LOREEN!
One of the 2011’s success stories in Swedish pop. She wowed on the stage of Melodifestivalen this year with ‘My Heart Is Refusing’. Enough to ensure that the song became one of the biggest hits of the year outside of the contest – both on radio and in the sales chart. The even more sublime ‘Sober’ followed in September, but no word on an album. And so we had a sneaking suspicion that we might see her again in Melodifestivalen 2012 . Performing a third single, and then BAM – maximum exposure for the album to be released.
And we were right! She’ll compete with ‘Euphoria’, composed by Thomas G:son and Peter Böstrom.
We grabbed a quick chat with her at Monday’s Melodifestivalen press conference, to ask her about the song, and about this album that we’re all so desperately waiting for.
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scandipop: Welcome back to Melodifestivalen, Loreen.
Loreen: Thank you, thank you!
scandipop: I suspected you might be back next year. You have some unfinished business with Melodefestivalen, since ‘My Heart Is Refusing Me’ didn’t quite make the final but yet went on to become one of the hits of the year. So I thought you might come back to right that wrong.
Loreen: You know, you’re the only one who’s said that to me today. Everyone else has been like, “what the hell are you doing here? You’re back?”.
scandipop: Oh really? And what’s everyone’s reasons being for being so surprised?
Loreen: I don’t know, I haven’t asked. I’ve just been like “well……I’m here”! So you have a good intuition.
scandipop: And obviously you’re very glad to be back, I imagine.
Loreen: Yeah, I am. I get to perform on a big stage to a lot of people. And to just be creative. And not think about the actual competition, so to speak.
scandipop: Ok. And so what’s the song like? What’s ‘Euphoria’ like?
Loreen: ‘Euphoria’ is still mystical, it’s very mystical. And the dynamic is still there. Like in ‘My Heart Is Refusing Me’ – I liked the dynamics in that. And ‘Euphoria’ has ambience, a good ambience. That’s all I’m gonna give you, I’m not gonna give you anything else!
scandipop: Ok….
Loreen: YOU CAN’T MAKE ME! Ha ha ha!
scandipop: I wouldn’t dare try! Right, well with ‘Euphoria’ all set to wow in the contest, I hope you’re gonna have an album ready to go straight afterwards, in March or April time.
Loreen: I think so. Perhaps. It depends really on what the record label says. They’re always waiting on the right opportunity to release it. Because you know the album is already done.
scandipop: Oh that’s good to know that it’s all ready to go – you’re just waiting to seize an opportunity. Oh ok. Well I’m really looking forward to it because I especially like ‘Sober’.
Loreen: You like ‘Sober’.
scandipop: Yeah, even more so than ‘My Heart Is Refusing Me’.
Loreen: Really. Ah ok. Well the whole album is just one big….I’m talking a lot about relationship problems. It’s therapy. Right through.
scandipop: And all to a dance beat?
Loreen: Not everything, not really everything. I mix a lot. ‘Cos people expect that – they’ve heard ‘My Heart Is Refusing Me’ and they’ve heard ‘Sober’, and so they think that the third song and the fourth song is gonna be dance. But it’s not really like that.
scandipop: Ok. So last year was your first Melodifestivalen. And you got to experience for the first time just how crazy the press is surrounding the competition. How do you feel about going through that aspect a second time, now that you’ve experienced it already?
Loreen: You know, I’ll tell you something. I didn’t read one article. I didn’t want to, because I get so affected by it. I am a sensitive person. For example, just say I saw something written like “oh Loreen, she sucks” – that would actually kill me.
scandipop: Oh no!
Loreen: Yeah, I’m extremely sensitive.
scandipop: Ok. Well I read a lot of things about you during the contest, and can tell you now that it was ALL positive, ha ha.
Loreen: Ah that’s good, ha ha.
scandipop: Thanks for your time Loreen, see you again soon.
Loreen: Thank you! See you.
