Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Finland's national selection for Eurovision song contest 2026  or UMK (Uuden musiikin kilpailu) takes place in Tampere tonight in Tampere arena to sold out crowds.  Special guests are last year's UMK winner Erika Vikman (11th in ESC) with last year's Eurovision winner Austrian  JJ, Finland's Eurovision 1985 represent Sonja Lumme and quartet of leading Finnish rappers Elastinen, Ares, Turisti and Averagekidluke. It's worth remembering JJ's staging and even outfit was made in Finland last year with UMK team.  The show is hosted by Jorma Uotinen, Sami Sykkö and Jasmin Beloued. Read more about them here . Out of 491 submitted entries a panel of nine members along with five audience groups selected the seven entries for the final. Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen emerged instantly the runaway favorites to win the selection gaining more Youtube views in 24 hrs than any other UMK entry ever and also reached one million streams in record time. They also became inter...

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...

I already posted the Official singles chart #1's here , and it's time to check out the Radio play charts that often featured very different songs. And as the singles chart was all Finnish but the Wham's Christmas #1 the situation is not different here: Only one song, in the last week, too, made it to #1 and that was Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars! Only 12 songs made it to #1 as most of the year they kept going up and down and switching places at top. UMK Sara Siipola scored #1 here, as did UMK veterans BESS and Benjamin together, and BESS with Elastinen as well. Also another UMK veteran Robin Packalen scored his biggest hits in years. And if Mirella dominated the Singles chart being on top for 25 weeks here she did with two songs for six weeks. BESS was the Queen here with her 16 weeks on top! Elastinen feat BESS - Pimee (weeks 1-4, 7, 9) Jenni Vartiainen - Lanka (weeks 5, 10-12) Bee - Viimeisiä sanoja (weeks 6, 8) Mirella - Timanttei (weeks 13, 19, 21-22) Sara Siipola - Paska...

  We have reached already 100 #Finpop2023 entries this month! How many of these artists have applied for UMK, and how many made it? Time will tell... Elastinen /BESS - Pimee Frans Harju - Tässä tää nyt on Indica - Savuna ilmaan BEHM - Sinä lähdet, minä jään

Ram pam pam, performed by BESS in UMK 2022, the Finnish national selection for Eurovision - placing third - has made history becoming the longest running #1 in the official Finnish radio charts, or being the most played song in the Finnish radios for 19 consecutive weeks already! It has reached according statistic 110 million listeners from April to August in a country of 5,5 million.  In the official singles chart Ram pam pam topped the charts for 10 consecutive weeks being the biggest hit along with Italy's Brividi of all national final songs this season in any country. It dropped out of Top-20 only last week after 34 weeks.  The previous record holder was Epäröimättä hetkeekään by Elastinen and Jenni Vartiainen. 

  Another week, another dose of #Finpop. Enjoy! Mikko Harju - ELÄÄ Elastinen feat. Johanna Kurkela - Hetken tässä laikes on järkee Elias Gould - Uusia alkuja  Jeremine feat Sini Yasemin - Aika parantaa 

If BEHM was the Queen in the official singles charts ( here ) she also dominated the radio charts with her two song with a total of 17 weeks at number one and a total of 97 weeks in Top-100 with her various songs. In radios the longest lasting number one was however Epäröimättä hetkeekään by Elastinen & Jenni Vartiainen with 20 weeks at number one. Then comes surprisingly Erin with Yhtenä sunnuntaina and its seven weeks. Another duet 2020 by Anna Puu and Olavi Uusivirta spent 4 weeks at number one while Stereo feat Samu Haber and Arttu Wiskari topped the charts only for a week, making it only seven radio number ones in 2020! All of them Finnish. BEHM - Hei rakas (Weeks 1, 3, 4-11) Stereo feat. Samu Haber - Sä saat mut palasiksi (Week 2) Elastinen & Jenni Vartiainen - Epäröimättä hetkeäkään (Weeks 12-29, 33-35) Anna Puu & Olavi Uusivirta - 2020 (Weeks 30-32, 40) Arttu Wiskari -Tässäkö tää oli? (Week 36) Erin - Yhtenä sunnuntaina (Weeks 37-39, 41-44) BEHM - Frida (45-...

The tenth season of Vain elämää has come to an end what comes to the artist days, a few more episodes will air again with re-runs of the songs only and also a two episode Christmas specials. Maija Vilkkumaa had the honor to end the days, and as I am a fan of Maija these songs were mostly wellknown to me beforehand. Antti honored the Finnish national instrument kantele in his version.  Studio Maija Vilkkumaa's original Studio Maija Vilkkumaa's original Studio Maija Vilkkumaa's original Studio Maija Vilkkumaa's original

Sunrise Avenue's Samu Haber's day gave us some rather interesting covers and the demand of him doing a solo album in Finnish is getting louder and louder.... It was a bit hard to choose the four and also Vesala , Elastinen and Lauri Tähkä all did a great job in a way or another.  Studio Sunrise Avenue's original Studio Sunrise Avenue's original Studio Sunrise Avenue's original Studio Sunrise Avenue's original

Elastinen is the artist I know less about these ones taking part in this Vain elämää 10 camp, and therefor it's harder to get excited about the covers, especially as I have never even heard the originals.... I admit. But here are the more fortunate ones.... Studio Elastinen's original Studio Elastinen's original Studio Elastinen's original Studio Elastinen's original

A bit late but here comes the Erin's Day round up, that sadly I found a bit disappointing and it was a bit hard to choose the favoriters. Or rather the songs I may have liked the most as Erin's (or Nylon Beat's) favorites didn't quite work in new versions by JVG and Maija Vilkkumaa or Elastinen . Which is rather interesting: Erin makes fantastic covers but the others don't quite manage to cover her songs... Hmmm. Erin's original Studio Erin's original Studio Nylon Beat's original Studio Erin's original

