Finland: The seven UMK24 artists and song titles revealed

Hyvää iltaa, Suomi!

It was crazy and party with Käärijä in 2023, who got Finland’s next best result in Eurovision ever by winning the public vote and getting 2nd place overall.

Now Finland will try and emulate that success in UMK24, where the 7 acts were revealed tonight. They will compete in the biggest UMK show ever at Nokia Arena in Tampere on 10 February 2024 at 21.00 EET (19.00 GMT/20.00 CET).

The UMK24 songs will be revealed one song at a time on every weekday beginning from tomorrow, Thursday 11 January 2024. Each song will be released at midnight EET (22.00 GMT/23.00 CET) on each artist’s reveal day on Yle Areena and YouTube, as well as on Spotify and other streaming services.

Release date for the entries can be seen under each artist description.

UMK24 contestants

Cyan Kicks – “Dancing With Demons”

(Release: Wednesday 10 January 22.00 GMT/23.00 CET)

In 2022, Cyan Kicks competed in the Contest for New Music UMK with its entry Hurricane, placing second in the final. Their success in UMK was followed by numerous gigs all over Europe, a headline tour in Germany and, just recently, a tour in the United Kingdom and continental Europe along with rock group Smash Into Pieces.

The band is made up of vocalist Susanna Alexandra, guitarist Niila Perkkiö, bassist Leevi Erkkilä and drummer Pietari Reijonen. Cyan Kicks’ sound is easily identifiable, thanks largely to the band’s guitarist and producer Niila. Described as being “electric”, their ultimate sound finally took shape in 2017.

“You could say that our music is a metal heart in a pop wrapper,” states Niila.

The UMK entry Dancing With Demons is the result of long, hard work. It received its finishing touches in London’s legendary RAK Studios with the help of British songwriter Dan Lancaster. The song deals with harnessing one’s inner demons and turning them into a strength.

“Everyone has their own weaknesses and demons, which we’re ashamed of and don’t want anyone else to see. Then, we thought what if we were able to make our own inner demons our allies – what would happen?” describes Susanna.

Sexmane – “Mania”

(Release: Thursday 11 January 22.00 GMT/23.00 CET)

Sexmane, a.k.a. Max Sene, is currently one of the most listened-to artists in Finland. His 2019 debut album Sextape was a roaring success, sitting on the Official Finnish Albums Chart for over 100 weeks. His second album Väärinymmärretty earned the artist four Emma nominations (Finnish Grammys) His 2023 album Sextape II sealed his success. After the album’s release, 18 of its 20 songs made the Finnish Top 50 chart. Sene was nominated for four Emmas in two consecutive years and won the title of Finnish Artist of the Year.

Music was a big part of Sene’s life already in his early childhood. Sene grew up in a religious Laestadian community, where it is common to sing hymns and the community’s own songs. Commercial music was forbidden in the community, but the attraction to it was powerful.

His UMK entry Mania was formed slowly from different pieces. Sene wrote the song at different times and in different moods, which is also apparent in the song lyrics.

“The words in the chorus crystallise my thoughts: it’s quite all right to be a bit ‘crazy’ I know that a lot of young people are struggling with mental health challenges. I want to give them the strength and courage to hang in there.”

Until now, Sene has followed UMK from the audience, as his older brother Isaac Sene competed in UMK in 2022, with his hit song Kuuma Jäbä. Now, Sene has his sights set on doing what Finland just missed out on last year.

Sara Siipola – “Paskana”

(Release: Sunday 14 January 22.00 GMT/23.00 CET)

Sara Siipola’s dark and soulful voice has enchanted Finns with such songs as Rohkee sydän, Susta tulee tähti and one of her latest, Uusi musta. A veritable forge of hits, Siipola grew up in the Ostrobothnian town of Laihia, where finding herself was not easy. In school, those with big dreams were quickly put into their place.

Siipola had trouble finding her own place when she was young. In 2016, she graduated with a vocational qualification in business in Vaasa. Shortly thereafter, she began her singing career. Within five years, she had a raft of singles, a debut album and music programme Tähdet Tähdet under her belt.

“I love writing songs on big topics. I really want people to be able to listen to my songs whenever they want to feel self-confident and connect with others.

Her UMK entry Paskana (“I’m a f***ing wreck”) is about a friend who loses their father and the feelings that the loss stirs up. During one evening, Siipola watched how her friend tried to be present at a dinner party after experiencing such a loss.

Paskana deals with grief and lets the listener feel heartbroken: why do others go grocery shopping and go on with their lives when my own world has stopped cold? According to Siipola, the power of the song stems from the fact that it doesn’t romanticise the idea of grief, that there will be a happy ending.

Jesse Markin – “Glow”

(Release: Monday 15 January 22.00 GMT/23.00 CET)

With his debut album Folk in 2019, Jesse Markin became one of Finland’s most captivating new artists overnight. Markin was voted Newcomer of the Year and his album won the Critics choice award in the annual Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammys). His popularity manifested on sold-out gigs, including everything from the iconic rock club Tavastia to the massive stage of Flow Festival.

There was some push to brand Markin as a rapper, but he felt it was too restrictive. He says he understands that many artists choose a single genre and style to focus their efforts on. However, Markin wanted to infuse his own music with many different worlds.

