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London Eurovision Party 2023: Watch all the live performances!

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Yesterday, 16th of April, London held the last pre-party for this year’s Eurovision season.

London Eurovision Party 2023 was held in Here at Outernet and presented by Nicki French(UK 2000) and Paddy O’ Connell(former Eurovision commentator for the BBC).

22 Eurovision participants sang in London and you can watch their live performances below:

  • Australia – Voyager

There is a big difference between the studio version and their live performance. It’s a rock performance and it shows that band songs are meant for live performances. It is indeed difficult to make any predictions, but I wouldn’t be surprised in case it does well with the televoting, even if Australia is usually a jury favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCNeHC4NvAI

  • Austria – Teya & Salena

A much loved entry by Eurovision fans and it is worth it. The vocals are good, the chemistry between the duo is splendid, the weird dancing is present and the crowd is loving it. Austria has managed to beat the odds so far, contrary to those who thought that Who the Hell is Edgar was going to be a fan-flop, similarly to last year’s Halo. Now, we will only have to see how it works in Liverpool stage!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlf8Sb5RaUQ

  • Azerbaijan – TuralXTuran

A beautiful song for sure and regardless the final result, I’m really glad that Azerbaijan finally sent a song that was written by Azerbaijani people. Although, that doesn’t seem to be enough and their performances do not have a large appeal. Probably we will not see them perform in the Grand Final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLvPB2-2LAc

  • Croatia – Let 3

The most controversial entry of Eurovision 2023. Controversial is also the whole career of Let 3. Although, everyone thought that they wouldn’t make it to the Final, their live performances prove the opposite. The crowd is having fun and singing with them and their eccentricity will sure be noticed. It looks like Croatia made the right choice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHnz8Y4SmHI

  • Czechia – Vesna

A fan favorite to win at first, but at the moment it does not give winning vibes. It was a better performance than usual but it will be a long way for Czechia in order to achieve their result. Their vocals were better but staging still looks messy and chaotic and it does not put across the message of the song. There is still time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZdTtoA6IcI

  • Denmark – Reiley

A much better performance than usual but it remains a song that has small potential when live performed. Reiley being famous on TikTok might be helpful for his entry, so I can’t exclude any possibility.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ng571hW6Ro

  • Estonia – Alika

A beautiful song and impressive vocals. That’s it! It’s another cliché Eurovision ballad, not good enough for Alika’s vocal abilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWma2X8tnxA

  • Finland – Käärijä

We can all understand the hype. Exactly like any of his performances, he gives once more the 100% of his personality and energy. The crowd goes crazy and here we have if not the winner, a top 3 contender.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeBDb3QoKss

  • Iceland – Diljá

Strong vocals and stage presence as Diljá is an energetic performer. Although, the song doesn’t seem enough for Diljá either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5GrD6IRMfc

  • Ireland – Wild Youth

A good band performance, full of energy. On the other hand, the song does not stand out for their qualification. It’s not anything new, it’s something done before but it’s not done well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c03adZUY3I

  • Lithuania – Monika Linkytė

Monika brought the London Community Gospel Choir for her performance in London Eurovision Party. A vocal powerhouse. The song slowly receives more support and it’s all because of Monika herself. Stay is going to be loved by the juries and we can’t exclude the possibility of the public voting for her. She has a personality and you can’t skip over it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FplK-xqYZ90

  • Malta – The Busker

Good vocals and great energy on stage. Looks like they are having fun. Frontman’s moves resemble exactly what the song is all about, feeling socially anxious in parties. I really like this entry, but unfortunately it doesn’t stand out and it’s not enough for Malta’s ticket to the Final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZF3ucUwzok

  • Moldova – Pasha Parfeni

A really energetic performance of Pasha. The crowd is enjoying it and is probably sending him straight to the Final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVM4HO6991Q

  • Norway – Alessandra

Vocally speaking she gets better and better each time. Personally, I don’t mind any voice cracks of Alessandra. She has a really strong entry, her presence is imposing and her view of pre-parties like actual parties, is actually obvious when performing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPRsTpDEV3A

