Loreen: "I Love Broth" – On the New Album Wildfire and What She Has in Store 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 one is about burning, expanding, and – perhaps most importantly – finally allowing herself a bowl of broth with zero 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 makes her just as captivating as ever. 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 dance floor, 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 unique bond with the Swedish audience. We’re the ones she comes home to after her European tours, and it’s here she feels she can try out the wild stuff. From what I’ve heard from people in her team, she has something extra planned for us. No details yet, but it’s about getting close. Breaking down that fourth wall that usually exists between a superstar and the crowd.

“I have something planned. Something that feels genuine. 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 close to the people listening.

More than just music: The names and inspirations

When you dive into Loreen’s world, you realise nothing is a coincidence. Not even the name. People sometimes confuse her with the Canadian icon Loreena McKennitt – and it’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 gone her own way. 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 a lot to film scores and old folk music. The contrast between the grandiose and the intimate is clearer than ever.
• The voice: In a major interview, she elaborated on a thought-provoking idea: that she sings “in a sexual way”. It’s not about posing, but about letting the body be fully present. That the voice comes from a place beyond technique.
• Balance: To keep it all together – the touring life, the pressure, and the massive emotional release – she swears by Bach flower remedies. “It’s like cleaning house inside yourself. You need the right tools,” she says.

From tight schedules to freedom

There’s been a lot of talk about Loreen’s perfectionism, but with Wildfire, you hear something different. A sense of ease. She seems to have found a new level of control, which, paradoxically, means she can let go. During the recording sessions, there were times when she just let the tape roll and experimented with her voice in ways that previously would have been too “unpolished”. The result is an album that breathes. It’s pop, sure, but there’s something rawer to it.

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. I’d say this: 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’s still one of our most talked-about artists. And who knows, maybe she’ll be serving broth in the green room.