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| Loreen | |
|---|---|
| Name | Loreen |
| Birth name | Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui |
| Birth date | 1983-10-16 |
| Birth place | Stockholm |
| Origin | Sweden |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group |
Loreen is a Swedish singer and songwriter of Moroccan-Berber descent who gained international prominence after winning the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden in 2012 and again in 2023. Known for powerful vocals, minimalist electronic production, and visually striking performances, she has been influential in contemporary pop music and scandinavian music circuits. Her repertoire spans electropop, dance-pop, and art pop, and she has collaborated with producers and artists across Europe and North America.
Born Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui in Stockholm, she grew up in a multicultural household with roots in Morocco and Aït Melloul. Her early years included exposure to Arabic music traditions, Berber culture, and Western popular music from United States and United Kingdom radio. She studied at local schools in Husby and became involved in community singing and talent shows before appearing on televised music competitions. Influences from artists such as Madonna, Sade, Janet Jackson, Katarina Taikon-era cultural figures and performers from the 1980s shaped her artistic outlook.
She first appeared on national television through a talent show produced by TV4 (Sweden), which led to early recording contracts with labels connected to Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group. Her debut singles were produced with collaborators who had worked with acts like Roxette, Robyn, and Avicii. Following the breakthrough at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, she released a debut studio album that charted in Sweden, Norway, Germany, and other European Union markets. Subsequent EPs and singles saw collaborations with producers from London, Stockholm, and Los Angeles, blending influences from electronic dance music scenes such as House music, Trance, and ambient music. She has performed at major festivals including Way Out West, Roskilde Festival, and club residencies in Berlin and Ibiza.
Her first participation culminated in victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 representing Sweden, performing a single that topped charts across Europe and received acclaim from critics at outlets like BBC Music and Pitchfork commentators. She later returned to the contest and again won during the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, becoming one of the few artists to win the competition twice. Her entries were noted for staging inspired by directors associated with major televised productions such as the Royal Swedish Opera design teams and choreographers who worked with Beyoncé and Kylie Minogue. National selection processes like Melodifestivalen were pivotal in her path to selection, with campaigning and media coverage across SVT and European broadcasters.
Her musical style fuses minimalist electronic arrangements with dramatic vocal delivery reminiscent of Sade and rhythmic sensibilities found in R&B and soul traditions. Production techniques include sparse synth layering, atmospheric pads used by producers in Stockholm's electronic scene, and percussive programming associated with Sweden’s pop production lineage like that of Max Martin-affiliated studios. Visual aesthetics draw from contemporary dance, performance art, and staging conventions seen in large-scale tours by Madonna and U2. Critics in publications such as The Guardian and The New York Times have compared her work to avant-pop tendencies found in artists like FKA twigs and Björk.
She has maintained a public persona that emphasizes artistic integrity, social engagement, and cultural heritage, appearing in interviews with SVT, BBC, and Al Jazeera on topics ranging from representation to mental health. Activism includes support for refugee and migrant rights in collaboration with organizations operating in Europe and humanitarian appeals connected to UN Refugee Agency campaigns. She has appeared at benefit concerts associated with causes endorsed by Amnesty International and public discussions hosted by institutions such as Stockholm Pride and panels at the European Parliament on cultural inclusion. Media coverage in outlets like Dagens Nyheter and Aftonbladet has documented her stances on artistic freedom and diaspora identity.
Her background reflects a bicultural upbringing with family ties to Morocco and formative years in Stockholm suburbs. She has spoken publicly about personal challenges including experiences with stage anxiety and periods of introspection that informed creative pauses between album cycles. Interviews in Elle (Sweden) and Vogue Scandinavia have addressed her approach to privacy, relationships, and balancing public life with artistic work. She has lived and worked between Stockholm, London, and seasonal periods in Los Angeles for studio collaborations.
She received the Eurovision Song Contest trophy twice and won multiple national awards in Sweden including honors from Sverigetopplistan chart acknowledgments and nominations at the Grammis for Best Female Artist and Best Album. International recognition includes chart-topping singles in Germany, Norway, and Belgium and inclusion in year-end lists by BBC Radio 1, Rolling Stone, and Billboard editorial selections. She has been invited as a guest performer at major televised events such as Nobel Prize Award Ceremony galas and charity broadcasts hosted by BBC and SVT.
Category:Swedish singers Category:Eurovision Song Contest winners