Last week we had the distinct privilege to sit down with Eurovision 2012 winner and current Eurovision 2023 contestant Loreen from Sweden for a lovely mid-afternoon chat. As you would expect, the entire time was filled with joy, laughter, and extremely thoughtful responses.
While the conversation was short in time, we discussed her time on set for Drag Race Sverige’s fifth episode titled “The Dragodi Festival”, with the challenge featuring two parodies of former Melodifestivalen entries from 1986 and 1987. Speaking about the queens on the show she mentioned how inspired she was from their creative energy, and how appreciative she was to be in that space with them.
She also revealed her first impression surrounding “Tattoo” and her hesitation for entering Melodifestivalen in the first place. “Not in my wildest dreams did I think that life was going to take me down this path, I thought this chapter of my life had closed.” What made her decide to enter after saying no so many times? Her heart, body, and community pulling her back towards Melodifestivalen so that she could fulfil the purpose of the song – to connect musically with the viewers.
We talked about other things as well throughout the interview including her love of blueberries and coffee in the morning, her intention to keep the original storyboard of her Melfest staging alive for Eurovision, the meaning behind the staging concept, and a possible stage dive in Liverpool.
Who is Loreen?
Loreen first appeared on the Swedish musical scene in 2004 when she participated in Swedish Idol, and was eliminated on Week 8 and finished in 4th place. After releasing her single “The Snake” in 2005, she would reappear in 2011 when she decided to enter Melodifestivalen with “My Heart is Refusing Me” but failed to reach the final. As most Eurovision fans would know, she returned in 2012 with “Euphoria” and not only won Melodifestivalen but also Eurovision 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Since then she has been engaged in political activism, embarked on tours, and released two studio albums Heal (2012) and Ride (2017) and a variety of singles.
What did #YOU like most about our interview with Loreen? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our discord, or on our forum page!
