Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

The 2025 was kinder to Eurovision family than some previous ones but we did lose some Eurovision artists and personalities, let them rest in peace and live forever in our collective memory.  Here they are in random photo (above) order: Tapani Kansa (1949-2025): He took part in the Finland's national selection Euroviisut with 13 different songs between 1975-2009. He may have not hit it big in Euroviisut but his biggest hits came from somewhere else . He recorded 39 albums and had countless hits, awards and nominations and was one of the most loved and versatile artists. Tali Eshkoli (1964-2025): israeli producer and Eurovision personality. She launched The Next Star national selection and Israel Calling event, produced a documentary on Harel Skaat where he came out, she was the executive producer of Eurovision song contest 2019 in Tel Aviv and she was a regular in juries across Europe to select songs for Eurovision. Shpat Kasapi (1985-2025): Albanian singer-songwriter. He took part...

The official single's chart that you can find here differs quite a lot from what the radios play proving the streaming audience is not the same as radio listening audience. Needless to say this blogger is a lot more in tune with the radio waves. Even if they played mostly only Nelli Matula's UMK 2025 entry and BEHM... And Ed Sheeran being the only non Finnish chart topper in 2025! Mirella - Löytää mut (weeks 1-3, 6-9) Shrty - Sirkus (weeks 4-5) Nelli Matula - Hitaammin hautaan (weeks 10-23) 14 weeks  Ed Sheeran - Azizam (weeks 24-25) BEHM - Kaiken arvoinen (weeks 26-43) 19 wks Kaukua - 10.000 tuntia (week 44) Haloo Helsinki - Voiko enkelitkin eksyä (weeks 45-47, 49, 51) Ahti x Behm - Tähdet (Week 48, 50)

Another year, another year of official singles chart number ones! the rappers dominate the charts many hitting the #1 spot only for a week. the weeks and weeks lasting hits are missing this year except for KAJ's Bara bada bastu with 7 weeks, the others don't go further than 4 at most. Same names scored short runs for their #1s: Averagekidluke (4), Lauri Haav (4), JVG (3), Isac Elliot (3), Mirella (2), Turisti (2) and Ares (2) Obviously the radioplay chart is completely different and you can find it here. It's also worth mentioning ALL number ones are by Finnish artists. The only one to score a number one is Ed Sheeran in the radio play charts in 2025.  Averagekidluke - Diva (week 1) Ares - Menestys on paras tapa kostaa (weeks 2-5) JVG - Rehellisesti (week 7) Turisti - Diana (weeks 8-9) KAJ - Bara bada bastu (weeks 10-15, 21) Lauri Haav - Toisessa elämässä (weeks 16-17) Ares - Onneks (week 18-20) Lauri Haav, Mirella - Aja tai kuole (week 22) ABREU - Äiti Teresa (feat. B...

Emma awards aka the Finnish Grammy nominations have been revealed. The gala takes place in Espoo's Metro Arena on March 7, 2026. Among the nominees both Finland's and Sweden's Eurovision entrants 2025 with several UMK finalists in 2025 or before. Check out the short list below. All nominees can be found here .  Song of the year: Ares - Menestys on paras tapa kostaa Emma & Matilda - Sisko Goldielocks - Made of KAJ - Bara bada bastu Nelli Matula - Hitaammin hautaan Erika Vikman - Ich komme Band of the year: Amorphis Emma & Matilda Joser & Zpoppa JVG KAJ Komiat People's Choice: Bess Eini Erika Vikman Goldielocks KAJ Nelli Matula Portion Boys  among others Pop of the year: ABreu Bess Ellinoora Isac Elliot JVG Olga Schlager of the year: Eini Komiat Mariska Portion Boys Rodeo Artist of the year: Ares Averagekidluke Isac Elliot Lauri Haav Olga Turisti

Montenegro is selecting its entry for Eurovision song contest tonight. 15 songs have made it this far and there will be a threesome voting: 50% jury, 25% Montenegrin televote and 25% international televote. The show airs from RTCG's Veliki studios in Podgorica. Among artists Eurovision veteran Andrea Demirović and Dolce Hara who for some mysterious reason has decided to sing in accented Italian or maybe just keep up with the "let's sing in Italian for no reason at all" in various national finals trend that regularly is dusted somewhere. And she's not even alone.... Tamara Is a singer and flutist, studies in University of Arts in Belgrade. Her breakthrough came last year in Montesong where she placed 9th with Poguban let . After that she has released another two songs:  Prošla godina and Bez kontrole .  Below are the results (jury + public - total, placement) Lara Baltić - Rhythm Boy   (6 + 12) 18 2nd Stefan - Nedekodirana/Недекодирана   (0 + 0) 0  14th Mila...