  • Portugal – Mimicat

Although I’m not a big fan of this year’s Portuguese entry and looks weird to me, Mimicat is vocally flawless and I’m waiting for a better performance on Liverpool to disprove me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COErIMq3AFo

  • Romania – Theodor Andrei

You will either like it or not. I don’t like it. Vocally he’s good but none of his performances, although far better than the one in Romania’s NF, seems convincing, just messy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwR26PjTJI8

  • San Marino – Piqued Jacks

In any means, not a bad song. The lead singer is vocally on point. The whole package, although, is not enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nep9c326_x4

  • Serbia – Luke Black

I still don’t get the song. It’s not my favorite entry but it is quirky, eccentric and special. He still looks awkward to me when referring to his stage presence. I’m waiting for his performance in Liverpool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXy8vNlVIDA

  • Slovenia – Joker Out

I love that song! Although, the studio version was not that promising at first, the charisma of every single one of the band’s members is to die for. They are stylish, humorous and committed to what they do. I hope to see that energy in Liverpool and Slovenia finally getting awarded with a good result.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwZIzxI7who

  • Sweden – Loreen

The real queen of this year’s Eurovision. She teaches every Eurovision winner about when and how to return back. Vocally flawless and she seems to be connected with the crowd. Although, the led platform is missing, her strong personality is here and elevates the song. Personally, I want to see her crowned as a winner again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCYrO5vspeM

  • Spain – Blanca Paloma

Whether you like her entry or not, one thing is for sure. No one can deny Blanca’s flawless vocals and how expressive she is. Although, I can’t fully understand the song, because it has many references to Spanish culture, every time I watch her performances, her emotions really touch me. RTVE is here to win, although I don’t think it will be come true. A great entry, one of my favorites, and it is a good example on what should follow the next year after a great Eurovision result.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep2fuj9-FBc

  • United Kingdom – Mae Muller

MAE I LOVE U!!!I can’t be completely honest with her. Vocally wise, her best performance. What it is indeed challenging is not exactly her vocals but how it will be staged. It needs some dancing, but mostly sass and attitude. These are Mae’s weapons, indeed. She seems to enjoy it and no matter the comments, crowd loves her. It’s the most mainstream pop song of this year’s Eurovision, there’s no way it will not be placed high!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJYqmM3g5qk

Which were your favorite performances? Write in the comments!

Stay tuned on EurovisionFun for more news about Eurovision 2023!

The Netherlands: All the performances of “Eurovision in Concert 2023”!

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Eurovision in Concert 2023 took place in AFAS Live in Amsterdam, last night, with 29 of this year’s entrants performing live.

The concert was hosted by Cornald Maas and Hila Noorzai. Cornald has been the Dutch Eurovision commentator since 2006. Hila is a radio DJ and member of the committee that selected this year’s Dutch representatives (Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper). She also hosted the Eurovision 2021 press conference in Rotterdam.

The artists that performed last night were the following:

Albania – Albina & Kelmendi Familija

Balcan sounds and consistent vocals is what we got from Albina and the Kelmendi Family! Might be the suprise entry of this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UKBP_v3BPY

Armenia – Brunette

Brunette singing about her Future Lover with ethereal vocals and the crowds singing along. Beautiful performance!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KspC8I7MXl0

Australia – Voyager

Voyager give what they promise! Rock and electronic sounds, so 2025! What is concerning though, is that even though their song is supposed to be very uplifting, the crowd was too static. Also falsetto was not always on point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx73Q68eWwU

Austria – Teya & Salena

That’s not a song where you can show off some unreal vocals, however it’s the song that will definitely make you dance! And Teya & Salena deliver, solid vocals and much much fun! One of my personal favourites and if you ask me, a finalist and highly likely a Top5 entry!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdh6cFfcfKo

Azerbaijan – TuralTuranX

TuralTuranX “tell us more” about their entry this year, however I’m still not getting it. A song that I could listen to the radio without complaining, but wouldn’t catch my eye/ear at the contest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XiT0RvJPn0

