Marcus & Martinus promise Unforgettable Eurovision 2024 performance: "We're Loreen's sons!"

Sometimes, losing has its advantages. 

Twin brothers Marcus & Martinus - the Swedish representation for the Eurovision Song Contest this year - originally lost out on the chance to do so last year, coming in second place at Melodifestivalen 2023 (the wildly-popular Swedish programme where its Eurovision acts are chosen) to that year's eventual record-setting Eurovision winner, pop priestess Loreen.

But what a difference 12 months makes. Now armed with banging trance-club anthem Unforgettable, Marcus & Martinus surged straight to victory at this year's Melfest, and will now take to the stage at Malmö as Sweden's Eurovision representative for 2024.

And since Loreen's victory last year, Marcus & Martinus have been handed the competition's golden keys - being put straight through to the Grand Final.

Sitting down with the boys in a stop-gap press tour in London, we dive into their forthcoming Eurovision debut, the indelible legacy Loreen has made on the competition and which rivals they're keeping a close eye on...

See everything you need to know about the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 here

Hi boys! Welcome to London - is this your first time here?

Martinus: We've been a few times! I'm a massive Chelsea fan...

A lot of Eurovision fans will, of course, remember you from last year, where you just lost out to Loreen at Melodifestivalen...there are worse people to lose to!

Marcus: It's like losing to a god in the game.

You basically lost out to the Eurovision Madonna

Marcus: Exactly! [Last year] second place was the best we could hope for [with competition like that]. So...not so bad! We are her sons.

Martinus: We could be!

So, what made you try again?

Martinus: Last year, we had no expectations; it was our first time in Melodifestivalen, and we did not expect [Air, the song they entered with] to be that big. We were just trying to have fun. We were so shocked [by our reception last year].

Marcus: Melodifestivalen is, like, the biggest thing in Sweden. There's a saying; people in Sweden celebrate Christmas, birthdays and Melodifestivalen. And the fact that last year we came second next to Loreen...

Martinus: Right after we [came second] last year, I said to Marcus, "we're doing it again this year." It was because of the support of the Swedish people, it motivated us more and more.

What was the process of choosing the song? Unforgettable is very trance-y, clubby. It's similar to Air, but sounds like a step up

Martinus: We loved Air, but Unforgettable is rougher, tougher, there's more of a club vibe. 

Marcus: Air was like our baby, so we took on board what everyone loved about it and tried to make it better, to upgrade it. I feel like Unforgettable is a bit more of a party. The staging, especially, feels like a movie. 

You look like you're going to rob a bank and then hit the club

Marcus: Exactly! I like that. 

And of course, you are competing with the home-side advantage this year...not to pressure!

Martinus: Oh no, we've already heard this from everyone, don't worry. Every single person has told us about the pressure...

Marcus: And of course it is a lot of pressure, but we're going to have fun. It's a big honour for us, we're so happy to get to do it this year too, with it being 50 years since ABBA won Eurovision with Waterloo. It's a very Swedish year!

Have you got any favourite entries in the competition this year?

Marcus: Loreen. I'm joking!

She could compete again, as her own country

Marcus: Please no, because then we would lose. I'm joking, we love a lot of the songs this year. Croatia...

Martinus: Switzerland is my personal favourite right now. The Netherlands...and Olly too, of course. 

Eurovision entries made UK chart last year with a record number of entries in the Top 10...what would charting on the Official Chart for the first time this year mean?

Martinus: It would be amazing! We haven't really done much in the UK before! We've travelled around Europe a lot, done very well in charts there...so charting in the UK would be a big, big dream.

Marcus: If I see our names in the Official Chart...I'm not going to lie, it would be a dream come true.

Unforgettable by Marcus & Martinus is out now. Tickets for their We Are Not The Same tour at O2 Academy Islington on March 5 2025 are on sale now.