LONDON (AP) 鈥 Loreen鈥檚 favorite moment of Eurovision comes as she's rolled onstage, lying flat between two horizontal screens and sporting spiky jeweled nails, waiting for the music to start.
It鈥檚 a moment of calm, about 40 seconds, when the Swedish singer can look at the audience and connect with the crowd, she says. It's also a stark contrast to the energetic performance that follows, one that has her tipped to come first at the Eurovision Song Contest 鈥 for a second time.
Loreen won in Baku, Azerbaijan, at Eurovision 2012 with 鈥淓uphoria鈥 and now it鈥檚 looking like she could do the double and triumph again more than a decade later with 鈥淭attoo.鈥 If she does win it all, she'd only be the second person in Eurovision history to win twice 鈥 and it's been 36 years since pulled off that feat for Ireland.
Loreen has already made it through Tuesday鈥檚 semifinal to earn a place for Sweden in Saturday's Grand Final This time feels different, she says, with the nerves of not knowing what to expect gone.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like coming back to family. Everything is very familiar. And I also think that the experience that I鈥檝e had these 11 years, like life 鈥 up, down, right, left, ding dong 鈥 has just taught me a lot,鈥 she says, laughing. 鈥淭his time feels more effortless, a more motherly energy going on.鈥
The 39-year-old singer has certainly been keeping an eye on the younger contestants, especially the more nervous performers, to help them feel more positive while bathed in the global spotlight of the competition.
Despite her success so far, Loreen initially turned down the opportunity to compete again, which disappointed the team around her and left her feeling flat. So she decided to consider the alternative.
鈥淚 could feel this little still of excitement in me and excitement outside of me. I鈥檓 like, My God, I know this rule. You follow the flow. You follow where it鈥檚 happiness and joy," she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 like, universe, what are you trying to tell me man?鈥
The universe was right.
鈥淟ook at me now,鈥 she adds. 鈥淚鈥檓 having the time of my life.鈥
With soaring vocals and an electronic beat, Loreen starts out her performance of 鈥淭attoo鈥 lying down. She slowly rises up, pushing the screen above her, until she鈥檚 standing fully, surrounded by images of intense weather, like she鈥檚 fought her way to the song鈥檚 finale.
There are also the nails. The sharp, jewel-encrusted nails she displays while dancing and gesturing with her hands. They are scattered around the surfaces of her hotel room in Liverpool.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e very beautiful, and when the light hits them 鈥 that was the whole idea. These elements, stone, sand, air, mist, wind, sky, sun, the moon, rain,鈥 Loreen explains.
Performance-wise, she says she鈥檚 learnt to conserve her energy for the climax of the track. It helps that the audience is joining in.
鈥淭he singing together, that was my whole vision in a way. That was what I envisioned in October and I鈥檝e been working for six months, you know, wanting, hoping to connect with you guys through the music,鈥 she says.
And despite being tipped to beat the other 25 acts, she鈥檚 not complacent about being favorite.
Loreen reckons that life taught her the hard way not to take anything for granted and to concentrate on the performance.
Even if she doesn鈥檛 come first, the song has already inspired fans to tattoo lyrics from 鈥淭attoo鈥 on themselves.
鈥淚 mean, that鈥檚 nice. But I don鈥檛 want them to tattoo that, my face, on there. Like no, don鈥檛 do that,鈥 she laughs.
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