Since 1956 the Eurovision Song Festival has provided a stage for remarkable talents, unforgettable performances, and surprising victories. As the years go by, an increasing number of TV and online users find themselves in front of screens discussing their favorite tracks of the year and sharing their own predictions of the scores. In this article, we will dive into the unique story of each winner starting from 2010 onwards, contributing to the cultural significance of the event and shaping a more diverse music industry.
2010: Lena - Satellite 🇩🇪
Lena Meyer-Landrut, known in the industry by her stage name Lena, is a German singer who represented her country in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo at the age of 19. However, her journey in music started much earlier, as a young girl born and raised in Hanover. She grew up as an only child and started taking dancing lessons at the age of five, initially doing ballet and later practicing modern styles. After some years, she decided to shift her focus to singing without particular training but with a big passion for music. Within several months, Lena found herself standing on the biggest stage of her life, receiving the prestigious award, all while still finishing high school. On that night, the German broadcaster ARD measured almost 15 million viewers, and suddenly, everyone was talking about the young girl from Hannover. The song "Satellite" marked Germany's second win in the songfest's 55-year history. The previous victory was in 1982 when another teenager, 17-year-old Nicole, triumphed with the anti-war ballad "Ein bisschen Frieden" ("A Little Peace").
Lena performing at Grand Final show
Since that victory in Oslo, a lot of time has passed, during which she released four albums, with the latest being "Only Love, L" - a very personal record about falling down and getting back on your feet again, self-knowledge, and strength. Her story proves that no matter how high you start in the music industry, it takes courage, passion, and hard work to maintain your place in it.
2011: Ell & Nikki - Running Scared 🇦🇿
Before we begin discussing the great victory of these musicians, it is important to delve into the story of the Azerbaijani duo Ell & Nikki. Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal, both born in Baku, participated separately in the national selection process to choose who would represent the country in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. Despite Eldar receiving fewer votes (17.2%) than Nigar with 23.4%, the commission decided to combine them into one ensemble. Several people worked on "Running Scared", such as British songwriter Iain Farquharson, Stefan Örn, and Sandra Bjurman, to ensure the track had a more contemporary sound for Eurovision. And so, after a tough battle with Turkey's selected entry, the trophy came into the hands of the young singers, signifying Azerbaijan's first victory in only their fourth appearance in the competition.
Duo performing at Grand Final show
2012: Loreen - Euphoria 🇸🇪
The chances of finding someone who hasn't heard the song "Euphoria" at least once during this edition are very slim. But where did it all start? Loreen has a different story than the previous two winners we have discussed; she was already quite established in the music industry when she got the chance to represent Sweden. The musician became known to national audiences after participating in the Idol TV competition in 2004 and finishing in fourth place. The following year, she released her first single, 'The Snake', with the band Rob'n'Raz and became a television presenter on TV400. While working as a segment producer and director for several reality shows, she decided to try herself at Melodifestivalen 2011 with the song 'My Heart Is Refusing Me', which became a top 10 hit in Sweden. After two more songs appeared in the charts, she finally gained recognition and was introduced to the Eurovision world. Production on ‘Euphoria’ started in May, 2011, when Thomas G:son and Peter Broström worked in a studio together. The first rough demo of the song was sung by Thomas, where the title ‘Euphoria’ was established, but the verses weren’t yet worked out and were just sung in gibberish.
Official Music Video of Euphoria by Loreen
In later interviews, Loreen described the song as "very dramatic", dedicated to "a special state of mind and being very deeply in love". Needless to say, the effect the song had was tremendous. "Euphoria" received critical acclaim from most music critics, reaching number one on the singles chart in Sweden, where it stayed for 6 weeks and sold 400,000 copies. Outside of Sweden, the song peaked at number one in 16 countries across Europe, marking the most chart-topping positions of any Eurovision winner! All in all, she was not only the greatest success but proof that Eurovision contestants can gain enormous fame outside of the competition. However, as some of you might know, the saga of Loreen x Eurovision was not finished in 2012, which we will discuss in the second part of this article.
2013: Emmelie de Forest - Only Teardrops 🇩🇰
Growing up in the town of Mariager in North Denmark, Emmelie began singing professionally at a young age, joining her mother in a gospel choir for several years. By the time she turned 14, she was touring Denmark with Scottish musician Fraser Neill, building a small fanbase. Her repertoire focused on folk music, including original songs and folk/blues covers of well-known compositions. After four years, Emmelie ended her collaboration with Neill and moved to Copenhagen to continue her studies. Little did she know that just a few years later, she would be selected to participate in Eurovision.
