Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Another week, another dose of more or less new #finpop from charts, streaming platforms and radio waves. Olavi Uusivirta is hot topic at the moment for all but musical merits at the moment (Hint: PM Sanna Marin, Night clubbing. Kissing) and disco queen Eini is back with a female anthem while Maija Vilkkumaa rocks some nostalgia and ex-Leningrad Cowboys Jore delivers an insane ear worm. Enjoy! Olavi Uusivirta - Älä päästä mua menemään  Eini - En itke sun perään  Maija Vilkkumaa - 1973 Jore Marjoranta - Mikset sä jäänyt

Yle has announced the rules for Umk 2023 aka the Finnish national selection for the Eurovision song contest 2023 to be held somewhere in the United Kingdom on behalf of Ukraine. While doing so they also promise that Umk 2023 will be bigger than ever! The submission period is from September 1 to 5 . One artist is allowed up to three submissions (but only one of them can qualify). If chosen the final versions must be ready by November 3. The final will take place in February 2023.  The songs can't be sent to any other country's selections and at least one writer must be a Finn, as well as the main soloist, or at least have a permanent residence in Finland. Rest of the rules are the common Eurovision rules set by Ebu. They also launched a sort of Who do you want to take part? commenting on their Instagram and here is the short list of those names mentioned most often (or just mentioned and who this blogger agrees with ;-) As we've had two rock acts in a row I hope for a more p...

Sanremo 2021 was a record breaking success, but Sanremo 2022 has by far outdone that already as the competing songs have sold over 2,200.000 million copies already and gained 24 platinum discs and seven gold discs. So far.  One can only wonder - and then look with amazed - how Amadeus is going to make it ever bigger and better in 2023. The first rumours are already running wild of the possible "certain" guests (Britney Spears and/or Lady Gaga, Fedez) and competitors (Al Bano, Tananai, Rocco Hunt) as well as guest hosts (Chiara Ferragni, Gianni Morandi) and most of all, whho knows the comeback of Paola & Chiara? Meanwhile let's enjoy again these hit songs! Sold over 500.000 (5xplatinum) Mahmood & Blanco - Brividi (Winner) Sold over 300.000 (3xplatinum) Sangiovanni - Farfalle  (5th) Dargen D'Amico - Dove si balla  (9th) La rappresentante di lista - Ciao ciao  (7th) Sold over 200.000 (2xplatinum) Irama - Ovunque sarai  (4th) Rkomi - Insuperabile  (17t...

  Another dose of  #Finpop for these hot summer nights including Eurovision almost veteran Akse Kankaanranta's latest offering in Finnish. Enjoy! Aksel Kankaanranta - Vielä sä löydät mun luo Kiki - Rodeo Nelli Matula - Diva Pikku G feat. Ani - Kaukana

 Ferragosto is gone but summer's here with these tormentoni sounds and as a nostalgia an evergreen by Luca Carboni. Enjoy! La Rappresentate di Lista - Diva Lorenzo Fragola - Luna fortuna Lazza - Panico (feat. Takagi & Ketra) Luca Carboni - Mare mare

  Another dose of #Finhits from radio waves, streaming platforms and charts from the usual hit makers Olavi Uusivirta and Evelina with lesser known but by no means less worthy Aurora and Raappana Aurora - Viaton Olavi Uusivirta - Kielletty leikki Raappana - Iäisyys Evelina / TheoFuego - Miau

EBU and BBC have announced this morning the short list of the cities that are still running to host the Eurovision song contest 2023 on behalf of Ukraine under Russian aggression and full blown war. Short list might sound all but short when we still have seven (7) possible host candidates. On the other hand if they were almost 20 to start with it is sort of a short list, isn't it? Out with London and Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Darlington, Edinburgh . Brighton, Cardiff, Derry, Nottingham and Sunderland withdraw their bid already before the deadline and the odd Prudhoe and Wolverhampton just made some fun to gain of publicity as in these cases always. I admit I never heard of those towns before, and probably never will again.  So, who's left? In alphabetical order: the 1998 host Birmingham and debutantes Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield . EBU and BBC are expected to announce the winnning bid later this fall once they have fine tuned their o...

