Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Another dose of recent releases, including Eurovision veteran Hanna Pakarinen's comeback! Benjamin Enroth - Lupaan olla sinun Happoradio - Maalissa Hanna Pakarinen - Sun aika tulee vielä Lauri Tähkä - Keskiyön cowboy

  It's September and those new releases are pouring in so it's time to dust off this #Finpop series. Enjpy! Sofia Zida / Timo Kiiskinen - Rakkauden arvoinen Thelise - Voiks vielä vaihtaa elämää Bess / Nopsajalka - Viisi kesää Katri Ylander / Disco - Jos tänään kuolen

Now and them combined, as they sing in Don't shut me down . Abba is back and what a relief they still sound like themselves and instead of the break of 39 years it could be three years, or nine. But then again, the 1980's sound is back so the timing is perfect - or was it this they were waiting all this time?  Agnetha and Frida may have lost the crystalline edge of their voice but they still are totally recognizable. A bit deeper and huskier but still the voice mix that always made Abba stand out. Despite the comeback the ladies have chosen to stay out of spotlight and leave the talking to Björn and Benny. While the two now released songs ahead of the album Voyage to be released in November 2021 are already storming the global charts it will be interesting to see how this develops. Another album after this one? Or is this is, with the virtual show in London May 2022 and eventual world tour after that. Meanwhile the fandom all over the world has gone crazy and one can pre-order

Francesco Gabbani is back and it already sounds like a hit.  La rete has the fashionable hint of 80's vibe in its sound and this blogger couldn't be happier! ( Just like with Marco Mengoni's Ma stasera) . Gabbani gives also a stunning music video where he basically runs from the mountain top to the sea level and into the sea through various beautiful environments from sunflower fields to olive trees and all. Lovely sight indeed! And the song is great, too! 

Everyone knows Ricky Balboa, an underdog like Blind Channel at Eurovision 2021 where they sneaked into sixth place - Finland's second best showing ever! Måneskin may have taken over the world but also Blind Channel hasn't come back empty handed. They have a new international record deal and their summer tour in Finland has been sold out. The tour continues in Europe in January! Their gig in Helsinki's Allas Sea pool in the city center is now watchable in Yle Areena . 

Erika Vikman scored the biggest hit out of UMK ever with runner up Cicciolina , and managed to score even bigger hit with Syntisten pöytä and gaining support from critics as well. Now finally her debut album is out and set to hit hard the Finnish charts. A perfect retro pop with somewhat naughty lyrics and lyrics filled with funny double meanings. One can only wonder how Rotterdam 2020 would have turned out for her.... Intro + Cicciolina Aikuisten rannekkeet Pyhä Erika Ei rakkaus kulu käyttämällä Pizza Häpeä Tääl on niin kuuma (with Arttu Wiskari) Amorin siivet Syntisten pöytä

Eurovision 2006 winners Lordi are releasing this fall a total of seven albums (!!!), each with a different theme or genre, a kind of back catalogue to their previous fictional greatest hits album Killection . The pandemic really makes people creative! Here's the first offering from that extravaganza: Believe me is almost old school disco song with insanely catchy refrain. It sure could have been a late 70's megahit for sure! Lordiversity 7-album box will be released on November 26, 2021.

Apparently Rai and Ebu have been to the location of the suitable Eurovision bidding cities after having dropped from the race the ones that didn't fulfill everything needed for a successful event, including the capital Rome.  The front runners Turin and Milan are still there, as is Bologna that has been gaining support and quite surprisingly also Rimini (that wants to engage also San Marino in the party) and Pesaro. Could this mean we ae in for a somewhat unusual and surprising end, an Italian Millstreet perhaps? As we remember a total of seventeen cities wished to host Eurovision 2022, and after some over optimistic and ex tempore candidates we had eleven left. And now they are only five.... Five cities but seven venues: Torino - Pala Alpitour Rimini - Rimini Fiera Pesaro - Vitrifrigo Arena Bologna - Fiera di Bologna Paviglione 37 Bologna - Unipol Arena Milano - Mediolanum Arena Milano - Palazzo delle Scintille

