Loreen - A Thread

[Ohmymy]

There are plenty of artists out there that blow our minds. I learned of Eurovision after coming out of the rock I was living under in 2012 and started googling all the entries submitted that year. It was then that I came across this: 

The performance blew my mind, but her voice...her voice was everything. She won that year and Euphoria became number one in multiple countries and was certified platinum ten times. She later performed various versions of Euphoria and continued to enthrall people with her singing capabilities. Loreen's first album, Heal, was released that same year and became #1 in Sweden where it was also certified platinum. With songs like "In My Head", "My Heart Is Refusing Me", and "Crying Out Your Name", Heal is a strong debut both musically and lyrically. Coupled with her voice, Loreen became one of those European artists everyone expected to become the next great thing. 

So what happened? 

Loreen's presence was not as significantly felt within the music industry after her release of Heal. She went on to release "Paper Light (Higher)" and "I'm in It With You" in 2015 and, while both songs did fairly well in Sweden, they did not reverberate as well with the general public. Her live performances and unique vocal abilities remained unparalleled but things had definitely changed. 

In 2016, it was confirmed that Loreen would be participating in Melodifastivalen, which is the competition that essentially selects Sweden's entry to Eurovision. For many, this was her grand return. Her entry, "Statements", was a strong contender, but lost to "Kiss You Goodbye" by Anton Hagman before being able to make it to the finals. The song reached #13 in the Sweden charts, but failed to make a greater impact. 

In 2017, she first released Nude - EP  in August and her sophomore album, Ride, later that year. While Nude did not chart, Ride debuted #31 in the Sweden charts, much to everyone's surprise. What was more surprising, however, and likely the cause for its failure to chart elsewhere was the huge difference between her sound in Heal and that in Ride. While some of her fans praised the release, others thought it was a completely different artist than the one they had come to love. 

Most recently, Loreen has been promoting her next album, Atlas, which she described as returning to her Moroccan-Berber roots. The album is highly anticipated amongst her fans (myself included) and is slated for release sometime this year.

Loreen's voice is no doubt her greatest asset, but her strongest attribute is her role as a human rights activist. She is known for her political views and for lending her unyielding support to the LGBTQ community. 

Loreen's music holds a special place in my heart and has carried me through some rough times. While I'm a huge fan of Heal, I've failed to connect as strongly with some of her most recent work. However, her live performances continue to mesmerize and her vocal prowess make her one of my favorite vocalists out there. I've never really written a thread here and this one is in no way encompassing of her journey, so I apologize in advance to any die-hard fans out there, but I wanted to create something where others could share their thoughts on Loreen (as well as performances and fav songs). <3

Hope there are some more fans here.

 

[5HINee]

you should have posted her britney cover for attention 

Euphoria is one my favorite eurovision songs

I also like this male cover