He may not have gone to Eurovision 2020 in the end, but he’s not Finnished, y’all! Aksel Kankaanranta has shared the very good news that he has signed with Warner Music.
Aksel shared the news with a cute snap on Instagram, which showed him serving major summer vibes in floral-print shorts with a co-ord top. Alongside him are Mark Fry — the Vice President of Warner Music Nordics, and the previous Managing Director of Warner Music Finland — and Perttu Mäkelä, who also manages Etenee Records, which is owned by Warner.
The post is short but simple, confirming he will be releasing music in Finnish through Etenee. But there is also the great news that music in English will be delivered through Capitol Records Finland.
This is great news for the Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2020 winner, after his chance at Eurovision glory was taken away (this year, anyway) because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, he will be back at UMK 2021 for Round 2. Aksel beat fan favourite Erika Vikman to take the crown this year with his sincere singer-songwriter ballad “Looking Back.” You can never count him out.
Warner Music Finland success stories
Warner Music are one of the biggest record labels in the world, so it’s not surprising Warner Music Finland have some recognisable names both in the Eurovision bubble and outside it. One of its biggest international successes is Alma. Her 2017 hit “Chasing Highs” had chart success in her native Finland, as well as the UK, Germany and many other countries.
They also have Finland’s 2018 Eurovision icon Saara Aalto in their stable, as well as 2011 act Paradise Oskar. Interestingly, Erika Vikman is also signed to the label. Her national final track “Cicciolina” was a huge hit in the country.
We’re so excited for Aksel to start releasing new music, and for his UMK 2021 participation. What do you want to hear from Aksel? What should he aim for when going to the national final next year? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Really good news for him. Due to the reaction to him winning and his not being selected for 2021, I was worried that this might’ve been it. Glad to know that he’ll continue to get opportunities in the industry going forward.
all the best to him 🙂 his eurovision song was great (Cicciolina was better for sure, but his song was also good)