Photo: Yle / Nelli Kenttä

He’s a viral sensation who has made folks in and out of Finland scream “Cha Cha Cha”. But can Käärijä, the bookies’ favourite to win Finland’s Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023, deliver when it counts — during the grand final on February 25th?

Ahead of the show in Turku, the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — have listened to and rated each of the songs. The panel for this jury includes 10 people, who hail from Finland, the U.K, Australia, Germany, Romania, and the United States.

After watching Käärijä’s boxing themed music video, are we knocked out by his boundary-breaking, electro-pop, rock-rap song with an unforgettable hook? Or do we just have a headache? Read on to find out…

Käärijä – “Cha Cha Cha” (UMK 2023 Review)

Calvin: This is the one, y’all. It’s loud, it’s dance, it’s everything I need and way more than I deserve. “Cha Cha Cha” is intriguing from the very first second and lures you in deeper with every beat. When the song turns into a dancefloor anthem — and out of nowhere — I feel butterflies and happiness. It will not only be a cha cha chart hit but is a contender for the trophy in Liverpool. If a country is crazy enough to send this song to Eurovision, it’s gotta be Finland. 

Score: 9.5

Deban: A crowd-pleasing techno romp blending elements of K-pop, chants and VGM (video game music). Clustered in parts, but at the same time musical, this is a welcome assault. Finns would love this for staying faithful to their language, and fitness freaks will be adding this to their workout playlist. There is so much to appreciate here, including Kaarija’s striking appearance and his energetic performance.

Score: 7

William: This song starts with a headache, turns into a migraine, and then morphs into some pain-relieving analgesic. A less spirited performer might get lost in the mess. But Käärijä — sweaty body, impressive right hook, angry face, beautiful wig — somehow keeps it all together. It’s a beautiful nightmare and one I’m still humming and singing, even if I’m not sure I should.

Score: 7.5

Dayana: The mind-blowing energy was totally unexpected. It’s crazy…and it’s party. Let’s bring the Suomi spectacle to Liverpool!

Score: 9.5

Sebastian: Featuring techno that you could simply say goes HARD, “Cha Cha Cha” is very much a W.T.F. moment on your first listen. It’s loud, it’s brash and it’s in your face. For that alone, I see the appeal of Käärijä’s bold track. This will definitely explode on the UMK stage — it might just overwhelm the audience, or it might hit the sweet spot. It’s not quite my cup of tea, but I can get behind this.

Score: 7

Samuel: When I watched “Cha Cha Cha” premiere, I just remember being in complete awe. “Do I love this song? Do I hate it? What did I just watch?” — I could not take my eyes off the screen for the entire 3 minutes. Käärijä, you are truly incredible… because my love for Benjamin and Hoida Mut is so big – and yet, if you were victorious, I would not be sad about it one bit. I would just be certain that Liverpool will be incredible. 

Score: 9

Rick: I love EVERYTHING about this. As a German guy who desperately wanted to see Electric Callboy competing in Turin, Käärija would be amazing “compensation” from the Eurovision gods. The singer will stand out, not only because of his look, but mostly because he is giving us something different. This will probably be popular with rock fans, rap fans and for the last part of the song even by fans of pop/mainstream-sounds. I also love the fact it’s in Finnish. My one small concern is that the Eurovision jury might not appreciate it. 

Score: 9

Ruxandra: I was confused after watching this music video. This is pure madness and I desperately want a Piña Colada after this. This is a little bit too aggressive for my taste, so it’s not my favorite. But I have to admit that this song is hard to ignore. Käärijä created an aesthetic and he plays with all the chaos that he creates. His vocals are indeed good. I think that this song might win the hearts of some Eurofans. If this wins in Finland, maybe it will go on to be a dark horse in Liverpool.

Score: 7.5

Suzanne: The song opens with drama and I expect to see a superhero. Then the Hulk appears as a wrestler. As the song goes on, it gets less dramatic, going from heavy metal to pop. I cannot stop singing this song.

Score: 6

Tom: Now this is different. In fact, this is bonkers! I hate the beginning. The auto-tune and the low, robotic like voice at the beginning is awful and wouldn’t look out of place in a bad horror film. However, the song flips on its head and gets significantly better around 30 seconds in. “Cha Cha Cha” becomes irresistibly catchy and turns into an entirely different song full of energy, drive and sheer craziness. If Käärijä started the track from the 30-second mark and added another chorus, this would be close to a 10, and on its way to becoming a Eurovision classic. This is the song I am most looking forward to watching on stage. Can they really pull this off live? It remains to be seen, but I am so excited! I can’t help but press the repeat button – fighting through the first 30 seconds is worth the reward. 

