Finland called and Europe is about to answer. On Saturday, February 25th Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu unfolds in Turku — the oldest city in the country. But there’s plenty of newness to enjoy thanks to Finland’s stellar national selection.
Ahead of the show, the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of musical unprofessionals — have listened to and rated each of the seven competing songs. The panel for this jury includes 10 people, who hail from Finland, the U.K, Australia, Germany, Romania, and the United States.
Next up is Benjamin with his song “Hoida mut” (Do Me). Do his gyrations have us slipping off our seats? Read on to find out…
Benjamin — “Hoida mut”
Dayana: This entry is hot. Hot HOT hot. I love how Benjamin effortlessly puts it out there and therefore encourages you to embrace your sexuality and deepest desires. I can’t wait to see the sensual performance from the music video move on stage.
Score: 8/10
Deban: This is sex electrocuted! Benjamin captivates viewers, and in the same breath decapitates his competition. “Hoida Mut” is a well-constructed piece of pop nostalgia. Bilingual in execution and without sounding over-worked, this is a clever take on 80’s dance pop. With visuals that solidly defy traditional notions of gender expression and sexuality, “Hoida Mut” isn’t just saying “Do Me”; it penetrates DEEP —and hits the point where it hurts so good.
Score: 8/10
William: I want it louder, I want it faster, and I want it now! Benjamin’s thrusting performance — rubbing his torso, fellating a watering spout — got people talking. But that shouldn’t detract from the strong musical content: alluring synth, a pulsating beat, and a chorus that smacks you hard. The glitchy, digital bridge is the perfect breather before Benjamin finishes us off.
Score: 8
Samuel: I was incredibly excited to see Benjamin on this year’s UMK line-up after stumbling upon his queer pop rebirth last year. “N-Y-T”, his first song since coming out, became one of my most streamed songs of 2022 despite being entirely Finnish. “Hoida Mut” had a very high bar to top. As soon as it premiered, I was completely hooked by the song and visuals. His rebirth, and what we are seeing here, is the result of serious thought, emotion, freedom and TALENT. I am so happy Benjamin’s journey led him here, because this is my song of the season.
Score: 10/10
Rick: Love this! Finding an earworm in a language you don’t understand isn’t easy. But “Hoida mut” did this to me. You can’t get it out of your head and the production here is very high-level. I think the 80s-sound makes it even more powerful and likeable. The song also has something “adventurous”. This could do great with a good performance — I’m sure Benjamin has the charisma it takes to make it impactful.
Score: 9/10
Ruxandra: Ok, this one is by far my favorite! I simply love this 80s sound mixed with electronic music. Singing in Finnish somehow matches perfectly with this music style — it sounds great! This song has everything that a perfect dance song needs. The song and music video are soooo sexy but never cross the line into vulgarity. This will easily become a radio hit, and I do believe that this could do very well in Eurovision. With smart staging, this might even end up in the top positions of the final chart.
Score: 9.5
Suzanne: Oh, Ben! You could steal my heart. I’m captivated from the first note. He has a story to tell and I want to hear it, in its entirety – Ben’s truth. Love the use of orchids, symbolic of thoughtfulness, refinement, beauty, charm and love. Ben’s self-love shines through.
Score: 8.5
Tom: The 80s have hit Finland! “Hoida Mut” wouldn’t be out of place in a gym body pump session with people wearing tight neon leotards. I am loving the positive energy and I look forward to what Benjamin will bring to the UMK stage and curious to see whether he can still sing with the inevitable dance breaks! Uncomplicated, fun and packs a relentless throw-back punch! Another great UMK addition.
Score: 7.5
Sebastian: 80s synth pop melds beautifully with Benjamin’s raspy tones to create an absolute Finnish masterpiece in “Hoida mut”. Benjamin oozes sexual charisma throughout, with a catchy hook that, despite being non-English, pulls you in and gets you singing along. It’s been a minute since Finland sent a song in their native language, and Benjamin’s track might just be the one to bring it right back into the contest.
Score: 9
Calvin: Probably the best eighties-inspired song in all of this year’s preselections. Benjamin creates a mood that is throwback yet current. He breaks the language barrier by performing his heart out. He’s not singing this song, he is performing it with his whole body. I’m super excited about how Benjamin will perform this on stage cause a greenhouse seems rather unlikely…or does it?
Score: 8
We have removed the highest and lowest scores before calculating the result to weed out any potential bias.
