Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

As in previous years UMK 2024 is also a hit machine. The past three years the most streamed song in Finland has been an UMK entry, last year even Top-2 (and they are still in the Top-40 after one year!) It's funny to think just a few years ago the songs didn't chart at all, sometimes not even the winner and even longer ago some songs were not even recorded and/or released.  Here's how the songs have made in the Official singles Top-50 charts. As they were release one by one on different days and over two weeks chart period the positions enter gradually. Sara Siipola has featured the best here staying in Top-5 for three weeks already.  Cyan Kicks - Dancing with demons          14 . 21. Sexmane - Mania           4.   8. 15.  24. Sara Siipola - Paskana           19.  2.  4.  5. Jesse Markin - Glow           -  20 . -  -  Windowsman95 - No ru...

Jesse Markin (38) is a Finnish singer and rapper. More loved by the critics so far he's ready to play the UMk card for becoming a household name. Later this year he will also be taking part in Suuri seikkailu adventure reality. He also made headlines by stating should he win UMK he's not going to go to Eurovision if Israel is there.... Jesse was born in Liberia and moved to Finland from Ghana when he was 6. He speaks a very charming Tampere accent these days btw. In 2002 he formed a hip hop band The Megaphone State and they released three albums over ten years. 2018 Jesse released his first solo single Blood/Will shoot and gained good reviews and the video won an award for the best filming. Later he was chosen the Newcomer of the Year by music magazine Soundi. In 2019 he released his debut album and won two Emma (Finnish Grammy) for it, as well as other awards. In 2020 he took a step to reality entertainment by taking part in Dancing with stars placing 7th. His second album Noi...

A bit over a week to go before Yle will announce the UMK2023 artists and starts showcasing their songs from  January 12 one per day. Meanwhile the fandom has been trying to figure out who they are by spying social media, Yle's hints dropping every now and then and everything possible from wishful thinking to the logical solutions, or in most cases just pure coincidence.  Some changes have been in the guessing since it started in November ( read more here ) but some seem to be now cemented and fans are sure they are in: Lxnadra, Kuumaa, The Poets of the fall and Portion Boys, only now without Meiju Suvas but maybe with Osku Luukkainen? Now much left from the original late summer wish list by fans though ( here ) New names have emerged especially in the new female singer department. Is it Linda Teränen (with or without her Relax Trio band?), is it LOLA (Lotta-Maria Heinonen)? Or Astrid Nicole? Or is it Berta? Aliisa Syrjä? Yona?  Kiki? The names are flying! How about the bo...

Yle gave hints earlier this week about the UMK 2022 entrants and fandom has been trying ever since to figure out who they are. The first speculation part is here . I guess all these names are more of a wishful thinking rather than reality as I suspect there will be more rock than announced. After all this is Finland. The new names thrown in are nelow. Who knows, maybe one or two of them really is in? Time will tell. On January 12, 2022 that is when the names will be revealed and from January 13 the songs will be released one by one. All seven of them. Yasmine Yamajako Yasmine is a singer-actress of multicultural roots; Benin and France from her father's side, Finnish from mother's. Her aunt is Eurovision 2002 veteran Laura (Voutilainen). Yasmine has been doing musicals. She has been featured in Cheek's megahit Syypää sun hymyyn among others. Listen Kato mitä sä teit  Sini Yasemin Sini is half Turkish, half Finnish and openly lesbian. Two albums so far and 15 singles so far...

New music from Finland twice a week in this new series from the charts, radio play or just new names trying to make it. Enjoy! Nicholas X - Diagnoosi Jukka Poika - Paratiisilintu Kolme sanaa - Köydet Jesse Markin / Akua Naru - Exodus