Score: 8.5

We have removed the highest and lowest scores before calculating the result to weed out any potential bias.

The Wiwi Jury Average: 8.13

Are you humming “Cha Cha Cha” non-stop? Can Käärijä take the crown? Let us know what you’re thinking down below!

Our overall rankings:

  1. Benjamin — “Hoida mut” 8.5
  2. Käärijä — “Cha Cha Cha” 8.13
  3. KUUMAA — “Ylivoimainen” 8.07
  4. Robin Packalen — “Girls Like You” 7.19
  5. Lxandra — “Something to Lose” 7.13
  6. Keira — “No Business On The Dancefloor” 6.75
  7. The Portion Boys — “Samaa taivasta katsotaan” 6.63

 

67 Comments
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Api
Api
1 year ago

An unpredictable, original, catchy, enthusiastic, crazy in the best way possible song about how alcohol makes you behave, by a charismatic, energetic and extremely likeable short king? Sign me up! This definitely has the “Hard Rock Hallelujah” charm for me. You have no choice but to give it attention, and then it just draws you in, making you finally dance to it and sing it out loud. It is just so.much.fun, he has a great time performing it and that really shines. UMK has chosen violence this year, almost every song is worthy of a top 10 placement in ESC.… Read more »

Api
Api
1 year ago
Reply to  Api

*I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I really want Cha Cha Cha to win.

Amar pelos dois
Amar pelos dois
1 year ago
Reply to  Api

What a wonderful description and I also like the fact that it´s in Finnish !

Based
Based
1 year ago

Even though the scores are generous, some wiwi comments are just a bit prejudiced imo.

Julia
Julia
1 year ago

Guys, does anybody know how to watch umk online? Can’t find it on google

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 year ago
Reply to  Julia

The broadcaster’s website is called yle.fi – I don’t actually use their website because they have an Apple app that is very solid, but you can use either. Everything is in Finnish of course, but you can use translate tools to navigate around the pages, or can just learn a few basic words of Finnish. e.g. On Saturday, you are looking for UMK23, or Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu. 🙂

Julia
Julia
1 year ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

Thank you!

Finnish
Finnish
1 year ago
Reply to  Julia

You can watch the final from Yle Areena, here’s the link: UMK23 Final.

Julia
Julia
1 year ago
Reply to  Finnish

Thanks!

Yankee
Yankee
1 year ago

This is actually my least favorite song from the Finnish entries. Here comes the down votes.

Anoni
Anoni
1 year ago

I’m going to have to join in on the people saying they prefer the first half of the song and would rather not have the secong half. I do understand that it is very much on purpose done like that but it still leaves me a bit empty because the first half of the song hypes me up so much and then I just get confused by the second half. Though it still ends nicely with that Cha cha cha cha! However, this song is still my favorite alongside with Benjamin’s Hoida Mut. I really can’t see anyone else except… Read more »

Héctor
Héctor
1 year ago

I just can’t with this song but I guess it’s done by now…

Timi
Timi
1 year ago

I have been obsessed with this song, Jann’s from Poland and Luke Black’s from Serbia for the last weeks, and I have no idea how to detach myself from them. Especially Cha Cha Cha—it makes me happy. Just like Hard Rock Hallelujah, hearing this song makes me SO HAPPY. So maybe it’s not the most incredible song of all time, but it brings enjoyment to my life, so I really hope it wins.

Alfie28
Alfie28
1 year ago

I don’t hate, but I don’t love it. But it is good. The performance could make or break it for me.

Vivian
Vivian
1 year ago

Bluntly said, I don’t get the hype for this at all. The first half is painful to listen to and extremely grating, the second half is better but so heavily auto-tuned that I can’t find any pleasure in this song. I won’t blame Finland if they select this since it’s very different from anything else we’ve ever seen at Eurovision, but my vote would surely go elsewhere.

Andon
1 year ago

It’s a mess!

Finnish
Finnish
1 year ago

I really liked this right away on the first listen, and as the weeks have passed I still feel like this is the right choice to go with.

Efthymios
Efthymios
1 year ago

This is absolutely fantastic, it’s a complete vibe, lyric-wise is magnificent, it’s basically the perfect explanation of what happens to yourself when you’re drunk, haha. All stress is relieved and you’re no longer allowing your hesitations and fear of social embarrasment hide your wish to have some joyful & exciting freedom to party like crazy. Although it’s only 2 minutes and 50-something seconds long, the key change mid-song totally elevates it up a level and makes the song feel longer than it actually is, which is a great thing, considering how phenomenal the overall production is. It’s like a merge… Read more »

Edward
Edward
1 year ago

Energetic song but a bit trash :/

Based
Based
1 year ago
Reply to  Edward

That’d be Norway’s!