Belgium – Gustaph

The queerest entry of the year! His vocals are as good as the studio version! He is a fun guy! This is the kind of entries that I would like to qualify, even though that’s not the style of songs that I normally listen to!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgx-CPHRx5A

Czechia – Vesna

I can only comment on their vocals. They were okay. However, this entry started off as a potential winner, but I’m not getting that vibe, at least not yet. But hey! It’s just a party performance! Let’s wait for their contest rehearsals!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CocNlkxpxdg

Denmark – Reiley

Danish heart-throb Reiley, had his best performance to date. Some minor vocal issues, but overall a nice performance!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuT–QEIyag

Estonia – Alika

Nice song and great vocals! But for me, it’s no more than just that. I wouldn’t be surprised if Estonia got disqualified.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UKYFFFWjgU

Finland – Käärijä

Normally, that’s a song that I can’t stand listening to for more than 10 seconds. Strangely, combined to his eccentric looks and his super nice personality, I could now handle listening to his entire Amsterdam performance! Personal opinion aside, I can totally see why this is a contender for the win.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd0n_sNDiAo

France – La Zarra

Unfortunately, after a statement in her personal Twitter account, La Zarra announced that she has to cancel her appearance in Amsterdam, due to personal circumstances.

Germany – Lord of the Lost

I can’t be objective, I don’t like this style of music. I can only be objective about their vocal abilities, which are on point I must admit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmPSRnNpd0A

Iceland – Diljá

That’s a song that I would add to my daily playlist, however, this song lacks something that I still don’t know what it is! Diljá’s voice is great admitedly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjjsWy1R93k

Ireland – Wild Youth

“Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall” x “Ritmo De La Noche” x “We Are One” would be a great mashup! I low-key like this song and I loved their Amsterdam performance. But something tells me that they will struggle to qualify this year. Let’s see what happens!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NY6OODALZU

Latvia – Sudden Lights

Another performance that sounds exactly like the recorded version of their song! I didn’t see the love from the AFAS Live crowd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1qFm5Wtkgg

Lithuania – Monika Linkytė

Monika definitely sounds even better than the studio version of the song. She will try to claim a high placement in the rankings of the jury voting in this year’s contest! In the beginning I didn’t quite like “Stay“, I can now say that I love her vocals on this track!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSO-3m9J1js

Malta – The Busker

They were not bad, not at all sounding bad live, but were they as good as it needs to be to qualify to the final show of Eurovision Song Contest? Song-wise I think not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIswu3YrrfU

Moldova – Pasha Parfeni

Despite the technical issues with his Madrid performance, Pasha, the Moldovan 2012 representative and returning artist of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, managed to pull off his performance. Great vocals and energy overall!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7LsW-dA_0U

Netherlands – Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper

It’s really sad to see my 2nd place to perform questionably in their own country’s party concert. Their vocals sound a bit off at times and as a duo their vocals don’t seem to connect on their live performance. I hope they fix it till their semi-final, I don’t want to see them become the shocking non-qualifier of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toUGDak3o1Y

Norway – Alessandra

Very much improved vocally, Alessandra, gets carried away by the strength of her song and her fans are absolutely loving it! The whistle note was so-so. She will improve, I am sure!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F97_a4eMpK0

Romania – Theodor Andrei

Theodor has a nice voice, but this song is totally “Off and On” so one would either like it or not. I don’t.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyin57pzpcc

San Marino – Piqued Jacks

Their are very very good vocally. Their lead vocalist sounds like Klaus Meine, frontman of Scorpions band. Their song is not at all bad after all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqne0dGawhQ

Slovenia – Joker Out

I simply love this band and this song! One of my favourites! I love how they sound in each and every appearance they make before the contest. I hope they continue delivering up until the Eurovision finals!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7brJYVqqgZc

Spain – Blanca Paloma

A blend of flamenco and modern sounds, bringing Spanish tradition to 2023. Her vocals are absolutely amazing. I just don’t get the hype around this entry, it is a great entry for Spain, but definitely not a top 3 entry as many fans are claiming over at social media!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ycUxy4l00M

