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nanoa1foryou · 1 year ago

Text

Translation of this article from Helsingin Sanomat.

The third time

Robin Packalen had a secret plan. After military service he'd head abroad. Despite the attempts a breakthrough hasn't come. Now he reveals his biggest adversary, who surprisingly has a familiar name.

Universal Music Group -record lable's office was located in Merimiehenkatu in Punavuori, Helsinki, in the cable factory's old industrial estate. Behind it's square windows, at the end of the second floor, there was a meeting room, where in August of 2022 gathered a group of the heads of the record lable and one big popstar.

There was a dark table in the room. People sat on opposite sides of it.

There is no clear memory of who all were there, but at least the CEO of the lable Kimmo Valtanen and manager Juha Ruusunen. Producer Joonas Parkkonen participated remotely.

The popstar sat on the other side. He was Robin Packalen.

Outside the late summer sun was burning, but indoors they were looking already forward to the next spring. Or maybe it's more accurate to say listened, because around the table the thoughts were on what pop music on next spring's Eurovision could sound like.

In the previous yyear Parkkonen and Packalen had been polishing up three new English language songs. Now it was time to choose, which one of them would be sent to Yle's Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu.

And from there hopefully to Eurovision.

He had been preparing an international career in secresy. The decision had been made already in 2013.

The situation was peculiar, as Robin had refused from going to Eurovision publicly on multiple occasions, because it didn't fit the artist's image.

"As a concept it's not my style", he had said for example in a Helsingin Sanomat interview a few years earlier.

And Packalen wanted to be a man of his word. But the situation had changed. A career abroad had not gotten off the ground as they'd hoped and for that he was ready to do nearly whatever it takes, even go back on his word about the UMK-competition.

An international career, after all, he had been working on in secresy nearly since when he had pushed his way to the hearts of the Finnish people with this song:

*In the article they have a 23 second clip of the song Frontside Ollie here*

The video for Frontside Ollie was released on 16th of January, 2012. In two weeks the song rose to the top of the at the time Finland's official downloads list and as the most sold on the musicservice Itunes. To this day the musicvideo has been viewed on Youtube for over 20 million times.

During the first three years the teenstar's fame rose to a level, that is still in Finland without a match.

A few measurement of that succeess:

The debut album, Koodi, was the most sold record of the year 2012 in Finland.

The second album, Chillaa, rose immediately after it's release to number one of the official Finnish album chart.

The third, in 2013 released Boom Kah, sold double platinum on it's release day.

Packalen toured around Finland. But in the days between, when he had the time, he flew to "song sessions" abroad. In those he composed music in English and managed to even do it for years is secret from the public.

He, who had charmed teh Finn's with his sincerity.

As the decision had been actually made already in 2013. It was Packalen's own and it was supported by his team. After the matriculation examination and military service the performance language would change to English and the career would be directed towards international spotlights.

The song was called I'll Be With You and it was heard in the Emma-gala in February of 2019. In April another single, Suit That, was released.

*In the article they have a 21 second clip of the song I'll Be With You here*

Packalen had been silent for a year and a half. Then he hd revealed, that he would aim for an international career and was changing his performance language to English.

After the break the first show however was still in a familiar place, in his hometown Turku, on the Rantalava at Ruisrock-festival.

The show lasted for 23 minuter. In that time Packalen did one flip, performed the already released English language songs, two cover songs and a not yeat released Benefits-slow song. In the intermission speeches he spoke in Finnish, among other things called his show a "goofing around show" and promised in the end, that more English language music would be released soon.

But then came fall and winter and spring, and when 13 months had passed from the release of the first song in English oretty much exactly, the coronavirus pandemic closed the artist to isolation and stopped the exporting of music.

"Robin, come back and sing in Finnish"

Packalen's project for international success had first been worked on for three years by Comusic Management's CEO and artist manager Mikko Saukkonen. In 202 the project moved to Packalen's own backing company Robin Entertainment's care.

Both Saukkonen and Robin Entertainmens communications cordinator Susa Ruuhilahti told in an HS interview, that the reasoning for the hold on the international career attempts was the coronavirus pandemic.

The continuation wasn't looking much more promising either.

In December 2020 Packalen released his first English language ep, called Rest In Beat PM. It got a sequel in the next year's October, this ep was called Rest In Beat AM.

First placed on Finlan'd official chart in 46th place, the second in 27th.

HS's music critic voiced a wish: "Robin, come back and sing in Finnish".

In the spring of 2022 a familiar pattern repeated. Yle called. Packalen's manager since 2020, Juha Ruusunen answered the phone.

Would Robin be interested this time in participating in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu?

After that came a second phone call, this time from Ruusunen to Packalen.

Packalen doesn't remember, where he was when he answered Ruusunen, but he does remember, that the call was long and by it's tone it deviated from the previous calls.

"For the first time I thought immediately, that now I could maybe consider participating", Packalen says.

A year earlier Finland's UMK winner, metal band Blind Channel had managed to create an international fanbase with their song Dark Side.

The concept had started to tempt.

Packalen decided to join on one condition: he'd have to have a good enough song. For that he had to travel to Los Angeles for a song making trip.

He packed into his bag his laptop, microphone, preamplifier and a small keyboard. On the trip he was joined by producer Joonas Parkkonen. The same man, that had earlier participated in the production of Blind Channel's hit as well.

When the evening dimmed, from somewhere far away a shot echoed. Then another.

Packalen had reserved them a "good, cheap and spacious" rowhouse strip from Inglewood, southwest of the center of Los angeles.

When the first evening there dimmed, from somewhere far away a shot echoed. Then another. In the sky a helicopter was making noise.

Packalen and Parkkonen however were in an entirely different atmosphere. When you listen to the music made during the trip to California after the fact, mostly the buzz of the palm trees and a hot beach comes to mind.

