Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

 

Now this is surprising. One would think Sandhja's Sing it away was a kind of a flop, but here comes Radio Yle Suomi's most played songs chart of 2016 and guess what? It's number one! And even more so, Eini's entry Draamaa is n.o 3. Now that pretty much sets the tone this radio channel is; schlager and and pop schlager.  Further down the shart Kuunkuiskaajat's Unelmaa is n.o 24, Laura Voutilainen at n.o 35 with Miks ei and at n.o 49 with Olet mulle enemmän . This year's UMK entrant Zuhlke is n.o 54 with Huominen on meidän . Eurovision winner Celine Dion is there, too, N.o 68 with L'étoile . Previous Euroviisut entrant Mikael Konttinen n.o 82 with Ei koskaan and Hanna Pakarinen n.o 84 with Herrojen kanssa pellon laidassa , UMK entrants Hukka ja Mama n.o 91 Sun pitäis olla mun ... Check out the full listing here

#umk15 is not letting the foreign fans easy with names and songtitles and this must be the worst of them. Now all you try to pronounce or even spell it right. Ok, anyways. The band has been more or less formed already in the highschool, first as a punkband and for fun, but from 2003 a bit more seriously. The current line up has been together since 2012. They got the record companies interested in them from the start but since have moved from one to another and finally landing on Warner. They have only released three albums so far and without really breaking it big after all. They describe their music as modern, romantic and Finnish suitable for late nights and early mornings after. If they should win the song stays in Finnish and indeed they say at least they would have a name and song's name (not) to remember or Särkyneiden sydänten kulmilla (translates to Around broken hearts neighbourhoods).... Their fourth album will be released in February. Btw, remember Hukka and Mama fro...

While the winner Softengine is still working on their debut album and is about to release their new single Yellow house shortly, the girls of MIAU have come out with their debut album Trinity . Ten songs including of course their 3rd placed God/Drug .  Jasmin Michaela 's new single is called Irtokarkkeja following Kertakäyttösydän . Clarissa is out with Lies , following her duet with Josh Standing in Top of the world . Oh, and Madcraft is out with Never had the guts , too. Let's not forget Mikko Pohjola being featured in Jannika B's Sateen rummut while waiting for his new album including of course Sängyn reunalla .  Hukka ja Mama are also working on their debut album with Selja . And Lili Lambert has released this fabulous music video for her Let me take you there . Hanna Sky has released a follow up single, too, Softer rain . Lauri Mikkola has been busy with various live shows but it's worth remembering his appearance in Elastinen's Uus . Even Jos...

After last year's glitter and crazy Ding dong here comes a cool rockband with some stadium sized rock. All the guys are still under 19 so it would be propriate to talk about a boyband but for me boyband screams pop, and these guys are rock. The lead singer has a voice like no one else and they have some youthful charm to add and make it look and sound beyond their years. They got a recording deal already before winning UMK (just like Krista last year) and are backed by the label big time. Let's see how it goes..... Are they Something better ? Robert: Slowly I start to like this song a bit but I must admit I was quite upset with UMK, the Finnish national preselection, this year. I had two absolute favourites, Sängyn reunalla by Mikko Pohjola and Going down by Lauri Mikkola  and Selja by Hukka & Mama was also very nice. None of them won but a sympathetic boyband instead. Just sometimes I do not understand the Finns.... Oh well..:) Blogilkar: I agree with Robert ...

UMK 2014 final takes place tomorrow and Ilta-Sanomat has gathered together the data from Spotify. It shows Mikko Pohjola is by far the most listened song song from UMK 2014 with over 30% of all listenings. Also his video on Youtube has been watched over 50.000 times already. He surely has a domestic hit in his hand, and who knows wins the whole thing?! He's also leading in my poll here on the right side where you can still vote... -> Meanwhile YLE has noticed #UMK14 has become a success also abroad in social medias. Thousends of foreigners are following, tweeting, commenting, watching online. YLE wants to thank the artists themselves that who have been more active than ever in social medias. Martin Hart sums it up nicely in his tweet In viewing figures on TV UMK is still struggling. The semifinal was the first show that made it to YLE2's weekly Top-20 at number 14 with 248.000 viewers or 44%. But back to the Spotify. Softengine follows Mikko Pohjola but only hal...

Here are the eight UMK 2014 finalist for your viewing and listening pleasure with voting instructions as well. It all started with performing the demo versions to the judges, then the remixed version to live audiences in the heats and semifinals. Some of them have also produced already videos for their entries, including Lili Lambert who didn't reach the final with her Let me take you there . What is remarkable this year is that Softengine, MIAU and Hukka ja Mama have all secured a recording deal before the final. 01. Softengine – Something Better: Jury live , live , video 02. Hanna Sky – Hope: Jury live , live , studio 03. MIAU – God/Drug: Jury live , live , video 04. Lauri Mikkola – Going Down: Jury live , live , studio  Acoustic video 05. Madcraft – Shining Bright: Jury live , live, video 06. Mikko Pohjola – Sängyn Reunalla: Jury live , live , video 07. Clarissa feat. Josh Standing – Top Of The World: Jury live , live , video 08. Hukka ja Mam...