  Another set of of tormentoni wannabes like Eurovision veteran Raf's latest, those that made it and a nostalgia trip with Righeira, a real classic! Vamos a la playa, it's almost Ferragosto! Raf - Cherie Jovanotti / Sixpm - I love you baby Gionnyscandal - Boom Righeira - Vamos a la playa

  Some more tunes for summer aiming to become tormentoni 2022. The queen of tormentoni joins forces with Eurovision 2022 host Mika while Malika and Tommaso do their best as well to win some hearts. The nostalgia one is from a couple of summers ago but still a real banger: Mahmood going calipso joined by a string of top rank rappers and hip hoppers . Enjoy! Baby K feat. MIKA - Bolero Tommaso Paradiso - Piove in discoteca Malika Ayane - Una ragazza Charlie Charles, Dardust, Mahmood, Sfera Ebbasta, Fabri Fibra - Calipso

  It's August which means the Italian summer holiday season is reaching its peak and the fight for the tormentone of the year is fierce. Here are some and with a nostalgia trip to summer of yeasteryear with Sabrina and the iconic boobstastic video! Rocco Hunt, Eletters Lamborghini & Lola Indigo - Caramello Carl Brave, Noemi - Hula hoop Emanuele Aloia - Cartagine Sabrina - Boys 

This year's UMK has been a success for most of its artists. BESS scored the biggest hit this year so far with Ram pam pam and her follow up Rakastan ei rakasta is making it big as we speak. Besides that she's featured in Antti Tuisku's hit Grindr mayhem . Isaac Sene released already the follow up Jukka and is now featured in Etta's Rakastellaan. Cyan Kicks and Younghearted have released their follow up singles, too. As has The Rasmus . Meanwhile last year's success Ilta is here again with her latest continuing her success. Etta feat Isaac Sene - Rakastellaan Ilta - Ei kukaan muu Cyan Kicks - See the light Younghearted - Silloin

 After a tiny holiday break some more new #Finpop tunes from the radio waves and charts. Enjoy! ABREU - Paholainen (querido) feat Averagekidluke KUUMAA - Tulipalo Elias Kaskinen - Elos ALMA - Everything beautiful

Ebu made the painful but sensible decision not to let the 2023 Eurovision song contest be held in Ukraine, the 2022 winning country due to ongoing Russian aggression and full blast war that seems to not be ending anytime soon sadly.  When the speculation started immediately, or even before their win, many broadcasters and countries stepped in line more or less seriously to have it from Italy to Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain but the Ebu decision fell on BBC and United Kingdom, the historical back up country and this time also the runner up with the official announcement on July 25. By then most every UK city has expressed its willingness to host Eurovision 2023: Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Brighton, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Sunderland and Wolverhampton.  This will be 9th time United Kingdom hosts the contest: 1968 London, 1977 Wembley/London, 1982 Harrogate, 1998 Birmingham after...

  Another week, another dose of #Finpop. This year's revelation BESS teams up with Antti Tuisku for some Grindr reality, Evelina is back and newcomers Sebastian Noto and Thelise release another goodies. Thelise - Timanttii Antti Tuisku feat. BESS - Grindr Mayhem Sebastian Noto - Aina Evelina - Sydän sulaa

  This week Italian tormentoni goes tropical with Boomdabash featuring Annalisa, Elisa jojns Matilda,  Loredana Bertè joins Franco123 and finally Giuni Russo delivers the summer banger of bangers, written by Franco Battiato 40 summers ago and hit ever since every year. Boomdabash / Annalisa - Tropicana Elisa / matilda de Angelis - Litoranea Franco123 / Loredana Bertè - Mare malinconia Giuni Russo - Un'estate al mare

