On 23 February Finland’s Eurovision 2018 singer Saara Aalto released “Queens” — the final of her three UMK songs. Next Friday she’ll perform that number, along with “Monsters” and “Domino”, in a high-octane final where voters and an international jury must narrow three to one.

But we can’t wait until then to hear what you have to say. So please tell us: Which Saara Aalto song is your favourite for Eurovision 2018?

“Monsters”

This uptempo dance number has a dark title yet is full of light — its message of perseverance and pushing past haters and hangups comes with a delightful tropical feel. Best of all it showcases Saara’s voice even amid all the clangs and electro bangs. Eurovision 2018 competitors beware…

The “Monsters” lyrics make it clear that Miss Aalto has had a self-reckoning. Any and all tricks once used to pull her down have lost their power. She’s found her self — and her supporters — and is feeling invincible tonight. As she sings, sometimes you have to hit the bottom to start moving toward the top.

“At my worst I found my army strong/ all the demons are gone/ You can try and scare me now, but I ain’t scared no more/ I ain’t scared no more.”

“Domino”

The song addresses that overwhelming feeling you get when you’re deep in love. The force can be all-mighty and all-powerful, and might just knock you down like the domino in the title.

“When I’m with you I’m hit and I’m falling oh,” she sings. “I’m gonna fall like a domino, like I’m hit by a wrecking ball.”

Saara’s track comes with a very special music video, which plays nicely on the theme of dominos.

Dominos are, of course, somewhat identical. So the director replicated that by using motion controlled cameras that let them duplicate Saara. Smeared in gold glitter and reflective materials, she’s shining bright and she’s shining right.

“Queens”

Saara shows off a variety of looks in the “Queens” video. Her ever-changing hair colour — she’s going blonde, ginger and even rocking her natural dark locks — help convey the colour of the song and shoot.

Her mix of light and dark could easily pass as the four queens in a deck of playing cards but Saara is not playing. She sits upon a throne with shirtless male guards flanking her. Saara Aalto is a queen and she knows it.

Lyrically, “Queens” follows the same scaffold as “Monsters” with Saara putting the past behind her. The spade is in the ground and she is building her own world. She’s making rules so she can break them — and she ain’t scared. All hail!

Poll: What is your favourite UMK 2018 song?

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Read more Finland Eurovision news

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CommonSenseNazi
CommonSenseNazi
6 years ago

Try some common sense as well.

EscAddict
EscAddict
6 years ago

I love all three songs & I think all three would do well in Lisbon. So if I was Finland, I would choose the song that allows for the best staging. Is that Monsters?

ESC ADDICTTTTT
ESC ADDICTTTTT
6 years ago
Reply to  EscAddict

you would be correct

dabamba
dabamba
6 years ago

Probably Monsters is better choice for Eurovision but i prefer listen more Queens.

The Saara
The Saara
6 years ago
Reply to  dabamba

i prefer listen more monsters

Dudumdu
Dudumdu
6 years ago
Reply to  The Saara

Spelling anyone?

GrammerNazi
GrammerNazi
6 years ago

OMG. Reading your comment was painful. Try some PUNCTUATION next time!

wevvvitty
wevvvitty
6 years ago

I loved Queens more as a song, but the video really didn’t do anything for me – Monsters was a more coherent package for me. But for me, Queens was a much better song and showed off her voice a bit more. It’ll be easier to mess up but if she pulls it off it would sound absolutely amazing I think. Domino got way too repetitive and I think there’ll be enough ballads, or at least slower songs, this year that it could get lost.

Pekka
Pekka
6 years ago

Saara!!! The winner.

AMOR DES PELOS
AMOR DES PELOS
6 years ago
Reply to  Pekka

YAASSS PEKKA

brunowskii
brunowskii
6 years ago

It’s quite obvious that Monsters should be the one

AngieP
AngieP
6 years ago

Honestly, I’d rank the songs in the order they’ve been released.
My favourite is “Monsters”. Then comes “Domino” and at the end “Queens”.

Hope “Monsters” go to Lisbon!!

Nickelhatton
6 years ago

People saying ‘generic pop’ like it’s a bad thing! It’s the foundation of Eurovision.

