heat direct finalists and the semi-finalists and then they show us this show’s contestants!

The numbers

Kiana – Where Did You Go

The sixteen year old Kiana with her song “Where Did You Go”, participates with a pop banger which is super radio friendly. The song reminds me a bit of “When Love Takes Over” by David Guetta/Kelly Rowland, a bit of Sigala maybe. She is joined by six dancers on stage, who hold one light stick each. The light sticks are part of the choreography, and the number also features a dance break! Really nice Kiana!

Photo: Andreas Papayiannakis

Signe & Hjördis – Edelweiss

Signe & Hjördis with “Edelweiss“, a swedish folk song (entirely in Swedish), the kind of songs that Swedes would vote for. Also there’s a key change. The girls look like they are low on energy. There seems to be their style, that can’t be anything else. The staging is bright full of lights and the LED screen shows flowers, they’re also surrounded by rows and columns of lights.

Photo: Andreas Papayiannakis

Smash Into Pieces – Six Feet Under

Third number, Smash Into Pieces’ “Six Feet Under” is a pop rock song that gives me Evanescence (“Going Under“) and The Rasmus (“Livin’ In a World Without You“). Super nice hook, the guys give it all on stage! They have amazing energy.

Photo: Andreas Papayiannakis

Mariette – One Day

Number 4 for this heat, Mariette with her song “One Day“. It gives me vibes of Cornelia Jacobs “Hold me Closer” and Atle Pettersen “Masterpiece” (the MGP number). The staging has really nice laid-back vibes. Mariette looks radiant and is joined by the in-house dancers plus some enormous stair and slide stand-in prop.

Photo: Andreas Papayiannakis

Emil Henrohn – Mera mera mera

Emil Henrohn (known by going viral with “Jag är mamma” in TikTok) sings “Mera mera mera” which is super catchy and makes you wanna dance, even though it’s in Swedish and most of us international fans won’t understand much. Quite different from his song style that he has already up on Spotify, the staging gives off Alcazar and Linda Bengtzing vibes!

Photo: Andreas Papayiannakis

Axel Schylström – Gorgeous

Axel is one of the writers of Theoz number “Mer Av Dig” and participates by himself too with “Gorgeous“. A nice pop power ballad with choruses. Also has a vocoder part (remember how “Die Together” by Amanda Tenfjord starts?). Ends with a huge clap part! Stagewise, it’s very nice aesthetically pleasing. It gives me gospel vibes, he is joined by four backing vocalists. I just disagree with what they’ve selected for him to wear. Other than that, a cute entry.

Photo: Andreas Papayiannakis

Loreen – Tattoo

Last (but not least) Melodifestivalen queen herself! Starts with a very distinctive lead synth and aetherial vocals by Loreen. The song gives melancholic-joy vibes. There’s also a bridge with strings. The song is very very strong! If not the winner, top two for sure. Don’t expect a Euphoria 2, cause it’s nothing like it. Has similar elements but Loreen does not repeat herself! She promised me she wouldn’t have a dark staging, and this staging is not even dark, there’s a decent amount of light! Two LED screens, one above her and one where she stands on. The screen distance gets bigger as the song progresses. There’s a build up and you can see it throughout Loreen’s performance. I am still in a state of shock! Unreal vocals! Supreme staging, too 2025, 100/10!

Photo: Andreas Papayiannakis

After all the performances are complete, the presenters interview the contestants and after that there’s a recap of all the numbers of the show, as usual.

The Intervals

This week it is 40 years since Carola broke through with a bang in the Melodifestivalen at the Palladium in Malmö. After the success story with “Främling” and other hit songs, she is one of the country’s most famous artists. Now Carola celebrates by returning to where it all began to be a guest at Melodifestivalen on Saturday.

Carola has participated in Melodifestivalen five times. Three of these times she has won the entire competition and represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Now she is celebrating that it is 40 years since the breakthrough by visiting the Melodifestivalen competition in Malmö.
She will perform the Swedish winning songs “Främling” (1983) by Lasse Holm and Monica Forsberg, “Fångad av en stormvind” (1991) written by Carola herself and Stephan Berg as well as “Evighet” or known as “Invincible” (2006) written by Bobby Ljunggren, Carola, Henrik Wikström and Thomas G:son.

The Direct Qualifiers

First voting round virtual winner: Loreen – Tattoo
Second voting round virtual winner: Smash Into Pieces – Six Feet Under

Semi-Finalists

Second voting round virtual 2nd place: Kiana – Where Did You Go
Second voting round virtual 3rd place: Mariette – One Day

Second voting round results

Age-band 3-9 years old virtual winner: Kiana – Where Did You Go

Age-band 10-15 years old virtual winner: Kiana – Where Did You Go

Age-band 16-29 years old virtual winner: Smash Into Pieces – Six Feet Under

Age-band 30-44 years old virtual winner: Smash Into Pieces – Six Feet Under

Age-band 45-59 years old virtual winner: Smash Into Pieces – Six Feet Under

Age-band 60-74 years old virtual winner: Mariette – One Day

Age-band 75+ years old virtual winner: Mariette – One Day

Televoting virtual winner: Smash Into Pieces – Six Feet Under

The semi-finalists

Victor Crone – “Diamonds“
Elov & Beny – “Raggen går“
THEOZ – “Mer av dig“
Tennessee Tears – “Now I Know“
Nordman – “Släpp alla sorger“
Melanie Wehbe – “For the Show“
Kiana – “Where Did You Go”
Mariette – “One Day“

See you next Saturday, at the semi-final, when you will have the chance to be informed in detail about what will the total final show line-up be, as soon as they are announced on TV!

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun, for all the latest developments regarding Melodifestivalen 2023 and the Swedish entry for Eurovision 2023!

Source: SVT
Photos: Eurovisionfun/Andreas Papayiannakis