Lena Philipsson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lena Philipsson
Philipsson in November 2012
Born	Maria Magdalena Filipsson (1966-01-19) 19 January 1966 (age 59) Vetlanda, Sweden
Occupation	Singer songwriter media personality
Years active	1984–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop schlager
Instruments	Vocals keyboards
Labels	Sony

Maria Magdalena Filipsson (born 19 January 1966), known as Lena Philipsson, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and TV personality. She became well-known when she represented Sweden in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, where she finished fifth. In 2024, Lena joined the famous band Roxette as their female singer for their 2025 tour.

Lena's Music Journey

Lena Philipsson was born in Vetlanda, Sweden. Her music career began in 1984 with her first single, "Boy/You Open My Eyes." She also started participating in Melodifestivalen, a big Swedish music competition, in 1986, 1987, and 1988.

In 1989, Lena had a lot of success with her album My Name. This album included popular songs like "Standing in My Rain," "Why," and "Leave a Light." In the early 1990s, she became even more famous in Sweden. She continued to release albums until 1997.

In 2001, Lena made a big comeback with her stage show, Lena Philipsson Show. It was so popular that it sold out for two and a half years across Sweden. In 2004, she released new music after not releasing an album for seven years.

Eurovision Song Contest 2004

In 2004, Lena entered Melodifestivalen for the fourth time as a solo artist. She sang the song "Det gör ont" (which means "It Hurts"). She won the competition on March 20, 2004. This meant she would represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. For Eurovision, the song was translated into English and called "It Hurts."

The song was composed by Thomas Eriksson. Lena's performance at Eurovision was very energetic. She wore a bright pink dress and danced with her microphone stand. Even though she was one of the favorites to win, she finished in 5th place.

Her album, Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan, became very popular quickly. The song "Det gör ont" was a huge hit. Other popular songs from this album included "Delirium," "Lena Anthem," and "På gatan där jag bor."

In 2004, a Swedish radio show called Tracks named her the best female artist and best Swedish artist of the year. "Det gör ont" was also voted the best song.

Philipsson onstage in 2004

Later Career and Collaborations

Lena released her album Jag ångrar ingenting in 2005. It sold many copies very quickly. In 2006, Lena hosted Melodifestivalen.

In 2007, she released a new collection of her greatest hits called Lena 20 år. This album included a new song, "Jag måste skynda mig på." Around the same time, Lena and Orup created their own show in Stockholm, which was very successful. They later took the show on tour across Sweden in 2008. Lena and Orup also recorded an album together called Dubbel.

Lena used to sew her own stage clothes when she started her career, but she doesn't have time for that anymore. In the early 1990s, she was one of three pop stars featured on stamps in Sweden, along with Roxette and Jerry Williams.

On May 2, 2024, Per Gessle, who founded the band Roxette, announced that Lena Philipsson would be the band's new female singer. She joined them for their tour in South Africa, Australia, and Europe, which started in February 2025.

Melodifestivalen Appearances

Lena Philipsson has been a part of Melodifestivalen six times. She performed four times and wrote songs for the competition twice.

• As a performer:
  • 1986: "Kärleken är evig" ("Love Is Eternal") – 2nd place
  • 1987: "Dansa i neon" ("Dancing in Neon") – 5th place
  • 1988: "Om igen" ("Yet again") – 2nd place
  • 2004: "Det gör ont" ("It Hurts") – Winner

• As a songwriter:
  • 1991: "Tvillingsjäl" ("Soulmate") – performed by Pernilla Wahlgren
  • 1999: "Det svär jag på" ("I Swear") – performed by Arvingarna, 3rd place

Lena's Music Albums

Lena Philipsson has released many studio albums throughout her career. Here are some of them:

• Kärleken är evig (1986)
• Dansa i neon (1987)
• Talking in Your Sleep (1988)
• My Name (1989)
• A Woman's Gotta Do What a Woman's Gotta Do (1991)
• Fantasy (1993)
• Lena Philipsson (1995)
• Bästa vänner (1997)
• Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan (2004)
• Jag ångrar ingenting (2005)
• Lena and Orup: Dubbel (2008)
• Världen snurrar (2012)
• Jag är ingen älskling (2015)
• Maria Magdalena (2020)

Popular Songs

Lena Philipsson has released many singles. Here are some of her well-known songs:

• "Kärleken är evig" (1986)
• "Dansa i neon" (1987)
• "Om igen" (1988)
• "Standing in My Rain" (1989)
• "Why" (1989)
• "The Escape" (1991)
• "Månsken i augusti" (1994)
• "Stjärnorna" (1995)
• "Det gör ont" (2004)
• "Delirium" (2004)
• "Lena Anthem" (2004)
• "På gatan där jag bor" (2005)
• "Unga pojkar & äldre män" (2005)
• "Han jobbar i affär" (2005)
• "Jag ångrar ingenting" (2006)
• "Nu när du gått" (with Orup) (2008)
• "Sällskapssjuk" (with Per Gessle) (2024)

See also

In Spanish: Lena Philipsson para niños