It’s time for Finland’s Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) final with seven competitors.
The show’s opening number is presented by the host Antti Tuisku and last year UMK participant Erika Vikman. They perform a medley of their hits. We could call it “the sinful beast on the table”. These two are probably the most shameless artists in Finland and you can see and hear it!
Good Evening Europe has seen the preview clips, each about 20 seconds, but not the full performances. This article combines reactions to the preview clips and press interviews where all the artists attended.
All our female performers are wearing something shiny.
Teflon Brothers & Pandora – I love you
What a staging! There is a huge spacecraft in the middle of the stage, with Pandora standing on it wearing a glittery dress. Teflon Brothers appear to be more static, alien-like figures. It’s yet to be seen if the arcades or other retro objects will appear on stage as well.
According to Teflon Brothers, the performance symbolizes Finnish people who are sometimes “out of space” as being very shy, but it also has a big message of love. Pandora says that the song is like taking 90’s into the future. There will be something in the performance that looks dangerous. “A woman’s gotta do what the woman’s gotta do!”
When asked the question why people should vote for them, they said that they are original and international, they have something on stage that hasn’t been done before and it carries a very positive message.
Aksel – Hurt
This year Aksel has a very simple performance without many additional elements. There’s some smoke and twilight on stage, and Aksel is wearing very simple, ordinary clothes. If there are no backing singers or different lighting at any point, this is probably the most toned-down performance where the focus is purely on the song.
The visual thought behind the stage performance has been a peaceful time passing by, seeing the sunrise. Aksel says that he is more excited than he was last year at UMK, but he is also more confident and more open on the stage. When there is no live audience, he has learned how to interact with cameras and how they move.
Laura – Play
Laura goes glittery and golden! What we see on stage are huge chess pieces – what a great way to symbolize the “play” the song is about. The four dancers are also dressed in matching golden suits and have an interesting choreography. It all looks and feels very Eurovision-like. Who knows, something dramatic might happen at the end of the performance!
The artistic vision in the performance is about manipulating relationships, and how you can get a new starting point and finally be a winner in the situation. The staging is growing from minimal to bigger.
Laura explains how much she loves Eurovision and has always done so. She is very happy to participate in UMK and says a lot of effort is put into creating the show.
Danny – Sinä päivänä kun kaikki rakastaa mua
Danny is dressed in black, appropriately for the funeral theme. He looks like he’s winking at the camera, so it’s not just sadness we’re going to see. Danny is casually sitting on a bar stool while singing and there are four other people on stage – whether they will sing or dance or play the part of funeral guests will be seen.
The story behind the song and lyrics is based on real life. Danny has participated in the Finnish national preselections 8 times before and is impressed on the high level of Finnish tv production compared to what it used to be.
Oskr – Lie
There is a slight melancholic or suffering tone in Oskr’s performance and facial expressions. Raindrops are falling down a window glass and an image of a woman appears – and disappears again. Oskr is not just a good singer, he is also a powerful interpreter.
According to Oskr, the idea of the visual staging is to make things look like they happen inside your head. The UMK experience so far has been very rewarding to Oskr.
Blind Channel – Dark side
This is definitely the most energetic performance of them all. There’s lots of power and as there are six members in the group, they take control of every corner of the stage. The camera work might be the weakness as sometimes the focus is a bit lost.
The reason for Blind Channel to show their middle fingers is giving a statement. They have been defendants for a long time, but now having a big platform for their music makes it all much more concrete. The middle finger idea is what made Dark side into a song and many fans share the feeling. It’s rather flattering for the band to be pre-favourites as they didn’t expect that.
Ilta – Kelle mä soitan
This performance is beautiful! Ilta is dressed in a white gown, playing a white piano which has wings – or flames if you like. She looks like a snow queen and sounds like she is able to reach any note in the song effortlessly. The song might sound even better if you don’t understand the Finnish lyrics.
The story of the performance visually is about being lonely, flying in the air with the piano and dress – visualising the loneliness and sitting in our homes. Ilta is a fan of Celine Dion and loves her ESC winning song as well.
Watch the UMK show at Yle Areena!
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