Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Here we go again. This time with Big Names Mikael Gabriel, Sanni and Kaija Koo with slightly smaller up and coming Niilo with Juno. Enjoy! MIKAEL GABRIEL - 4LIFE SANNI - HÄVISIN ERON KAIJA KOO - KANARIANLINTU NIILO / JUNO - VIIMEISEEN TANSSIIN

Another Eurovision song contest Asia 2026 national final has taken place and we have a winner: Junhee has won Korea's Next wave with Deep dive and thus will represent Korea in Nagkok in November.  Park Junhee or박준희 (32) is a singer, songwriter actor and no stranger to entertainment business. He debuted as a member of boy band A.C.E. in 2017 and stayed until 2025 when he started his solo career. He has released two solo  Eps and three singles before Deep dive including La la la lune , Supernova  and Umbrella .  The voting in the final was 40% professional jury, 40% Korean viewers votes and 20% international votes. Only the top-3 was announced: 1 Junhee - Deep dive 2. Sojeong Shim - Eheradiya  3. Angel Noise - Nan Naya! KIK - F1 HuiAe - If I knew love Younghoon Ji - Tiny signal 9278 - MakeItLoud (She barks) Plzy - Toc

Carmelle has won the very first Philippines national final for Eurovision song contest Asia 2026 with Sobra-sobra. And yes it was by far the best entry of the night when mostly it was about big vocals, male make up and drag queen host. And all in all very Eurovision, all cliches added and reminding mostly those 80's and 90's festival songs with big vocals just with a bit more modern touch. Better production than Bhutan but I guess that surprised no one but honestly Bhutan was more interesting and authentic musically to say the least. Carmelle Collado (19) comes from a family of singers and shot to the fame last year winning a talent show Tawag ng Thanghalan. But her career started already at the age of 12 at the World championships  of perfroming arts and lates finishing 2nd in the The Voice Kids and last year she even participated in the Big Brother Celebrity..  Philippine Selection Night final 1. Carmelle - Sobra-spbra (Too much) 2. Saga - Broken beyond repair 3. JM Dela Cer...

  Another dose of #Finpop 2026. This time with an actual UMK 2026 dropout: Minttu's Everest. She treid but didn't make the cut. Followed by already familiar names like UMk veterans Kuumaa with emma & Mathilda. pihlaja  and Eurovision veteran Laura Voutilainen. Enjoy! MINTTU - EVEREST KUUMAA / EMMA & MATHILDA - IHAN KOHTA OHI PIHLAJA - VELI NOJAA SISKOON LAURA VOUTILAINEN - TOINEN SINÄ

Here's another foursome of #Finpop 2026 for your enjoyment including Olga and Mirella, on many Eurofans wishlist for UMK 2027, as well as Ani and Sara Bee, same goes for them. Then we have real Eurovision veterans Catcat who have released a new song and finally Erika Vikman's latest because why not?  OLGA / MIRELLA - KANSALLISAARRE ANI / SARA BEE - TUHLAAJAPOIKA CATCAT - TUHAT MERKITYSTÄ ERIKA VIKMAN - ADAM & STEVE

  Another week, another dose of #Finpop 2026. Meet new or rather new names Lage, Blondi, Helmi Marleena with already seasoned Elias Kaskinen. As always, who knows if they will show up in UMK 2027? My bet is on Elias Kaskinen following his wife Nelli Matula.  LAGE - MIS NYT OLLAAN BLONDI - ÄLÄ RAKASTA MUA HELMI MARLEENA - JUHANNUSVALSSI ELIAS KASKINEN - KAUAN

After American song contest (a total flop, one edition)), attempts to create Eurovision like contests to Latin America, Africa, Canada (and who remembers where else?) and the Eurovision dance contest (another flop, two editions) and those on going Eurovision Young musicians, Eurovision Young Dancers, Eurovision Choir that are very marginal, as is Junior Eurovision song contest, it looks like the Eurovision Asia is really happening finally in November 2026 with national selections starting next month across Asia.  But how did we get this far?  It all started already back in September 2008 when Ebu announced that Asian-Pacific Eurovision would take place in 2009 . Under title Our sound - the Asia Pacific Song Contest was to feature 16 broadcasters taking part from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It was due to happen in Singapore in late 2009 before it was pos...