Deadline has passed and the original 17 host city bidders were supposed to hand over their detailed offers to Rai for further examination and at this point six of them failed to do so, among them Florence. Surprisingly still 11 towns are in the process so one can only wonder what they have come up with! Especially Palazzolo Acreide! Addio to Bertinoro di Romagna, Firenze, Jesolo, Matera, Trieste and Viterbo at this stage.  Still in the race are Acireale, Alessandria, Bologna, Genova, Milano, Palazzolo Acreide, Pesaro, Rimini, Roma, Sanremo and Torino . As we know only Bologna, Milano, Roma and Torino have at first glance a suitable arena and all the rest, and Roma and Milano have already ruled themselves out with recently booked concerts by  Francesco Gabbani . Time will tell what the others included still in the list have in offer... some Italian style compromising and improvisation?  Palazzolo Acreide is a town of 8.668 souls in the deep south Sicily, living off agriculture and f

Franco Battiato has crossed the world of pop music enriching it beyond measure, intercepting many listeners as well as many artists from different paths, but always close to his sensitivity. They will once again reaffirm its value on an important stage such as the Verona Arena, on 21 September, starting from his most radiantly pop album, La voce del  padrone   released forty years ago on that very date. Franco Battiato's artistic strength has always been its vastness and trasversality. Not only that of the genres he has crossed, from experimental music to avant-garde pop, from melodrama to electronics, from references to other cultures with a curiosity without preconceptions, but above all that of open, adventurous compositions. Invito al viaggio will unite figures from the world of entertainment with an orchestra formed by the Filarmonica dell'Opera Italiana Bruno Bartoletti, Carlo Guaitoli to conducting and piano, Angelo Privitera to keyboards and programming, Osvaldo Di Dio

  Well, what can you? Señorita must be one of the best known Spanish words in Italy, or...? Francesco at least goes for more local signorina! This said, La Zilli sweeps the floor with these other signorinas. I desideri -  Señorita Francesco da Vinci - Signorina Davide Cascini -  Señorita Nina Zilli / Clementino - Senorita

  Eurovision favorite Francesco Gabbani has today announced two gigs in big arenas next May. What is evident that both arenas Mediolanum in Milan and Palazzo dello sport in Rome are, or were, running for the Eurovision song contest 2022 venue as well. Have they thrown in the towel so to speak? Does it make any sense to announce new events just weeks before they might be cancelled, rescheduled or moved elsewhere? Early May days are already in full Eurovision on spot period. The again, this is Italy. Everything is possible. (Then again, I repeat myself but Turin it is)

  After a little break here are again some new #Finpop for your enjoyment! Vahtera - Kun Diana kuoli NOOA - Rosie Ellis - Perhosii DJ Oku Luukkainen /Neon2 - Elämäni laulut

Everyone's reporting Måneskin global success on Spotify and not only but they are also doing some remarkable damage in the official Finnish charts.  This week they are Number One in still in the album charts with Teatro d'ira, vol.1 (eight weeks now, seventh at number one after debuting at #2). It also charted in the Physical album chart at #3. Chosen is number 3 (eight weeks now, peak at #2)  Ballo della vita is number 10 (eight weeks now, peak at #5) In the singles charts I wanna be your slave drops to number 2 (eight weeks total so far, 3 of them at #1 and 4 of them at #2).  Beggin' is at number 3 (seven weeks so far, peaking at #3 for the 3rd week, the others 2 weeks at ¤4, one at #5 after debuting at #10) Zitti e buoni is at number 5 (8 weeks total so far, peaking at #1 for two weeks and all weeks at top-5. In the radioplay chart it is now at #31 (eight weeks total, peaking at #26) Other charting songs were Coraline peaking at #5 (two weeks total in Top-20)

Only two short months after winning Eurovision song contest locally known Italian rock band has become a global phenomenon and a success story with chart success in the world's most important charts, the UK and Billboard in the US not mentioning hitting number one and other top placing all over Europe with their not one, but already THREE hit songs. Already Eurovision winner Zitti e buoni 's chart success was something any act could be envious off, but this I wanna be your slave became an overnight hit by itself without any promotion really, and even more so can be said when Beggin' , their 2017 cover single, started charting and what's most remarkable each one has outdone the previous one! I am not even trying to start listing their records broken and chart appearances, number of gold discs they have already gathered, countries where they have been featured in streaming and physical official charts and all that. Just sit back and enjoy this new video clip: Well, ok.

