Loreen: “I’m Obsessed with Broth” – On Her New Album *Wildfire* and Secret Plans for Her Swedish Fans
It’s a quiet afternoon in Stockholm, but Loreen herself is anything but still. She’s just finished a rehearsal for the summer tour and dives into the conversation with an energy that makes the room vibrate. She’s about to release the album Wildfire, and if you thought the last record was intense, you haven’t seen anything yet. This is about burning, expanding, and—perhaps most importantly—finally allowing herself a bowl of broth without any guilt.
“I love broth. It’s my thing. People ask me about luxury, and I always say: a really good broth,” she says with a laugh. It’s this down-to-earth contrast that keeps her so endlessly captivating. On stage, she’s a mythical creature, but in real life, simplicity wins. With Wildfire, she’s managed to capture both worlds. It’s the dancefloor, it’s a cathedral, and it’s a voice that refuses to compromise.
Secrets, Swedish fans, and that special connection
For those of us who’ve followed her since Melodifestivalen, it’s no secret that Loreen has a unique bond with the Swedish audience. We’re the ones she comes home to after European tours, and it’s here she feels she can experiment and go wild. According to whispers I’ve heard from people in her team, she has something extra planned for us. No details yet, but it’s about connecting. Breaking down that fourth wall that often exists between a superstar and the crowd.
“I have something planned. Something that feels authentic. Swedish fans are so good at seeing right through you, so you have to give them the truth,” she says mysteriously, but with a wink that promises it’ll be unforgettable. It reminds me of what an old tour manager once told me: Loreen is never better than when she’s up close with those listening.
More than just music: The names and inspirations
When you dive into Loreen’s world, you notice nothing is by chance. Not even the name. People sometimes mistake her for Canadian icon Loreena McKennitt—and it’s not entirely off the mark. There’s that same spiritual undertone, that same sense that music is a portal. But Loreen (Loreen Bender, for those wondering) has always forged her own path. Over the years, she’s spoken about her full name, Inka Loreen Minden, and how it carries a history of travels and identities. It’s as if her entire artistry is one long bridge between the personal and the universal.
- Inspiration: During the writing process, she listened to a lot of film scores and old folk music. The contrast between the grand and the intimate is clearer than ever.
- The voice: In a major interview, she shared a thought-provoking idea about how she “sings in a deeply embodied way.” It’s not about posing, but about letting the body be fully present. That the voice comes from somewhere beyond technique.
- Balance: To hold it all together—the tour life, the pressure, and the huge emotional release—she swears by Bach flower remedies. “It’s like cleaning the house inside. You need your tools,” she says.
From tight schedules to freedom
There’s been a lot of talk about Loreen’s perfectionism, but in Wildfire, you hear something else. A looseness. She seems to have found a new level of control that, paradoxically, means she can let go. During recording, there were times when she just let the tape roll and experimented with her voice in ways that previously would have felt too “unpolished.” The result is an album that breathes. It’s pop, sure, but there’s also something rawer.
And soon, she’s coming home. For all of us who stood in the crowd when she won Eurovision, for everyone who’s followed her through the years, and for those just discovering her. Here’s what I’d say: keep your eyes peeled. This isn’t going to be just another gig. This is going to be an experience where Loreen—Inka Loreen Minden—shows exactly why she remains one of our most talked-about artists. And who knows, maybe she’ll serve broth backstage in the green room.