Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Another dose of #Finpop 2025 for you. First we have UMK runner up Sara Siipola, then possible UMK 2026 names Elias Kaskinen - btw also Nelli Matula's husband - and Alina Burnet, with a producer/Dj Eben.  Sara Siipola - Haluun elää Elias Kaskinen - Meidän tässä kuuluisi rakastuu Alina Burnet - Tyttö maan pääl Eben - Drown

 August is in full swing and here's some more #Finpop 2025 for your enjoyment. All artists already familiar to this #Finpop series. Kiki once again has a song co-written by bf Tomi Saario, Elsa by brother Johannes of Kuumaa fame, Sara by Goldielocks while Olli keeps delivering songs that really hit the Finnish chords.  Kiki - Nainen Sara Siipola - BFF Olli Halonen - Kauniita unia Elsa Brotherus - Tähdenlentoja

  Another dose of #Finpop 2025 with super popular Lauri Haav and Mirella in their second joint effort, ever delivering Noto and Frans Harju and a duet by UMK goddesses Nelli Matula and Sara Siipola written by KUUMAA's Johannes - who had that in their bingo cards? Lauri Haav / Mirella - Aja tai kuole NOTO - Notre Dame Nelli Matula / Sara Siipola - Roskat Frans Harju - Ei kenenkään maa 

Emma Gaala or the Finnish Grammy awards were celebrated in Espoo's Metro Arena a week ago and last year's most successful artist was Mirella who picked four out of six nominations (Artist of the year, Newcomer of the year, Song of the Year, Pop of the Year, Public's choice, Album of the Year) On top of that she was awarded The Most sold album of the Year and The most streamed Song of the Year. Several UMK artists were nominated and won awards. It's worth remembering three UMK entries have won The Song of the Year award in recent years: Dark side , Ram pam pam and Cha cha cha . Käärijä and Bess also have won The Artist of the Year award in 2022 and 2023, Kuumaa has won The Band of the Year now three years in a row (2022, 2023, 2024). Newcomer of the Year has been won by Jesse Markin (2019), Käärijä (2023), Kuumaa won Album of the year (2023). Pop of the year award has gone to Bess (2022) and Kuumaa (2023). Rock of the year to Blind Channel (2021, 2024), Export award to ...

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...

After a break let's relaunch the weekly #Finpop series. And here comes the latest from Eurovision fan favorites Erika Vikman and Käärijä, separate this time but pretty much dealing with the same topic: Sex sells. And what a banger chorus once again from Käärijä! We follow with another Eurovision veteran and another fan favorite, namely Laura Voutilainen (could she be doing a comeback to UMK in 2025?) feeling like a teenager again  and Sara Siipola urging you to love, love, love her. ERIKA VIKMAN - MYYNNISSÄ KÄÄRIJÄ - SEX = MONEY LAURA VOUTILAINEN - TEINI TAAS SARA SIIPOLA - RAKASTA MUA, RAKASTA MUA, RAKASTA

 It's time to relaunch #FinPop series with the hits from Finland in charts, streaming platforms and radio waves in 2024. Enjoy! We kick off with a UMK 2024 collaboration Sara Siipola feat. Sexmane, and one of the biggest revelations of the season Mirella, ever so popular ABREU and a newcomer Larry. Sara Siipola ft. Sexmane - Juostaan Mirella - Timanttei ABREU - Valheista kaunein Larry - Mitä me nähtiin

The Eurovision 2024 wannabe host city Tampere that hosted already UMK2024 final isn't done with Eurovision yet. The arena will host a viewing party for Eurovision song contest 2024 on May 11, 2024.  But before the Eurovision final on mega screens there's a concert party with Eurovision winners Alexander Rybak and Emmelie De Forest  with Eurovision fan favorites Verka Serduchka and KEiiNO. And that's not all: local Eurovision stars Saara Aalto, Ami Aspelund, CatCat, Hanna Pakarinen, Marion Rung, Laura Voutilainen, Sara Siipola, Aksel Kankaanranta, Geir Rönning, Sandhja and Benjamin will join the fun by performing their respective entries.  This is first time something like this is organized in Finland in this magnitude. The ticket selling starts on February 26 and costs are from 39,60 to VIP tickets of 169,90. But where is Käärijä? And Lordi? Hopefully in Malmö! Can I already announce the Finnish jury votes come from there announced by Benjamin?

There's pre-Käärijä and there's post-Käärijä and Finland is kinda having a post-Käärijä hangover now. Most everyone is complaining the songs aren't good. I always tell them go and check some other country's selection, Moldova for example and you see how great it is again. Seven songs, all good or very good in their own way. Maybe there isn't Cha cha cha in there but any song chosen will be better than quite a few others present in Malmö for sure. Then again, of course we want to find The One that would take us to final and do good. Only that we feel a bit spoiled right now. Still.  The show takes us away from Helsinki or Turku to Tampere and for the first time to a big arena (that sold out within minutes btw! The hype is real). Tampere, the Eurovision wannabe city. Had Käärijä won the Eurovision 2024 would take place there in Tampere in this arena instead of Malmö. But that's life. The show will be broascasted besides Yle1 television on their streaming channel A...

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...

Sara seems to be the fan and streaming favorite and who knows if she can keep the momentum til the end. The song's title has caused some speculation as paskana (paska = shit) translates to something like I'm broken/in pieces/not well/I'm a fucking wreck and so on. One can decide if paska is a four letter word or not but it's commonly used in everyday spoken language so in the end it's not a big deal. Sara (26) was the most googled female singer in Finland in 2023, and has been slowly doing herself known with a string of singles from 2019 and released her debut album Kaunis kun itken (Beautiful when I cry) in 2021. Her songs have made to title song of reality tv series and she's been a regular performer in Miss Finland finals for some reason, maybe her stunning looks?  Radios have played her songs a lot as well and indeed she has a very peculiar and recognizable voice. And real break through to house hold spotlight came last spring with music programme Tähdet, tä...

  Another set of goodies from #Finpop2023 summer-fall season! Among them UMK veteran Robin "I will never sing in Finnish again" Packalen among others. Robin Packalen / Ege Zulu - Kolmistaan Evelina - Sä <3 mä SANNI - Mielenmaisemat Sara Siipola - Susta tulee tähti

  Another week, another dose of #Finpop by big names Lauri Tähkä and Erin, bubbling under Sara and newcomer Kakku. Enjpy! Kakku - Movetron Lauri Tähkä - Elämänlangat Sara Siipola - Paha kiertämään Erin - Miljoona vastausta