Emily
Emily
1 year ago

This is absolutely right up my alley and while yeah, it does have some elements of Electric Callboy’s music/style, it’s not really enough to be considered “plagiarism”. Käärijä seems to be a really cool and charismatic bloke and hopefully with the right staging (i.e. not painful to look at like Cyan Kicks last year….) it can definitely win. It’s currently tied with a song that hasn’t been reviewed here yet but for me, this is most likely the one to beat.

Emily
Emily
1 year ago
Reply to  Emily

Speaking of EC, if this does in fact go to Eurovision and do well, maybe the German delegation would regret not sending them last year…

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 year ago

“Cha Cha Cha” – I haven’t felt this way about a song in a very long time. I know it will probably win UMK, and it might even win Eurovision. It has an effect on people that somewhat echoes what Lordi’s “Hard Rock Hallelujah” did in 2006. The difference with “Cha Cha Cha,” however, is it will have to face a jury. (Lordi won on 100% televote.) Now onto the song (please look away now if you don’t want to read about music theory)… “Cha Cha Cha” is one song musically that is expressed in two different manners: Untuned rapping… Read more »

Maciej
Maciej
1 year ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

I think the presentation in a boxing arena fits the meaning of the song very well. It is like fighting your own demons and “punches” can release them. I think also fits the aggressive element of the song (in a good way). In a way this is a very masculine song but may be also interpreted how fragile masculinity is actually. I don’t mind it as I like this kind of music. And I believe there is place for it in Eurovision, which does not need to be only about “yaas slay” uptempos or diva ballads. I think it would… Read more »

Michael
Michael
1 year ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

I don’t think it might even win Eurovision. Hopefully, juries would have some musical taste.

Thanos
Thanos
1 year ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

This is how I perceive the message here: in my humble opinion the song is about a reserved, perhaps mildly anti-social person who tries to keep all emotion, thoughts and expression suppressed inside him. Thus he is like a boxer trying to fight with all these things and keep them inside: he tries to keep everything in check and at the same time everything under control. In the second part of the song (which I don’t like musically but still conveys a message), the protagonist finally stops fighting against an urge to express himself and actually does so. This explains… Read more »

Jimmy
Jimmy
1 year ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

I always enjoy reading these summaries from you, Purple 🙂

Gil
Gil
1 year ago

If you ask me its between finland and israel this year, i like the so gs selection in finland, they have good options, and regarding israel, i bet it will be a banger, its Noa you know… and she has the best team behind her, including doron medalie that wrote Toy. Noa from the first place came to win it, otherwise she wouldnt bother. Good luck to everyone

Thanos
Thanos
1 year ago

The first part goes from Rammstein to techno and then to rap which is a weird yet strangely pleasing path to take. With time though, I’ve come to dislike the second part of the song. If the song would stick to the first part approach, it would be better in my book. As a result, I am not as impressed by Cha Cha Cha as most fans. Would it be a better choice than most songs in UMK this year though (and especially Robin’s teen plastic pop song)? Yes

Hector
Hector
1 year ago

I love the studio cut, but I’m worried about how this will go live on stage

Yankee
Yankee
1 year ago
Reply to  Hector

I really do not think he will sing well live especially if he’s moving a lot.

Api
Api
1 year ago
Reply to  Yankee

There is a live performance on youtube, he sings it great live as well.

Hellohi
Hellohi
1 year ago

The first half of the song leaves an impression . The rest is just meh . It’s like two drifferent songs merged together

West
West
1 year ago
Reply to  Hellohi

That is my main issue with this song – two songs mashed together, one clearly better then the other.

Colin
Colin
1 year ago

If Finland sends Cha Cha Cha, they’ll certainly make a huge splash in Liverpool. It’s energetic, creative, and has one of the best hooks of this NF season. The structure is unpredictable, yet coherent, and you can flow with it. The lyrics can be interpreted in different ways, which leaves room for a conversation. Kaarija is very charismatic, and I can see him drawing attention on stage. With the right decisions in execution, we could even see ESC in Finland in 2024. – 9/10

Julia
Julia
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

I agree

John
John
1 year ago

The song looks like a kindergarten song; with low musical quality. That’s my personal opinion.

Michael
Michael
1 year ago
Reply to  John

I also agree with you. I wasnt impressed with that song.

GojoSatoru
GojoSatoru
1 year ago
Reply to  Michael

Why are you agreeing with yourself, but with a different name?

Julia
Julia
1 year ago

Unpopular opinion but I think this could/will win the whole thing. In May.

