Everything you need to know about the Scandinavian Eurovision contestants for 2023

The Eurovision Song Contest is one of Europe’s most cherished music events. Held annually in May, it sees 37 countries taking part and over 180 million viewers tuning in worldwide to showcase the best of their country’s talent. This year, the competition will be taking place in Liverpool, with the Grand Finale airing on the 13th of May. It’s a competition that has seen the likes of everyone from Lordi to Abba rise through the ranks to nab the top spot and go onto stardom.

We will be crossing our fingers for one of the Nordics’ entrants to be crowned the winner, which they have done no less than 14 times previously.

To get you primed and ready for the big day, here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Nordic contenders.

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She first made waves with her raw and stripped-back performance in 2012 with her hit ‘Euphoria’, providing a stark contrast to the competition’s typical kitsch and over-the-top spectacle. And now, she is returning once again to the hallowed Eurovision stage with this year’s song: ‘Tattoo’.

But who is the Swedish pop phenomenon beyond the Eurovision hype? Born Lorine Talhaoui (a.k.a Loreen) she hails from Åkersberga, born to Moroccan parents fleeing the Berber community. Today, the 39-year-old artist, who now lives in Gotland, is busy creating a universe of her own – when she is not making music that is. Along with her boyfriend, Loreen is opening a restaurant on the island this year, and even recently bought a marina.

Her Eurovision hopeful hit ‘Tattoo’ looks set to do well come May, according to some predictions. The sentimental tune explores themes of tough love, tormented romance and that relatable struggle of trying to make it work – a song for any hopeless romantic.

29-year-old rapper Käärijä, whose real name is Jere Pöyhönen, is Finland’s chance this year, performing with his party anthem, ‘Cha cha cha’, dedicated to a hedonistic night out. Hailing from Vantaa, a town near Helsinki, a lot of Käärijä’s music draws from embracing life and living it to the fullest. And it was this very notion of ‘you only live once’ which set him on the path to pursuing his own dream music career. It’s a mindset that potentially stems from his own challenging experiences, when in 2014 the rapper was suddenly hospitalised for a serious illness, though he recovered fully, it has clearly left its imprint on the singer.

Although Käärijä has been crafting songs for nearly a decade, it was his Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (the Finnish Contest for New Music) win in February that really put him on the map. Käärijä’s performances are known for their explosive energy. And judging from the sampler he gave at the UMK competition, Eurovision viewers will be in for quite the show.

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25-year-old Faroese singer Reiley will be representing Denmark in the 2023 competition with a catchy bop entitled ‘Breaking My Heart’. The tune delves into the sorts of confusion and feelings we all experience when we start a new relationship. In proper Gen Z form, Reiley first rose to fame via TikTok, where he now boasts over 11 million followers. What started as creating short covers of other people’s songs (his very first TikTok in 2019 immediately amassed 10 million views) soon turned into a blossoming career as a fully-fledged artist. And soon, this May, Reiley will be making history as the first Faroese person to represent Denmark at Eurovision.

Italian-Norwegian singer-songwriter Alessandra, her full name Alessandra Mele, will be representing Norway this year with ‘Queen of Kings’. The 20-year-old artist spent most of her childhood in Italy, where she attended local talent shows, but it wasn’t until she moved to Norway as a teenager that her music career really started to take off.

After participating in the Norwegian music competition The Voice [Norges beste stemme] in 2022, she won the nation’s hearts with her mesmerising vocals and the robust energy she brought to the stage. ‘Queen of Kings’ perfectly reflects Alessandra’s palpable confidence and fearlessness. The song is an ode to unapologetically being yourself and getting over any obstacle life throws at you. It’s a life philosophy that the artist advocates for in her social media too, often posting quotes on self-love and female empowerment on TikTok.

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Iceland’s contender Diljá Pétursdóttir, known as Diljá, will be trying her hand at winning Eurovision with her uplifting pop song ‘Power’. The 22-year-old artist’s offering is all about regaining your strength and power after leaving a troubled relationship.

Diljá first made a name for herself in 2015 participating in the TV show Ísland Got Talent. And although she didn’t win the competition, Diljá kept at it, moving to Copenhagen in order to focus on her music and really hone her skills further. It seems as if her hard work has paid off as earlier this year she won the Söngvakeppnin (Icelandic music contest) earning her a stab at Eurovision.