  Irama - Melodia proibita Fred de Palma / Anitta - Un altro ballo Mario Venuti - Xdono J. Ax / jake la Furia - Salsa

The Italian legend, ultimate television diva, singer, dancer, presenter, actress, hostess, icon and all around showgirl like they don't make them anymore sadly left us last Monday at the age of 78 after an illness she kept hidden from her fans. In fact, Rai was planning to have her collaborate in both Sanremo 2022 and the next Eurovision song contest in Italy. She could have been an excellent green room host for example! News of her death took Italians and Rai by surprise causing a general shock in the country and not anly Italy. Her success and fame is also immense in Spain and in the Latin America, who are mourning the Lady of television along with Italians. Her body was taken from her home in Via Nemea to Rome's city hall Campidoglio in a funeral procession passing by all important places in her career in the capital from Rai's studios and headquarters to Teatro delle Vittorie. Her burial chamber in Sala Protomoteca in Campidoglio . Her funeral takes place at midday on F

Hours after Måneskin won Eurovision 2021 in Rotterdam and well before they went to dominate the global streaming charts (and not only) starting to collect gold discs from all over several cities stepped ahead in line to announce they are able and willing to host Eurovision 2022 in Italy. Or in most cases willing but not able. Check out EBU's requirements here Italy being the football nation (and soon European champions again, this blogger hopes) it does have countless arenas but for football, not indoor arenas suitable for Eurovision that can be counted by the fingers of one hand really.... That didn't stop a total of 12 cities shout out their willingness but I suppose once they actually take two minutes to read the requirements to drop out from this official bid and we can say grazie, ma no grazie already at this stage to Bari, Firenze, Napoli, Pesaro, San Remo, Reggio Emilia, Rimini and Verona.  We are left with Torino, Milano, Roma and Bologna. Bologna may be in trouble at t

 It's time for some more summer sounds and hits from Italy! Virginio - Brava gente The Kolors - Cabriolet panorama Gaudiano - Rimani Federica Carta / Mydrama - Tocca a me

  Well, age is just a number, right? La Vanoni (86) teams up with Colapesce Dimartino who delivered the biggest local  hit from Sanremo 2021 for their summer offering. Add Pamela Prati (63) and Stefania Orlando (54), two showgirls who want their share of tormentoni action, as in summer everyone can sing?  with the usual ever present Boomdabash and Baby K..... Colapesce Di Martino Vanoni - Toyboy Pamela Prati - L'estate adesso Stefania Orlando - Bandolero Boomdabash / Baby K - Mohicani

 It's time for some more or less new pop tunes from Finland! Reino Nordin - Mehiläinen kukkaan Brädi - Keväät Pimu - Me ei voida nyt rakastuu Viivi - USA

  The heat is one, the summer's here and here's also another dose of Italian summer hits. Enjoy! Takagi & Ketra / Giusy Ferreri - Shimmy shimmy Rocco Hunt / Ana Mena - Un bacio all'improvviso Nek - Un'estate normale Noemi / Carl Brave - Makunba

  The summer is definitely here and Finland is soaking up in the extreme heat nearly breaking all time heat records. An excuse as any to pretend to be enjoying some Latin rhythms and beats from Italy!  Elettra Lamborghini - Pistolero Michele Bravi / Sophie and the Giants - Falene Madame - Marea Clementino / Nina Zilli - Señorita

  A bit I like Chopin , a bit Modern Talking, a lot 80's vibe. Marco Mengoni has done it again! He may slightly change style and sound but once again he offers us exactly what we, or at least I, need. A melodic 80's pop with a hint of melancholy and the atmosphere of summer holidays early evening when the aftersun is in the air, a cold aperativo in your hand and the night still ahead. Somehow this feels like the perfect one to complete the holy trio of tunes with this feeling after TheGiornalisti's Riccione and Colapesce Dimartino's Musica leggerissima .