The semi-finals are the breather of the Schlager season.
The nerves are no longer on full tension, the presenters are warm in their clothes and the audience has heard the songs before.
In addition, half of the entries go on to the final.
Yes, you read that right.
Tonight's competition may seem a bit unnecessary, but the audience in Örnsköldsvik obviously didn't think so.
Feeling: Damn good
There was a sense of revenge in the air.
Five of the evening's eight entries have competed in Melodifestivalen in previous years, but were not allowed to represent Sweden on stage in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Victor Crone, on the other hand, has had to do it for Estonia, while Melanie Wehbe has won for Sweden as a songwriter.
Likewise, the veterans in Nordman have competed before, without a win.
Mariette has been to the final four times, but never won.
Theoz has also made it to the final, but fell at the finish line.
Perhaps it was precisely the desire for revenge that took Nordman, Theoz and Mariette to the final.
Solo or rural romance
In terms of genre, the semi-finals did not offer much variety – there were solo artists who sang about love or strength interspersed with different duos who all offered rural romance.
Tennessee Tears played classic country, Beny & Elov invested in a more modern rural phenomenon in the form of epa-dunk, while Nordman continued to build on his wilderness fire.
Thomas G:son's perfect hit
On the side of the semi-finals, another competition was taking place.
There was one person that almost everything revolved around - the songwriter Thomas G:son, who as usual competed against himself.
G:son had three entries in the pot, and all went to the final.
This means that Thomas G:son has four entries in this year's final of the melody festival.
Maybe it's time to introduce a songwriter limit...