UPDATE 30.1 11.30am: Nearly 500 votes, thank you all! Mikko has taken a clear lead over Softengine and this couple has left the others far behind. Do you agree? If not, change the situation by voting, the last 24h to vote are here! When writing this a few votes are missing from the 400 votes and Mikko Pohjola has catched up Softengine, who have been ledding the poll for ages. Clarissa and Josh are already far behind and then there's another gap where MadCraft, the early leaders of the poll are with Jasmin Michaela and Hanna Sky. You still have a few days to vote or change your vote on the right hand side of this page -> This is the situation right now, January 27 at 5.23pm: Mikko Pohjola   104 Softengine   104 Clarissa ft. Josh    92 MadCraft   75 *Jasmin Michaela   74 Hanna Sky   72 Hukka ja Mama   52 MIAU   47 Lauri Mikkola   46 *MAKEA   34 *Dennis F...

This is it. The crucial semifinal. The remaining eight acts and songs are battling it out with televote only for the six places in the final. So far we have only known the jury votes and the result of 50-50 televote-jury vote. Tonight we might be in for some surprises.... We are back in Peacock Theater in Helsinki, for the last time, and Anne Lainto and Ile Uusivuori have been styled by the winner of an online contest (Helena Pirhonen) instead of the usual YLE's stylist, will they look different?  UMK+ will start online already 19.30 CET while the live show starts at 20 CET. Brädi will be the guest star performing together with UMK judge Toni Wirtanen. It will be also interesting to see if this semifinal manages to attract more viewers in front of TV as the previous shows have all got less than about 250.000, none of them entering the Top-20 most viewed programmes of the week iin YLE2. As always, I'll be here blogging it live for you so join in and enjoy the ride! ...

This Saturday the semifinal will take place and six more acts will join the final line up while two has to leave the race. We are still in Peacock Theater in Helsinki before moving to Barona Arena in Espoo for the grand final next week. In this semifinal there's only televote and as we have not really had a chance to see how they go so far as only the jury vote has been made public it's going to a very interesting evening. All still have a chance and there could be major surprises. In the final there will be again 50-50 televote-jury vote. The running order is below. The voting i open and you can vote here . If you don't want to spend your money on voting, vote in my poll instead --> MadCraft - Shinig bright Hukka ja Mama - Selja Lauri Mikkola - Going down Jasmin Michaela - Kertakäyttösydän Dennis Fagerström - My little honey bee MIAU - God/Drug Mikko Pohjola - Sängyn reunalla Clarissa feat. Josh Standing - Top of the world Hukka ja Mama have been ...

All went like predicted me thinks. Softengine sailed to the final and Lili Lambert goes home while the others continue to the semifinals. The televoting results were not revealed as usual, but here are the jury votes: Aija Puurtinen: Dennis 5, Lili 6, MIAU 7, Jasmine 8, Hukka ja Mama 9, Softengine 10 Toni Wirtanen: Lili 3, Dennis 4, MIAU 6, Jasmine 7, Softengine 8, Hukka ja Mama 10 Tomi Saarinen: Lili 3, Dennis 5, MIAU 6, Jasmine 7, Hukka ja Mama 8, Softengine 9 Redrama: MIAU 4, Dennis 5, Lili 6, Jasmine 7, Hukka ja Mama 8, Softengine 9 Next week the other six artists and the same procedure. See you then!

Peacock Theater in Helsinki's Linnanmäki amusement park hosts tonight at 8pm the first elimination round of UMK 2014. Six acts will perform for the first time their revamped versions infront of the judges and the live audience in the theater and the TV-audience. Combined televote-jury vote will send one act directly to the final, the last one has to say goodbye to the contest while the other four will go on to the semifinal where they still have a chance to get the ticket to the final. Watch it live here . The UMK+ starts online already 7.30pm. Join me for a live report as it happens! 20.30 The UMK+ has started from the backstage and the web presenters are talking some random stuff...Next they interview Tomi Saarinen . First live so everyone's a bit excited, of course! He tells a bit how the selection process was from those over 420 demos to these 12 selected ones among all those different genres and styles, most of all there was pop, he said. And can we send a song in...

Emanuele Lombardini, journalist and editor of Italian Eurovision site Eurofestival News and European music site Euromusica - Dove c'è musica has kindly reviewed the UMK 2014 songs for Blogilkar. Here goes:  1 - Madcraft - Shining bright Easy pop rock that is extremely radio friendly, at times reminiscent of " Salvem el mon " of Anonymous ( Andorra 2007). Historically, this kind of rock is not usually very lucky in ESC but the this is written well, it should deserve a chance. 2 - Dennis Fageström - My little honey bee Played only once, this is the only song that has immediate impact . Genuine pop, a song of love that typically works well. Radio friendly, simple, interpretation in line with the song. Would do much honor to the contest. 3 - MIAU - God/Drug The beat works, you start beating your foot along the music. Maybe a little repetitive, but you listen and start singing along on the first listening. The blonde singer surely works: her face and looks. A...