Swedish singer Loreen wins Eurovision Song Contest for 2nd time at carnival event in Ukraine
Swedish singer Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with her power ballad “Tattoo” at an eclectic, colorful music competition obscured for a second year due to the war. war in Ukraine.
Diva from Stockholm beat artists from 25 other countries to take the continent’s pop crown in the competition finale in Liverpool. Finnish singer Käärijä came in second in a melee with its Nordic neighbors.
Loreen, 39, previously won Eurovision in 2012 and is only the second artist to win it twice, after Ireland’s Johnny Logan in the 1980s. This is Sweden’s seventh Eurovision win, fittingly. with the Irish record.
“I was really overwhelmed,” Loreen said. “This is so beautiful.”
She said returning to the pageant that made her a star “was like coming back to a family. We had a relationship that lasted 11 years. We’ve known each other by now.”
Britain hosted Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine, which won last year but was unable to claim the right to host the competition because of the war. Air raid sirens sounded throughout Ukraine as the contest was underway and the Ukrainian media reported on a strike in Ternopil, home of Ukraine’s Eurovision entry, Tvorchi.
With the slogan “united by music”, the Eurovision finals combined the soul of the English port city, the birthplace of The Beatles, with the spirit of war-torn Ukraine.
Ukraine’s sights and sounds run through the show, starting with an opening film that shows the Kalush Orchestra of Eurovision 2022 winners singing and dancing in the Kyiv metro, with tunes chosen by the musicians. musicians in the United Kingdom – including Kate, Princess of Wales, shown playing the piano.
The folk rap band themselves then appeared on stage at the Liverpool Arena with giant arms outstretched, accompanied by massive drummers.
Contestants from 26 finalist countries entered the arena in an Olympic-style flag parade, accompanied by live performances by Ukrainian artists including Go A, Jamala, Tina Karol and Verka Serduchka — all former Eurovision rivals.
Now in its 67th year, Eurovision bills itself as the biggest music competition in the world — an Olympics of party-friendly pop music. Each contestant has three minutes to combine catchy tunes and eye-popping spectacles into performances capable of winning the hearts of millions of viewers.
Loreen’s love anthem was loved by bookmakers and won the most votes from professional juries in Eurovision’s complex voting system. She faced a strong challenge from Käärijä, an energetic performer whose rap-pop party song “Cha Cha Cha” won the public vote.
Israel’s Noa Kirel came in third with the power-pop song “Unicorn”, while Italy’s Marco Mengoni came in fourth with the ballad “Due Vite” (Two Lives).
The diverse tastes of the continent were showcased in a contest that included the cabaret vocals of the Portuguese Mimicat, the powerful Britney pop of Poland’s Blanka, the echoes of Edith Piaf from La Zarra. for France and the smoldering ballad from the Cypriot entry, Andrew Lambro.
Hailing from Australia — a Eurovision contender despite its remote location — guitar band Travel evokes sensational ’80s stadium rock. Croatia’s Let 3 delivered a surreal antiwar rock opera, and Austrian duo Teya & Salena introduced the music industry in the Poe reference song “Who is Edgar?”
Electronica Tvorchi duo praised Ukraine’s resilience in “Heart of Steel”, which came in sixth.
Britain’s Mae Muller took the impossibly final spot of the night with her upbeat breakup song “I Wrote a Song”. She came in second to last – but at least avoided the humiliation of receiving a “zero”, or no score.
While the votes were tallied and counted, Sam Ryder, last year’s UK runner-up, performed his new single “Mountain” alongside Queen’s drummer Roger Taylor. The “Liverpool Songbook” segment featured former Eurovision stars performing the city’s songs, including John Lennon’s “Imagine”, Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” and the anthem. unofficial song “You’ll Never Walk Alone” — with audience participation, as a tribute to both Liverpool and Ukraine.
Around 6,000 fans watched the show inside the arena and tens of thousands more at the Liverpool fan zone and at big-screen events across the UK. The global television audience is estimated at 160 million people.
Under the spring sunshine, thousands of fans flocked to the Eurovision party area in the city’s pier area ahead of the competition. Many people wear the flags of their favorite countries or dress up as their favorite acts.
Australian Martin Troedel, wearing a kangaroo on his hat, said: “Just coming here and meeting people from all different nationalities, all different cultures – it’s fun.” “Honestly, there’s some pretty odd behavior, which is what I like about it. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Liverpool embraces Eurovision and Ukraine, with businesses across the city flying Ukrainian flags and a program of cultural events introducing locals to the Eastern European nation’s art, music and cuisine.
But organizers said they had rejected a request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to speak via video. The European Broadcasting Union said it would violate the “non-political nature of the event.”
Founded in 1956, Eurovision is a European cultural organization that has spawned breakout stars — ABBA and Celine Dion are both past winners — alongside artists whose careers have sunken. no trace.
In recent years, it has once again become a platform that can launch stars. Italian rock band Måneskin, the 2021 winner, has performed at major US festivals and opened the Rolling Stones tour. Ryder had a number one album and performed at the Glastonbury festival.
Steve Holden, the official podcast host of the Eurovision Song Contest said: “Now the music industry, the world, knows that if you show up at Eurovision, you can participate in something great. great.