He found inspiration for his music in movies, literature and his own life. Where Folk focused on social perspectives, his 2021 album Noir explored Markin’s personal life. In addition to everything else, Markin has also made music for the second season of the Moominvalley series.

Markin decided to enter UMK because his entry Glow felt right. The song is an excellent example of how Markin combines genres and styles that are important to him right now in one single.

“One of the main points of the song is ‘don’t give up’. Even the smallest spark can get things going if you just try. Musically speaking, the song contains afro-vibes, cosmic soundscapes and so much more,” describes Markin.

Windows95man – “No Rules!”

(Release: Tuesday 16 January 22.00 GMT/23.00 CET)

Windows95man is an embodiment of the 90s, who frees a once timid family man from his everyday life. It all started when Teemu Keisteri’s home videos on Youtube began to circulate all over the world. One of the videos even ended up in a commercial aired during an NHL game.

In 2013, a DJ gig the Flow Festival brought the character known as Windows95man to life. His artist costume consists of a pair of very cut-off shorts made by Keisteri’s friend and a Windows95 t-shirt ordered online. Since then, Windows95man has performed at Helsinki’s New Year’s celebration in 2022, as an opening act for Käärijä at the Helsinki Ice Hall and at numerous smaller events. 

Many have also come across his character, who is known for his wild and crazy stage performances, in a Youtube video, where he gets an entire planeload of passengers to lose control to Darude’s Sandstorm.

At UMK, Windows95man will be releasing his very first single, No Rules. The song title refers to the artist’s motto, which appears in both his music and other artistic productions. In addition to his DJ gigs, Keisteri is a visual artist who is known for his artist persona, Ukkeli: a representation of cultural phenomena.

Henri Piispanen is the singer in No Rules. Keisteri explains that the chorus of the song was so challenging that he had trouble finding a singer with enough technical skill to pull it off. Piispanen was the only one whose voice could go high enough.

“In my opinion, all Finns are a bit looney-tunes deep inside, and I wanted to bring that out more. Now I can share my music with an even bigger audience as well as spread the joyous message of No Rules,” says Keisteri.

Sini Sabotage – “Kuori mua”

(Release: Wednesday 17 January 22.00 GMT/23.00 CET)

Having sung and played music since childhood, Sini Sabotage rose to fame with her 2013 hit Levikset repee. The song shot up the Official Finnish Charts to number one for Singles and Downloads, and it went gold in 2013.

Sabotage’s accomplishments blazed a trail for female rap artists in Finland. 

Sabotage’s first album 22 m² was released in 2013. The album was well-received and brought added exposure to Sabotage’s music. After 2013, Sabotage has released one EP and numerous singles: her meteoric rise to the top of Finnish music left a permanent mark on popular culture. 

Sabotage considers her 2020 album Blueberry Makkonen to be one of her most important works. The album is the first one that Sabotage says she was able to write without any outside pressure

UMK marks a new chapter for Sabotage, or in her own words, a completely new book. According to Sabotage, the colourful contest entry Kuori mua (“Peel me”) was inspired by “a few fireball shots” and a collaborative brainstorming session. The song’s co-creator Vilma Virintie described how Sabotage is like an onion, with its many layers. 

“We’re never just what we appear to be on the outside at any given moment. We all have many sides and so much more to give than just one picture, song or moment,” says Virintie.

Mikael Gabriel x nublu – “Vox populi”

(Release: Thursday 18 January 22.00 GMT/23.00 CET)

Mikael Gabriel and Estonian rapper nublu are among the most successful rap artists in their respective countries. Released in 2010, Mikael Gabriel’s debut album Pohjosen poika was well received, and the singles on his 2015 album Versus broke streaming records even before the album was officially released. 

Nublu rose to become Estonia’s biggest artist and rap phenomenon when he was voted Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B Artist of the Year in 2020. A collaboration by Gabriel and nublu, Universum, was released that same year, quickly rising to become the most listened-to single in both countries on Spotify.

Gabriel and nublu found each other through social media. Gabriel had heard about nublu, but did not know anything about Estonian rap music. Gabriel admits that he had certain preconceptions, but hearing nublu’s material turned them right around.

Mikael Gabriel x nublu’s UMK entry is called Vox Populi. The song talks about how it is sometimes hard to know what’s true and what isn’t in such polarised public forums. According to the artists, the song is extremely topical in today’s world, which is filled with populism and people droning on endlessly about their own truths.

“The song deals with political and cultural divides, saying that even though we’re all entitled to our own opinions, it doesn’t necessarily make them true. Everyone should use their voice, but at the same time you should also keep in mind that you will be judged no matter what,” says Gabriel.

How to watch UMK24 

You can watch the UMK24 on 10 February from 19.00 GMT/20.00 CET on YLE Areena – or on YLE1 if you’re in Finland.

During the live broadcast, the Finnish public can vote for their favourite song. Each entry will also be scored by an international jury with industry professionals from 7 different Eurovision countries.

The winner will be determined by tallying the public votes with the scores given by the international jury, with the public vote accounting for 75% of the final score and the jury panel for the remaining 25%.

Who are you most excited to see in the lineup? Do you think Finland can win the public vote in Eurovision again with one of these entries? Let us know in the comments below.