In Melodifestivalen's fourth semi-final at Malmö Arena, debutant Cimberly with 'Eternity' and rock band Smash Into Pieces with 'Hollow' advanced directly to the final. Meira Omar secured the qualifying spot with 'Dooset Daram'. The other artists were eliminated.
Melodifestivalen's fourth semi-final took place at Malmö Arena on February 21. The Örebro band Smash Into Pieces, participating for the third time, secured first place despite challenges. Frontman Chris Adam suffered from a stomach bug and could not eat anything that day, according to guitarist Per Bergquist. 'He is still a bit off. He couldn't eat anything today,' Bergquist told TT. The band also encountered technical issues during the week, heightening nervousness for guitarist Benjamin Jennebo. 'You're a bit shaky after so many rounds of everything. I asked like ten times before if everything was working,' he said.
Debutant Cimberly, 21 from Skellefteå and winner of Idol 2023, surprised with her 'sassy disco pop' song 'Eternity'. She was not tipped by betting companies or the Melodifestival Club but advanced directly to the final at Strawberry Arena. 'It feels crazy. I didn't think anything like that,' she said with tears of joy to TT. 'I am very, very happy and proud of myself.'
Meira Omar, tipped for a final spot, instead got the qualifying place with 'Dooset Daram', just like last year. 'I don't read odds and don't think about that. Music is very hard to compete in, it's so subjective,' she commented. She expressed satisfaction with her performance: 'I feel I did my best and I am proud of the number and the performance.'
Eliminated were Erika Jonsson with 'Från landet', Timo Räisänen with 'Ingenting är efter oss', and Felix Manu with 'Hatar att jag älskar dig'. The competition started with a joke from host Gina Dirawi, who was carried off stage after quipping about SVT budget cuts. A fake technical glitch led to a live reprise of the entries with super pianist Robert Wells and host Hampus Nessvold.