  Another week, another dose of #Finpop.  Sanni goes stupid, Anu euphoric, Anna Puu returns with a laidback ballad and Spekti met love. Sanni - Tyhmä Ani - Euforia Anna Puu - Juokse beibi juokse  Spekti / Miri - Rakkaus kävi täällä

Italy's Summer sounds 2022 vol.2 features Blancoäs follow up to his Eurovision entry Brividi with Mahmood, as well as Irama's and Giusy Ferreri's follow ups to their Sanremo songs. Irama is heavily influ7ended by both BESS and Mahmood it seems.... The nostlagy tormentone is Thegiornalisti's Riccione. Blanco - Nostalgia Irama - Pampampampampampampampam Giusy Ferreri - Causa effetto TheGiornalisti - Riccione

  This week's #Finpop features follow up singles of two UMK2022 artists: Isaac Sene and BESS. BESS is having the biggest national season hit with her Ram pam pam that stayed 10 weeks at #1 and only this week dropped out of top-10 after 24 weeks, still staying at #13. I believe only Mahmood and Blanco in Italy can challenge her with Brividi. With them two veterans of this series with new goodies: Vahtera and Nopsajalka.  BESS - Rakastan, en rakasta Vahtera - Onko kukaan nähnyt Marloo? Isaac Sene - Jukka  Nopsajalka feat. EME - FOMO

  If Sanremo dominates the charts all spring in the summer time the so called tormentoni take over the radio waves all through to autumn when the holidays are over. And some of those live on summer after summer and in this series I will always add one of those goodies. Let's start with Paola & Chiara's classic Vamos a bailar, a true evergreen already. And guess what? There's a rumour the sister might get back together! I have always hoped them doing Eurovision..... Sanremo 2023 in mind I hope! And one can't really not think about their Festival when listening to Tribale. And it's a good thing! Elodie - Tribale Eros Ramazzotti - Ama Fedez, Tananai, Mara Sattei - La dolce vita Paola & Chiara - Vamos a bailar

  Another dose of summer tunes from #Finpop with a French touch and for the Pride month Benjaminäs remake of Maija Vilkkumaa's classic Ei. Enjoy! Benjamin - Gay Miri feat. Keko Salata - Voidaan vaikka erota Helena Routa - Tragedia T Swoop - Mon ami

  After a tiny little holiday break here are some new #Finpop tunes, including UMK candiate Isaac Sene and Joalin Loukamaa of Now United fame. Enjoy! Jannika B - P.A.S.K.A Pihlaja - Bon appetit Etta feat Isaac Sene - Rakastellaan Joalin - Angelito

  Another week, another dose of new #Finpop with some summer flavour from charts and radio waves of Finland. Enjoy! Benjamin - N-Y-T Sonia - Kirjeistäsi Erin - Päivii niit Hesaäijä -  Hyppääpä kyytiin

  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 

  After Eurovision break here comes some new #Finpop tunes including Chisu who's quitting her solo career and yet another radio banger from ex-Satin Circus Olli Halonen. Enjoy! Chisu - Mun kulta Överi - Zidane  Pamela - Ei täs mitään häviä Olli Halonen - Suomen kesä

The national languages have made great comeback post-covid. If in 2019 the only non-English songs on top were Italy second and Iceland 10th, in 2021 the whole Top-3 was non-English but also 5th. This year the trend continued with the winner and 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th place. Even 11th! And even the 2nd if we could United Kingdom that did sung in its own language. Three out of last five winners have been non-English songs while all but Ukrainian ones (2004 and 2016) partly, and Serbian 2007 winner have been non-English since Israel' Diva back in 1998 before the free language rule. Otherwise it's been pretty much on Italy's shoulders since their comeback in 2011. As an old school Eurovision fan I can't be but very happy about this and wish more and more countries would take the chance to send something in their own language for a change, or even bring that national language rule back! And those mixed versions like Portugal and Croatia this year are always a welcome co...