Who is Eurovision favourite Alessandra? The 20-year-old TikTok star from Norway with a fan in Ellie Goulding

Meg Warren-Lister

May 10, 2023 at 8:09 AM·3 min read

Dubbed “TikTok royalty” by Eurovision, Norwegian pop star Alessandra is entering this year’s competition as one of this year’s buzziest entries.

The Norwegian-Italian singer has already racked up more than 25 million streams on Spotify with her song “Queen of Kings”, which she will be performing during Saturday’s (13 May) grand final.

The popular track is a rousing self-empowerment anthem that features a climactic moment in which Alessandra belts out a “whistle note” à la Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande while dressed in a costume inspired by Queen Elizabeth I.

“Queen of Kings” brims with powerful imagery as Alessandra croons: “She, queen of the kings/ Running so fast/ Beating the wind/ Nothing in this world could stop the spread of her wings.”

At 20 years old, Alessandra has already won acclaim from international stars such as Ellie Goulding who said “Queen of Kings” reminded her of British rock band Queen. High praise indeed!

According to the bookies, Alessandra has a relatively decent chance at taking home the Eurovision trophy this year with 16/1 oddds. If she wants to secure the win, however, she’ll have to topple the current favourite Loreen who is competing for Sweden. Find a full list of the latest betting odds here.

Alessandra rose to fame in her home country only last year after appearing on Norway’s version of The Voice.

Speaking about the inspiration behind “Queen of Kings”, she said the song is about the power of women as well as her experiences as a bisexual woman.

Alessandra is among the bookies’ favourites to win this year (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Alessandra said that she hopes the track will inspire listeners of various ages and genders to take pride in their individuality, and embody their own inner “queen”.

In 2009, the Scandinavian country triumphed in Moscow thanks to Alexander Rybak. The Belarusian-Norwegian singer-composer, violinist and pianist netted 387 points for Norway with his song “Fairytale”.

Norway has taken home the Eurovision glass microphone three times in total.

Can TikTok princess Alessandra make it four? We caught up with her ahead of this week’s competition...

Alessandra rose to fame in Norway after competing on the reality singing competition ‘The Voice’ (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Hi Alessandra! How are you feeling about competing in Eurovision 2023?

I’m feeling excited, and I’m feeling curious about how it’s going to be. I’m feeling grateful to have a lot of love from people, and so much support – there’s just a lot of positivity!

“Queen of Kings” is a powerful song about a bad-ass warrior queen. Where did that idea come from?

I remember in the studio we were writing and the producer came up with a melody on the piano. Then we started writing over it, and I had in my head this idea of a woman with raven hair, like a goddess, running through the woods with wolves running after her.

That was the image I had in my head and I think we managed to present that in the song... Then we started writing about a “queen of kings”, this goddess, this queen, who is not perfect but she’s also not scared of not being perfect.

This is your first time competing at Eurovision. How do you calm down before a big performance? Anything soothing on your rider?

I would say maybe fruit? Just to have something fresh to eat, because often your mouth gets dry when you’re nervous.

Who is your favourite Eurovision contestant of all time and why?

Well, of all time I would say Abba. I know it’s a classic but it’s Abba. They’re my favourite and they’ve inspired me so much.