Sweden – Loreen

Her vocals are out of this world! Another amazing performance of the former Eurovision 2012 winner and potential 2023 winner! And for those that claim that she sings with the assistance of an Auto-Tune device, I can assure you that even when she rehearsed in the corridors of Malmö Arena or Friends Arena during the Melodifestivalen season, she sounded exactly the same, or even better than the studio version! My winner for sure!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlBuzqzjnIk

Switzerland – Remo Forrer

I absolutely love his Amsterdam (and every single one of his) live performance! I can’t wait to see this song complete and staged and Remo joined by his four dancers! I think he will qualify! But let’s wait and see!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGsRTZ5sPcA

Ukraine – TVORCHI

I love TVORCHI and their song and their Amsterdam performance. They sounded really really good, I am a fan of their style of music, but I don’t see this entry winning. Let’s see another country winning this year!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOFkzKOkc_k

United Kingdom – Mae Muller

Come on, she doesn’t sound as atrocious as most of the Twitter people claim. And at least she enjoys it and the crowd loves her! I hope she will do much better in Liverpool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EMepsNxZUU

 

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news about the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool!

Photo: EurovisionInConcert

Netherlands: Eurovision in Concert 2023 takes place tonight in Amsterdam!

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Eurovision in Concert 2023 takes place in The Netherlands tonight , with 29 of this year’s entrants performing live.

The concert will be hosted by Cornald Maas and Hila Noorzai. Cornald has been the Dutch Eurovision commentator since 2006. Hila is a radio DJ and member of the committee that selected this year’s Dutch representatives (Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper). She also hosted the Eurovision 2021 press conference in Rotterdam.

The full line-up is as follows:

  1. Albania – Albina & Kelmendi Familija
  2. Armenia – Brunette
  3. Australia – Voyager
  4. Austria – Teya & Salena
  5. Azerbaijan – TuralTuranX
  6. Belgium – Gustaph
  7. Czechia – Vesna
  8. Denmark – Reiley
  9. Estonia – Alika
  10. Finland – Käärijä
  11. France – La Zarra
  12. Germany – Lord of the Lost
  13. Iceland – Diljá
  14. Ireland – Wild Youth
  15. Latvia – Sudden Lights
  16. Lithuania – Monika Linkytė
  17. Malta – The Busker
  18. Moldova – Pasha Parfeni
  19. The Netherlands – Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper
  20. Norway – Alessandra
  21. Romania – Theodor Andrei
  22. San Marino – Piqued Jacks
  23. Slovenia – Joker Out
  24. Spain – Blanca Paloma
  25. Sweden – Loreen
  26. Switzerland – Remo Forrer
  27. Ukraine – TVORCHI
  28. United Kingdom – Mae Muller

In addition, Katrina Leskanich (Eurovision 1997, UK, winner, “Love Shine a Light“) will  appear as a special guest.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news about the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool!

Estonia: Finland wins the first show of Eurovisiooni laulud 2023!

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The Estonian Public Broadcaster ERR, has started yesterday the TV preview show for this year’s Eurovision. Which is called Eurovisiooni laulud 2023.

Every Thursday for the next six weeks, Estonian TV viewers can watch some of the songs that won the ticket for Liverpool.

The first episode was aired last night with a four-person panel consisted of the two presenters of the show (Grete Kuld and Tõnis Niinemets), but also Elina Born (Estonia 2015) and Robin Jukental (Estonia 2010), who are guest judges.

The panel heard and rated the first six songs which are:

  • “Heart of Steel” – Tvorchi – Ukraine
  • “Promise” – Voyager – Australia
  • “Évidemment” – La Zarra – France
  • “Dance (Our Own Party)” – The Busker – Malta
  • “My Sister’s Crown” – Vesna – Czechia
  • “Cha Cha Cha” – Käärijä – Finland

The winner of the night was Käärijä with “Cha Cha Cha” and it was named as the best entry among the six entries evaluated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJHe-iZ5HSI

The next episode of Eurovisiooni laulud 2023 wil be broadcast next Thursday 30/03 on ERR’s Estonian channel ETV.