  This week familiar names already with their latest including UMK veteran Viivi and Hugo, Kaikua, Runo, Bizi and Pehmoaino, all names I'd welcome to UMK 2027! HUGO / KAUKUA - VESIPISAROIDEN VALSSI RUNO - PURI VIIVI - KAIKKI PÄÄTTYY MEIHIN BIZI / PEHMOAINO - SE MITÄ EI OLLUT KOSKAAN

  Another week, another dose of #Finpop 2026. This time we have already familiar Mira, Karim and Ilta also of UMK fame with newcomers Martta and Emmi.  MARTTA - RAKAS EMMI LORENTZEN - KUKA MÄ OON MIRA LUOTI - COKIS JA MENTOS ILTA / KARIM B - 20:30

Another week, another dose of #Finpop 2026. This time with already familiar names from this series as all have been featured before multiple times and one newcomer, namely Michael Anders who however sounds so much like Hugo that if I heard the song on radio I might think it's Hugo's new one! If that's a good sign for his artistic future remains to be seen. ELLIMEI / KAIKUA - VOIDAAKS RIKKOO HILJAISUUS FRANS HARJU - 110% MICHAEL ANDERS - KAIKKI AJALLAAN ANTTI KETONEN - MIKSI SÄ ITKET

  Before going into new faces and new sounds after last week's warm up let's have a quickie to see what the Eurovision veterans have been delivering the past few months including Hokka of Blind Channel fame as Joel Hokka left the band and formed a new one, simply called Hokka. JOOST, KÄÄRIJÄ, TOMMY CASH - I MISS US ERIKA VIKMAN - FATHER (I WILL NEVER CONFESS) WINDOWS95MAN - NEED YOUR HEART HOKKA -  HEART SAID NO

  Bulgarian odds There's been a lot of talk about odds being wrong and not seeing the bangaranga effect almost at all, and how last year KAJ was leading the odds all season and finished 4th just like Linda & Pete this year didn't win but finished 6th. On the other hand in the semi-final two odds predicted the ten qualifiers 100%. But how different it the odds vs. final results really were? The losers Sweden is the biggest loser dropping a total of 12 places from 8th to 20th. Malta dropped 7 places and favorites Finland and Greece both 5. UK and Cyprus dropped 4 places, another favorite Australia 2 as well as Czechia while France and Germany did pretty much as expected dropping only one place. The winners The biggest climber was Poland with 7 places higher than expected followed by Albania 5. Moldova , Ukraine and Belgium climbed 4 places while Romania 3 from 6th to 3rd, another surprise. Norway and Serbia also did 3. The winner Bulgaria climbed 2 from 3rd ...

I must say I pretty much nailed it with Estonia and Switzerland being the 11th ones in their semi-finals. Georgia and Azerbaijan finishing last were expected. Bulgaria scored highest already here among all semi-finalists but Poland and Norway scoring so high is a bit of a surprise after all. Judging the results this year next year's national finals will be filled with insane nonsense bangers, violins and rock.  Finland was second for the juries and fifth for the televoters and third in combined. Semi-final One 1. Israel   269 (jury 106 + tele 163) 2. Poland   247 (137 + 110) 3. Finland   227 (127 + 100)  4. Moldova  208 (62 + 146) 5. Serbia  187 (56 + 131)  6. Croatia 175 (85 + 90) 7. Greece  159 (88 + 71) 8. Lithuania   101 (46 + 55) 9. Sweden  96 (79 + 17) 10. Belgium   91 (81 + 10) 11. Estonia   79 (33 + 46) 12. Portugal  74 (39 + 35)  13. Montenegro   71 (26 + 45) 14. S...

Oh dear, that was a bit unexpected even if Bulgaria rose to the Top-3 in odds the day of final and had its momemtum rising after the rehearsals. Bangaranga everyone indeed. She was fuegoed. And it won both jury and tele , that didn't happen since 2017! Israel was beaten, maybe that's what matters in a way. Next thought is can they afford to host next year? Weren't they away for financial reasons mostly anyways until this sudden return just when other countries stayed home? Another returnee Romania finished third - who would have thought? Makes one wonder how come these two returnees did so well all of sudden and if they were too broke to participate before how they ended up in 2026? Just saying.  Australia and Finland and most of all Greece as well as Denmark bombed a bit. Is it the time of the odds being right is over? Last year the clear #1 favorite finished 4th, now 6th. But then again Finland 6th place is our 4th best placing ever (compared to number of participants) Th...

The moment is here. Three hours before the start odds are saying Finland (38) , Australia (24), a new entry on top Bulgaria (8), Greece (7) and Israel (6), Romania and Denmark have dropped, Italy, France and Malta hold their positions below.  Who is going to win? Will we have a compromise winner who doesn't win either jury or televote?  The televote will be probably won by Israel again as they have started their campaign en force today it seems. Bulgaria and Greece could be the next ones, or even Italy. And where that puts Finland? In the jury votes Australia, Finland, France and maybe Bulgaria should be on top. Where will Italy land?   I think we have three scenarios here: Or Finland wins Lordi style winning both , or as a compromise not winning neither but ending up on top in the end. Or we have a total chaos of voting and the Top-5 is all messed up by very different votes from the juries and the public. And we have a winner no one expected, like Italy :-) This sai...

