Loreen makes history with second Eurovision Song Contest win
Swedish singer Loreen called the win in Liverpool “surreal”
Loreen has won the Eurovision Song Contest for a second time with her anthemic pop banger ‘Tattoo’.
After months of incredible build up, Liverpool finally hosted the event’s Grand Final on behalf of Ukraine.
While the standard of the night left it a tough one to call, Sweden soon propelled to the top of the leaderboard with the jury vote.
“It’s like coming back to a family” – Loreen
Loreen emerged as a frontrunner with 340 points after the first set of votes. Israel and Italy were behind with 177 and 176 points.
She managed to maintain her lead after the fan vote, despite Käärijä, of Finland, receiving over 300 points with his catchy track ‘Cha Cha Cha’.
While that put him back to the top of the leaderboard, Loreen gained a public score of 243 that put her back on top for victory.
“This is so overwhelming,” Loreen said as she collected the trophy. “I’m so grateful. I’m so thankful.”
“In my wildest dreams, I didn’t think this would happen.”
In 2012, she won the Contest in Baku with the song ‘Euphoria’. Sweden will host again next year, on what will be the 50th anniversary with Waterloo in 1974.
This is the country’s 7th win. Sweden now ties with Ireland for the most Eurovision Song Contest wins of all time.
Loreen becomes the first woman to ever win Eurovision twice. Ireland’s Johnny Logan is the only other singer to achieve the same feat.
“It’s like coming back to a family,” the singer told media at the post-Grand Final press conference.
“We’ve had an 11-year long relationship. We know each other by now.”
The UK’s Mae Muller finished second to last place with 24 points. It was “not the result we hoped for,” she tweeted after the show.
“I know I joke a lot but we really put our all into the last few months,” she said. “Congrats to all the countries, I’ll never forget this journey and I love you all.”