In March Loreen won Sweden’s Melodifestivalen in a landslide, and subsequently she’s gone on to climb the bookies’ odds tables. But did the Eurovision favorite win over the Wiwi Jury—our in-house panel of music unprofessionals—with her song “Euphoria”? Read on to find out.
Wiwi: If Eurovision can be compared to sex, then Loreen’s “Euphoria” is definitely this year’s orgasm. The foreplay begins the moment the synthesized boooooom kicks off the song, and the pleasure builds as Loreen asks if “this night can last forever more.” We seriously want it to if she’s singing. By the time she belts out “euphoria” for the first time, the audience can be heard freaking out—a sure sign they want to make musical love to this stunning singer of Moroccon-Berber descent.
The staging proves that less is more—a lesson most Eurovision acts have trouble understanding. Simple dance moves reflect the purity of the song’s message: that love takes us to a higher place. And Loreen’s occasional writhing—cue jokes about straight jackets—conveys a sense of madness that can accompany that journey. When the snow falls we see a passing of seasons: time has moved on, and the love Loreen shares with her back-up dancer remains strong.
Sweden’s producers—no doubt the best in the world—have created a pop music masterpiece. Can we book our hotels for Eurovision 2013 in Stockholm yet?
Score: 10/10
Vebooboo: If ever there were an appropriately named Eurovision song, this is it. “Euphoria” delivers just that. Loreen can sing, she can dance, and she can win in Baku this year. My only fear is that it’s too classy for some of the trashier Eurovision viewers out there.
Score: 9/10
Meows Kitty: Now this is what wind machines are made for! Loreen has great stage presence and she sings the hell out of this song. I love the minimalist approach to staging as it adds even more drama to her performance. I think we’ve found a song worthy of the Eurovision 2012 crown.
Score: 9/10
Deban: Loreen’s performance transcends borders. She’s an African girl with the essence of a contemporary geisha. She executes movement and belts out her voice in perfect synchronicity to the back drop of what could be a barren Kyoto wasteland. It is conceptual, yet so relatable. “Euphoria” provides the perfect template for a thousand remixes. Its Japanese elements offers the perfect recipe for Pan-Asia chart success. Furthermore, the entire performance can be deconstructed, theorised, and still remain wholesome. Regardless of the ESC outcome, I’m convinced that Loreen will inspire many acts. The contest isn’t always about winning. It’s equally important to participate with integrity, especially in a contest that struggles with quality control. I was one of the many campaigners for Loreen’s Melodifestivalen victory. Read the article here.
“Euphoria” will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of Baku and live on as a Eurovision classic.
Score: 9/10
The Wiwi Jury Verdict: 9.25/10
Photo courtesy of SVT
Simple, professional, catchy and memorable. Just fantastically produced. It’s not a grower, it delivers from the first listen. I find it hard to find fault. I just hope that effort is rewarded with victory.
God help us all, if this is the future of brilliant transcending music and dancing, because I can’t recognise neither in Loreen’s performance!
WTF?! Are you serious? 9.25/10 for what? For a catchy song that we have every year? The reviews are so strange…..I mean Madinga’s song is too commercial, then how is this? Or Soluna Samay’s song, it’s so much better and it has a message, this song is just commercial with a nice chorus.
nothing special this is the night by kurt calleja is my number one go malta
Sensational. The more I hear it the more I see where the bookies with their odds are coming from.
I liked it when I saw it at the swedish pre-selection but time has not been doing this song any good. It has now got me very tired of the euro dance pop sound from the mid-nineties but of course it will do well.It is Sweden after all but it has some low moments and I think she can sing but this O-O-O-O-O covered in synths make it sound like auto-tune that seems to should cover up that she can’t sing and that is a shame.I do like her voice but I feel no longer eur(o)phoric about this song.
Every house song sounds the same, so does this song. It’s just some oo oo aa oo bumbum that’s all. Eurovision is looking for something else I think. Anyway it wouldn’t be bad in a disco floor, but that’s all. Hope something better wins.
Good but not exceptional pop/trance.Very Van Buuren if hes not playing it already,good staging
also.
Francisco, we’ve had pop, ballad and rock entries win the Eurovision Song Contest but I haven’t seen a club/dance entry win Eurovision and this year could be it! It’s very likely to be from either Sweden or Cyprus in terms of dance entries creating Eurovision history.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Loreen goes on to win the Eurovision Song Contest this year AND shatter Alexander Rybak’s 3 year record.
It is a beautiful song, it is trancey, housey and dancey and at the same time if has a beautiful bass and rather interesting acoustics. However…is this a Eurovision song? Well, ~I’m not sure, really…I can’t see any Swedish touch in it, it could be American, Mediterranean or anything, as far as I know…I think this is the problem, really, it is too “generic” in character, full of extatic joy, though…
10/10 from me! you go girl!!!! see you in stockholm 2013 😉 <3
Overrated is the right word! I think I would like it better at radio than on stage – I definitively don’t get whatever dance she performs – too euphoric! Though I can digest this better than Albania’s entry that seems to drive mad the wiwi guys 🙂
Loreen is not an African girl. She has lived her whole life in Sweden.
I saw the hype before I heard the song, so when it started I had a sinking feeling that it was going to be an ordinary house number, albeit with nice sounds. Wrong. This is a powerful song of multiple moods, backed by an evolving matrix of carefully weighted and varied tones, with a combined sound that flows at the surface and flickers at depth. In other words, it works for different listening levels, and therefore different listeners. Some of the lyrics are a bit cheesy, but they are euphonious and evocative, which is what really counts here since the… Read more »
LOVE YOU LOREEN YOU MUST WIN EVERYBODY DONT FORGET 2 VOOOTE IF YOU WANT HER 2 WIN
I don’t like the song but I know it will win..Ulrik Munther was way better and should have won the Swedish final 🙁
Sweden is the winner this year! See you in Stockholm 2013!
Deban, you are so freaking hilarious for deconstructing eurovision songs. Doing it is one thing but admitting to it is another. What a freak you are…. And Pan-Asian? Oh my Gawd!
I agree with Nirgal, I think this song is overrated. But Im still going to be eurphoric when Sweden will bring ESC 2013 to Scandinavia!
Is it just me or does anyone get freaked out when there is snow and a black guy comes from behind and picks Loreen up? (the hostess was making fun of this at the finals)
This song is a crap and is very boring.
Nice to know I’ve made a difference 😉
There’s no doubt this should be challenging for victory in Baku. It’s not just a pop tune but a classy pop tune. Yet there is just a little part of me that doesn’t love it as much as I feel I should. It deservedly won a poor Melodifestivalen and listening again to 2011’s My Heart is Refusing Me reminds me how good this girl is. Way better than an out of tune Danny I really hope she does the business. Still, I preferred My heart is refusing me but if she were to win in Baku then I’d be more… Read more »
I don’t get the hype. Don’t get me wrong, I like this song,but I think it’s overrated.
Can no one risk giving 10/10?
LOREEN <3
Loreen the best!