After winning 2012 with her certified bop , the Swedish star is back in the hopes for renewed glory in 2023.
It’s been 11 years since Euphoria took over the airwaves, nightclubs and, let’s be honest, our hearts, and Loreen’s hoping can do the same.
It’s not too often that a (with some notable exceptions, like Cheryl Baker and Jedward), and she admits it feels ‘surreal.’
‘I never thought in my wildest dreams that this would be my path,’ she admits to Metro.co.uk.
‘You think you know where you’re heading, you think this is the right path for you but you really don’t know. So I just follow the flow and I couldn’t be happier being here.’
She is already among the favourites to win the 2023 event, and should she clinch the crown again she would be only the second person in history – and the first woman – to do so, after Ireland’s Johnny Logan won in both 1980 and 1987.
As to whether being the favourite is giving Loreen more confidence or just piling on the pressure, well, it’s both.
‘One part of me, the little girl in me is saying, “Of course!” My biggest reason I had to say yes to it was because I could sense there was a happiness around me. I wanted to create something that made people happy, so you can imagine with the response I get, “I appreciate what you’ve created because it made me feel something,” that part of me is really happy.
‘But there’s this other part of me, the discipline part, saying “You could be a favourite but…”
‘I’m a servant of creativity, I’m a vessel. That is my purpose here. I have a part of me that never forgets that. If you’re just like, “Oh I am so good!”, this ego thing starts affecting the performance and you can lose the authenticity. So there are two parts of me. I’m happy about it, but the discipline part is like “Loreen, you have a job, so stay out of the ego.”‘
While she may be a favourite, the UK’s entry Mae Muller is also making waves, and Loreen herself is a fan.
‘I love Mae! Her energy is just so brilliant and vibrant, something that shines so brightly in her song as well,’ she says od Mae’s catchy track I Wrote A Song.
Loreen reckons one of the reasons Euphoria – and now, Tattoo – captured people’s imaginations so much is the ‘realness’ and ‘truth’ about it.
The star is no stranger to speaking truth – where the UK’s Mae is currently facing criticism from some for speaking out about her views (ie, during the pandemic), Loreen was hit by critics when she spoke out about human rights abuses when the 2012 show was set in Azerbaijan.
With the likes of Europe rallying behind Ukraine at the 2022 event, Loreen believes there is more solidarity from Eurovision these days.
‘Eurovision is a community, look at what it represents. So many communities, where everybody is included regardless of religious background, sexuality, where you’re from. In this space, if you’re authentic, you’re welcome.
‘When it comes to human rights and telling the truth, it always has to be constructive. Because I am a true believer that anger fuels anger. We need constructive energy – loving energy fuels loving energy. Whenever I react – this is going to sound so hippie – but I react from a loving space.
‘I understand there are people who are different, and things are happening and there’s always a reason why.
‘I think all of us are heading to a place where we do not accept these imbalances and we are working our way forward in different ways.’
As for any secret shows in the UK in the lead-up to Liverpool 2023, Loreen remains coy, grinning that all she can say is ‘it’s going to be fun.’
‘You’ll get me – that’s all I have, and maybe some sparkles.’
She adds: ‘I love the UK, I’m really looking forward to being there – it’s a creative hub, all the energy, it’s going to be a lot of fun.’
Loreen’s new single, Tattoo, is out now
