Loreen: “I Love Stock” – On the New Album Wildfire and Her Secret Plans for 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’s tours and throws herself into the conversation with an energy that makes the room vibrate. Soon, she’ll 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 to enjoy a bowl of stock without a hint of guilt.

“I love stock. It’s my thing. People ask me about luxury, and I always say: a really good stock,” she says with a laugh. It’s this down-to-earth contrast that still makes her so utterly enchanting. On stage, she’s a mythical creature, but in real life, it’s the simple things that win. With Wildfire, she’s managed to capture both worlds. It’s the dancefloor, it’s the 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 special bond with the Swedish audience. It’s to us she returns after her European tours, and it’s here she feels she can experiment with the wild stuff. According to whispers I’ve heard from people in her team, she’s got something extra planned just for us. No details yet, but it’s all about getting closer. Breaking down that fourth wall that often exists between a superstar and the crowd.

“I’ve got something planned. Something that feels authentic. Because Swedish fans are so good at seeing right through you, so you have to give them the truth,” she says, cryptically, 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 close to the people listening.

More than just music: The names and inspirations

When you dive into Loreen’s world, you notice nothing is a coincidence. Not even the name. People sometimes confuse her with the Canadian icon Loreena McKennitt – and that’s not entirely off the mark. There’s the same spiritual undertone, the same feeling that the music is a portal. But Loreen (Loreen Bender, for those wondering) has always carved her own path. Over the years, she’s spoken about her full name, Inka Loreen Minden, and how it carries a history of journeys 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 heavily to 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 sexual way.” It’s not about posing, but about letting her body be completely present. That her voice comes from a place beyond technique.
• The Balance: To keep it all together – the touring life, the pressure, the huge emotional release – she swears by Bach flower remedies. “It’s like cleaning the house inside. You need the right tools,” she says.

From tight schedules to freedom

There’s been a lot of talk about Loreen’s perfectionism, but on Wildfire, you hear something else. A sense of ease. She seems to have found a new level of control, which, paradoxically, means she can let go. During recording, there were times 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 it’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 over the years, and for those just discovering her. I’d say this: keep your eyes peeled. This won’t be just any gig. This will be an experience where Loreen – Inka Loreen Minden – shows exactly why she’s still one of our most talked-about artists. And who knows, maybe she’ll be serving stock in the green room.