Loreen from Sweden wins the final of the ESC in Liverpool

That’s the only way to win. With hard work. says the winner. For at least six months she worked on her appearance, trained daily, kept a diet and left nothing to chance. In the end, that paid off for Loreen. Again and again the Swede had put on a terrific and absolutely perfect performance in Liverpool, flawless, as if from another planet. Also on the final night. Still, she couldn’t be sure that she would become the first woman and the second artist after Johnny Logan to win the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) twice.

The expected duel between Finland and Sweden, between Käärijä and Loreen, took place on Saturday evening. After the jury’s vote, it still looked like the winner from 2012 would win. Loreen received twelve points from the jurors fifteen times alone, plus eight times ten points and two times eight points. From all countries, with the exception of Sweden, of course, there were points for the 39-year-old Loreen from the juries. After the first round there were 340 points, almost twice as many as Israel (177 points) and Italy (176) had received. Finland was only fourth after almost half the count with 150 points.

Nordic duel

But it was foreseeable that the Finn Jere Pöyhönen, better known as Käärijä, was far from beaten. The 29-year-old singer had made the Liverpool Arena roar with his “Cha Cha Cha” every time. And indeed: With 376 points from the tele-voting, he shot past everyone and with 526 points provisionally took first place. Now Loreen was behind. Italy (174 points) and Israel (185) were no competition for the two. Moderator Graham Norton took his time, but at exactly midnight he announced the result: Loreen received 243 points from the audience, which resulted in a total of 583. Loreen, who had remained surprisingly calm until then, clapped her clawed hands over her face. Only then did she begin to cheer and make her way to the stage to receive her trophy and sing her winning song “Tattoo” again.

Loreen made history. And that in a different century than Johnny Logan, who won twice in the 1980s when the ESC was a completely different event. To repeat that on the biggest entertainment show in the world, which is now highly technological and also has twice as many participants as 40 years ago, is a much greater achievement. Sweden also drew level with Ireland in terms of numbers with Loreen’s second win: seven. However, it has been more than a quarter of a century since Ireland last won, in 1996. Sweden, on the other hand, have won for the third time in the last 13 years alone.

Germany last again

Germany, on the other hand, only came last. Lord of the Lost had put on a good performance, but the glam rock number “Blood & Glitter” still didn’t convince. If 26 candidates are up for election, but only ten points (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12) can be awarded, there is a good chance that some artists will end up empty-handed. It was mostly the same with the band from St. Pauli. Only the judges from two countries, Iceland and the Czech Republic, gave Germany points, once two and once one point. In addition to the three dots, there were only 15 from the audience, which was devastating. The United Kingdom, this year’s hosts, still came second to bottom with Mae Muller and her song ‘I Wrote A Song’ – with a total of 24 points.

Of all things, it hit two of the Big Five countries that are always seeded in the final. France finished 16th (104 points), Spain 17th (100 points). Only Italy, as almost always, did exceptionally well, finishing in the top ten for the tenth time since 2011. What else was wrong with Germany? Metal or harder rock was probably not popular this year. Rock in the more old-fashioned style of ’80s Canadian band Saga does, as evidenced by Australia’s Voyager with their progressive rock-pop number Promise. The band came in ninth with 151 points.

After this repeated bankruptcy – since 2015 Germany has come last four times and three times second to last – the NDR will have to seriously ask itself whether it is finally time to approach the competition as a competition. As long as the broadcaster responsible does not fully support the ESC with all of its current requirements and only looks at its own ratings, the attitude of the audience will not change. The reservations in Germany about the supposedly useless and expensive event are still great, and the NDR promotes this by hiding the two semi-finals in the special-interest program.

Finale could not take place in Ukraine

Ukraine, on the other hand, who have only been taking part in the ESC since 2003, once again impressed with their performance in Liverpool despite all the adversities. The war-torn country has also won the Song Contest three times and has been represented in the final each time. Also this year as last year’s winner, but because of the war the 67th ESC could not take place in the Ukraine. The United Kingdom, who finished second in 2022 with Sam Ryder, stepped in. Liverpool, the city of the Beatles, presented itself as a good host, with Ukraine at its side. They were happy days, even if the suffering of the people in the country invaded by Russia was also an omnipresent topic.

The beginning of the finale basically showed the consequences of the war bluntly. What seemed so harmless – last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra meet in a metro station and start singing – was nothing more than the everyday reality of so many people in Ukraine. They must seek shelter underground from the bombs of Vladimir Putin’s murderous regime. The preliminary decision in Kiev for this year’s ESC also took place under these depressing circumstances: artists, spectators and moderators came together in the Maidan Nezalezhnosti station at a depth of 102 meters. There, the duo Tvorchi prevailed with the song “Heart Of Steel”. In Liverpool, Andrij Huzuljak and Jeffery Augustus Kenny achieved an excellent sixth place with 243 points.

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At the finale, the tones of the winning title “Stefania” then find their way up from the subway and are picked up by orchestras and musicians and carried on to Liverpool. Not only Kalush Orchestra have arrived there, but many other artists from the actual host country: while the participants from the 26 countries are introduced at the beginning, the group Go_A, who came fifth at the ESC in 2021 with their song “Shum”, sings in short interruptions Place came 2016 Song Contest winner Jamala (“1944”), followed by Tina Karol with “Show Me Your Love” and finally the inevitable Verka Serduchka (“Dancing Lasha Tumbai”).

Special tribute to Liverpool

Later, even more wartime reality was shown without specifically pointing it out: While Sam Ryder, who came second last year, sings his new song “Mountain”, young war invalids with prostheses dance around him, while Queen drummer Roger Taylor plays. He was just one of many honored guests of the evening. Of course, Liverpool didn’t miss out either, which is said to have produced more number one hits than any other city in the world. This was celebrated with a songbook, with songs all written by musicians who were born in Liverpool, but reinterpreted by former ESC winners or contestants.

First there was John Lennon’s Imagine (1971) sung by Italian Mahmood, then Dead or Alive’s You Spin Me Round (1984) presented by Israeli Netta, Icelandic Daði Freyr sang Atomic’s Whole Again Kitten (2000), the Swede Cornelia Jakobs “I Turn To You” by Melanie C (2000), one of the Spice Girls, and the English Sonia herself performed her “Better The Devil You Know”, which she released 30 years ago represented the UK in the Song Contest, finishing second at Millstreet in Ireland at the time.

Closing was Dutchman Duncan Laurence singing 1945’s ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the football anthem of Liverpool FC amongst others, along with everyone in Liverpool and also featuring Ukraine’s first winner, Ruslana (2004) , which was faded in from the Golden Gate in Kiev. Laurence also took up the motto of this year’s ESC, “United by Music”. A deeply moving ending.