The Wiwi Jury Average: 8.5
Do you think that Benjamin has a winner in “Do Me”? Or is it just too hot to handle? Let us know down below…
Our overall rankings:
- Benjamin — “Hoida mut” 8.5
- Käärijä — “Cha Cha Cha” 8.13
- KUUMAA — “Ylivoimainen” 8.07
- Robin Packalen — “Girls Like You” 7.19
- Lxandra — “Something to Lose” 7.13
- Keira — “No Business On The Dancefloor” 6.75
- The Portion Boys — “Samaa taivasta katsotaan” 6.63
I’m surprised no one on the jury referenced fellow countryman’s Take On Me by Aha. Both choruses sound very similar. Should be one of the three more entertaining stages songs.
This song is only popular abroad, in Finland we hate it. It will end in places 5-7.
Shouldn’t you choose a Eurovision song that people in other countries who actually vote will like?
I wonder the same, that was their premise when they voted for The Rasmus instead of Bess last year lol
The song is AMAZING and he’s a wizard who knows how to hypnotize you. However, I feel this is a “record song”, I mean, a song that cannot translate well enough into a performance. Maybe I’m wrong, but it’s my fear regarding him. Let’s see how he performs on stage!
Love this! 12 pistettä! Go Benjamin!
Staging will be the decider for Benjamin. The performance needs to be confident and steamy. My gut tells me he will be able to pull it off.
Literally and figuratively!
I loved it from the first listen, but it’s aging even better! It’s sexy yet refined and it’s very well-thought both musically and in its execution.
It’s part of my top 3 of this year’s UMK, alongside Cha Cha Cha and Ylivoimainen 🙂
Ps: I’m pretty confident that we’ll have a song in Finnish this year
This is my UMK favorite. Since Norway chose not to go with Jone, I hope we at least get to see Benjamin in Liverpool. Good luck Finland! Greetings from Serbia
Exactly, so sad that Jone didn’t win ?
Really sad:-(
I feel like I already know who is gonna be last in this poll, sadly
10/10
I listen to this song daily. UMK is so strong this year, I like most of the songs and this one is my top three. If it wins it will take the top 1 spot on my list.
Who’d say that the song so directly sexual could be made in such a refined way? The pulsating beat is amazing, and makes you nod along throughout. Benjamin’s body language transmits this energy perfectly, and I hope he’ll be able to do the same in the UMK finals. Among the sea of 80s-inspired music in recent selections, this one really stands in its own category for how well it’s executed. I’d be very happy to hear it in Liverpool too. – 8.5/10
This song is really growing on me and I think the live performance will elevate the song even more. I think either this or Cha Cha Cha would be the best choice for Finland this year as both songs would easily be in the top 10 at Eurovision.
I have read elsewhere that some Finnish fans think this song will go nowhere at Eurovision, because it’s mostly in Finnish and just sounds too 80s and dated. They think it will slip by unnoticed. Interesting. I love this song largely because its sounds reminds me of the old Wham days. Then there is the music itself, which contains some hidden details. (Please look away now if you don’t want to read about music theory.) The song uses the Finnish language to generate sex appeal; the rhythms are mostly right on the beat. The music is nicely locked in to… Read more »
Interesting take, Purple. Now that you mention it, I can hear the darker undertones too. The guy is emulating Poison Ivy, seducing in that greenhouse anyway. Works for me. 🙂
Poison Ivy! Yes.
I’m really fond of this song, and it feels a bit too bad everyone is so ‘head over heels’ with Cha Cha Cha, while I find that song an unpleasant wall of noise. This on the other hand, would be among my favorites of all Finnish entries if they send this
Does anyone except Kaarija have even a little tiny miny possibility to win UMK 2023 ?
I know most of the fandom is head over heels with Cha Cha Cha, but I see Hoida Mut and Ylivoimainen being a dark horse
That’s wrong, Portion Boys and Robin are the only threats to Caariya.
No one in Finland liked Robin’s song. I didn’t expect that, but his entry ended up being DOA
I LOVE THIS!!!! LOVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
Probably not nearly as much as you love Noa Kirel tho?
And even beyond no?
I don’t know if the fact that you LOVE it, is very positive for Benjamin….
Jesus is God. 😉
Is Jesus not the son of God?
He impregnated a woman, that much I know, I’m not sure if she had a choice in the matter.
Don’t you love Noa Kirel anymore, though? 🙁