Festivali i Këngës 64 reaches its grand final tonight in Palace of Congresses in Tirana after two semi-finals and nostalgia night in previous nights this week. Out of 28 selected entries 23 made it this far as 5* out of the 10 "newcomers" qualified for the final and 5 had to leave the competition. No surprise as big fan (and not only) favorite Alis stormed to victory with Nân. For the translated lyrics go here . Alis Kallaçi (21) cemented his status as the next Big thing in Albania having won X Factor in 2024, placing third in FiK 63 and now winning and going to Eurovision song contest 2026 in Vienna for his country. Nân is his 4th release after  Se të dua , Mjegull and S'ta kam than .  The voting is by jury-televote 50-50. (jury/televote/total/placement) Below are the semi-final performances linked.  Gerta Mahmutaj - Në krahët e tu  (0 + 7) 7 16th Lynx - Nuk kthehem pas   (0 + 0) 0  20th Frensi - Tresh   (22 + 0 ) 22  11th Evi Reçi - Kodi...

Fandom tends to complain about the Eurovision song contest tickets but have a look at the Sanremo 2026 tickets and let them prices sink in. it would truly be a once in a lifetime experience. Maybe I should start saving already - if only it would be easy to get those tickets even with those prices: You must register for a sort of a lottery to get a right to buy those tickets if you are lucky, months ahead..... First to fourth night stalls tickets 240 euro x night Stalls tickets for the grand final 875 euro Stalls ticket carnet 1.835 euro for five nights First to fourth night Gallery tickets 132 euro x night Gallery tickets for the grand final 430 euro Gallery ticket carnet 958 euro for five nights Note there's no discount for the five nights carnet.  Teatro Ariston, the venue of Sanremo music festival was built between 1953 and 1963 and ultra modern venua at that time it has now became small and unfit for huge tv productions and endless torn in side between RAI and the town o...

ORF and EBU have have released the participating broadcasters list for Eurovision song contest 2026 and there will be 35 of them (unless more countries will pull out at later stage due public demand) which is the lowest since the introduction of two semifinals. Five broadcasters have withdrawn (from Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Ireland and Iceland) protesting Israel's inclusion while three broadcasters return all of sudden: from Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. No sight of rumored Canada, Kosovo or Kazakhstan. Yet.  Participating broadcasters. RTSH (Albania), AMPTV (Armenia), SBS (Australia), ORF (Austria), ITV (Azerbaijan), RTBF (Belgium), BNT (Bulgaria), HRT (Croatia), CyBC (Cyprus), CT (Czechia), DR (Denmark), ERR (Estonia), Yle (Finland), France Télevisions (France), GPB (Georgia), SWR (Germany), ERT (Greece), IPBC (Israel), RAI (Italy), LSM (Latvia), LRT (Lithuania), RTL (Luxemburg), PBS (Malta), TRM (Moldova), RTCG (Montenegro), NRK (Norway), TVP (Poland), RTP (Portugal), ...

Sanremo giovani final is titled Sarà Sanremo (It will be Sanremo) will air tonight from Casinò di Sanremo  and six artists have made it this far after submissions (a total of 524), auditions, four weekly selections and a semi-final and two of them will win the ticket to Sanremo 2026 newcomers section tonight along with two artists from Area Sanremo selection picked out of 505 submissions. They were announced yesterday and are Mazzariello and Soniko, Blind & El Ma trio.  Angelica Bove made it already last year to the final but didn't make it to the top-4 losing the duel to eventual winner Settembre. Mazzariello on the other hand was eliminated by Angelica in a semi-final duel. She did also X Factor 2023. Antonia made the final of Amici earlier this year finishing 4th. Also Filippucci comes from the same  Amici 24 placing 6th. But before that he has done most every possible talent between 2022-24 in Italy, San Marino and elsewhere. Senza Cri tried her luck already in Sa...

  The year is nearing the end and so it #Finpop 2025. We started with Käärijä and Hooja and end up with another Swedish connection or KAJ, the Finnish trio that represented Sweden at Eurovision and their latest banger Karaoke. Enjoy and thank you for this year. #Finpop 2026 will be launched in due time! Stay tuned! Aliisa Syrjä - Sydän on rikki Lasse Havu - Tahdon Birgi - Oon sun lähellä KAJ - Karaoke

 Yet another dose #Finpop 2025 with four lesser known more or less indie female artists that re worth a listen. Enjoy! ellaella - Pilalla yaya - Huokauksii Ira - Meistä kertova satu emma - Elvytä mut