Reflecting on "Only Teardrops," Emmelie recalls, "I fell in love with it. The song had a melancholic feeling and spoke about war and peace, both in relationships and in the world. I believe these are issues that people worldwide can relate to." The winning song in 2013 featured orange lighting, pounding drums, and a man with a flute, but most importantly, it showcased Emmelie's unique vocal style. A notable detail of her performances was her preference to perform barefoot, as it made her "feel closer to the earth and more relaxed." With 281 points, she won Eurovision, transforming a relatively small arena with pulsating beats and the atmosphere from fantasy books.
Official Music Video
2014: Conchita Wurst - Rise Like a Phoenix 🇦🇹
Conchita Wurst's performance at Eurovision was discussed worldwide, not only showcasing the power of music but also addressing important social issues. Thomas Neuwirth was born in Gmunden and raised in the small town of Bad Mitterndorf in the Styrian countryside of Austria. He recalls his childhood as sweet and full of experiences but far from carefree due to prejudice against being gay. Although he had always dreamed of a career in show business, his journey began only in 2006 when he participated in the talent show Starmania and later joined the boy band "jetzt anders!", which lasted less than a year.
Conchita made her stage debut in several shows on ORF before being selected to represent Austria(at Eurovision, a decision that sparked enormous controversy and criticism from conservative groups, particularly in Eastern Europe, highlighting the continent's regional divisions on the topic. Despite opposition, "Rise Like a Phoenix," originally composed by Ali Zuckowski, became a powerful anthem, resonating with fans who described it as a perfect theme song for the James Bond movie franchise.
Conchita performance in Final
Following her victory, Conchita returned to Austria, where she was welcomed at the airport by over 1,000 cheering fans wearing fake beards and singing "Rise Like a Phoenix." This performance conveyed an important message of tolerance in European society, providing a platform for the first drag queen to perform and earning her the title of "gay icon." This powerful story underscores the significance of Eurovision as a competition in shaping history.
2015: Måns Zermelöw - Heroes 🇸🇪
Måns Zermelöw embarked on his musical journey as a young pop sensation in the Swedish rendition of Idol in 2005. After that he participated in other shows such as Let's Dance and of course Melodifestivalen, the event that was mentioned before in this article. In 2015, a decade after his debut on Idol, he got an opportunity to perform at Eurovision with his song ”Heroes”. The track presents a mix of the organic acoustic music line with an electronic influence and a touch of the personality that helped him become so successful in the first place. Interestingly, Måns Zermelöw participated in Eurovision on unique year of 60th anniversary, during which even Australia was invited to participate in the contest. The victory has become Sweden's 6th and they took the award home for the second time in three years. Additionally, "Heroes" became a European hit, reaching number one in six countries providing room for the following European tour in sold-out arenas across 22 major cities. Måns continues to impress with his outstanding performances and music. With over 340 million streams and numerous platinum awards, there is no doubt that he is one of the most cherished Swedish artists.
Måns Zermelöw Final Performance
2016: Jamala - 1944 🇺🇦
Among all the musicians in this article, Jamala was the only one to fully write her own Eurovision entry and share a story personal to her family, specifically her great-grandmother. She grew up in a family of musicians — her mother worked as a teacher at a music school, and her father was a conductor by education. Jamala herself has been fond of music since her early childhood, with an impressive professional recording at the age of 9 for 12 folk children's Tatar songs. After school, she joined and graduated from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine as an opera singer but preferred a career in pop music.
Regarding the song itself, it's important to mention that the lyrics for "1944" concern the deportation of the Crimean Tatars in the 1940s by the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, on the pretext of their alleged collaboration with the Nazis. Despite this heavy and personal topic, Jamala had the power to deliver a beautiful message with her magnificent soul/jazzy voice. She won the final, receiving the second-highest televoting score (382,000) and the second-highest jury vote. Jamala made history that day, proving that Eurovision songs are not only about pop melody and perfectly rhyming lyrics, but most importantly, about meaning.
Official Music Video of Jamala
We believe this is a great example of how music, together with digitized competition, is able to serve many functions, from entertainment to raising social issues and highlighting historical events. Stay tuned for the second part of this blog, where we will discuss all the winners from 2017 up to 2023 and share our predictions for the upcoming edition.
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