Denmark made its mark on the music world this weekend when Danish singer-songwriter Emmelie de Forest won the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, May 18, with her folksy flute and drum tune "Only Teardrops." The 20-year-old blonde beauty beat out competitors from 26 other countries, including "Total Eclipse of the Heart" chanteuse Bonnie Tyler (representing Britain) and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi (representing Armenia).
De Forest's song, which she performed barefoot, earned 281 points, putting her well ahead of second-place winner Farid Mammadov of Azerbaijan (234 points) and third-place finisher Zlata Ognevich of the Ukraine (214 points). Her win means that Denmark will host the contest next year.
"I could feel the fans and all the energy in the arena," de Forest said after the event (via Reuters), adding that the victory in Sweden was especially sweet, as her late father was Swedish. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm just the happiest girl in the world."
Eurovision began in the 1950s and is one of the most popular musical events in the world, with an international TV audience of around 125 million. Past competitors have included Celine Dion, Julio Iglesias, ABBA, and Olivia Newton-John.
