“Steam it up and let go of all stress today” — KAJ bring joy and Finnish ritual in the “Bara Bada Bastu” lyrics

KAJ — made up of Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman, and Jakob Norrgård — began their journey in 2009 in Vörå, Finland. What started as a local comedy group evolved into a multimedia act spanning musicals, sold-out arena shows, and now, Eurovision — where they’ll perform the sauna-themed song “Bara Bada Bastu.”

Scroll down to read the “Bara Bada Bastu” lyrics

Sweden at Eurovision 2025: KAJ with “Bara Bada Bastu”

In an interview with our Andreas Papayiannakis at the beginning of March, they explained:

“We’ve always written songs in our own dialect and tried to use elements of everyday life… that’s why people connect to our music.”

Their Melodifestivalen 2025 victory came as a shock to the trio — and to anyone who assumed comedy couldn’t beat Eurovision 2015 champion Måns Zelmerlöw.

In their LEP 2025 interview with William Lee Adams, they reflected:

“It’s such a big dream that we never dared to dream… it was a complete surprise.”

Clips from their sauna-themed performance quickly went viral, spreading across TikTok, Instagram, and Eurovision fandom spaces worldwide. The energy behind the song isn’t just choreography — it’s culture.

In the interview with Andreas Papayiannakis, they shared:

“We want to have fun — every performance should have joy always present… and it seems to resonate with people.”

What do the “Bara Bada Bastu” lyrics mean?

The title means “Just take a sauna” — and the message is as warm as it sounds. “Bara Bada Bastu” is a celebration of the sauna as a space to relax, bond, and reset. While the tone is playful, the meaning runs deep.

In their interview with Andreas Papayiannakis, they explained:

“We’ve been a comedy group for 15 years but we’d never written anything about the sauna… it’s something everyone in Finland knows, and it connects with people in a really powerful way.”

• Vi ska bada bastu bastu / ångon åpp och släpp all stress idag
  (We’re gonna sauna, sauna / Steam it up and let go of all stress today)

The song begins with an invitation to leave stress behind. The sauna steam also becomes a metaphor for stress release.

• Bastubröder e je vi som glöder / 100 grader nåjaa
  (Sauna brothers, we’re the ones who glow / 100 degrees, oh yes)

Sauna becomes a shared experience among close friends. These lyrics echo unity and tradition.

In the LEP 2025 interview, they added:

“We can stand even more [than 100°]… I have the most endurance in the sauna.”

• Fyra väggar i träpanel
  (Four walls in wooden panels)

Minimalist and iconic, this line evokes a whole world — the familiar wooden interiors of Finnish saunas, known and loved by generations.

• Tick tick tack hur läng orkar du / Perkele, e va på värman jär
  (Tick tick tock, how long can you last? / Damn it, turn up the heat!)

This isn’t just high temperature — it’s a challenge, it’s a game. The blend of languages and the drop of “Perkele” grounds the song in its Nordic-Finnish roots.

• Bara bada, bara bada, bara bada bastu
  (Just sauna, just sauna, just sauna)

Like a chant, this repetition creates rhythm, sounds like a ritual — whether you’re in a cabin in Vörå or watching KAJ’s performance across the globe.

In their interview with Andreas Papayiannakis, they added:

“We have fans in India and in the Philippines… people who don’t speak Swedish or our weird dialect, but still understand what we’re trying to communicate.”

“Bara Bada Bastu” lyrics — KAJ (Sweden Eurovision 2025)

Songwriters: Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman, Jakob Norrgård, Anderz Wrethov, Kristoffer Strandberg, Robert Skowronski

Do you suddenly have the urge to head to the sauna? What are your thoughts about KAJ’s “Bara Bada Bastu” lyrics? Sound off in the comments.