In Eurovision 2023, Loreen returned to the festival as the former winner who had previously conquered the contest in 2012 with the iconic hit Euphoria. This time, she took the stage with the new song Tattoo, attracting attention not only for her enduring vocal prowess but also for the storyline surrounding a second triumph after more than a decade away from the spotlight.
Beyond the curiosity about a past victor stepping back into the spotlight, Sweden’s nomination stirred some debate. Early moments of Tattoo sparked comparisons to a long-standing club anthem that resonates with many fans: Flying Free, a track associated with the legendary Pont Aeri nightclub. The discourse among fans and commentators centered on whether the melody and certain motifs echoed that famous release, prompting discussions across social networks and fan forums about originality and influence.
Flying Free is a club-friendly composition produced by Marc Escudero and Rubén Moreno, released in 1999. Its signature slots into a machine-driven piano progression, gradually building tension as a synthetic voice repeats a magical phrase about transformation. Marian Dacal’s melodious voice later threads through the chorus with the well-loved line about feeling free and euphoric, a blend that made the track a recognizable staple in Catalan nightlife and a touchstone for partygoers at the time. The song’s enduring presence in certain venues shows how musical ideas ripple across generations and geographies, sometimes resurfacing in new contexts.
As years passed, Flying Free became a touchstone for Pont Aeri, a respected electronic music space with a storied history that spanned several locations, including Manresa and Terrassa before settling in the Vallgorguina industrial area in Vallès Oriental, near Barcelona. The memory survives in the actions of longtime DJs and fans who still request the track and mimic the club’s wing gesture with their hands, a playful homage to the old era of dance floors and neon lights. This cultural echo contributed to a broader conversation about how classic club memories influence contemporary productions and festival performances.
The likeness between Tattoo and Flying Free quickly became a topic of discussion across social networks, fans, and critics who weighed in with opinions about influence, homage, and originality. The debate touched on questions of inspiration versus imitation, and whether echoes of the past can coexist with new creative statements within a highly competitive and highly scrutinized event such as Eurovision. In this sense, the discourse around Loreen’s entry and the Pont Aeri reference underscores the broader issue of how artists navigate heritage while presenting fresh material to a modern audience.
As the Eurovision gala unfolded, the conversation about Tattoo and its sonic kinships added another layer to the night. The interplay between past and present highlights a recurring theme in popular music: how familiar sounds can reappear in new packaging, inviting listeners to recognize old memories while forming new associations. The dialogue around this topic continued to evolve throughout the event, contributing to a richer, more textured viewing experience for audiences in Canada, the United States, and beyond, and inviting a wider audience to engage with the subtleties of melody, rhythm, and cultural memory. [Citation: Eurovision archives and fan discourse]