During the spring Parkkonen and Packalen made together a total of six songs. By combining those and earlier songs Packalen put together an entire album's worth of music.

In Los Angeles the lightly swinging Girls Like You was born as well. In Punavuori it lit up the group gathered around the table at the Universal Music Group's office.

*In the article they have a 25 second clip of the song Girls Like You here*

The final decision was made by Packalen. He thought that Girls Like You was "super fucking good", as he put it later during UMK in a press conference.

With that he's join UMK, that he was to win, so his name would become familiar abroad. ANd when that moment would come, he'd have an album of new music in English in his back pocket ready to go.

The first time Packalen heard Käärijä's song in January 2023. Yle set up for the finalists a listening session, where the artists got to know, who their competition was and how their songs sounded.

Cha Cha Cha was played second. The situation was recorded on video. At first Packalen's eyes widened from shock and then staryed somewhere towards the floor from confusion.

"I was thinking that well, can't do much more than go to Logomo to jump around."

It quickly became apparent, that Jere Pöyhönen from Vantaa had managed to raise up a buzz, that would be tough to beat. Everything green from cucumbers to the new buds of willows turned into Käärijä juice.

Again manager Ruusunen called Packalen.

"We were so deep into the project. nearly every day there was something UMK to do, practice, finalizing wardrobe and building the staging. There was no opportunity to wallow", Ruusunen says.

The duo would pull up Packalen's much used slogan: it is what it is, se on, mitä on, and move onwards. The call ended.

At the UMK final Packalen performed a perfectly polished, flawless show. Despite, that he had been fairly certain even before the competition of his loss.

Careful steps flowed precicely to the beat of the song. Occasionally he'd fall on his back to the soft surface, but his voice didn't waver.

The viewers voted Girls Like You to the fourth place of the competition.

Without the buzz of Eurovision winner there was no cause to release the new, English language album.

A Finnish popstar's international breakthrough is a trick, that has always seemed nearly impossible.

It almost worked for Alma in 2016. Karma was an international hit, and after it in Finland it was expected, first with vigour and later in desperation, that Alma would become an international superstar.

The record lable supported Packalen's dreams of an international career. But at the same time, it kept reminding, that hits need to happen in the homeland as well.

After a year and half break in 2019 Packalen had said in an interview, that he wouldn't be making more music in Finnish. In the end he went back on his word almost "accidentally".

In October 2022 Packalen's and singer Viivi's joint single Ihana Kipu was released.

*In the article there is a 19 second clip of the song Ihana Kipu here*

According to packalen the song was born kind of on accident or at least he jumped in on accident.

"I went to the studio with the mentality, that let's wrote some more music to Viivi's album. Then somehow I got really excited about the song, and I started to want to join in on it."

The song broke in Finland on it's release day the record of most streams in a day for this decade and crosssed the gold limit in two weeks.

According to the record lable's Kimmo Valtanen Ihana Kipu showed that the early 2010's "Robin magic" that had charmed the Finns hadn't disappeared. But how would the achieve the same with songs in English?

"It's useless to dream, that someone abroad would understand, if they don't understand in Finland", Valtanen says.

"I don't want to rush the music. It has to be something really unique and different from here on out."

Last spring the record lable Universal Music Group moved from Punavuori to new spaces in Hakaniemi in Helsinki.

On the building's sixth floor there is a small negotiation room and in the room a table, on the edge of which amidst bags of peanuts and water bottles a phone and sunglasses have been carefully stacked.

The popstar is sitting at the table. He is wwearing a large t-shirt and green cargo pants, the shoes are mismatched.

What does he think of his international career? Does it feel like a failure?

"It's no breeze, and not like that I decide this and it happens", Packalen says.

"It's important for your head that you have a direction. Somewhere you want to take your life. For me that has been that, creating an international career."

In the interview it becomes apparent, that the record lable Universal has not lost it's hope of Packalen's international breakthrough. Neither has Packalen.

Quite the opposite.

Even in 2020 Packalen said in an Ilta-Sanomat interview that fans shouldn't get upset if "nothing much happens even in ten years".

He sstill seems to think this way.

"I don't want to rush the music. It has to be something reallu unique and really different from here on out."

According to Valtanen the project for internationality has alway had the tought from the record lable behind it, that Packalen is going to make a lifelong career. Internationality is only one part of that.

"And in that we aim to support him so that his career progresses in the best possible way."

In November Packalen will fly to southwest China's Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. From there starts a tour around China with the Norwegian dj Alan Walker. The tour is a seven show large scale production and walker needs soloistst along to sing his songs.

Before the tour they practice together in Oslo.

In trying to make it abroad Packalen thinks there is something educational. The mindset is, that you can't make many detailed plans. The things around you change and your mind changes with them.

"The fact that things don't always go as you want, you learn from that much more, than when you just say that this is what we're doing and people just kind of eat from the palm of your hand."

"Here I've gotten to hear a lot of those empowering experiences, that maybe someone has been feeling really bad and then has listened to my music and gotten power and energy from that."

He wants to create the same reaction abroad.

"Music is the only way I can have an effect. It's not like I know how to do anything else."

At the change of the year after the tour with Alan Walker Packalen will try to break out into the international arenas again, I guess you could dare to say about the future plans.

He yet again packs up his computer, microphone, preamplifier and small keyboard and travles to Soul in South Korea, this time alone. There he will spend the whole spring.

He would like to find a nice team from Korea, a songwriter or producer, with whom he could write music. Either for himself or someone else. Relations to Korea have been created beforehand.

It's not that there isn't enough talented musicians in Finland. There is. But in popmusic South Korea is currently at another level entirely.

"Everyone wants to work with the Koreans. Korans are kind of like kings at this point", Packalen says.

He has a weight on his shoulders too: that smiling and porcelain doll like beautiful boy.

Young postar Robin was in public a positive, innocent and even flawless. So pictureque, that the mismatched shoes stood out as the only fault in the character.

