Elias Abbas brought one of the most fun-spirited and catchy songs of Melodifestivalen 2018, with a bright and colourful number that mostly translated well on camera. The main problem with the number was the audio-mixing, something that many other entries had issues on this past year. But Elias did more than enough to warrant at least qualifying out of his semi-final, something the Swedish public failed to comprehend.

Watch our press conference interview with Elias Abbas here:

READ MORE

Semi-final 4 saw several more artists compete for another shot at impressing the Swedish public with their artistic talents. Elias Abbas was the biggest shock of the night, as his charismatic performance only managed to come fifth overall. Felix Sandman won a qualification to the Andra Chansen round, a respectable result for his new solo endeavor. Rolandz brought every ounce of his Swedish comedy skills and managed to qualify direct alongside contest veteran Mariette. Olivia Eliasson managed to nab the other Andra Chansen qualification spot, while Felicia Olsson sadly was not able to improve on her previous non-qualification in 2013.

Watch our press-conference interviews with various semi-final 4 contestants here:

READ MORE

Anderz Wrethov and Joy Deb are each powerhouse composers/producers for Melodifestivalen. With numerous beloved entries in their catalogue over the years, they will now enter semi-final 4 with two excellent entries. Wrethov has written on a song called "Mitt paradis", a fun, energetic pop song originally intended to be released by Medina. The competing artist, Elias Abbas, is entering the show on the heels of his smash-hit "Min queen" which was one of Sweden's best summer releases. As for Deb, he came in late to help on the production for Felicia Olsson's "Break That Chain," giving the classic pop ballad a modern flair.

Watch our full interview with Anderz Wrethov and Joy Deb here:

READ MORE