Finland is gearing up for its biggest-ever Contest for New Music (UMK) next month, the winner of which is chosen to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in May.
Like last year, the qualifier includes seven acts, but there will only be one winner.
Last year's UMK victor, nice-guy party rapper Käärijä, captured hearts across the country. Then, his dramatic near-win at Eurovision seemed to boost interest in the campy contest — as well as UMK.
The hype prompted organisers, public broadcaster Yle, to move UMK from its previous venue, Logomo in Turku — which has a capacity of a few thousand — to Tampere's Nokia Arena, which can accommodate up to 15,000. Tickets sold out quickly.
However, questions linger over whether or not the winner will actually go to Eurovision. At least two UMK acts have already suggested they would not take part in the broader contest if Israel is allowed to participate — over concerns about the country's deadly actions in Gaza.
Around 1,400 music industry pros signed a petition calling for Yle to pressure the song contest's organiser, the European Broadcasting Union, to ban Israel from the contest or for Finland to boycott the competition entirely.
In any case, here are the seven acts competing at UMK24!
Cyan Kicks – Dancing With Demons
"Pop-wrapped metal" outfit Cyan Kicks may be familiar to UMK followers, as they placed second in the qualifier in 2022.
This time around, the band — vocalist Susanna Alexandra, guitarist Niila Perkkiö, bassist Leevi Erkkilä and drummer Pietari Reijonen — are aiming for victory with the track Dancing With Demons.
Dancing With Demons deals with harnessing one's inner demons, turning them into a strength, singer Alexandra told UMK organisers. The companion video features flashing strobe lights, a grim and rainy soundstage and a monster that wouldn't be out of place in a Stranger Things episode.
The UMK24 jury said: "The song has a catchy, strong chorus as well as depth and unexpectedness, which will help it withstand the test of time and keep it eminently listenable".
Sexmane – Mania
Sexmane, also known as Max Sene, is one of the most listened-to acts in Finland, with his 2019 debut Sextape on the domestic albums chart for more than 100 weeks. His 2023 album, Sextape II, saw even more success with 18 of its 20 tracks finding their way to the Finnish Top 50 chart.,
The verses in Sexmane's entry for UMK24, Mania, have a light, Caribbean feel with prerequisite auto-tuning and the chorus and finale take the song into higher gear with a loud, metal bang.
The video features the long-maned artist in a high-end fashion orange fantasy world, with the bodies of mysterious characters writhing around in bathrooms and on washing machines.
"This time round, Mania, with its strong opening hook, goes for a big rock sound, culminating in an epic guitar solo. The strengths of Max Sene’s music have always been authenticity and honesty," the UMK24 jury said.
Sara Siipola – Paskana
Sara Siipola has had success with a number of hit singles, but struggled to find her place as a youth. The Ostrobothnian native has said that she aims to inspire others.
"I love writing songs with big topics. I really want people to be able to listen to my songs whenever they want to feel self-confident and connect with others," she told UMK organisers earlier this month.
Siipola says her UMK entry Paskana ('maf***ing wreck), a synth-pop power ballad, is about the feelings of a friend who lost their father. She says that the song takes an romanticised look at grief and that there won't necessarily be a happy ending.
Featuring intimate close-ups of the singer dressed in revealing evening wear in a world made of geometric marble facades, Paskana's visuals are elegantly minimal.
The UMK jury called Siipola "one of Finland's rising vocalists with a stunning voice".
"It is easy to identify with the song, because each and every one of us has felt low at some point. The lyrics and interpretation are full of raw emotion, for which the modern production gives a lot of space and support," the jury said.
Jesse Markin – Glow
To an outsider, Jesse Markin's success seems to have arrived relatively quickly. Shortly after the release of the musician's 2019 debut album Folk, he won Newcomer of the Year at the Emma awards gala (the Finnish Grammys) and he has sold out shows and festivals since.
While he raps in his UMK entry Glow, Markin has said he doesn't want to be exclusively type-cast as a rapper, but rather as an artist with a much broader range of abilities and interests.
"One of the main points of the song is 'don't give up'. Even the smallest spark can get things going if you just try. Musically speaking, the song contains afro-vibes, cosmic soundscapes and so much more," he told the UMK team.
The UMK jury called Markin one of Finland most-respected, and internationally renowned artists.
"Glow is a unique combination of afro-house, uplifting summery energy and Jesse’s technically masterful lyrics and rapping."
Windows95man – No Rules
One of this year's more unusual acts, Windows95man, featuring internet-famous Teemu Keisteri, takes on a decidedly retro Euro-trash stance.
After bringing the character to life more than a decade ago at the hipster fest Flow in 2013, Keisteri took his denim cutoff short-shorts and Microsoft-branded garb to stages large and small.
The Eurovision qualifier marked Keisteri's first single release, No Rules. The eccentric performer called on Henri Piispanen to sing the track, as he had trouble finding someone who could sing such high notes.
"In my opinion, deep inside, all Finns are a bit looney tunes, and I wanted to bring that out more," Keisteri explained to the UMK team.
Commenting on the track, the contest's jury noted that old-school Eurodance was seeing a nostalgic revival around the world, adding that Windows95man was "the ultimate party DJ".
"The song has the same irresistible exuberance and unique energy which Windows95man has used to captivate people all over Finland and the world," the jury said.
Sini Sabotage – Kuori mua
Sini Sabotage has been on the Finnish music scene for more than a decade, since her debut hit Levikset repee in 2013, the same year she dropped her first album.
Since then, the rapper put out an EP, a number of singles and the long-player Blueberry Makkonen in 2020, which Sabotage considers one of her most important, because she was allowed to make it without exterior pressures.
She says her UMK entry, Kuori mua (Peel me) — co-written by Vilma Virintie — is multi-layered, like an onion.
"We’re never just what we appear to be on the outside at any given moment. We all have many sides and so much more to give than just one picture, song or moment," Sabotage explained to UMK.
The high-energy, dance-floor friendly track features a velvet-suited Sabotage occasionally teasing a piano in a colourful, fantasy princess world with lightly clad dancers and fancy stacks of donuts, among other eccentricities.
The UMK jury called Sabotage's entry "an unabashed dance banger," that is sure to keep nightclubbers dancing this year.
"The song beautifully combines Sini' gorgeous singing voice, technical rapping, insightful lyrics and piano playing," the jury said.
Mikael Gabriel & nublu – Vox populi
Finnish rapper Mikael Gabriel and Estonian rapper nublu's UMK entry is the Eurotrash-rock track Vox populi, and the pair started collaborating after finding each other online.
With a relentless kick drum thump and decidedly Northern European modern pop bombast, Vox populi explores the issue of finding truth in polarised, public forums.
"The song deals with political and cultural divides, saying that even though we’re all entitled to our own opinions, it doesn't necessarily make them true. Everyone should use their voice, but at the same time you should also keep in mind that you will be judged no matter what," Gabriel told UMK.
The jury said Gabriel and nublu were among Finland's and Estonia's best-known acts.
"Their previous collaborations were rap-driven, but this time round the song is a truly unique combination of dance sounds, punky rock and contemporary hyperpop," the jury said.
The UMK24 qualifier is on the evening of 10 February at Nokia Arena in Tampere. Yle will broadcast the live event on TV1 at 9pm. It will also be streamed on Yle Areena, which will offer commentary in a number of languages, including English.
Depending on a number of factors, the winner is scheduled to represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Malmö, Sweden on 7-11 May.
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