With only days left until the final on Saturday, Felicia is congested and not completely well.
"I'm using nasal spray all the time and hoping I won't get a high fever. But I feel like I'm in a cold sweat," she says at the artists' hotel next door to the Strawberry Arena in Solna, where the final is being held.
There's no danger to the final. She'll be competing.
"You just have to push through. Everything can be solved with Alvedon and stuff."
Six million streams
Felicia is the big favorite in the betting odds for the competition. Her song "My System" has also been played more than six million times on Spotify, by far the most of all the entries. She feels like the favorite.
"Yes, absolutely. I get so much love from people and many people send me the odds from these betting sites. I just try to think about it and be in the moment. But it makes you so happy."
The success in Melodifestivalen comes after a difficult period for Felicia, who is still in conflict with producer Rasmus Gozzi after her time as Fröken Snusk. But now there is proof that she can succeed as an artist even under her own name.
"There was a fear that everything was just a mask, that I would be completely insignificant. But when I became myself and brought so many people with me, it felt incredible. Like proof that it wasn't just a mask. It made me really happy."
Throwing away the mask?
The mask remains, to some extent. Felicia no longer covers her eyes but always hides the lower part of her face in public. But for how long? Some believe that she will throw away the mask if she wins Melodifestivalen.
"I understand the idea, it would have been really cool and really powerful. But it's not that I wear the mask just because I think it's fun; it's so emotional for me."
Even though her identity is no longer so secret, she doesn't want to be seen completely. Felicia says it's nice to be able to hide her face; as an artist it may have made things easier:
"I think I would have gotten hate for my face back then too. You always get hate on social media. So it's been like a little shield to hide behind."
But she's opening the door a little. Maybe the mask will come off on Saturday.
"If I feel ready then and there, I will do it. If I feel I'm not ready, I won't do it."
Mikael Forsell/TT
Facts: The artists in the final of Melodifestivalen
TT
On Saturday, March 7, the final of Melodifestivalen will be decided in the Strawberry Arena outside Stockholm.
1. A-Teens: "Iconic".
2. Meira Omar: "Dooset daram".
3. Little Al-Fadji: "Delulu".
4. Saga Ludvigsson: "Ain't Today".
5. Smash Into Pieces: "Hollow".
6. Cimberly: "Eternity".
7. Medina: "Viva l'amor".
8. Greczula: "Half of Me".
9. Robin Bengtsson: "Honey Honey".
10. Felicia: "My System".
11. Sanna Nielsen: "Waste Your Love".
12. Brandsta City Fire Extinguishers: "Straight into the Fire".
Spotify plays of the finalists:
1. Felicia: "My System" 6.2 million.
2. A-Teens: "Iconic" 4.1 million.
3. Brandsta City Fire Extinguishers: "Straight into the Fire" 3.9 million.
4. Greczula: "Half of Me" 3.0 million.
5. Medina: "Viva l'amor" 2.7 million.
6. Smash Into Pieces: "Hollow" 1.8 million.
7. Saga Ludvigsson: "Ain't Today" 1.7 million.
8. Meira Omar: "Dooset daram" 1.4 million.
9. Robin Bengtsson: "Honey Honey" 1.4 million.
10. Little Al-Fadji: "Delulu" 0.9 million.
11. Cimberly: "Eternity" 0.9 million.
12. Sanna Nielsen: "Waste Your Love" 0.4 million.
Footnote: The figures are from Thursday morning.
Svenska Spel's odds on victory in Melodifestivalen:
1. Felicia 1.20 times the bet.
2. Greczula 10.
3. Medina 18.
4. Little Al-Fadji 21.
5. A-Teens and Smash Into Pieces 28
Footnote: The odds are from Thursday morning.
