Tattoo-phoria !

In a rather unsurprising fashion that makes you question the cosmic sense of humor, Loreen from Sweden managed to achieve the remarkable feat of winning Eurovision not once, but twice.

Back in 2012, Loreen graced the Eurovision stage with "Euphoria," a song that not only took home the trophy but also etched itself into the minds of millions. Fast forward to 2023 and Loreen emerges victorious with "Tattoo," a song that, ironically, leaves a similar mark to its predecessor. Was Loreen secretly trying to tattoo Euphoria firmly in our memory a decade after its win?

Come rehearsal week in May 2023, I was backing Finland with their audacious entry "Cha Cha Cha." The song was bonkers, less mainstream and somewhat inaccessible to the first listener. It was a bold fusion of different sounds, confusing yet interesting lyrics (even for someone not fluent in Finnish), and occasional bursts of seemingly nonsensical yelling. My support for Finland wasn't really rooted in its artistic merits, but rather in my desire for a surprise winner after enduring about five consecutive years of fairly predictable outcomes (EBU I'm looking at you).

As the Eurovision hype unfolded, the unwavering dominance of Sweden's "Tattoo" became apparent, emerging as the frontrunner on virtually all betting platforms since its victory in Melodifestivalen in March 2023.

"Cha Cha Cha" stood out as an underdog amidst the more polished contenders and eventually became the only entry that could challenge Sweden for the win. I had a solid E/W bet on both Finland and Sweden but was secretly hoping that Finland could do it, due its longer odds and better ROI.

The pragmatic side of me knew it was Sweden's to lose. There was nothing that came close to it at least on the jury side of the equation.

Fast forward to today and "Tattoo" has claimed more airtime on my Spotify playlist than any other song from this year's contest, which probably means I was secretly Team Sweden all long.

However, it's hard to ignore the uncanny resemblance between "Tattoo" and the iconic "Euphoria." It's like listening to the same tune with a slightly different outfit, expecting us not to notice.

"Euphoria" — a word that rolls off the tongue like sweet music, capturing the essence of the Eurovision dream. Now, "Tattoo"? It's a bit less......euphonic, isn't it?

One can't help but wonder if Loreen spun a wheel of random words and landed on "Tattoo" instead of "Tremendous," "Triumphant," or, dare we say, "Twice"?

In the grand tapestry of Eurovision history, Loreen's double triumph will undoubtedly be remembered. Whether it's a stroke of genius or a case of deja vu, we can't deny the allure of Loreen's and her team's winning formula.

Lightning might not strike twice, unless it's aiming Loreen (or Johnny Logan). Tattoo that in your memory, Eurovision fans.

See you in Malmo 2024!