Out of all the elements that signal the arrival of summer, Eurovision has to be one of the largest. Held every year since 1956, the world’s longest-running annual international televised music competition seeks to reward participating European nations, alongside a few +1s from around the world, for their artistic talent and original productions brought to the stage.
On May 14, crowds from all over the Old Continent flocked to Liverpool as the Scouse city was appointed official host of the 67th edition of the Eurovision on behalf of Kiev, which is still suffering from the severe damages and ongoing destruction caused by the war against Russia.
Despite the morose atmosphere of the ceremony, festivities rolled out as planned, crowning Sweden with their seventh title, meaning that the Land of the Svea will be organizing next year’s sonic gathering, luckily coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Scandinavian country’s first-ever win, snagged in 1974 by iconic pop band ABBA.
This year, Sweden was represented by singer and songwriter Loreen, born Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui, who’s mesmerizing performance stole the show and won the hearts of nearly the entirety of the jury who were collectively captivated by her stunning delivery of Tattoo, an original composition that went on to win the coveted contest with a grand total of 583 points.
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For the occasion, and to celebrate the heart-warming achievement, below, five facts about the Sweden-born Moroccan singer:
She is 39-years-old
Loreen was born in 1983 in Stockholm to Moroccan-Amazigh parents. Having spent her early years in the Swedish capital, her family went on to move to Västerås, a provincial city that she enthusiastically calls home.
She was first introduced to audiences through a music TV program
Loreen’s first steps in the industry were made almost two-decades-ago, in 2004, on a popular music TV competition called Idol, in which she ended up finishing in fourth place. Arguably the kickstart of her career, she went on to release her first single in 2005, officially marking her entry into the industry.
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She was one of two artists to have Moroccan roots at Eurovision 2023
At this year’s Eurovision, two singers happened to have origins from the North African Kingdom. As you may have noticed by now, Loreen was one of them, while her other Moroccan counterpart, La Zarra, born Fatima-Zahra Hafdi, was representing France.
She is the first woman to ever win the Eurovision twice
This is not the first time that Loreen was seen competing at the Eurovision. Her first appearance, in 2012, saw her bring the coveted title back, which makes her 2023 entry her second win ever. Only one other artist has ever managed that same achievement, namely Johnny Logan in 1980 and 1987. However, Loreen is the first-ever female artist to have done so.
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She is a staunch activist
We always have to acknowledge and praise artists that use their influence and reach to raise awareness and Loreen is part of that unique cohort of celebrities that don’t shy away from speaking up. Aside from being appointed as the ambassador of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan in 2013, she made headlines for calling Azerbaijan out for several repeated human rights breaches on their own soil, mere moments before collecting her winner’s trophy at her first participation at the Eurovision in 2012.
