Wiwi Jury: KUUMAA — “Ylivoimainen” (UMK 2023)

Turku ’bout to get lit! On Saturday, February 25th Finland’s Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu finally goes live. The country’s national selection for Eurovision 2023 is already considered one of the strongest — if not the strongest — of the year, owing to the quality of the artists and their songs. From frothy dance filler to an emotional ballad to mainstream pop rock, the Finns have already served.

Ahead of the show, the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of musical 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.

Next up are the streaming kings KUUMAA with the song “Ylivoimainen.” At the time of writing this, they’re #1 on the Spotify Top 50 in Finland. Do we think that will translate into votes on the night of the competition? Read on to find out…

KUUMAA — “Ylivoimainen” (UMK 2023 Review)

Deban: Ylivoimainen is a familiar piece of pop that truly stands in its own lane. Referencing global acts like The Feeling and Depeche Mode in parts, Kuumaa have successfully merged nostalgia with their own signature singing style. The result here is compelling: a perfect slice of anthemic Finnish pop-rock. This could win UMK in a landslide, but even if it doesn’t, it remains one of the most heartwarming entries in recent years.

Score: 8

William: This is far and away the most-played of all the UMK 2023 songs on my iPhone. KUUMA have managed to deliver a pop song that pushes forward despite the heavy nostalgia and melancholy that underscore pretty much all of it. I don’t speak Finnish, but the song transmits desire, longing and regret loud and clear — and it all feels so smooth and polished. That the lead singer has those vocals — and that handsome face — only adds to the allure. My favourite studio cut in a stellar field.

Score: 9

Rik:  Based on my personal taste, this is probably the song I’d listen to the most — outside of Eurovision. It’s giving me nostalgia, the beautiful Finnish language and some high-quality production. But to stand out, this really needs some creative staging. At the moment I’d say this is not the song that should represent Finland this year because there are better options. I still love the studio cut though.

Score: 8

Dayana: “Ylivoimanen” is a sweet cocktail of nostalgia and modern love. Johannes sounds incredible live and I have high hopes for their UMK performance — go Kuumaa!

Score: 9

Tom: Again, another 80s style track. However, unlike “Hoida Mut” where it is unapologetically 80’s, “Ylivoimainen” feels like they are trying to modernise and bring the 80’s to 2023. From personal experience, this is fun to close your eyes and dance alone to — I love the energetic chorus. It feels darker, cooler and is less pulsating than “Hoida Mut”. I don’t like comparing the two, but it is hard not to. I just hope that KUUMAA’s staging will be completely different to Benjamin’s, so they don’t cancel each other out on the night.

Score: 7.5

Sebastian: KUUMAA deliver a sweet, upbeat 80s pop track with “Ylivoimanen” — and I am LIVING. It has sleeper radio hit appeal — it’s not pretending to be too much, but it knows it’s solid. KUUMAA’s lead singer has a sweet tone to his voice, and by all accounts, strong performer energy. While it’s probably not the front runner going into UMK, I could see this sleeper hit waking up the audience and taking the crown.

Score: 7

Ruxandra: Can somebody explain to me why this song is so underrated? They seem to me a well-calibrated boy band with a nice sound, a song that has a good structure, indie vibes and good lyrics. This song brings some nostalgia — it reminds me of the boy bands that were on the radio on early 00s. The whole song and the message match with the black and white imagery that they bring in the music video. If they could bring the concert atmosphere from their music video to a live performance on the ESC stage, then this would definitely do well.

Score: 9.5

Calvin: There’s a power here that I struggle to translate into words. The first time I listened to this, I wasn’t necessarily hooked. But once it’s inside your head you can’t escape “Ylivoimainen” anymore. It has a hypnotising quality, spinning around between verses and choruses. A flow of nostalgia hits my body and thoughts catch my mind while I’m jamming to this wonderful song. I don’t see this having the instant appeal to do well at Eurovision, but I wouldn’t mind being proven wrong.

Score: 9

Samuel: “Ylivoimainen” demonstrates the strength of this year’s UMK line up. I don’t see it at Eurovision, but instead stuck in my head, on repeat. I thoroughly enjoyed the instrumental, the visuals and KUUMAA themselves. I feel like my score is a bit harsh, but the song doesn’t captivate me, and I almost don’t think it’s meant to? It’s perfect as is, and a lovely addition to this year’s line up.

Score: 7

Suzanne: I felt like I was at a Eurovision Party listening to this. So much fun! The artists really connect with the audience and draw me in.

Score: 6

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

The Wiwi Jury Average: 8.07

Can KUUMAA win it all? Is this the song the jury will love most? 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