Paul
Paul
6 years ago

I love Queens. it’s so saara and i can imagine the staging being a bit like when she was on x factor, maybe like her ‘oh so quiet’ one

SHAUNZERS
SHAUNZERS
6 years ago
Reply to  Paul

Couldn’t agree with you more… I think Monsters is the biggest hit but Queens is so saara and I think she released it last because she wants fans to get behind it.

Mary
Mary
6 years ago
Reply to  Paul

You don’t have good taste

Emre
Emre
6 years ago

Monsters is the obvious choice here..and this is the best song in ESC 2018 so far!

Colin
Colin
6 years ago

Saara has such a wide talent of performing that’s kind of disappointing that all of her songs are within the same genre. I expected one pop banger, one big ballad and one eastern-influenced alternative, for instance.

That said, all songs are in a plus side, but only Monsters is something I see on my playlist. Considering Saara’s strong vocals and sense of staging, I am confidant that she will do well in the contest no matter which song they pick.

Licia
Licia
6 years ago

I’M SAD. this is not finlands year, the chorus of monsters is not strong enough. DAMMIT FINLAND. YOU HAD ONE JOB.

IF LOVE WAS A CRIME
IF LOVE WAS A CRIME
6 years ago
Reply to  Licia

You have one job, and that’s to SUPPORT YOUR COUNTRY

James
James
6 years ago

God I hate the hater comments on here. I wonder whether some of you want 42 Salvador Sobrals to perform at Eurovision. What f__ing fun that would be! Snooze.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
6 years ago
Reply to  James

Oh I entirely agree. But I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that word. Was it fricking? 😛

Alina
Alina
6 years ago
Reply to  James

agree! 😀

The Anders
6 years ago

Well all of them are very unoriginal, being built almost entirely on elements used in many, many other songs. It’s assembly line music recycling clichés. Moreover I am getting more and more tired of that synthetic overblown sound, but I get that it is more lucrative to produce music that way: you can use the same presets for multiple songs, and you don’t have to pay real musicians for playing on them. A sad result of music being made for the sake of making money, rather than for the sake of making something artistically credible. It goes for the lyrics… Read more »

The Anders
6 years ago
Reply to  The Anders

That said, “Queens” is probably the most interesting one after all, so I will go for that.

Sabrina
Sabrina
6 years ago
Reply to  The Anders

You described very well how things work these days on the music industry. And I’m totally up for a song about growing potatoes in Uzbekistan! Even if I have no idea if this would be a sad or an uplifting one.

Marcelo
Marcelo
6 years ago

Finland is now #4 on the odds, out of the Top 3. The third release definitely hurt her chances, at least with the bookies.

Markus
Markus
6 years ago

I can`t decide. All 3 songs sound great for ESC and I`m sure they would all make the final. Depends on her live performance which song will be the best. I wish her good luck!!

Skimur
Skimur
6 years ago

The obvious choice is Monsters, but I doubt that the song will sound as good live without autotune.

Alina
Alina
6 years ago
Reply to  Skimur

Have you heard her sing live? She doesn’t need the freaking autotune xD

SuRie
SuRie
6 years ago
Reply to  Alina

ALINA- You go girl
Skimur – Have you even heard her live????????? obvs not.

ale
ale
6 years ago

Domino would look better on stage I feel.

JAN JAN
JAN JAN
6 years ago
Reply to  ale

you feel wrong

Polyna
Polyna
6 years ago

I guess this year’s Finnish recipe for success is sending some insipid, generic, overrated Swedish pop trash. You know, maybe PKN ended last, and Norma John missed qualification by two spots (thanks, juries…), but their songs didn’t sound like a result of lab experiment to write something that will appeal to the stereotypical Eurovision fans.

If I had to pick anything, it would be “Monsters”, but without much conviction.

Amor
Amor
6 years ago

Queens or Monsters. I hate that “I ain’t scared no more” hook. It sounds cheap and cringy but Queens is interesting and sounds the most modern.

Love
Love
6 years ago
Reply to  Amor

Well I ain’t scared no more amor

Miguel
Miguel
6 years ago

Monsters.
All the songs are generic pop. I think they will be in the final but not in top10.

DG
DG
6 years ago

Queens is my favourite song!

DW
DW
6 years ago
Reply to  DG

Are you mad?