CBS News
Manhunt for "desperate" murderer who escaped from Mississippi prison
Authorities in Mississippi are searching for Drew Johnson, a convicted killer they say escaped from prison who they say is "desperate."
Reuters
Serbian students march in Belgrade to protest train station disaster
Hundreds of university students rallied in Belgrade on Wednesday to protest the policies of President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), whom they blame for a railway disaster last month in which 15 people died. Students at universities in Belgrade and across Serbia have been protesting since, demanding publication of documents relevant to the station renovation and the prosecution of those responsible for the disaster. After a 15-minute silent vigil to commemorate the victims of the Novi Sad accident, students marched to the State Prosecutor’s headquarters in Belgrade to deliver 1,000 identical letters of protest to the office of Zagorka Dolovac, the chief state prosecutor.
Associated Press
Fate of Trump's Cabinet picks unclear as Republicans prepare to take power in Senate
The fate of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet is still unclear after Republican senators spent much of December carefully dodging questions about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ’s views on vaccines, accusations of sexual misconduct against Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard's 2017 meeting with then-President Bashar Assad of Syria. While some GOP senators have indicated they are all-in for Trump’s picks, others have withheld support, for now, especially on some of his more controversial nominees. The dynamic is injecting uncertainty into the process as Republicans prepare to take the Senate majority in January with a four-seat margin and as Trump aggressively challenges them to confirm his Cabinet immediately.
Reuters
Suriname ex-President Desi Bouterse dead at 79, foreign minister says
PARAMARIBO (Reuters) -Suriname's fugitive former President Desi Bouterse has died aged 79, the country's government said on Wednesday, almost a year after he fled authorities to avoid jail following his conviction over the murder of 15 political activists in 1982. "The government has been informed through the family and its own investigations of the passing of Mr. D. Bouterse, ex-President of the Republic of Suriname," Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin told Reuters. The former leader died on Tuesday, the government said, without confirming where, or even which country.
NBC News
Medicare’s $2,000 prescription drug cap expected to bring major relief to cancer patients
Starting Jan. 1, older adults on Medicare will spend no more than $2,000 a year on prescription drugs when a new price cap on out-of-pocket payments from the Inflation Reduction Act goes into effect.
AFP
Pope calls for 'arms to be silenced' across world
Pope Francis called Wednesday for "arms to be silenced" around the world in his Christmas address, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan as he denounced the "extremely grave" humanitarian situation in Gaza.Francis extended his call for a silencing of arms to the whole Middle East and to Sudan, which has been ravaged by a ravaged by 20 months of brutal civil war where millions are under the threat of famine.
CNN
FDA issues urgent salmonella warning for Costco eggs
The Food and Drug Administration has escalated its warning regarding certain eggs distributed to Costco locations, potentially linked to salmonella exposure.
AFP
Zelensky condemns Russian 'inhumane' Christmas attack on energy grid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday denounced an "inhumane" attack from Russia, which launched over 170 missiles and drones on his war-torn country's power grid on Christmas Day, killing an energy worker.More than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than a hundred attack drones.
CNN
Whooping cough cases in the US are the highest they’ve been in a decade
Whooping cough has been surging in the United States for months and the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests there are no signs of slowing.
Reuters
Russia is using bitcoin in foreign trade, finance minister says
Russian companies have begun using bitcoin and other digital currencies in international payments following legislative changes that allowed such use in order to counter Western sanctions, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Wednesday. Sanctions have complicated Russia's trade with its major partners such as China or Turkey, as local banks are extremely cautious with Russia-related transactions to avoid scrutiny from Western regulators. This year, Russia permitted the use of cryptocurrencies in foreign trade and has taken steps to make it legal to mine cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin.
NBC News
Christmas in Bethlehem celebrated under the shadow of Israel's war in Gaza
Faith leaders and residents in Bethlehem are grappling with how to mark the festive holiday while fellow Palestinians continue to be killed.
CBS News
Where is Santa right now? NORAD tracker mapped his 2024 Christmas flight
As it does every year, NORAD, the North American Aerospace Command, tracked Santa on his trip around the world on Christmas Eve so children and families could see where he was.
Reuters
On Christmas Day, Pope Francis calls for talks to end Ukraine war
Pope Francis in his Christmas message on Wednesday called for talks between Ukraine and Russia to end the war that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion two years ago and has killed tens of thousands. In his Christmas Day "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and world) address, Francis mentioned the Ukraine conflict directly and called for "the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation". Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, the pope said: "May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine!" He also called for "gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace".
CNN
At least 29 passengers survive fiery plane crash in Kazakhstan as authorities fear dozens others dead
A passenger plane carrying 67 people from Azerbaijan to southern Russia crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, local authorities said.
AFP
32 survivors as Azerbaijani jet crashes in Kazakhstan
An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet with 67 people on board crashed on Wednesday in western Kazakhstan after veering from its scheduled route, officials said.Azerbaijan Airlines, the country's flag carrier, said the plane had 62 passengers and five crew on board.
Reuters
Kurdish militia in Syria will be buried if they do not lay down arms, Turkey's Erdogan says
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Kurdish militants in Syria will either lay down their weapons or "be buried", amid hostilities between Turkey-backed Syrian fighters and the militants since the fall of Bashar al-Assad this month. Following Assad's departure, Ankara has repeatedly insisted that the Kurdish YPG militia must disband, asserting that the group has no place in Syria's future. The change in Syria's leadership has left the country's main Kurdish factions on the back foot.
Yahoo Finance
Trump made major economic promises in 2024. Global players get their say in 2025.
President-elect Donald Trump has doubled down on many of his economic promises in the weeks since his victory. In 2025 he will face formidable global players who may have other plans.
CNN
Putin ‘inhumane’, Zelensky says, as Russia pounds Ukrainian energy on Christmas Day
Russia launched aerial attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector “on a massive scale” overnight into Wednesday, local authorities said, with explosions reported across the country amid intensified bombardments that have left Ukraine in a precarious position while the war grinds into a third winter.
CNN
Medical examiner says a Hawaii crime boss died of a drug overdose while in federal detention
A Hawaii crime boss who died in federal detention this month was killed by an opioid overdose, Honolulu’s medical examiner said Tuesday.
AFP
Pope's sombre message in Christmas under shadow of war
Christians across the world celebrated Christmas Wednesday, with the mood darkened by wars and a massive "inhumane" Christmas morning attack on Ukraine by Russia as well as a plane crash in Kazakhstan.Ukraine has been marking Christmas on December 25 for the past two years rather than on January 7 when most Orthodox believer celebrate as a snub to Russia.

Latest Stories