Wiwi Jury UMK edition: Siru with “Mustelmat”

In the run-up to each heat of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), Finland’s selection for Eurovision 2015, the Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is rating all the songs from that heat. Last but not least from the second heat is Siru with her song “Mustelmat”. Were we touched by the powerful ballad or did the message get lost in translation? Read on to find out…

Deban: The genius and simplicity of the music video reflects my high score. However, that is just one of the many elements of “Mustelmat” that I’m in love with.  Siru holds her own completely. As a rising star on the Finnish music scene, she delivers a compelling performance with vocals that harbour emotion and convey range.

Score: 9/10

Josh: Oh, the controversy! I’m so happy this song hasn’t been disqualified because for me, this song needs to represent Finland in Vienna. Siru is coming off a strong victory in ‘The Voice of Finland’ and this song is a great representation of her talent. It’s a delicate and graceful ballad sung with a great balance of control and power, and this is the first non-English song since ‘Quedate Conmigo’ from Spain in 2012 that regularly gets stuck in my head. Siru for Vienna! YAAASSSS!

Score: 9.5/10

William: Siru sings about bruising, and for me pain has never felt so good. This is haunting from the very first note and builds relentlessly to a visceral, stirring chorus. Bruises hurt, but if Siru is singing colour me black and blue.

Score: 10/10

Ramadan: One of my favourites in the competition. I’m really loving the use of Finnish in this beautiful, haunting ballad. You can feel that emotion without needing to understand the lyrics. Siru’s heart talks, y’all. One thing I don’t like is the abrumpt ending. A better exit will make it complete.

Score: 9.5/10

Robyn: Without wanting to sound like a talent show judge, this song takes us on a journey. It gains texture and momentum as the emotions build, packing a lot into the three minutes. The Finnish lyrics sound great, though the ending seems a bit sudden. There’s a lot of potential in here.

Score: 8/10

Sami: Siru’s voice is just magnificent and she really makes me believe in her message. I love how the song grows and I also like the lyrics. Siru really should keep the song in Finnish if she wins UMK, as I don’t know if it would sound this good in English. One of my favourites to win, for sure.

Score: 10/10

Sopon: It has always stumped me why Finland opts for English over Finnish. Linguistically, Finnish is one of the purest tongues in Europe, one that is mystical and beautiful to many people. In the past few years, they have used their language only twice, both times with unpopular genres (metal and folk). However, Siru can be the one to turn it all around. I love her song: it’s big, it’s modern, and it sends a beautiful message in a beautiful language. (The chorus says “You can be beautiful when you have some pain, you don’t need to be afraid, I’m close to you”). I seriously think it is a contender to top Softengine and score Finland its second top 5 result. This is a gem, and the Finns would be wise to choose it and not change a thing.

Score: 10/10

Patrick: Do I really need to describe how I love this song and how I want it to represent Finland?! Siru is an absolutely stunning artist and with that song she could do well in Vienna. When the song was leaked and I had the chance to listen to it I was in a trance. I went to another world because this is truly a masterpiece of music. And the thing is – it’s never boring to me…Love it all away!!!

Score: 10/10

Mikhail: I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it. It has a really nice instrumental part and Siru’s voice is amazing. I like all the ways the song changes. I am looking forward to see her live performance and, of course, I hope it will go to Vienna.

Score: 10/10

The highest and lowest scores have been removed before calculating the final scores to avoid bias. We have removed a high of 10 and a low of 8.

The Wiwi Jury Verdict: 9.7/10

You can read all of our reviews and rankings for Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) 2015 by clicking here. You can also keep up with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team from wiwibloggs.com on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.

Photo: YLE