Peter M
Peter M
6 years ago

They’re all pretty much the same song though.
I like Saara but I think the songs are very generic pop songs which have been done millions of times before.

Boy
Boy
6 years ago

…and Estonia is Awful…

goodbye to yesterday
goodbye to yesterday
6 years ago
Reply to  Boy

This is Finland’s page for them to shine. Take your Estonia elsewhere

Boy
Boy
6 years ago

Finland and Belarus have the best Song this year. Italy and France have the worst Song. Go Finland??

Marcelo
Marcelo
6 years ago
Reply to  Boy

Belarus is crap. At least Italy and France have substance. Finland has an amazing artist, but their songs underwhelmed many people, and that has shown in the odds.

Girl
Girl
6 years ago
Reply to  Boy

Yeah!! GO FINLAND!!

Eve
Eve
6 years ago

None, I will vote for Finland when they send heavy metal band 😀

Adam
Adam
6 years ago
Reply to  Eve

Why?

Weißbrot
Weißbrot
6 years ago

None.

Webbot
Webbot
6 years ago
Reply to  Weißbrot

Where’s your ears?

HB
HB
6 years ago

Queens, but happy with Monsters. Just not Domino 😛

Alina
Alina
6 years ago
Reply to  HB

Sam here!

eurovision6
eurovision6
6 years ago

She is so overrated, I dont want any of the songs for Eurovision and i certainly dont want her either..

1944
1944
6 years ago
Reply to  eurovision6

That’s okay. She does not want you either.

KESC
KESC
6 years ago

Am I the only one who loves Queen? It’s really catchy and it’s a really fun entry.
I like Monsters as well, but Domino is just meh.

Marcus (Day One)
Marcus (Day One)
6 years ago

Monsters is the strongest song and my favourite

But I do think Domino will be the strongest live and will be likely to score the highest at Eurovision.

Ay Jo
Ay Jo
6 years ago

1. Crap. 2. Crappier. 3. Crappiest.

Hypocrite
Hypocrite
6 years ago
Reply to  Ay Jo

AY JO – THATS SHALLOW COMING FROM SOMEONE BEHIND A COMPUTER SCREEN

yuli
yuli
6 years ago

Monsters Monsters and… Monsters!

Hypocrite
Hypocrite
6 years ago
Reply to  yuli

YAASSS – Your earbuds have good taste!!

Mel
Mel
6 years ago

For me all the songs fell short from the hype but Monsters is the obvious pick out of the three. Saara will slay the vocals, so with good staging and choreography I would expect it to at least qualify for the final. I definitely don’t think it’s a Top 5 song, though.

Domino is your generic G:son leftover ballad and Queens for me is just a flat-out bad song. I think both of them would bomb in the semi.

Safiya
Safiya
6 years ago

To be honest, I am disappointed 🙁 She has great voice but all three songs are really overproduced… She doesn’t sound authentic at all.

Sabrina
Sabrina
6 years ago
Reply to  Safiya

I feel the same. They all feel like a waist of her voice.

Sabrina
Sabrina
6 years ago
Reply to  Sabrina

*waste.

Her waist is perfectly fine. 😛

Bastian
Bastian
6 years ago

Domino ofcourse. Im sure that this song would get votes from both jury and viewers and do very, very well. Monsters is a little risky (vocally aswell, all vocals have to sound live), bit with an epic staging it could go far. Queens would be a NQ.

Ffs
Ffs
6 years ago

I like them all !

Fml
Fml
6 years ago
Reply to  Ffs

Same ?

AzeriChico
AzeriChico
6 years ago

I think that it would be much better if they chose “Domino”. “Monsters” sounds like a song which would do well with the televoting, but I can’t see juries enjoying it at all. They would probably put it at lower places. But “Domino” could do well with both televoting and juries I assume.

I am sure the live version of “Domino” will be much better than the other two, so they will send it eventually.

Bastian
Bastian
6 years ago
Reply to  AzeriChico

I agree

Sabrina
Sabrina
6 years ago
Reply to  AzeriChico

You have a good point. I have no doubt that “Monsters” would do better on televoting, but maybe it would be easier to convince the audience to love “Domino” than to make the juries fall for “Monsters”.

