Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Topi Latukka was the lead singer of Softengine that brought Finland its third best placing at the Eurovision song contest ever in Copenhagen 2011. The band is no more and  28-year-old Topi has been busy launching his solo career a few years ago and then silence. The silence was not due pandemic like for many but a rare bone cancer, adamantinoma. He has been operated this week, his leg basically rebuilt and now he has expect a full recovery in 6-12 weeks, including learning to walk again as he tells in his Instagram . This blogger wishes Topi a speedy recovery. #Cancersucks .

When YLE's #UMK2021 jury announced it has selected the seven entries for the final they praised the quality and variety of the entries and even gave out clues of different kind of categories the submissions can be divided, one of them being old Eurovision participants, fans started speculating right away who could they be? This blogger included. But as they spoke about submissions we don't know if any of those were actually selected for the final.  On the other hand if one reads carefully one can note there are seven entries chosen, and they gave us six categories: Eurovision veteran, Emma award winning artist (or writer as they indeed didn't mention artists but submission by..... could be artists, writers, authors or producers), artists from hugely popular Vain elämää series, an export hope, energetic rock band and a hot name from the alternative music genre. Ok, one is missing and the extra slot could go to UMK2020 winner Aksel Kankaanranta after all?  Anyways, let...

Täydellisii paperil , or Perfect on paper is Topi Latukka's new solo single in Finnish. It follows Pehmeitä pintoi and Tekohengitystä   in the past few months  The video is apparently the first in the world fully filmed with OnePlus phone. The song itself is midtempo radio pop, maybe a bit anonymous like the previous ones with lyrics that challenge all grammar rules like it is the habit these days. He is a good vacalist and writes good songs, perfect on paper , but something better is needed to stand out I'm afraid. However I'm positive sooner or later he hits the jackpot and gets a major smash hit he deserves. This one is not that one. Yet. 

Softengine scored the best Finnish finish in the Eurovision since Lordi's win with their Something better in Copenhagen 2014. They released their debut album, got good critic abroad and for a while it seemed they would actually make it and become world known band. Then September one of the guys left the band and they continued as foursome, releasing singles and promised two EPs to be released. One came, the other never. Then May 2017 another guy left and they were three... Then we haven't quite  heard of them until now: lead singer Topi Latukka has released his debut solo single (but the band still exists). In Finnish. Pehmeitä pintoi is a far cry from bands rocky pop and flirts with today's radio friendly trends and thus remains rather anonymous sadly.... The year after Satin Circus was in UMK and instantly became a fan favorite with Crossroads . They already gained popularity before UMK but sadly Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät run over them for all the wrong reasons...

Eurovision collaborations are always happening - sometimes after years as you can see from the previous post, sometimes right away and among the artists that met during the Eurovision weeks. Already back in may it was revealed Austria's Conchita Wurst and Spain's Ruth Lorenzo hit it off and were planning a duet but here comes maybe a little bit more surprising one: Finland's Softengine and Greece's Freaky Fortune. First of all the Greek guys have remixes Softengine's Yellow House that is yet to be released but the ead singer Topi Latukka is also working with Nick Raptakis and Teofilos Pouzbouris on another track, maybe to be included on Freaky Fortune's next album. Long live Eurovison and its collaborations!