GojoSatoru
GojoSatoru
1 year ago
Reply to  Julia

Cha Cha Cha is indeed great, but I see it more as a song which would place in between 4th – 8th. If it does end up winning, I wouldn’t mind, because it is a great song, but I just don’t see it happening.

Lorena
Lorena
1 year ago
Reply to  Julia

I don’t think that’s so unpopular.

Julia
Julia
1 year ago
Reply to  Lorena

Haha it was in the morning!! Had many downvotes

Yankee
Yankee
1 year ago
Reply to  Julia

Let’s hear you say that after you see him live.

Helloman
Helloman
1 year ago

As a Finn I like Caariya the best, but it’s always enjoyable to see angry eurofans, so maybe Robin would be a great pick for maximum drama in different forums

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  Helloman

If you’d prefer maximum drama to a good result, sure…

Dickie
Dickie
1 year ago

A great song in an amazing national selection. Finland have done a great job, can’t wait for Saturday, so many good songs

Ritoli
Ritoli
1 year ago

This is so going to be a flop! And I’m here for it! The judges are going to tear it to pieces. And don’t forget the plagiarism..

Sol Stevia
Sol Stevia
1 year ago
Reply to  Ritoli

I’m so tired of the plagiarism comments. It sounds nothing like We Got The Moves (Which is a banger BTW)

Pat
Pat
1 year ago
Reply to  Sol Stevia

Only flop will be when Noa Kirel ends up sucking after Ritoli has gone and spammed the entire Wiwiblogs website with the undeserved hype! Lol

Ffs
Ffs
1 year ago

I hope he wins UMK

Tom
Tom
1 year ago

Save us Finland please!

Mbappe
Mbappe
1 year ago

I quite like the first half of the song but the second one just leaves me numb, for the most part. I know that’s the whole concept but I would have preferred a bit of a different approach instead of that typical europop, sound-wise, which is why I’m only ranking it third place in this Finnish selection. It also seems like the toughest entry to pull off live, so his victory is not as assured as eurofans seem to think.

Devito
Devito
1 year ago

I wonder if reactions would be the same in case Kaarija would look differently. I mean, his look is defo a hook for LGBT+ community. I find him looking hot but the song itself is too messy for my taste. Respect for trying something different though.

Jack Needham
Jack Needham
1 year ago

The one song that has to win this year’s UMK, please save this year Finland.

Benito Camelo
Benito Camelo
1 year ago

Not the best of this year’s UMK, imo, but it’s definitely the most outstanding entry of the selection!
The genre blend is chaotic but somehow everything fits in, so it’s a well done one, and it being in Finnish and representative of Finland’s party culture gives it a plus! 😀

Lucy
Lucy
1 year ago

I feel you Rik, I can’t understand why Electric Callboy didn’t qualify, and yeah I think this song is similar to EC’s songs. This is not my favorite from UMK but I couldn’t be sad if he wins, Käärijä is so carismatic and humble

Sol Stevia
Sol Stevia
1 year ago

I didn’t know Video Games was a music genre.

Sol Stevia
Sol Stevia
1 year ago

Suzanne: I cannot stop singing this song!
*Gives it a 6*

Dawid
Dawid
1 year ago
Reply to  Sol Stevia

Maybe scores are generated randomly, idk xd

Jeroen
Jeroen
1 year ago

Just wondering, are there also people that don’t like this song? I don’t, but it seems like I’m the only one

Kosey
Kosey
1 year ago
Reply to  Jeroen

I really don’t like the aesthetic and aura around the song, but I can’t bring myself to dislike it because I have to admit there is inventiveness.

Jonas
Jonas
1 year ago
Reply to  Kosey

I like the aesthetic, but only as metaphor for personal demons. Usually I hate boxing.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 year ago
Reply to  Kosey

Indeed, yes. Thanks Kosey; this is exactly how I feel about it as well.

Benito Camelo
Benito Camelo
1 year ago
Reply to  Jeroen

I’m with you, just not 100% bc I both like and dislike it simultaneously, if that makes sense :/

GojoSatoru
GojoSatoru
1 year ago
Reply to  Jeroen

The first time I listened Cha Cha Cha, I didn’t like it, but the more I listened, the more I liked it. Cha Cha Cha went from a 6/10 to a 10/10 for me.

Vivian
Vivian
1 year ago
Reply to  Jeroen

Nope, I definitely am not a fan of this either. It’s a big wall of noise, and while it’s different from what we’re used to, this could easily walk down a path akin to Portugal 2019 where the fandom hypes it up and praises it for its creativity, yet the actual result would barely come close to that caliber