Almost too good?

Now Packalen, 25, tells, that even his shoulders bear a weight. It's that smiling and porcelain doll like boy, who once did everything so well in the domestic popworld.

"Whatever I do now, it's always experienced in a way, where it will never be anything as good as that earlier Robin."

#finnish music #robin packalen #umk #uuden musiikin kilpailu #translations

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mirai-desu · 2 years ago

Photo

if there's nothing left of you and me there's nothing left of me: An Ode to the Amazing Songs We Lost in the Eurovision National Final Season 2023

YouTube Playlist Here

National final season always means that we lose some fantastic songs that won’t ever get to grace to the big ESC stage, but I can memorialize all the other tracks I love here. This list contains the songs that got away, as well as some of the guilty pleasures, and songs I simply enjoy listening to, from the NF season of 2023.

Note that this is my personal taste, so I might be missing something you jive with. Songs are arranged by flow, not in a ranking. Some videos I likely will have to replace with another upload at some point. I went with studio recordings to be consistent (barring the bonus track).

This playlist is in no way meant to put down the actual winners.

Playlists for past years: 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022

Tracklist below:

Ulrikke Brandstorp – “Honestly” (Melodi Grand Prix - Norway 🇳🇴 )

Kristín Sesselja – “Terrified” (Söngvakeppnin - Iceland 🇮🇸 )

Jon Henrik Fjällgren, Arc North feat. Adam Woods – “Where Are You (Sávečan)” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Patty Gurdy – “Melodies of Hope” (Unser Lied für Liverpool - Germany 🇩🇪 )

Harmonija disonance – “Nevera (Lei, lei)” (Dora - Croatia 🇭🇷 )

The Starlings – “Rollercoster” (Eurosong 2023 - Belgium 🇧🇪 )

EYJAA – “I Was Gonna Marry Him” (Dansk Melodi Grand Prix - Denmark 🇩🇰 )

Damir Kedžo – “Angels and Demons” (Dora - Croatia 🇭🇷 )

Eline Thorp – “Not Meant to Be” (Melodi Grand Prix - Norway 🇳🇴 )

Neon Letters & Maiko – “ときめき (Tokimeki)” (Eesti Laul - Estonia 🇪🇪 )

Rūta Mur – “So Low” (Pabandom iš naujo! - Lithuania 🇱🇹 )

KRUTЬ – “Колискова” (Vidbir - Ukraine 🇺🇦 )

Vanesa Sono – “Aroma jonë” (Festivali i Këngës 61 - Albania 🇦🇱 )

Tril – “Break It” (Melodi Grand Prix - Norway 🇳🇴 )

Janek – “House of Glass” (Eesti Laul - Estonia 🇪🇪 )

Colapesce, Dimartino – “Splash” (Festival di Sanremo - Italy 🇮🇹 )

m els – “So Good (At What You Do)” (Eesti Laul - Estonia 🇪🇪 )

Gebrasy – “Saw Your Ghost” (Pabandom iš naujo! - Lithuania 🇱🇹 )

Nordman – “Släpp alla sorger” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Maria Celin – “Freya” (Melodi Grand Prix - Norway 🇳🇴 )

Rovena Dilo – “Motit” (Festivali i Këngës 61 - Albania 🇦🇱 )

Moisei – “I'm Not Alone” (Vidbir - Ukraine 🇺🇦 )

Lazza – “Cenere” (Festival di Sanremo - Italy 🇮🇹 )

Nicklas Sonne – “Freedom” (Dansk Melodi Grand Prix - Demark 🇩🇰 )

Megara – “Arcadia” (Benidorm Fest - Spain 🇪🇸 )

Erma Mici – “Kozmosi i dashurisë” (Festivali i Këngës 61 - Albania 🇦🇱 )

Steven Roho x Gabriella x Formația Albatros – “LELE” (Selecţia Naţională - Romania 🇷🇴 )

Princ – “Cvet sa Istoka” (Pesma za Evroviziju 23 - Serbia 🇷🇸 )

Melanie Wehbe – “For the Show” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Angelina – “Stronger” (Vidbir - Ukraine 🇺🇦 )

René Miller – “Concrete Heart” (Unser Lied für Liverpool - Germany 🇩🇪 )

Boris Subotić – “Nedostupan” (Pesma za Evroviziju 23 - Serbia 🇷🇸 )

Emil Henrohn – “Mera mera mera” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

JONE – “Ekko inni meg” (Melodi Grand Prix - Norway 🇳🇴 )

Fifi – “Stop” (Festivali i Këngës 61 - Albania 🇦🇱 )

ELYSA – “Bad Philosophy” (Eesti Laul - Estonia 🇪🇪 )

Đana – “Free Fallin'” (Dora - Croatia 🇭🇷 )

Agoney – “Quiero arder” (Benidorm Fest - Spain 🇪🇸 )

Enxhi Nasufi – “Burrë” (Festivali i Këngës 61 - Albania 🇦🇱 )

Chérine – “ça m'ennuie pas” (Eurosong 2023 - Belgium 🇧🇪 )

Benjamin – “Hoida mut” (UMK: Uuden Musiikin Kilpailuun - Finland 🇫🇮 )

Stefan Shy – “Od jastuka do jastuka” (Pesma za Evroviziju 23 - Serbia 🇷🇸 )

Dominik Dudek – “Be Good” (Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hity na Eurowizję - Poland 🇵🇱 )

RODAN – “Introvert Party Club” (ESCz - Czechia 🇨🇿 )

INGER – “Awaiting You” (Eesti Laul - Estonia 🇪🇪 )

Ocean Drive – “Take You Home” (Selecţia Naţională - Romania 🇷🇴 )

Victor Crone – “Diamonds” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Lelia Jane – “Wild” (Eurosong 2023 - Ireland 🇮🇪 )