Finland's Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen and Liekinheitin stormed to the top of odds as soon as the song was released and has stayed there unbothered with a huge margin ever since. The runner ups have stayed at large in odds; France, Denmark and Greece mostly, only Greece having a tiny spurt just before rehearsals and then Australia climbing to second place after semi-final 2.. The news of Linda playing  her precious Gagliano violin from 1781 live only boosted the chances odds going from 30 to 36, and later the day before final up to 43.  Also the fan clubs back Finland, apparently with the second biggest margin ever. This poll has had its hits and misses but usually gets it somewhat right. Mostly, Not necessary the winner. EuroJury pretending to be the indicator for the jury vote has had it apparently pretty much right mostly, the winner placing in Top-2 in most occasions. Also INFE poll was won by Finland with a huge margin. The biggest fan site, more or less, also backs F...

While the rehearsals for the grand final are going on in Vienna let's have a look at those ten who didn't make it to the end. In my personal order of preference. Latvia being the one I am most sad about.... Portugal ended its run of five consecutive finals Azerbaijan NQ'ed for the 4th in a row Switzerland NQ'ed after a win and a null points from the televote the year after. Georgia NQ's for the second year in a row Overall they have qualified only once in the past 10 years! Armenia NQ'd for the first time in 5 years San Marino NQ'ed for the 4th in 5 years Senhit NQ'd for the 2nd time Estonia NQ'd for the first time in 5 years and after last year's 3rd place Montenegro has qualifed only twice before: 2014 and 2015 Luxemburg NQ'd for the first time. Both ever and after its comeback in 2024.  Whichever way you want to count it. 

I'm so excited. Why? That being one of my favourite songs of all time what an earth had it to do with Eurovision? They just may have destroyed that song for me. I am not going to see or hear that bit ever again, that's for sure.....Borrowing the Finnish commentator the Viennese waltz bit was the best interval act so far... Enough said! The quiz show for example is horrendous waste of time.  Tonight, Bulgaria indeed was boombastic, Armenia worked surprisingly well, too. Romania in the end was a bit meh, Cyprus too. Australia indeed dated and a bit overworked, even by Delta herself vocally and in manners. Sad. Albania was touching, I may have shed almost a tear when the glasses were gone.... Luxemburg had nice visuals but the song is what it is and I think Eva Marija performed a lot better in the national final. Aidan clearly gave it all to Bella but was the national final staging better anyways? And yes, I loved the UK, France wasn't staged as well as I expected but Austria ...

Here we go again. I got 8/10 in the first one (and would have had 9/10 if I listened to by brain more than my heart. And that's even more the struggle with this second one. Heart or brain?  In this second one there's even more changes in personal level. Some songs like Bulgaria that I just pretty much hated seems to be delivering quite a show on stage a la Fuego from midtabel to the top after rehearsals and has taken a rent free space in my head. I have been bangaranged.  Also Romania wasn't among my favorites but it has grown on me a lot. I still don't get Denmark. Could it be a shock NQ? Or will it be Cyprus? Czechia and Armenia seems to be delivering on stage while Latvia and Luxemburg are not doing so. Enough at least. What about Norway, this semi's Estonia. Estonia didn't make it, could he do it? Is Switzerland doing enough to qualify? So many question marks.... Sure qualifiers: Bulgaria, Romania, Australia, Ukraine, Albania Most likely qualifiers: Czechi...

What can I say about the show to start with? The hosts? Okeyish, mostly kept to their role, the attempts to be funny mostly were a bit meh and what an earth was Michael wearing?! The graphics were rather unpleasant when the songs were introduced. The postcards kinda nice but weird, an evolution of those in Turin but better. The opening act was nice and pure Eurovision, the interval act also typical Eurovision the little I watched it being busy scrolling Twitter but that Australia/austria thingy was a big yawn really. And it seems Italy and Finland took over Twitter at least in my wall.  But the stage! I love the stage! It looked great to most everyone and some shots were just stunning. One of the best stages for many years! Of the acts Croatia stunned me the most and Belgium looked great, too, as for the songs Israel really steps out in the recaps.  And then the finalist, here in order they were announced except Finland (announced second) that makes the headline of course. Aft...