Eurovision’s final is fast approaching, and the country is fizzing with excitement after the first installment of semi-finals took place on May 9.
The show saw Ireland bomb out of the competition, while Norway, Serbia, Portugal, Croatia, Switzerland, Israel, Moldova, Czechia, Finland and Sweden all qualified. They’ll all now be performing in the final on May 13, with a further semi-final on May 11 deciding the rest of the line-up.
Sweden’s act, Loreen, was a fan favourite even before her performance last night, but she proved that all the buzz around her was not for nothing – now she’s the bookies’ favourite to win.
Describing her, The Guardian said that Loreen has the “superhuman stage presence of a Gaga or Beyoncé. A true pop star and a noticeable cut above the rest”.
So who is Loreen, what song will she be singing on Saturday, and why is she currently the act to beat?
What’s her background?
Loreen, whose real name is Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui, was born in Stockholm but moved to Västerås - a city in the centre of Sweden - when she was young.
Her parents are Moroccan Berber immigrants, and her family comes from the Atlas Mountains.
“Music is a big part of how my Moroccan family spend time together,” she explained to Vogue Arabia. “Everybody can sing or play an instrument. It’s a huge part of the Moroccan tradition. I never strived to be the center of attention or a public figure as an artist, I just wanted to perform and create. It has such a healing effect on my spirit and is my way of connecting and communicating with people. When I perform, I feel totally in sync with myself.”
Loreen has won Eurovision before
It’s arguably a brave move of Loreen’s to take part in Eurovision this year. The star already won the competition back in 2012, which means that not only will all eyes be on the 39-year-old singer-songwriter, but expectations are going to be sky-high over the quality of her performance and the delivery of her new track, Tattoo.
She’s no stranger to competitions
Loreen also took part in Sweden’s Idol competition in 2004 and came in a very respectable fourth position.
She’s also taken part in Melodifestivalen – Sweden’s major music competition which decides their Eurovision entry act – three times, in 2011, 2012 and 2023. She’s won, and represented the country, twice.
Loreen has released quite a bit of music
Loreen has released two studio albums, Heal (2012) and Ride (2017). Heal peaked at number one in Sweden and number 71 in the UK charts. Ride bagged number 31 in the Swedish album charts. She has also released 19 singles, including Eurovision tracks Euphoria and Tattoo. Euphoria soared to the top of the charts across Europe, claiming the number one spot in Austria, Germany, Finland, Ireland and Norway, and reaching number three in the UK.
Loreen has also toured twice: there was her Tour XIV in 2014 and her Summer Tour in 2021.
And won quite a few awards
Over the years Loreen has been nominated for numerous awards, winning MTV Europe Music Awards’ Best Swedish Act in 2012 and the Scandipop Awards Best Alternapop Song in 2018.
She draws inspiration from her background
Loreen has spoken about being inspired by her grandmother, who refused to be in an arranged marriage and escaped from Morocco to Algeria with her baby by travelling through the desert dressed as a man.
“Be proud of your Arabic heritage,” she said to Vogue Arabia. “Let it be an inspiration when you create and don’t ever let anyone make you feel ashamed. Today, as an Arab or Muslim, you are very exposed due to the harsh political climate. It can make you despise your own traditions and culture. But it’s important to understand that the political climate has nothing to do with the culture and traditions. Be proud!”
What do we know about her song, Tattoo?
Loreen’s 2012 Eurovision-winning track Euphoria was such a hit that it was always going to be hard to beat: The Guardian said that Euphoria “has a good claim to be the competition’s greatest song of all time”.
But Tattoo looks like it’s going to be another winner. Not only is it a real pop banger, but it’s been inspired by her heritage, too. “I am from the mountains, so I felt like I wanted to create this nature-ly environment,” she explained to Wiwibloggs, a site dedicated to the Eurovision Song Contest. “Beautiful elements like stone and sand and sky and all these beautiful things that we sometimes forget.”
“Spirituality will definitely be there,” she said to news site Eurovision Fun. “Euphoria was the sunset and the moon, while Tattoo is the sunrise.”
What have Eurovision fans said?
Fans turned online to share their thoughts about Loreen returning, and many of them predicted that the Swedish singer is going to win on Saturday.
SO LOREEN IS BACK BETTER THAN EVER??? WE WON
— sina || 🇸🇪🇦🇹🇳🇴 (@eurohooe) May 8, 2023
pic.twitter.com/9wFRsnCdpK
not me crying so hard bcs the crowd is singing tattoo with loreen at the same time OMFG THIS HAS TO WIN #Eurovision2023😭😭❤️ pic.twitter.com/opCsLaOUMl
— florin 🇷🇴| 🇸🇪🇫🇮🇦🇹🇲🇩🇱🇻 (@esc_florin) May 8, 2023
oh yeah, loreen’s winning #eurovision2023 pic.twitter.com/u6mIrbHDKV
— ray ✨ (@mascarayde) May 9, 2023