The Starlings – “Oceanside” (Eurosong 2023 - Belgium 🇧🇪 )

Eirik Næss – “Wave” (Melodi Grand Prix - Norway 🇳🇴 )

Meler – “No nos moverán” (Benidorm Fest - Spain 🇪🇸 )

Hunter Falls – “Ooh La La” (Eurosong 2023 - Belgium 🇧🇪 )

Famous – “La Lola” (Benidorm Fest - Spain 🇪🇸 )

Markus Riva – “Forever” (Supernova - Latvia 🇱🇻 )

Filip Baloš – “Novi plan drugi san” (Pesma za Evroviziju 23 - Serbia 🇷🇸 )

Marcus & Martinus – “Air” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Kuba – “You Do Me” (Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hity na Eurowizję - Poland 🇵🇱 )

Tananai – “Tango” (Festival di Sanremo - Italy 🇮🇹 )

Melodajn Mancaku – “Gjysma e zemrës sime” (Festivali i Këngës 61 - Albania 🇦🇱 )

Kate Gulbrandsen – “Tårer i Paradis” (Melodi Grand Prix - Norway 🇳🇴 )

Mr. Rain – “Supereroi” (Festival di Sanremo - Italy 🇮🇹 )

Alfred García – “Desde que tú estás” (Benidorm Fest - Spain 🇪🇸 )

Sara Kapo – “Para teje” (Festivali i Këngës 61 - Albania 🇦🇱 )

Sandra Lyng – “Drøm d bort” (Melodi Grand Prix - Norway 🇳🇴 )

Edmundo Ináico – “A festa” (Festival da Canção - Portugal 🇵🇹 )

Nađa – “Moj prvi ožiljak na duši” (Pesma za Evroviziju 23 - Serbia 🇷🇸 )

CONNOLLY – “Midnight Summer Night” (Eurosong 2023 - Ireland 🇮🇪 )

Markéta Irglová – “H A P P Y” (ESCz - Czechia 🇨🇿 )

Anduel Kovaçi – “Malli” (Festivali i Këngës 61 - Albania 🇦🇱 )

José Otero – “Inviernos en Marte” (Benidorm Fest - Spain 🇪🇸 )

Atle Pettersen – “Masterpiece” (Melodi Grand Prix - Norway 🇳🇴 )

Cugini di Campagna – “Lettera 22″ (Festival di Sanremo - Italy 🇮🇹 )

Tennessee Tears – “Now I Know” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Swing’it – “Prohibition” (Melodi Grand Prix - Norway 🇳🇴 )

Amia – “Puppet” (Selecţia Naţională - Romania 🇷🇴 )

Pam Rabbit – “ghosting” (ESCz - Czechia 🇨🇿 )

SISSI – “Lighthouse” (Eesti Laul - Estonia 🇪🇪 )

Alicja Szemplińska – “new home” (Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hity na Eurowizję - Poland 🇵🇱 )

Agnè – “New Start” (Pabandom iš naujo! - Lithuania 🇱🇹 )

Andrei Duțu – “Statues” (Selecţia Naţională - Romania 🇷🇴 )

Justs – “Strangers” (Supernova - Latvia 🇱🇻 )

James Louis – “DREAM” (MESC 2023 - Malta 🇲🇹 )

Andrada Popa – “No Time for Me” (Selecţia Naţională - Romania 🇷🇴 )

Iole – “Sul tetto del mondo” (Una Voce per San Marino - San Marino 🇸🇲 )

Toms Kalderauskis – “When It All Falls” (Supernova - Latvia 🇱🇻 )

Patricia Gasparini – “I Will Wait” (Dora - Croatia 🇭🇷 )

maia maia – “Beautiful Bullshit” (Dansk Melodi Grand Prix - Demark 🇩🇰 )

Paola e Chiara – “Furore” (Festival di Sanremo - Italy 🇮🇹 )

Paulina Paukštaitytė – “Let Me Think About Me” (Pabandom iš naujo! - Lithuania 🇱🇹 )

Wiktoria – “All My Life (Where Have You Been)” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Elodie – “Due” (Festival di Sanremo - Italy 🇮🇹 )

Brooke – “Checkmate” (MESC 2023 - Malta 🇲🇹 )

April Ivy – “Modo Voo” (Festival da Canção - Portugal 🇵🇹 )

Adriana Moraru – “Faralaes” (Selecţia Naţională - Romania 🇷🇴 )

Loulou LaMotte – “Inga sorger” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

LDA – “Se poi domani” (Festival di Sanremo - Italy 🇮🇹 )

Gabrielius Vagelis – “Šauksmas” (Pabandom iš naujo! - Lithuania 🇱🇹 )

Daniel Schuhmacher – “Skin I'm In” (Una Voce per San Marino - San Marino 🇸🇲 )

KUUMA – “Ylivoimainen” (UMK: Uuden Musiikin Kilpailuun - Finland 🇫🇮 )

Eliana Gomez Blanco – “Guess What” (MESC 2023 - Malta 🇲🇹 )

Casanovas – “Så kommer känslorna tillbaka” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Manjola Nallbani – “Duaj�� (Festivali i Këngës 61 - Albania 🇦🇱 )

AIDAN – “Reġina” (MESC 2023 – Malta 🇲🇹 )

Ronela Hajati – “Salvaje” (Una Voce per San Marino - San Marino 🇸🇲 )

Robin Packalen – “Girls Like You” (UMK: Uuden Musiikin Kilpailuun - Finland 🇫🇮 )

Fabrizio Faniello – “Try to Be Better” (MESC 2023 - Malta 🇲🇹 )

XGIOVE – “Fuoco e benzina” (Una Voce per San Marino - San Marino 🇸🇲 )

Siderland – “Que esclati tot” (Benidorm Fest - Spain 🇪🇸 )

