Each spring, thousands and thousands of music followers are glued to their TVs, mesmerized by the fabulous spectacle of music, dance, and theatrics that’s the Eurovision Song Contest. Eurovision is Europe’s largest music occasion, most notably beloved for its over-the-top model of pop pageantry. And this yr, Sweden’s Loreen made Eurovision historical past when she took the stage in host metropolis Liverpool and captured a second victory.
But she additionally made Spotify historical past: To date, Loreen’s Eurovision entry “Tattoo” has generated greater than 60 million Spotify streams globally, and it cracked Spotify’s Global Top 50 following her win. Thanks to the licensed earworm, on May 14, the pop star additionally broke the document for the most-streamed observe in a day globally by a feminine Swedish artist.
When we started the countdown to Eurovision earlier this yr, information collected from Spotify listeners between March 25 and April 25 recommended that Loreen would comply with up her 2012 Eurovision victory with a second win. And as soon as the ultimate Eurovision outcomes rolled in, they confirmed that our listeners have been spot on.
Loreen’s “Tattoo” was far and away the fan favourite on Spotify, producing twice as many streams as “Due Vite,” the Eurovision music from Italy’s Marco Mengoni, which generated the second-most streams within the month main as much as the finals.
Once Eurovision was in full swing, Loreen discovered herself in a carefully fought battle with Finland’s Käärijä, which was additionally mirrored on Spotify throughout the week of Eurovision. Streams of Käärijä’s entry “Cha Cha Cha” elevated 640% throughout the week of the competition, topped solely by Croatia’s Let 3, whose entry “Mama ŠČ” noticed a rise of just about 670%, regardless of ending thirteenth within the contest.
In reality, Spotify streams of each artist’s entry elevated considerably throughout the week of Eurovision. Switzerland’s Remo Forrer loved a outstanding 620% enhance for his music “Watergun.” He completed in twentieth place, however these streaming insights spotlight the worldwide success of Eurovision entries on Spotify whatever the closing outcomes.
Other songs that spiked on Spotify throughout Eurovision embody 1993 runner-up Sonia’s “Better the Devil You Know,” which noticed over a 1,000% enhance in streams—and Cornelia Jakobs’ efficiency of Melanie C’s “I Turn To You” resulted in Melanie C’s observe seeing over a 130% enhance in streams.
Understanding Eurovision’s cultural influence
When the Eurovision hype was reaching its crescendo, the Spotify: Discover This podcast caught up with a number of the most passionate followers and buzzworthy contestants throughout the present’s semifinals in Liverpool.
But to assist followers outdoors Europe totally grasp the importance of Eurovision, we tapped popular culture skilled and Esquire Editor-at-Large Dave Holmes to place the competition into perspective.
“It’s really difficult to explain how massive the Eurovision Song Contest is, but the best way that I can put it for an American audience is that it’s like a huge beauty pageant and American Idol and the big game wrapped up into one,” he defined. “But sort of gay and with a little bit of glitter on top.”
“Eurovision is an amazing celebration of music, but it’s really so much more than that,” remarked Mateusz Smółka, Spotify’s Music Team Lead for Southern and Eastern Europe. “It’s a fun, goofy contest that delivers a mix of diversity, energy, and color. It’s a unique moment that brings Europe together to share in its different musical cultures.”
Counting Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra, Italy’s Måneskin, and Spotify EQUAL ambassador Jamala amongst previous winners, Eurovision has by no means been brief on pleasure.
Part of the joy of Eurovision is revisiting the music of previous and current contestants. In addition to our flagship Eurovision 2023 playlist—which options dozens of entries from throughout Europe—our devoted Eurovision hub lets followers rediscover classics from previous competitions, in addition to take heed to playlists curated by previous contestants that seize the native sounds of their residence nations.
“On Spotify, Eurovision is truly a cultural moment, not unlike Mariah Carey during Christmas. We see the craziness, the hype, and the attention reflected in our streaming data every year,” Mateusz added. “Every May, our Eurovision 2023 flagship playlist is one of our top playlists, and for a few days each year, it reaches the high-tier level of a playlist like Today’s Top Hits. With all the new artists Eurovision introduces to the world, the contest is one of the most fascinating moments for music discovery.”
While one other chapter within the Eurovision Song Contest has reached its thrilling conclusion, the social gathering doesn’t have to finish. Fans can hold the joy going and relive their favourite moments by visiting our devoted Eurovision hub.
Stream your favourite Eurovision hits and uncover tomorrow’s future stars on our Eurovision 2023 flagship playlist.