Our hearts are ready and so are our ears: On 9 February Saraa Aalto will release the first of three songs, which she and her team have written for Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2018.
Finland’s Eurovision 2018 act — who continues to enjoy a wave of momentum following her participation on UK X Factor and her gig judging X Factor Suomi — made the announcement today on Twitter.
She’ll release her songs on three consecutive Fridays — 9 February, 16 February and 23 February. Have your Twitter up and running and get ready to shout TGIF!
Announcement time! My 3 new singles will be released on 9/2, 16/2 and 23/2! We will be taking one of these songs to @Eurovision eurovision & the choice will be YOURS! This is getting exciting! ????#UMK2018 #euroviisut #eurovision #saaraaalto pic.twitter.com/dqSSC7FoNO
— Saara Aalto (@saaraaalto) January 10, 2018
UMK 2018: Picking Saara’s Eurovision song
When Saara was confirmed as Finland’s artist for Eurovision 2018, broadcaster YLE revealed how her song would be selected. Saara will perform three different songs in the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu. The Finnish public and an international jury will vote to choose the winner.
And she has been busy writing songs ever since. In November she revealed that she’d been collaborating with Swedish songwriter Linnea Deb.
Saara excitedly wrote, “Have written 4 amazing songs with @linneadeb”. She seemed excited about the new creations and wrote, “We just can’t fail together”.
Linnea Deb has also shared photos of her and Saara together in the studio.
Another Instagram post showed Saara and Linnea alongside the Finnish songwriter and producer Matias Keskiruokanen. He’s previously worked with Saara before, and worked on the production of her 2016 UMK entry “No Fear”.
It’s not known how many of the four songs — if any — will end up in the Finnish national final in March, as Saara is known to have worked with a number of other composers as well.
Among them are Alexander Pavelich and Jesper Borgen. The former has collaborated previously with JOWST and the latter co-wrote “Faded” from Alan Walker. She has also worked with Eurovision maestro Thomas G:son.
In mid-December Eurovision 2017 act Norma John shared a snap of Saara working with them inside The Grind Studios in Finland. It included the hashtags #cowrite and #songwriting, though it’s unclear if this was a #UMK project.
Saara appears to have recorded her songs at the end of December, as she recently shared an Instagram snap of her inside a Stockholm music studio.
Behind her we could see a guitar — does that hint at the sound of one of her entries? — and a large photo of David Bowie.
Are you clearing your schedule so you can focus on Saara’s songs? Are you loving how she is styled in the publicity shot in her tweet? Let us know in the comments box below!
Ditto. She’s always like the Robin Bengston song – miss Constellation Prize.
Not a fan of Saara sadly. I don’t know why, Her voice just doesn’t really listen well for my ears. I personally hope she doesn’t qualify but it seems likely she will.
Unrelated PSA:
Melfest running order out tomorrow 14:00 CET.
Can’t wait the song from Linnea! 😀
Man, I love her. I really hope she has a great songs to choose from cause she has a greatness for thar ESC stage. All the best Saara!
Somehow, I have a strong feeling that it’s going to be Finland’s year. Or she will place second again, since she is the one, placing in 2nd place literally everywhere. 😀
She has also written songs with a British team, Thomas G:son and Jesper Borgen (producer of for example Alan Walker’s “Faded”).