Loreen

Emerging as a breakout star upon claiming victory at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest via "Euphoria," the Swedish vocalist and composer Loreen promptly ascended to the summit of the album charts with her first full-length release, Heal. A consistent flow of individual tracks, guest spots on various television programs, and the Top 40 follow-up collection Ride sustained her visibility across the balance of the decade. Following an extended period without fresh chart success, she engineered a significant return that peaked with a second triumph on the Eurovision stage in 2023, securing the top honor once more for "Tattoo" and thereby becoming the second artist overall, as well as the first female performer, to achieve dual wins in the competition.

Stockholm-born in 1983, Loreen—whose complete birth name is Lorine Zeineb Nora Talhaoui—first registered on the musical landscape at age twenty-one. Of Moroccan Berber heritage, the performer participated in the 2004 edition of Swedish Idol, delivering interpretations of material originally associated with the Police, Britney Spears, and Stevie Wonder. Advancing through the rounds to the semifinals, she ultimately placed fourth in the contest. During 2005 she issued the single "The Snake" alongside Rob'n'Raz and subsequently took on hosting duties for TV400 over the course of a year. After that engagement she chose to retreat from public view and concentrate on behind-the-scenes production responsibilities.

The withdrawal from center stage persisted until 2011, when Loreen submitted an entry to Melodifestivalen—the national selection process that determines Sweden’s Eurovision representative—with the track "My Heart Is Refusing Me." Once more the attempt fell short, preventing her from reaching the final. Refusing to accept that outcome, she returned for Melodifestivalen 2012 and captured the opportunity to represent her nation at that year’s Eurovision with "Euphoria." Penned by Thomas G:Son and Peter Boström, the song propelled forward on an energizing trance rhythm while spotlighting Loreen’s commanding voice, which drew influence from Björk, Enya, and Lisa Gerrard. "Euphoria" captured the Eurovision 2012 title and registered as a major single throughout Europe; in the United Kingdom it climbed to number three and remained inside the Top 20 for an extended stretch, whereas in territories such as France and Germany it attained the number-one position. Her debut album, Heal, arrived in October of that same year and debuted at the summit of the Swedish chart.

In 2014 Loreen revealed plans for what was intended to be her second studio album, Paperlight, slated to include joint work with Kiesza. Ultimately only a sequence of singles appeared—"Paper Light (Higher)," "Under ytan," and "I'm in It with You." She devoted subsequent seasons to performances tied to Eurovision programming and entered further national selections in pursuit of another contest appearance. By 2017 she had shifted focus to a fresh endeavor, the Nude EP, which contained the tracks "Body" and "Jungle" featuring Elliphant. Her officially recognized second album, Ride, reached listeners at the close of that year and attained a peak of number 31 on the Swedish ranking. Further singles extended her presence into the 2020s, a period during which she also took part in the Netflix feature Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga and appeared on the eleventh season of the Swedish television series Så mycket bättre.

Late in 2022 Loreen mounted her fourth campaign for Eurovision with the composition "Tattoo." The song prevailed in the domestic selection process and immediately ascended to number one on the Swedish charts, returning her to the international final in Liverpool, England. In May 2023 she was declared the winner with nearly 600 points, thereby becoming only the second individual to triumph twice while delivering Sweden its seventh contest victory overall.