Finland’s Eurovision Song Contest is a crowded affair, as it is currently generating the biggest music phenomena in Finland, writes music journalist Ville Vedenpää.
The finalists of the New Music competition were announced on Wednesday morning. The seven contestants include familiar artists who have been in the preselection as well as newcomers. So it’s a diverse line-up.
The trio Kuumaa, who have made radio hits, and Portion Boys, who have made a name for themselves as a party band, are somewhat well-known.
No wonder there are so many people willing to take part. Even if you don’t get the visa slot itself, it’s a lottery in itself.
Of this year’s competitors, it would seem that Robin Packale, whose conquest of foreign countries has not started as expected, needs the most UMK visibility. Finland’s visa qualification is also closely followed in other parts of the world. A third of the Youtube views of the music videos of last year’s competition songs came from abroad.
For the other competitors, the first goal is certainly to increase popularity in their home country. Opening the gates to foreign countries would be an extra bonus.
At UMK, we still have to take into account the stage show. Previous years have shown that the song with the most views before the final has not won a ticket to Eurovision. For example, two years ago, the song by Teflon Brothers was the pre-favorite based on the listens, but in the end Blind Channel took a crushing victory with an energetic performance.
In any case, UMK is now in a positive cycle and it is also reflected in the public’s enthusiasm. The tickets for the final held at Logomo in Turku at the end of February were sold out in a day, which means there would be demand for a carnival in a bigger arena. Maybe here we are finally getting to a national celebration like Sweden’s Melodifestivalen.
*What kind of feelings do this year’s UMK competitors evoke in you? You can discuss the topic on 12.1. until 11 p.m.*