Sweden: Loreen wins Melodifestivalen 2023 with "Tattoo"

After five weeks of shows, it was time for the sixth and final week of Melodifestivalen 2023. The Final was aired live from Friends Arena in Stockholm, and was hosted by Jesper Rönndahl and Farah Abadi.

From 28 songs and six shows, all was concluded tonight, when the Swedish public and eight international juries agreed to send Loreen to Eurovision again. This time, she'll fight for another trophy with the song "Tattoo."

Loreen won both the international juries' and the Swedish public's votes. The bookmakers didn't have any doubt about Loreen as the winner, and she's currently the favorite to win Eurovision – for a second time!

Tattoo was written by Loreen herself along with Jimmy "Joker" Thörnfeldt, Jimmy Jansson, Moa Carlebecker, Peter Boström, and Thomas G:son.

Loreen

Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui (39) was born in Stockholm. She came to fame when she won the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with "Euphoria," which became a worldwide hit that reached number one on the charts in 21 countries. Her winning song for Eurovision 2023, "Tattoo," has already topped the Sverigetopplistan chart.

Loreen participated in the talent show Idol in 2004, finishing fourth, and in 2005 she released her first single "The Snake" with the band Rob'n'Raz.

After some years working as a TV presenter and producer she returned to the music scene when she participated in Melodifestivalen 2011 with "My Heart Is Refusing Me." She placed fourth in the second heat but failed to qualify for the final from the Second Chance show.

But she wasn't finished with Melodifestivalen at that point. She competed at Melodifestivalen 2012 with the song "Euphoria," written by Thomas G:son and Peter Boström, and won the ticket to Eurovision 2012 in Baku. She won Eurovision with a total of 372 points coming from 40 of the 42 voting countries (only Italy didn't give any votes to Sweden).

After her triumph at Eurovision she released her debut album "Heal" in the autumn of 2012.

Loreen made her third Melodifestivalen appearance in 2017, where she competed with the song "Statements." The song placed 3rd in Heat 4, and qualified for the Second Chance show, but didn't qualify for the Final from there.

Out of her four Melodifestivalen participations, she's won half of them:

• 2011: My Heart Is Refusing Me (second chance)
• 2012: Euphoria (winner)
• 2017: Statements (second chance)
• 2023: Tattoo (winner)

Loreen also made her acting debut in the movie "Vinterviken" in 2021.

Melodifestivalen 2023

• 4 February: Deltävling 1 (Göteborg)
• 11 February: Deltävling 2 (Linköping)
• 18 February: Deltävling 3 (Lidköping)
• 25 February: Deltävling 4 (Malmö)
• 4 March: Semi-final (Örnsköldsvik)
• 11 March: Final (Stockholm)

All shows were presented by Farah Abadi and Jesper Rönndahl.

In each of the four heats, two songs qualified directly for the Final, and two songs progressed to the Semi-final. In the Semi-final, eight songs competed, and the top four songs qualified for the Final.

The heats and Semi-final were 100% public vote, while the Final was decided by 50% public vote and 50% international juries.

Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest

Since 1958, Sweden has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 61 times, and with great success. They have won the contest 6 times:

• 1974: ABBA – Waterloo
• 1984: Herreys – Diggi-loo Diggy-ley
• 1991: Carola – Fångad Av En Stormvind
• 1999: Charlotte Nilsson – Take Me To Your Heaven
• 2012: Loreen – Euphoria
• 2015: Måns Zelmerlöw – Heroes

They came in last two times (1963 and 1977), and since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004 Sweden has managed to qualify for the Grand Final 17 out of 18 times (only failing to qualify in 2010)!