  Another dose of #Finpop 2025 with UMK and Eurovision twist. Kuunkuiskaajat (ESC 2010) are back together after nearly ten years apart while Aksel Kankaanranta who missed Eurovision due Covid-19 has released yet another new song as has home ground Eurovision 2007 star Hanna Pakarinen and finally UMK veteran Ilta belting out yet another beautiful ballad. Enjoy! Kuunkuiskaajat - Lemmenhuuto Aksel Kankaanranta - Mitä sanoisin Hanna Pakarinen - Rakenteet Ilta - Yksin et koskaan sä mee

This time a treat: UMK 2026 drops out - and one from UMK 2025! Usually artists keep quiet that they have applied for UMK but sometimes they just admit they did apply and were not taken. This is the case of Berta, Tina and Miki Ratsula with their entries below. Plus One Ghost that apparently applied for 2025 but wasn't taken. What do you think, did they deserve to be there? Berta - Kuu Tina - Kohoma Miki Ratsula - Supposed to be One Ghost - Legacy

Carlo Conti has announced today the Big artists taking part in the 76th Sanremo festival della canzone italiana or simply Sanremo 2026. As widely speculated in the past few weeks the cast may not be as "big" as usually and eyeing it as  the Eurovision in mind it looks rather slim. But then again, let's hear the songs before judging more! Among the artists we have previous winners Arisa (2014), Ermal Meta (2018), Marco Masini (2004) and Francesco Renga (2005) among Big. The previous Newcomers winners among them are Leo Gassman (2020) and previously listed Arisa (2009) and Marco Masini (1990). Eurovision veterans are Ermal Meta (2018), Raf (1987) and again Marco Masini as backing singer (1987).  For this blogger the list includes some names I have no idea of: Bambole di pezza, Eddie Brock, Colombre, Nayt and Samurai Jay among with other names I know the name of but have no idea of their music like Luchè, Sayf and Tredici Pietro. Thus I guess I can consider myself able to jo...

  He's done it again. A real fun banger.  He did Amsterdam's Het grote songfestivalfeest again this year opening the whole show this time

  Another dose of #Finpop 2025. With already familiar names with their latest. Enjoy! Pihlaja - BMW Aatulove - Onnenkyynelii Mikael Gabriel / Senni - Sotilas Ellimei - Susta löysin kodin

  This week's dose includes UMK veteran Goldielocks teaming up with Eurovision veteran TEYA, another Eurovision veteran Joel Hokka, ex-Blind Channel debuting with his new band simply calle HOKKA, another big name collaboration between Tippa-T and Robin Packalen and a new fresh name Helmi Marleena. Enjoy! Goldielocks / TEYA - My religion Helmi Marleena - Sydän sydän sydän Tippa-T / Robin Packalen - Et ollut se HOKKA - In the darkness

  Here comes another dose of #Finpop 2025 with already more or less established  names with their latest efforts. Enjoy! Vahtera - Seitsemäs kerta Lage / Lauri Haav - Yksin tääl Jaakko Kulta - Älä pyydä mua päättää ABREU / Ahti - 7 syntiä 

Käärijä has cha cha chad already almost three years and Finns - and not only - love him as much as ever. Since Eurovision he has released an album, a string of singles with various collaborations at home and abroad, toured Finland and Europe a few times to sold out venues, performed in Eurovision song contest as guest star two years in a row, making him do Eurovision three years in a row,  and this fall he has starred in ever so popular Vain elämää series doing covers of other singers songs on weekly basis. And now.... finally! He has announced an arena concert in Veikkaus Arena, the new names very arena that hosted the Eurovision 2007 in Helsinki.  He has teased many guests, most likely at least everyone he has collaborated (see videos below) and that's not all for sure.  Slovenian Joker Out will be the opening act prior Käärijä stars in their show in Slovenia in June 20,  2026. For this bromance he skips the very generous midsummer gigs in Finland that he could hav...

After Pippo Baudo another Sanremo legend leaves us. Bebbe Vessicchio is dead. He has conducted maybe more Sanremo entries than anyone else (or so it seems as it was always a pleasure to see him appear!) and each time he appeared in front of the orchestra it was a good sign, his sole appearance made you in a good mood.  Giuseppe, or Bebbe as everyone knew him, was born in Naples in 1956. He started his musical career with singers like Nino Buonocore. Edoardo Bennato, Peppino di Capri, Peppino Gagliardi and Gino Paoli with him he wrote hits like Ti lascio una canzone . Soon he was working in television and most notably in festival of Sanremo since 1990 conducting dozens of entries, apparently over 120! His arrangement won the best arrangement award in 1994 , 1997 , 1998 and 2000 , and he conducted the winning entries in 2000 (Avion Travel - Sentimento ), 2003 (Alexia - Per dire di no ), 2010 (Valerio Scanu - Per tutte le volte che ) and 2011 (Roberto Vecchioni - Chiamami amcora amo...