Stay tuned EurovisionFun for all the news regarding Eurovision 2023!

 

 

Finland: Mr. Lordi discusses Käärijä’s chances at Eurovision 2023!

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Hard rock band Lordi are the only Finnish Eurovision winners so far.  Moreover, their winning song and costumes make them one of the most iconic Eurovision acts from Finland.  Hence, there is no doubt why Finnish press appreciates what the band has to say about their Eurovision representative.

Lead singer Mr. Lordi talked to Helsingin Uutiset about the band and of course there was time to talk about Käärijä and his song Cha cha cha.  Mr. Lordi expressed mixed feelings about the Finnish song for Liverpool:

I can’t stand rap. Hip hop is from Satan. I’ve never liked that music, I don’t understand it. However, there is a very heavy background and a melodic chorus, which I really enjoy.

In the end, Mr. Lordi thinks the overall result is positive and he thinks Käärijä can give Finland a good result.  According to Mr. Lordi, what makes Käärijä stands out is the “heavy sound” of the song because Finland gets the best results when it goes in this musical direction:

It’s always good when a heavier song from Finland is entered in such a competition, because we have expertise in such music. Finnish people know how to make heavy music, it works better than softer songs. Lordi, Blind Channel and Käärijä: stuff from the heavier department.

However, Mr. Lordi does not want to anticipate a victory for Finland.  According to him, Käärijä can win the Eurovision Song Contest.  Nevertheless, he adds that making predictions is pointless because there are many variables in the competition.

Lordi represented Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 held in Athens with the song Hard Rock Hallelujah.  They won the song contest in a landslide

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for more news about Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023!

Source: Helsingin Uutiset

Poland: Blanka visiting Finland & meeting with Käärijä!

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Blanka, the Polish representative for Eurovision 2023, visited the Finnish capital of Helsinki and spent time with this year representative of Finland, Käärijä!

The Polish entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 was in Finland after being selected to represent Poland at Eurovision 2023. During her time in Helsinki, Blanka went to the Warner Music studios in the Finnish capital, and was in the recording studio with the publisher behind her Eurovision entry “Solo”. While at the Warner Music studios, Blanka met the Finnish representative in this year’s contest Käärijä.

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Blanka Stajkow (@blikeblanka)

Enjoy our Reaction videos about Poland and Finland in Eurovision 2023:

What do you think about Poland’s and Finland’s entry? Tell us in the comments!

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news regarding  Eurovision 2023!

 

 

 

Finland: Eurovisionfun Reacts to Eurovision 2023 Entry “Cha Cha Cha” !

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Finland has completed the search for its representative and entry for Eurovision 2023 with “UMK 2023” taking place for another year with big winner Käärijä, with “Cha Cha Cha”!

The Eurovisionfun team once again watched and reacted to the live performance of the country’s participation in the upcoming Eurovision contest! Enjoy Filippos , Aps and Apostolis in a Reaction video with detailed commentary on the participation of Finland, for 2023!

(Video Editing: @filipposgaitis )

Enjoy the live Performance of “Cha Cha Cha”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJHe-iZ5HSI&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Feurovisionfun.com%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to be the first to enjoy interviews, reaction videos and Live streams for our favorite contest!

What do you think about the entry of Finland for Eurovision 2023? Tell us in the comments!

Finland: YLE in talks to move UMK 2024 to a bigger stadium!

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The Finnish national final for the selection of the country’s participation in Eurovision, UMK, was undoubtedly one of the most successful and talked about national finals this year, both within Finland (where 2.1 million viewers tuned in) and among fans of the contest.

UMK’s success in recent years has led Finnish broadcaster YLE to decide to move the show to a bigger stadium from 2024 onwards. As Ville Vilén, Head of Creative Content at Yle, explained:

“The popularity has grown to such proportions that moving it [the final] to a larger space has become topical.”