Maja Hyzy – “Never Hide” (Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hity na Eurowizję - Poland 🇵🇱 )

Le Deva – “Fiori Su Marte” (Una Voce per San Marino - San Marino 🇸🇲 )

Frida Gold – “Alle Frauen in mir sind müde” (Unser Lied für Liverpool - Germany 🇩🇪 )

Signe and Hjördis – “Edelweiss” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Sigga Ózk – “Dancing Lonely” (Söngvakeppnin - Iceland 🇮🇸 )

Jessika – “Unapologetic” (MESC 2023 - Malta 🇲🇹 )

Kiana – “Where Did You Go” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Tijana Dapčević – “Mamim” (Pesma za Evroviziju 23 - Serbia 🇷🇸 )

Smash Into Pieces – “Six Feet Under” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Felivers – “Never Back Down” (Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hity na Eurowizję - Poland 🇵🇱 )

Sunstroke Project – “Yummy Mommy” (Etapa Naţională - Moldova 🇲🇩 )

CHEGI & Braća Bluz Bend – “Svadba ili kavga” (Pesma za Evroviziju 23 - Serbia 🇷🇸 )

Will Church – “Hold On” (Unser Lied für Liverpool - Germany 🇩🇪 )

BRAGI – “Sometimes the World's Against You” (Söngvakeppnin - Iceland 🇮🇸 )

Maria Sur – “Never Give Up” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Aliona Moon – “Du-mă” (Etapa Naţională - Moldova 🇲🇩 )

Frajle – “Neka, neka” (Pesma za Evroviziju 23 - Serbia 🇷🇸 )

Elov & Beny – “Raggen går” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Milan Bujaković – “Fenomen” (Pesma za Evroviziju 23 - Serbia 🇷🇸 )

Theoz – “Mer av dig” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Esse Povo – “Sapatos de Cimento” (Festival da Canção - Portugal 🇵🇹 )

Paul Rey – “Royals” (Melodifestivalen - Sweden 🇸🇪 )

Bonus Track: BEDWETTERS – “Monsters” (Live @ Eesti Laul - Semi Final 1 🇪🇪 )

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neutronstarsign · 2 years ago

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Imma repurpose my UMK ranking content from elsewhere so here goes:

1. Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha. I think this is beyond a banger, there’s something almost avant garde about it. It had that ”it factor” on impact which is a key component to any ESC winner. It also knows it’s an Eurovision entry but it’s also super fun as your average party/gym power song. Easily the most impactful of the songs released in this UMK and I am so so so happy.

2./3.Kuumaa - Ylivoimainen. This hit my millenial Tehosekoitin/Zen Cafe/Von Hertzen Brothers soaked brain SO HARD. I’ve totally fallen in love with it, and have started to think I might want to see it in ESC. This entry and the next are interchangeable depending on my mood.

2./3. Benjamin - Hoida mut. Today I’m in a Kuumaa mood but this could easily be my second. I love love love it. It feels like someone scanned my brain and produced a song from there. I love that it’s bringing the queer energy and sexiness.

4. Keira - No Business on the Dance Floor. This is a great song and Keira is so talented! The song is catchy (that flute is infectious) and makes you dance. The lyrics are a bit whatever, but I don’t think they hinder the song’s danceability in any way - they’re not that distracting.

5. Lxandra - Something to Lose. I think this song is genuinely beautiful and thought-provoking, and Lxandra’s artistry is the strongest out of all the applicants. I just don’t see this working well as a Eurovision song, it’s more of a quiet introspective number so it might easily get buried due to lack of impact.

6. Robin - Girls Like You. The song is fine. It’s safe, produced for maximum mass appeal, feels like made in a lab c 2019-2020. There’s nothing all that wrong with it, and given a good live performance it can work - afaik Robin is a great live performer and he can probably make this a bit more interesting. But the fact that the song’s blandness is working against him makes this drop to the bottom since the competition is that steep.

7. Portion Boys - Samaa taivasta katsotaan. I’m growing a bit to the song as I listen to it but I just find this inherently dated and cringe. It might hop to the 6th place as time goes on but right now I just plain don’t vibe with it. Some people really seem to dig it and I hope I come around to like it more. The band does have good energy and they might kill live.

Overall I’m so pleased with this year’s UMK, I could send almost all of the songs to ESC and be content with the choice (PB is still rendering).

#umk 2023 #esc 2023 #eurovision #umk ranking #idk lads i think we killed it this year

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tarhaorvokki · 1 year ago

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As one commenter on YouTube wrote - Matti is a man, who said "F*ck it, I will do it myself".

But seriously, this repost led me to discovering a few fascinating articles about our pink dancers' troupe. They are so supportive of Jere in interviews and, no wonder, that they still support him by going with him to gigs after Eurovision.

I don't know, but reading every one of them made me smile a little bit. I hope they still keep in touch in the future.

Also, Matti first dance was also cha-cha, so it's a nice call-back to what he did this Eurovision.

And Jesse learned a little bit of Finnish to call for help, if anything happened during the performance of Erika Vikman (UMK 2020).

What is more, Etel was also a dancer for Sebastian Rejman and Darude "Look away" at Eurovision 2019.

So thank you, @coolkraay, for your repost, that send me to these articles and made me appreciate this group even more. Also, I apologize, that fragments are translated in Google Translate, but my Finnish is not good enough (yet) and I don't know any Dutch. However, original articles will be in links below.

