Following the grand reveal of the seven acts competing in Finland’s Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) 2024, Finnish broadcaster Yle is dropping the lyrics videos for each entry one by one. Next up is Sexmane, a.k.a. Max Sene, with “Mania.”
Sexmane 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.
Sexmane — “Mania”
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.
UMK24 jury: “Sexmane (a.k.a. Max Sene) is one of Finland’s most listened-to artists, the winner of the audience poll at the 2023 Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammys) and a wonderful addition to the UMK music lineup. Renowned as a new wave rapper, Sexmane creates music in which a wide variety of influences can be heard. This time round, Mania, with its strong opening hook, goes for a big rock sound, culminating in an epic guitar solo. The strengths of Max Sene’s music have always been authenticity and honesty. This is also very much the case in this intense song, which is virtually tailor made for big arenas”.
UMK 2023 song release schedule
- Thu, 11 January: Cyan Kicks – Dancing With Demons
- Fri, 12 January: Sexmane – Mania
- Mon, 15 January: Sara Siipola – Paskana
- Tue, 16 January: Jesse Markin – Glow
- Wed, 17 January Windows95man – No Rules
- Thu, 18 January Sini Sabotage – Kuori mua
- Fri, 19 January Mikael Gabriel x nublu – Vox Populi
It sounds like a copy of the Swedish Newkid, but with a less powerful voice. Can he deliver on stage??
If you have read the post you can see that he is a very successful artist so he must be able to perform
Very succesful singer can be in Finland even when you cannot sing.
Newkid is awful, this is miles ahead of him.
Can’t. And you can hear that. He covers his lack of singi ng with autotune. Everyone says he cannot sing alive his brother is a better vocalist.
I just listened to it and this is great! Expected more rap but I’m surprised in a good way, it’s always cool when artists show a new side of their artistry! The melody slaps hard and the song keeps you hooked to it!
The symbolisms in the music video are INSANE! The song is so so so good! The whole artist, song, and music video package is OUTSTANDING!
I like the song *a lot*. The concept of the video-music-aesthetic is very unexpected. Brilliant!! I also loved the hug after the formal handshake. Kudos!!
Oh this is really good! I already like Cyan Kicks but this is up at the same level. UMK seems very promising again 🙂
I guess I’m a minority here, but I like it more then Cyan Kicks yesterday. In fact I like it a lot! Looking forward to hearing this live.
I´ve exactly the same opinion !
I think most likely f the people prefer this than the generic Cyan Kicks sogn
Nonsense.
CK is more suitable for ESC you are in right in that. Also Susanna can sing what this boy cannot do well alive. Autotune what he uses alot is forbidden in the contest.
Not really something I enjoy listening to, but I guess this song does at least have some urgency and personality. I preferred his brother’s song though.
Just gave it a listen and I expected more rapping from him. Nevertheless, the song’s good, but idk if it’ll stand out at UMK.
I wasn’t impressed. It reminded me of many other songs I’ve heard lately, quite noisy and tryhard.
Hmm.. No…
Oh. I’m a bit thrown cause in that preview I was under the impression this was more rap and I said to myself “wow—so glad finally a country is pushing a bit more hip hop in their national selections”. But this is more rock. And in Finnish I can’t imagine the international juries at UMK supporting this when they have the more accessible Cyan Kicks. Still-kudos for UMK to invest in their own language and these great young artists vs buying songs from established Eurovision composers.
Good in it’s context, adds diversity to the competition, but might be too difficult for him to win older audience to vote this, as it’s a bit non-typical song that finds it’s way into UMK.
Also autotune cannot be used in the contest and he is bad singer alive his broter is a better vocalist.
I thought Isaac and Max might be relatives and it turns out the are brothers. Isaac wins the UMK battle though.
True. Isaac can sing at the least.
The song is a no for me
Cyan Kicks is miles ahead
I expected more from Sexmane but my vote for now: Cyan Kicks
Okay, better than the first one but still not impressed tbh.
Those three minutes were loooong…
Funny thing, it’s 2:39.
Well that show how bad this is.
I like this song but I prefer Cyan Kicks !
A really solid entry. I like it!
Quite good. 🙂
Worst UMK song IN YEARS. As a Finn I’m very disappointed that a song as horrible as this got to UMK.
You can dislike it but it’s not as dreadful as you’re painting it out
You are right. Autotune karaoke.
This is a step up from the first song, and while it’s probably not going to be the winner here, I am liking a lot about it. It’s maybe a bit too predictable with where it goes and lacks a bit of creativity, but, I think it’s solid.
Sounded a bit weak at first but after listening a few times I started appreciating it. Chorus is memorable, bridge is nice, verses are weak tho
I like it, and expect to like it more and with each listen.
Well I gotta say I don’t know why Max and his brother Isaac are so into the business! Isaac sent a very sexualised yet funky song years ago so I was expecting to instantly hate this however when I first heard the more rocky vibes all my worries flew out of the window! This one has a more obvious hook than Cyan Kicks’s lesser effort yesterday and so it grabbed me! I can’t believe I’m saying this but an artist called ‘Sexmane’ is now my number one! Not sure how this will be performed live with all that autotune though!
I think the exact opposite than you conservative
I preferred Isaac’s funkiness. To me, this is kind of gray.
Isaac’s song had more of tune which was more accessible to me but the staging was a bit creepy lol. But this song DOES have a good melody in the chorus. I could more easily sing you the tune to this song than to the Cyan Kicks song which is their greatest problem tbh. Dancing with Demons is great and will most likely be great overall live but I wanted them to send something more like Hurricane which to this day has a chorus I am singing!
First impression- He feels like Blanco mixed up with that rockish vibe which is very Finland.
Not bad, but my vote is still for Cyan Kicks.
that was a really bad song
FACTSSS
Intresting! I want this to win UMK!
It’s a she or he? Why does it look like a woman, but has a man name? Very confusing, hope the song it’ll be good, though…
Broaden your horizons, please.
what do you mean look like a woman? how can you look like a woman?
It’s he, but maybe don’t use “it” about a person. Bit rude.