2023 in review: How the Swedish Loreen won Eurovision a historic second time

Historic victory for Sweden's Loreen
Tattoo: the winning song
Almost beaten by popular 'Cha Cha Cha' from Finland
Emotional win
Impressive show with LED screen
Tension in her voice
Loreen, a Eurovision icon
'Euphoria' became an international hit
Tattoo: the next big thing
Loreen's childhood
A super start by the Swedish Idol
First steps in the world of Eurovision
Swedish candidate in 2012
A blistering evening and 18 times 12 points for Loreen
'Euphoria' an international hit
Loreen is an activist
Care for the planet, refugees, war victims
Another try at Melodifestivalen 2017
Changing things up
She kept competing as a singer
And then... she won Melodifestivalen 2023
The song: 'Tattoo'
A song about love and goodbyes
Among the few to participate in Eurovision multiple times
She won twice, just like Johnny Logan!
A historic second win
Historic victory for Sweden's Loreen

The Swedish singer Loreen caused a historic sensation at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest: she is the second contestant in the event's history to win the song festival twice.

Tattoo: the winning song

Sweden's song 'Tattoo' was the professional juries' favorite with 340 points. Then, in a thriller of a popular vote count, Loreen nearly got the most popular votes as well.

Almost beaten by popular 'Cha Cha Cha' from Finland

The public vote almost cost Loreen the victory. Finland’s Kaarija with his catchy song 'Cha Cha Cha' got 376 points in the public vote, leading him to the top of the ranking with 526 points... for a few minutes.

Emotional win

In the end, though, Loreen got 243 points from the international public, which helped her win the contest convincingly with 583 points.

Impressive show with LED screen

Loreen's performance stood out because of an impressive set of LED screens that she danced 'in between.'

Photo: Alma Bengtsson / Eurovision.tv

Tension in her voice

The excitement about her big Eurovision appearance was audible in Loreen's voice. Her live performance sounded slightly less steady than her studio recording. But it didn't matter, because the audience knew her already and the message arrived loud and clear.

Loreen, a Eurovision icon

Previously, Loreen had already shot to fame after she won the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with her song 'Euphoria.'

'Euphoria' became an international hit

'Euphoria' was a huge hit all over Europe and beyond, reaching number one in several countries. In fact, it is one of the most successful songs Eurovision has produced in recent years.

Tattoo: the next big thing

But, who knows, 'Tattoo' may even beat the success of 'Euphoria'! Before the start of the grand final on May 13, 2023, Spotify already reported 58 million streams for the song.

Loreen's childhood

So, who is this Eurovision legend? Loreen is a Swedish singer and producer with Moroccan-Berber roots. Her parents divorced when she was six, and from then on she lived with her mother and five siblings. She has always loved sounds and music and likes to experiment with music and develop her own style.

A super start by the Swedish Idol

Loreen started her career in 2004 when she took part in the Swedish TV show 'Idol' and placed fourth. Her first single 'Snake' (featuring Rob'n'Raz) came out in 2005, while Loreen also worked as a TV host. Behind the scenes, the artist was a segment producer and director for several Swedish reality shows.

First steps in the world of Eurovision

In 2011, Loreen entered the Swedish preliminary round for the Eurovision Song Contest, the 'Melodifestivalen,' with her song 'My Heart Is Refusing Me.' Although she wouldn't win the contest, her song became a top 10 hit in Sweden.

Swedish candidate in 2012

Loreen again took part in Melodifestivalen 2012. This time, her song 'Euphoria' took her to first place with a record number of points. The competition was fierce, as Sweden always provides excellent Eurovision candidates. Behind Ireland with 7 victories, Sweden is the country that has won Eurovision the most times (6).

A blistering evening and 18 times 12 points for Loreen

On the big night, the finals of the international song contest, Loreen's 'Euphoria' received one of the highest scores ever with 372 points. (Russia came in second with 259 points for the six grannies named Buranovskiye Babushki). Loreen was the new Eurovision Queen.

Photo: Eurovision.tv

'Euphoria' an international hit

Loreen released her first album 'Heal' in 2012. The song 'Euphoria' was a big hit everywhere and the album had great reviews and sales numbers, too. The critics praised Loreen's voice, lyrics, and production.

Loreen is an activist

Beyond her music, Loreen wants to improve the world by standing up for various charities. She speaks out on human rights, refugees, animal rights, and climate action.

 

Care for the planet, refugees, war victims

The Swedish Eurovision champion visits refugee camps, performs for Amnesty International and Greenpeace, and works with UNICEF and WWF. Most recently, she performed at a live fundraising gala to support Ukraine after the 2022 Russian invasion.

Photo: Charli Ljung / Eurovision.tv

Another try at Melodifestivalen 2017

Her activist nature was also seen in another participation in Melodifestivalen in 2017. Trying to return to Eurovision, she performed the song 'Statements' about freedom and rebellion. Loreen didn't make it to first place even though she was one of the favorites. But she didn't give up.

Changing things up

Loreen wanted to take a new direction with her music and make her own voice heard. She also had personal issues that prevented her from being herself: she felt trapped by the expectations and the pressure of the music business. So she decided to switch record labels and made her new album with BMG: 'Ride' in 2017.

She kept competing as a singer

After releasing 'Ride' in 2017, Loreen remained active in the music world. She released several singles and performed at various festivals and events. Loreen also participated in the eleventh season of 'Så mycket bättre,' a Swedish talent show for singers.

And then... she won Melodifestivalen 2023

After much hard work, the singer once again has the honor of representing Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest of 2023. She won the Melodifestivalen with her song 'Tattoo.'

The song: 'Tattoo'

Loreen's song is based on her own search for her own identity. It is an ode to self-expression and freedom. Swedish critics and audiences have praised her unique voice and artistic vision in the performance.

Photo: Alma Bengtsson / Eurovision.tv

A song about love and goodbyes

'Tattoo' expresses a desire for love and connection with lines like "No I don't care about them all / Cause all I want is to be loved." In addition, it is about saying goodbye and hoping to meet again: "I don't wanna go / But baby, we both know / This isn't our time / It's time to say goodbye / Until we meet again / 'Cause this isn't the end."

Among the few to participate in Eurovision multiple times

Loreen belongs to the select group of artists who have participated in Eurovision several times.

She won twice, just like Johnny Logan!

Johnny Logan from Ireland used to be the only artist to have won the Eurovision Song Contest more than once, namely in 1980 with 'What's Another Year' and in 1987 with 'Hold Me Now'.

A historic second win

Loreen has now matched the Irish star with her historic second win. The world is at her feet!

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