Matti about his dancing career and work at Eurovision (🇫🇮) Interviews with all four dancers (🇫🇮) Jesse feeling's after Semi-Final 1 (🇳🇱)

Not only Bojan is in Tavastia tonight, but also two of four pink dancers - Matti and Etel - are there too

#käärijä #Matti Myllyaho #Etel Röhr #Jesse Wijnans #Katri Mäkinen #I mean it only tells us how sweet Jere is and how much other people want nice things to happen to him #also how cool are they #pink dancers

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zz-zaza · 2 years ago

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Beyond Sertifikasi Halal: Jaminan dari Proses Produksi Halal

Fauziah Khanza Andrian

Sebagai negara dengan penduduk muslim terbanyak di dunia, Indonesia memiliki potensi yang besar dalam membangun ekosistem halal value chain, khususnya dari konteks supply side berupa terbentuknya industri halal. Optimalisasi industri halal menjadi salah satu strategi utama yang tercantum dalam Masterplan Ekonomi Syariah Indonesia 2019-2024, disamping penguatan sektor keuangan syariah, penguatan usaha mikro, kecil dan menengah (UMKM) sebagai penggerak utama halal value chain dan penguatan platform ekonomi digital dalam hal perdagangan dan keuangan. Strategi tersebut kemudian berdampak pada meningkatnya urgensi sertifikasi halal bagi para produsen sebagai bentuk jaminan status kehalalan suatu produk. Melalui Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (BPJPH), Kementerian Agama terus melanjutkan upaya untuk mengakselerasi pelaksanaan sertifikasi halal. Tercatat hingga tahun 2022, Lembaga Pengkajian Pangan, Obat-obatan, dan Kosmetika Majelis Ulama Indonesia (LPPOM MUI) telah memberikan sertifikasi halal kepada 10.643 Usaha Mikro Kecil (UMK).

Sejalan dengan pasar halal global yang telah berkembang menjadi sektor pertumbuhan ekonomi dunia yang baru, branding halal menjadi strategi utama para produsen untuk memberikan informasi dan meyakinkan konsumen bahwa produk yang dihasilkan adalah berkualitas dan layak digunakan, tidak hanya dalam sektor makanan namun juga mencakup sektor jasa seperti pendidikan, keuangan, hingga pariwisata. Indikator halal kini menjadi sebuah faktor penting yang bersifat universal yang menggambarkan jaminan kualitas suatu produk serta memberikan preferensi baru terkait halal sebagai paradigma baru bagi pembangunan yang berkelanjutan. Industri halal memiliki keunggulan yang tidak dimiliki oleh sistem industri lainnya, yaitu komitmen pada nilai syariat yang manfaatnya tidak hanya dapat dirasakan oleh umat muslim tetapi juga masyarakat umum. Lebih lanjut, peran industri halal dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan dapat dianalisis melalui pendekatan quadruple bottom line sebagai perpanjangan kerangka sustainable development goals berbasis Islam.

Quadruple Bottom Line merupakan pendekatan yang berasal dari perluasan kerangka triple bottom line, yaitu prosperity, people, planet, dengan dimensi baru yaitu prophet (Hamidi & Worthington, 2021). Berangkat dari Triple bottom line sebagai dasar dalam mengembangkan aspek sustainable development goals yang tidak mengakomodasi dimensi religiusitas bagi umat Islam, Quadruple Bottom Line kemudian menjadi sarana penyempurnaan yang menjelaskan tanggung jawab sosial dan cerminan nilai dan prinsip agama Islam. Aspek prophet atau Nabi mewakili perlindungan terhadap agama (hifz ad-din). Sebagai dimensi utama, aspek ini mencerminkan norma dan nilai-nilai yang ditanamkan oleh Nabi Muhammad sebagai pedoman dan etika dalam menjalankan kehidupan sosial. Dalam hal ini, prinsip halal dan thayyib kemudian memicu kesadaran halal masyarakat dalam berbagai aspek kehidupan, seperti berbelanja produk halal, bertransaksi menggunakan jasa keuangan syariah, mengenakan pakaian islami, hingga pergi ke destinasi wisata halal.. Kesadaran setiap individu untuk berperilaku sesuai Al-Quran dan sunnah kemudian diikuti oleh gerakan kolektif masyarakat lainnya untuk menerapkan Islam sebagai pandangan hidup sehari-hari.

Aspek prosperity atau kesejahteraan merupakan wujud dari perlindungan diri (hifz an-nafs) dan kekayaan (hifz al-mal). Konsep thayyib diimplementasikan melalui serangkaian proses sertifikasi halal untuk memastikan produk yang dihasilkan adalah sehat dan terjamin kebersihannya. Jaminan tersebut tentu berlaku bagi seluruh masyarakat yang berupaya untuk memenuhi haknya dalam mempertahankan hidup. Selain itu, aspek prosperity dalam industri halal mengatur bagaimana sistem pembiayaan yang sesuai dengan syariat. Sistem keuangan Islam terbukti dapat memberikan kesejahteraan dan tanggung jawab bagi masyarakat karena terbebas dari riba dan diatur oleh adab-adab yang menjamin keuntungan antara pihak yang bersangkutan. Sedangkan aspek people atau manusia mencakup penjagaan terhadap akal (‘aql) dan keturunan (nasl). Salah satu bentuk penjagaan Islam terhadap akal adalah larangan mengkonsumsi minuman keras. Jika ketentuan ini tidak diindahkan oleh seorang muslim, maka akan berakibat terancamnya eksistensi akal, yang secara langsung maupun tidak langsung akan berdampak pada kesejahteraan keluarga dan keturunan.

Sedangkan aspek yang keempat, yaitu planet menggambarkan perintah Allah untuk melestarikan lingkungan. Konsep halal supply chain yang memonitori pengolahan barang dan jasa turut memperhatikan batasan ‘eksploitasi’ sumber daya alam, termasuk keberlangsungan ekosistem dengan standar nilai-nilai Islam untuk tidak berlebihan dalam memproduksi dan mengkonsumsi. Perintah ini tertera dalam Surat Al-A’raf ayat 85 yang artinya, “Janganlah kamu berbuat kerusakan di bumi setelah (diciptakan) dengan baik. Itulah yang lebih baik bagimu jika kamu orang beriman.” Proses industri halal harus menciptakan kesejahteraan dan keberlanjutan dalam aspek lingkungan, sehingga tidak merusak dan dapat dimanfaatkan oleh generasi selanjutnya.