Or should it be JVG's day? Anyways. Once again they had lunch, dinner and other activities, a few tears were shed and this time Vesala and Maija Vilkkumaa scored in my book with their versions, along with Samu Haber and Lauri Tähkä, as usual. We so need Samu's solo album in Finnish! Enjoy! Studio Original by JVG Studio Original by JVG Studio Original by JVG Studio Original by JVG 

Day 2 of season 10 was dedicated to Paula Vesala and her solo songs and the songs of her ex-band PMMP.  Being a female writer with some very rough, meaningful and strong lyrics the male artists took the best out of them this time, even if Maija Vilkkumaa and Erin did a good h´job. My favorites were however again Lauri Tähkä and Samu Haber, with Antti Tuisku making his debut, a very strong one and Elastinen did a good job after last week's flop. Check out the episode one, Antti Tuisku's Day here Studio Paula's original Studio PMMP's original Studio Paula's original Studio Paula's original

Vain elämää series, where top artists gather together in a villa for a week to perform each other's songs and talk over everything over lunch and dinner has reached its 10th season already and it's a All Stars one featuring JVG's VilleGalle, Elastinen, Lauri Tähkä, Paula Vesala, Maija Vilkkumaa, Erin, Antti Tuisku and Sunrise Avenue's Samu Haber . The series kicked off with Antti Tuisku's Day and below are my favorites out of the performances (and Antti's originals) that all outdid the original for a reason or another.... Lauri and Erin turned the songs something else and were for me the outstanding ones by far.  Antti Tuisku Antti Tuisku Antti Tuisku Antti Tuisku

Mikko is back with yet another inspirational melodic song. Well done. He deserves a major hit and exposure - even if he already has a very devoted fan base - so what about UMK2020? Everyone in Finland seems to be waiting for her several times postboned debut album (she's been too busy writing song to likes of Miley Cyrus) but here's another great track from it. Quite awesome video for the title track of her debut album. Another one waiting for The Break, and UMK2020 could just be it.... A real earworm from radio waves this summer from the rapping pop legend. 

  It's September and the Eurovision 2018 season is officially on. I will feature in coming days names that could be in UMK18, if only...... I say if only, as most likely we won't see any of them in there for UMK is profilied as a newcomers contest instead of being our own Sanremo or Melodifestivalen. In short: a major contest all the big names want to take part not only to win but to boost their record sales and score hits. But one can dream, right? I have thrown in some not so known names for variety. Let's go.... Vol.9 Check out the previous posts by scrolling down. Zühlke is the reigning runner up with Perfect villain and definitely deserves a second chance.  Since then she has released Closer (below) and Die again .  Woman's got the voice and the talent. Sanni has been one of the most succesful female artists in the past few years; three alnums and 13 Top-5 hits to prove it. She also did Vain elämää reality show that made her a household name and curr...

The 2016 was rich with Number One songs in the official singles chart. A total of 26 songs made it, and the most remarkable thing is 21 of them were Finnish! Sadly only Finnish (humour) rap though. The foreign number ones go to Alan Walker, Justin Bieber featured by Mazor Laser or DJ Snake, and Clean Bandit & co.  Elastinen and JVG are featured in four #1's, Mikael Gabriel, Sanni, Cheek and Arttu Lindeman in three and even Nikke Ankara in two. Doesn't leave much for the others.  Looking at the streaming, download and radioplay charts it's a different story.... Thankfully.  JVG - Paluu tulevaisuuteen (weeks 1-2) Alan Walker (feat. Isolin Solheim) - Faded (weeks 3-4-5-6) Sanni - Että mitähän vittua (weeks 7-8-9) Cheek - Me ollaan ne ,  part 2 (Feat. Elastinen, JVG, Nikke Ankara, Kube, Pete Parkkonen) (weeks 10-11) Elastinen feat.  Lauri Tähkä - Lempo (weeks 12-13) Nikke Ankara - Ettei nyt vaan sattuis mitään (week 14) Eveliina - Sire...

Emma Gaala's Male artist of the Year nominees include some names from various reality music tv programmes, rappers and a surprise. I would give this one out to Mikael Gabriel as icing on the cake for his fabulous year and marvelous metamorposis. Lauri Tähkä started his succesful year with a Elastinen duet (read more below)  Lempo , Then he released an album that went straight to #1, scored a hit with  Morsian  (radioplay #1), followed it with hits from the Vain elämää reality tv-series, including Kipua (#2), a Mikael Gabriel cover, Minun Suomeni , Lauri, Elastinen, Mikael - all are here nominated. Mikael Gabriel really broke through this year. He's been around but as "just another rapper" but his latest album did well featuring #2 single Helium . Then he became the nation's sweetheart against all odds in Vain elämää . His personality made us all fall in love with him a little, and adopt him as nation's own son. He scored the most hits from the...

The Emma Gaala (aka Finnish Grammys) nominations are out. The People's choice and the best video are voted by the people, the other awards handed out by a jury. The gala will take place February 4, 2017 in Metro Arena in Espoo, the week after UMK2017... same stage.  This year's nomination queen is Vesala or Paula Vesala, ex-PMMP. She scored seven nominations: album, song, female artist, pop artist, producer, people's choice and video. Lauri Tähkä is the king with five: album, song, schlager album, male artist and people's choice. Below are the ones with the most nominations: Alma (song, pop artist, newcomer, people's choice, video), Sanni (album, song, female artist, pop artist, video)  and Evelina (pop artist, newcomer, people's choice) Nikke Ankara (hip hop, male artist, people's choice, video), JVG (song, hip hop, group, people's choice) and   Mikael Gabriel (hip hop, male artist, people's choice) Ellinoora (song, pop ar...