The first thing that strikes me when we meet is how tall she is, and beautiful; a mythical forest raw that radiates strength, perhaps not so surprising because she draws her power in nature and within herself. She is inspired by her own and others’ life experiences. This world star who protects her interior behind curtains of long dark hair that run down her face. It is rumored that Danny Saucedo was offered to perform Euphoria at the Melodifestivalen, but declined. Loreen took the song, did it in her own way and the rest is, as they say, history.
It is February 2017 and we meet Loreen at Hotel Haymarket at Hötorget in Stockholm. The historic PUB department store has been given space for the modern hotel – stylish, trendy and inviting. Gate Report goes up to the beautiful penthouse, the suite, where the interview and shooting will take place, the view over Stockholm and Kungsholmen is stunning.
It is three o’clock in the afternoon and the team begins to gather. The make-up and I are in place first.
When Loreen enters the suite, I feel a little nervous. But after greeting her and we took the words out of each other’s mouth that it should be a fun afternoon, the nervousness is blown away.
Now the make-up begins, but Loreen is not in vain at all. She was recently on Renée’s bridge on TV4, completely without make-up, together with Fredrik Reinfeldt – who, by the way, demanded that Loreen participate in order for him to show up at all.
Loreen moves effortlessly in front of the camera and delivers, with skin but not too much. Sensual.
How do you see the future?
– Bright, absolutely bright, despite everything that happens in the world. You can either see the glass as half full or half empty. That’s kind of the trick.
And your life until now?
– It’s a long story, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but have received fantastic love from my mother, my sister and my family. I know what poverty is, and it has affected me.
Loreen was born in Åkersberga outside Stockholm in 1983. Her parents are originally from Morocco and Loreen knows her origins as a Berber, a natural and nomadic people.
Is that where your interest in nature comes from?
– I rest in nature and I am myself inspired by my own and others’ life experiences.
Her music career began with Idol.
– My little sister wanted me to stand up, and she is very stubborn.
What did you think of Idol time?
– It was both good and bad. I developed as an artist but had a hard time fitting into the template, about what is it to be a good artist. In a way I got a slap in the face and afterwards I decided to always do my thing, no one else would decide. Fuck you, kind of.
What happened after Idol?
– I did my first big song, My heart is refusing me, which I wrote myself, together with another person, but still. Then came the opportunity with the Melodifestivalen. I had the opportunity to do Euphoria in my own way.
No one (not even Christer Björkman) got to see her performance in advance, except her choreographer:
– She is cruel and respects my artistic identity; the performance in the Globe is the most amazing I have been through. The nerve that you share with the audience is indescribable.
The performance in Baku then? There was an audience of 70,000 people, wasn’t there?
– The performance in Baku was unfortunately characterized by the country not being democratic and the Eurovision Song Contest affected people in a way that is terrible. Women, children and the elderly were driven out of their homes, on the street, to make room for the event. I contacted the organization Civil Right Defenders in Sweden, activists who fight for justice. For some strange reason, they were arrested one by one in connection with the contest, for tax fraud…
Yes, you have a great social commitment, tell me about it?
– I got the opportunity, through the successes with Euphoria, among other things, and have taken advantage of it. Most people who can, fight for justice and artists can have greater influence than politicians. It also means a responsibility.
But Donald Trump then?
– Even Trump can mean a change, which does not have to be for the worse. He makes such utterly insane decisions that people will eventually be forced to react. That popular movement is much more powerful than an individual politician does, even though he is said to be the world’s most powerful man.
You have also been a supporter of your family in Morocco.
– Yes, they lived in such difficult conditions, barely had a house to live in and two goats. Now they have a house and five goats, ha ha. Jokes aside, it is rewarding in itself to be able to give. I wish spoiled Swedish youth would go to Africa, and digging wells, instead of being confirmed. They would definitely come back more humble and understanding.
Loreen laughs a lot during the interview, at the same time as she presents views on how society should function. It is hoped that more artists could deliver like her, in a society where soap celebrities have taken over the headlines from politicians and other people in power.
What are you doing right now, and what’s the most fun?
– I produce and perform, this spring and autumn there will be two mini albums on CD with 8 to 10 tracks. My favorite is otherwise a bit unexpectedly vinyl, I’m an old school chick. Right now I’m listening to Riders on the Storm by The Doors, it’s raw and unmade up, not arranged and boring.
– The most fun and challenging thing is to perform in front of an audience. When you produce, you can stand in the studio, rewind the tape and do it again. When you stand on the stage there is no return, no possibility of retreat, it is now or never, the nerve is there or not. The audience judges the performance and forms an opinion of me, right then.
Melodifestivalen 2017?
– It’s exciting but I don’t know at all how it will go, it depends on how open the audience is. This performance will be something completely different than when I danced onto the stage and sang, barefoot and in veils in 2012, so we’ll see.
Have you always known that you wanted to become an artist?
– No, not at all, actually had no idea about it until I was 18-19 years old. For a while when I was little I wanted to be a ballerina, then something completely different. I didn’t reflect much on what I wanted to be as a kid. I never went and thought that this is what I want to be when I grow up.
How do you stay physically and mentally fit when you travel so much?
– I run a lot and do yoga, yoga is probably some kind of intermediate position between physical and spiritual training. When it comes to the spiritual, there is really only one thing that works, and that is to be in solitude and gather strength.
It’s seven in the evening and the interview is complete, Gate Report will invite Loreen and her company to dinner. I dig desperately for the credit card in my pockets, but find nothing, have almost never felt so stupid.
But, Loreen is not a diva, although she could be, just smiles a little and says it works out. She’s probably actually just Loreen “from the block”. But the mystery is there.
FACTS LOREEN
Loreen’s parents are of Moroccan descent, the nomadic people, the Berbers. Loreen was born in Åkersberga outside Stockholm in 1983. She became known for her participation in Idol 2004. Her little sister registered her for the program without Loreen’s knowledge. In 2011 she releases her first big own song My heart is refusing me. In 2012 she wins the Swedish Melodifestivalen and Eurovision Song Contest in Baku with Euphoria, and becomes a world star. In 2017, she participates in the Melodifestivalen again. She will release two mini-CDs in 2017.
• Source: http://gatereport.se/loreen/
• Scans: http://gallery.lovely-loreen.com/thumbnails.php?album=718
• Translation: via Google Translate