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sf-bl · 6 years ago

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So...we left Team Smooth in front of Pickle’s TV while we went to watch Finland’s UMK stream. The intro involved a giant cat with eye beams, hovering over a stage full of people who were:

i) singing about cats

ii) pushing a giant cat, and

iii) coming out of the arse of a giant cat.

So I drew this. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time??

In other news, that show header is just crying out to be turned into some kind of super-awkward TPS team portrait:

#borderlands the pre sequel #athena the gladiator #timothy lawrence #umk 2019 #I'm just thinking about borderlands all day so I don't have to deal with reality #it's healthy #team smooth is also team cat #team smooth goes to the moon

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skiernerd · 6 years ago

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The only good thing about Umk 2019 is the amount of kids playing recorders

#umk #umk 2019 #esc 2019

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because-its-eurovision · 2 months ago

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so how are we feeling about the allegedly leaked list of UMK 2025 contestants? spoilers 👇

The same person that leaked UMK contestants last year and they turned out to be true, although the songs had different titles in the end.

Personally I'm most hyped about Poets of the Fall and most surprised if Abreu and Isaac Elliot turn out to be true, since the former has spoken against UMK participation in the past, and Isaac Elliot has been offered the chance to represent Finland before (at least in 2019) and declined.

#umk #uuden musiikin kilpailu #finland #eurovision #2025

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returquoise · 6 years ago

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Okay so my hopes for meme potential are kinda going down the drain. All the potential songs by Darude are sorta boring. Here’s to hoping the staging is nice at least.

#eurovision #umk 2019 #darude #finland #as long as it isn't the first song i'm okay with either

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lageografiademicamino · 10 months ago

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UMK 2024 Song Review - Sexmane

The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö continues!

Sexmane - MANIA

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Max Scene aka Sexmane is currently the most streamed artist in Finland and also he has a connection to UMK. His little brother Isaac Scene competed in 2022 with Kuuma Jäbä.

Since releasing his debut album Sextape in 2019 he has been Emma awarded (Finnish Grammys) and he's managed to beat his previous successes with each release. He will no doubt have a lot of loyal young voters out there!

As a background info he and his brother grew up in a religious community where hymns were in and commercial music was not. He mentions this fairly often in the interviews so I believe it had an impact on his creativity and that he even ended up in the music industry.

MANIA is a song about mental health. "It's ok not to be ok" he says.

The song slaps you right at the face with MANIA. There's a lot of autotune in here from the very beginning and many have questioned if he can pull this through live. This is no basic pop tune you can put into a box within a certain genre. This is a hip hop / rap song with a heavy rock push. Music experts can peal this like an onion because it has plenty of layers to go around for all.

The song goes on smoothly having a strong pre-chorus and the anthemic MANIA is catchy and difficult to forget. I'm not a fan of rap music but I do enjoy listening to this even though my very first reaction was fear. The guitar solo at the end of the song is impressive and much needed add. The song ends with a scream.

Musically there's a strong pull towards our last ESC entry and a lot of people are criticizing of sending MANIA right after Cha Cha Cha (can anything be better?). In contrast to Käärijä's drinking party hit, there's some real pain and seriousness here. The beat is pushy and urges you to rush to act. And him desperately screaming in his pain and getting it out of his space - we see a lot of symbolism in the videoclip.

I kind of play with the idea of this winning because of the orange theme. In 2022 we had The Rasmus with Jezebel having a yellow staging, Käärijä last year obviously with his green effect, this would be a great continuity with the orange look.

What do you think of the second UMK24 track and would you vote for Sexmane to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!

#uudenmusiikinkilpailu #uuden musiikin kilpailu #umk 2024 #yle #euroviisut #eurovisionsongcontest #eurovision #eurovision 2024 #songreview #review #finnish #finland #mania

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escunited · 6 years ago

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Finnish Eurovision Fans Call on Yle to Change Approach to Entries

#Controversy #darude #Sebastian Rejman #umk 2019

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paskanmarjapiirakka · 6 years ago

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Tällä viikolla euroviisukuplassa

(21.2.2019) Viime viikonloppuna seurailin yhtä aikaa Melodifestivalenin kolmatta semifinaalia ja Eesti Laul -kisan finaalia ja ihan sujuvasti pelasin vähän Simsiä ja Euroviisutietokisapelia siinä samalla. #Multitasking

Pikakommenttina Suomen UMK-tilanteeseen sanottakoon, että mielestäni Superman on parempi kuin Release Me, etenkin jos huippukiusallista videota ei katso. Kolmannesta kappaleesta tiedetään vasta otsikko, Look Away, ja nyt vähän tässä vaiheessa tuntuu että onko Darude mennyt hiukkasen liikaa perheenisän rooliin ja sanoma edellä näitä kappaleita kirjoittaessaan? Ehkä, en tiedä, kunhan mutuilen.

Nyt kuitenkin luvassa katsaus viime viikonlopun tapahtumiin ja hieman esimehustelua ensi viikonlopun kisailuista.

Viro, Eesti Laul

Viron edustajaksi valittiin ennakkosuosikin asemaa nauttinut ruotsalainen Victor Crone. Cronen kappale Storm oli joukossaan mielestäni selvästi ruotsalaisimman kuuloinen, kenties tässä on nyt ihan peliliike mielessä ja tavoitteena kilpailla Ruotsin kanssa finaalissa. Itse valinta ei varsinaisesti yllättänyt, sillä Cronella oli jonkinlainen ennakkosuosikin asema kisassa. Superfinaalin homogeenisuus ehkä hiukan pisti silmään, sillä kolmen kärjessä oli kolme miesartistia melko samantyylisin kappalein. Näistä Victor Cronen Storm oli selvästi laadukkain. Kappaletta kirjoittamassa mukana on ollut myös viisukansan vanha tuttu, Viron edustaja vuodelta 2015, Stig Rästa.