YLE is in talks to find a stadium, the capacity of which will allow it to sell four to six times more tickets than Logomo, its current venue, which has a capacity of just 1500 spectators. YLE is therefore looking for a suitable stadium in the Turku, Tampere and Helsinki areas.

Finland will be represented in the contest this year by Käärijä, the artist who brought the country to the 3rd place in the betting odds and who has been met with huge support from fans of the contest, with the song Cha Cha Cha. You can enjoy it below:

https://youtu.be/rJHe-iZ5HSI

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all developments!

Source: Eurovoix

Finland: Käärijä’s song accused of plagiarism!

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A few days ago, Käärijä’s song titled “Cha Cha Cha”, was released in order to compete in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023, the Finnish national final for Eurovision 2023.

From the moment it was released, it quickly became one of the fan favourites and rised to the first place of the betting odds for winning the national final, by a great margin.

However, some of the comments in the Finnish press came in to change everything and even disqualify Käärijä  from the contest. The journalists accused Käärijä of plagiarism and that his song is a copy of another song, something that is prohibited by EBU’s rules for the contest.

In detail, the accusations want “Cha Cha Cha” to be a copy of the song “We Got the Moves” by Electric Callboys a German electronicore group:

What do you think about all of the above? Do you think that “Cha Cha Cha” is indeed a copy and that Käärijä should be disqualified from UMK?

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Finnish participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in Liverpool!

Finland: Listen to the fifth song of UMK 2023!

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The finnish broadcaster YLE has released the fifth song competing in UMK 2023, the finnish national final for Eurovision 2023.

The song is titled “Cha Cha Cha” by Käärijä and you can listen to it below:

The official Eurovision site presents Käärijä as follows:

Käärijä is an artist who is almost impossible to define. Unabashed and unpredictable, Käärijä loves to break boundaries, follow his own beat and explore new things. Käärijä’s debut album Fantastista was released in 2020. The artist’s music takes on a whole new dimension live – indeed, Käärijä’s unfettered live performances are what he’s known for.

Käärijä’s passion for music started with drumming. In grade school he began taking drum lessons, but when he started middle school his interest turned to rap: Käärijä started to practice his freestyling during English classes.

His debut single Urheilujätkä was released in 2016 and since that time Käärijä has done his own thing. Käärijä hates being confined to a specific genre, preferring to combine elements from, among others, rap, metal and electronic music. His lyrics deal with everyday things, the passage from youth to the threshold of adulthood, from house parties to after-parties.

Käärijä has watched Eurovision since he was a little boy, with Verka Serduchka’s Dancing Lasha Tumbai being an especially memorable performance. He has also been interested in UMK for several years. This year, he was 150% sure that he would be submitting an entry, because when Cha Cha Cha came along, Käärijä knew the time was right.

‘Finland is a party country, a heavy metal country and a pop country – this song brings all of those together,’ he says.

The UMK jury had the following to say about Käärijä and his song: 

“Will this become the afterski hit of Finland for the spring of 2023? In his song Cha Cha Cha, Käärijä combines rap, electronic, rock and pop in a unique way. The end result is truly one-of-a-kind, but also very approachable, like the artist himself. The song’s hook is one that grabs you on the very first listen, and we can say with confidence that this is the hardest rap banger in the history of UMK. At UMK and Eurovision, there is always room for something off the wall, which this song so perfectly offers.”

We remind you that the competing artists/songs of UMK 2023 are being revealed in different dates in the following order:

  • Thu, 12 January Keira – No Business On The Dancefloor
  • Fri, 13 January Benjamin – Hoida mut
  • Mon, 16 January Robin Packalen – Girls Like You
  • Tue, 17 January Lxandra – Something To Lose
  • Wed, 18 January Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha
  • Thu, 19 January KUUMAA – Ylivoimainen
  • Fri, 20 January Portion Boys – Samaa taivasta katsotaan

The UMK grand final will take place on Saturday, 25 February, 20:00 CET and will be broadcast on Yle TV1, Yle Areena and Yle radio channels.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding UMK and the finnish representative for Eurovision 2023!