Loreen

Born in Stockholm in 1983 to a Moroccan Amazigh family and raised in Västerås, Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui early developed the artistic project that became known under the stage name Loreen. Her work sits between electronic pop, R&B influences and a deliberately pared-down aesthetic. Loreen first reached Swedish audiences through the TV show Idol in 2004, released a few singles and then stepped away from performing for a time to work behind the scenes in audiovisual production. Her return to music came via Melodifestivalen 2011 with “My Heart Is Refusing Me”, gradually establishing her on the Scandinavian pop scene with a sound that blends dance, dark atmospheres and a forward vocal presence. Victory in Melodifestivalen 2012 with “Euphoria” the following year led to the Eurovision Song Contest, which she won for Sweden and which gave her career an international dimension. Her debut album Heal (2012) extended this electropop vein and intense balladry, while Ride (2017) moved toward a slower, more organic register — between alternative pop and touches of soul. At the same time Loreen increased her television and film appearances, notably in Sweden, and regularly participated in collective projects around pop and electronic music. In 2023, another Melodifestivalen win with “Tattoo”, followed by a second Eurovision victory, confirmed Loreen’s place in the European musical landscape, underpinned by meticulous work on scenography, choreography and songwriting focused on emotion and the gradual build of her tracks.