Ruotsi, Melodifestivalen

Melodifestivalen länsinaapurissa etenee omaan tahtiinsa, viime lauantaina jatkoon menivät tyylipuhdas euroviisujytä Victorious esittäjänään Lina Hedlund ja Jon Henrik Fjällgrenin Norrsken.

Omaan korvaani Victorious kuulostaa hyvältä, mutta samaan aikaan hyvin tutulta. Veikkaan että plagiointisyytöksiä lentelee, en vaan itse saa päähäni mitä kappaletta tuo kovasti muistuttaa. Vai onko tässä nyt vaan tehty niin taidokkaasti hiottu euroviisukappale joka taidokkaasti muistuttaa tutusta ja turvallisesta? Joka tapauksessa pienellä viilaamisella tuosta saadaan helposti ihan huippuhyvä, taattua ruotsalaista euroviisuosaamista edustava esitys.

Jon Henrik Fjällgrenin kappale Norrsken puolestaan on hieno, omanlaisensa kappale, mutta en vaan pysty näkemään mielessäni skenaariota jossa ruotsalaiset todella sen valitsisivat euroviisuedustajakseen. Aina saa toivoa, ja onhan tämä jo kolmas(?) kerta kun Jon Henrik Fjällgren yrittää Euroviisuihin, joten ehkä tuttuuspisteitä voisi ruotsalaisilta saadakin. Toisaalta onpa moni muukin jo ties kuinka monetta kertaa mukana.. Onko joku laskenut kuinka monta kertaa keskimäärin artistin pitää osallistua Melodifestivaleniin ennen kuin tulee valituksi?

Aiemmilta viikoilta tuttuun tapaan jatkosta pudonneet kappaleet ovat niitä jotka jäävät päähän soimaan. Tällä viikolla Dolly Stylen Habibi on onnistuneesti luikertanut korvamadoksi. Tunnetustihan korvamatoihin auttaa vain toisella kappaleella korvaaminen, joten olen vastapainoksi kuunnellut hallitsevan viisukuningattaren Nettan Bassa Sababaa. Suosittelen lämpimästi.

Mellossa tällä viikolla on sitten luvassa viimeinen semifinaali ennen Andra Chansenia ja finaalia. Tämän viikon kappaleista ei tätä kirjoittaessa vielä taida olla edes pikkupätkiä kuultavana, mutta aiemmilta vuosilta tuttuja kasvoja näyttää olevan taas tälläkin viikolla mukana.

Melodi Grand Prix, Tanska

Viikonloppua odotellessa, tänä lauantaina taas monessa maassa valitaan edustajia, ainakin Ukrainassa, Unkarissa, Liettuassa ja Tanskassa. Näistä Tanskan Melodi Grand Prix -kisaa olisi tarkoitus seurailla eniten, joten kuuntelin ja arvioin taas kappaleita hieman etukäteen. Ilmeisesti Tanskassakaan konseptiin ei kuulu semifinaalivaihetta, vaan koko kisa ratkeaa siis finaalissa 2.3. ja mukana on kymmenen kappaletta.

Viime vuonna Tanska oli oma henkilökohtainen suosikkini (tallustelevat viikingit!!!) joten odotuksethan olivat luonnollisesti korkealla. Kaiken kaikkiaan kappaleita onkin moneen lähtöön, ihan laadukkaan oloisia ja kyllä sieltä ne suosikit nopeasti erottuivatkin edukseen. Hauskasti huomaa kuinka osa kappaleista on selvästi kirjoitettu Euroviisuihin ja osaa tehdessä on haluttu tehdä todella oikeasti hyvä, viisukuplan ulkopuolellakin toimiva kappale. (insert shady rattlesnake noise)

Paras tärppi ja oma suosikkini tämän vuoden Melodi Grand Prix -kilpailijoista on Leonora kappaleella Love Is Forever. Kappaleesta löytyy iki-ihania euroviisukliseitä aina monikielisyydestä universaaliin rakkauden sanomaan ja jotenkin nämä kaikki on saatu tässä käärittyä niin nättiin ja viehättävään pakettiin että jopa tällainen sielussaan syväjäätynyt mörrimöykky haluaa taas uskoa rakkauteen. Douze points.

Söngvakeppnin, Islanti

Tällä viikolla täytyy mainita vielä ilmiö Islannista, nimi jota euroviisukuplassa ei viimeviikkoina ole voinut välttyä kuulemasta, Hatari. Suuremmin heidän filosofiaansa ennalta perehtymättä kuuntelin kappaleen Hatrið mun sigra ja ensikuuntelulla mietin, että mitä hittoa juuri kuulin ja näin ja toisella kerralla kappale yhtäkkiä avautui ihan uudella tavalla. Hämmentävää. Pidän tästä. Sen enempää spoilaamatta suosittelen, jos haluat hämmentyä.

Islannin finaalissa kilpailee myös Hera Björk, joka edusti islantia vuonna 2010 kappaleella Je Ne Sais Quoi. Hyviä kappaleita kisassa on paljon, etenkin kun miettii miten pieni maa Islanti on. Islannin edustaja valitaan ensi viikolla 2.3. Söngvakeppnin 2019 -finaalissa.

Yhteenveto

Eli tänä viikonloppuna, lauantaina 23.2. katsellaan Melodifestivalen semifinaali 4 ja Tanskan Melodi Grand Prix finaali. Tärppinä mielessä ainakin Leonoran Love Is Forever Tanskassa. Lauantaina valitaan myös ainakin Ukrainan, Unkarin ja Liettuan edustajat!

#euroviisut #melodifestivalen #melodi grand prix #söngvakeppnin 2019 #national finals #umk #umk 2019

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