Christian
Christian
6 years ago

I hoped her third song would have been in Finnish but for me, Monsters is the best choice.

Buddhist
Buddhist
6 years ago
Reply to  Christian

I agree, it will allow her to rise like a phoenix

Muslim
Muslim
6 years ago
Reply to  Buddhist

I agree Buddhist

Hindu
Hindu
6 years ago
Reply to  Muslim

I wholeheartedly agree with you Muslim <3

Atheists
Atheists
6 years ago
Reply to  Hindu

Yaaassss Hindu!! I agree! :))

Polegend Godgarina
6 years ago

Domino.

Monsters is great, but the stage presentation will be hard and probably messy. Domino, on the other hand, has that Sound of Silence type of epicness.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
6 years ago

Yes it does have the “Sound of Silence” epicness, which is precisely the problem – “Domino” can never be “Sound of Silence”.

For that reason, go with something more memorable for what it is on its own. Go with “Monsters”. 🙂

azaad
azaad
6 years ago

Domino is probably a better written and composed song, but Monsters is far more of an ear worm. Moreover, the Scandinavian level production, vocals and message would make it respectable enough for juries to give at least their lower points to.

Honestly, Monsters isn’t too different in tempo and overall style to Bulgaria 2016….

Weißbrot
Weißbrot
6 years ago

Sound of silence didn’t have epicness in the first place, the only good thing about it was Dami Im, who is an outstanding artist, but the song was pretty meh.The same can be said about Domino.

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
6 years ago
Reply to  Weißbrot

Agreed.
Dami Im was let down by a meh song yet still managed to shine. Saara Aalto is not the vocalist that Dami is, either. Give her the song that she can deliver.

i dont come cheap
i dont come cheap
6 years ago
Reply to  Weißbrot

Agree with you Weisbrot

Akira
Akira
6 years ago

I voted Monsters, but I kinda changed my opinion now that I’ve listened to all of them again. The second time I was thinking about ‘what song would I play again in few years with all other Eurovision songs’ and it was Queens, so I would vote for Queens now.

pp
pp
6 years ago

Domino is best option for Finland. But I think Monster will win. I don t see Finland in TOP 10 in final.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
6 years ago

I get the feeling that “Monsters” t-shirt will sell very very well. 🙂

Darkpassionplay
Darkpassionplay
6 years ago

I voted for domino , im preatty sure it will sound better live then the other two poppy trash songs….

lightdislikebored
lightdislikebored
6 years ago

Sorry to let you down but youre in the minority.

Peter89
Peter89
6 years ago

Exceptional voice but mediocre pop songs which none of them could bring the trophy to Helsinki.Monsters is the best song by far between them but don’t be surprised if she will be disqualified in May.Besides it’s a tradition in Eurovision every year for a big favorite of the bookmakers to be out of final.

MirkoJoshua
MirkoJoshua
6 years ago

I honestly expected something way better from Saara. Notwithstanding, the three songs are of good quality, only Queens is a song I wouldn’t listen to very often, but it’s still good. For me it’s between Monsters and Domino, even if Domino is way better. I’m not really convinced by the style of the songs though…

Bravisssimo
Bravisssimo
6 years ago

Weird singer, three cheap generated songs. No final for Finland this year.

PT
PT
6 years ago
Reply to  Bravisssimo

A little bit of weirdness is a must in Eurovision. All the 3 songs are better than any of those national entries we already know. Not a surprise the weakest of them come from the Big5. If Latvia sends Laura Rizzotto to Lisbon, it will be either Riga or Helsinki in 2019.

Marcelo
Marcelo
6 years ago
Reply to  PT

There are more possibilities of Riga 2019 than of Helsinki 2019, which are now doomed.

Mravisssimo
Mravisssimo
6 years ago
Reply to  Bravisssimo

Take your opinion where the sun doesn’t shine @ Bravisssimo

Catriona Colville
Catriona Colville
6 years ago

3 poor quality songs that wiwibloggs continue to hype up, followed by Monsters winning and 2 1/2 months of this site pimping Monsters as a potential winner. Finland will be lucky to qualify with any of these.

Roy Moreno
Roy Moreno
6 years ago

All 3 are amazing in my opinion ??
I would choose either Queens or Monsters