Lions and sheep for UMK songs – One candidate sharply divided opinions

Editors of Iltalehti Mari Pudas and Lake Ismo Puljujärvi evaluated the final songs of this year’s New Music Competition.

The worst grade is three sheep, the best three lions. You can also listen to reviews on Viisupod, Iltalehti’s wisdom-themed podcast.

Cyan Kicks – Dancing With Demons

Mari Pudas: From a likeable band, a song just like them. Susanna Alexandra is a great singer and the band plays well. The C part is the best part of the song.

Something has still been left in the pipeline, either in the composition or production phase, and the good elements have not been fully exploited. The song has echoes of the Lambertta band from the past years, a hint of the influence of Swedish artists.

Lake Ismo Puljujärvi: The song is like it was made for Eurovision, but I need more edge to the composition. Susanna has developed as a singer and she is a confident performer.

I underestimated them two years ago. Their strength is precisely their live performance. The group has also been given the impression that they are really thirsty for Eurovision.

Sexmane – Mania

Mari Pudas: Siilinjärväläinen goes into dark waters with his song Mania. Sexmane’s voice has been handled with a big hand, how did it work live when technical sound tricks are prohibited? Like Cyan Kicks, the elements should have been heard better. A plus for the guitar solo, which sounds a bit detached.

Lake Ismo Puljujärvi: The voice of the Tiktok generation can be heard in Sexmane’s song: sensitive rap lyrics that sometimes refer to mental health problems. In Eurovision, this would unfortunately look like a diluted version of Käärijä. I’m a little afraid that Sexmane will fail the live performance in the same way he did Benjamin Peltonen last year. The song uses quite a lot of autotune, which very often backfires in the UMK finale.

Sara Siipola – Shit

Mari Pudas: This song also deals with tough topics. Siipola is known for his strong voice, and that voice is here as well.

The song does not exactly represent today, there are echoes of both Tatu and Sandra. A strong production, I would gladly send this to Eurovision, where a ranking of 10 might be possible. If Siipola wins UMK, Raadei will have a lot of points in the fives.

Lake Ismo Puljujärvi: The preliminary favorite of the competition at this stage for summer reactions. Siipola is a strong interpreter who speaks to the listeners of today. Siipola’s danger, however, is overinterpretation, which can result in the point pot remaining thin. The composition is grandiose, which would stand out in Eurovision. At this point, I’m predicting UMK as the winner.

Jesse Markin – Glow

Mari Pudas: Glow pushes forward at breakneck speed. The song is a little hard to get a hold of, and actually the whole song is one chorus. Glow reminds me of summer and football. This would be perfect as the background music for the goal composition of the European Championship.

Lake Ismo Puljujärvi: A cheerful and fresh indie song, which is rarely heard at UMK. Markin trusts his own work and doesn’t fuss too much. In Eurovision, this would be left to others. On the other hand, Markin has already announced that he is not going to Eurovision, so maybe the attention he has received now is enough for him.

Windows95man – No Rules

Mari Pudas: UMK’s biggest disappointment. No Rules it’s Eurodance from a friend, and not a very original one. E-Type No Rules deserves praise for Henri Piispanen’s vocals, the sound is good, I would have liked to hear more of it. Instead, Windwows95man sounds a bit like Günther, and the song becomes an E-Type of the mind.

Even this song would have had elements for the better. However, the chorus is nice and you can always hear a welcome modulation in the song.

Lake Ismo Puljujärvi: UMK’s biggest question mark. The composition drills very annoyingly into the head, and Teemu Keister’s rally English does not help the situation. Vocalist Henri Piispanen sound is definitely the best thing. To my ears, this sounds like a well-worn piece of crap that would hardly appeal to Europeans. However, a good stage performance can make it to Eurovision.

Blue Sabotage – Peel me

Mari Pudas: This is the hardest song to rate. High expectations were loaded into the song, but they were not fully met. Koori mua is still a good song, but nothing more. The chorus lacks punch and kick, and the importance of the chorus in Eurovision can never be emphasized enough.

Sini doesn’t rap as “full” as in Levikset ripee, but the style is a bit softer.

Lake Ismo Puljujärvi: Sini Sabotage serves up flirtation and joy. The artist is an experienced festival performer, so here is a chance for a spectacular show. The song has funny hooks, but for me the end result is even unnecessarily restless in places. At Eurovision, we love över, so here would be at least an opportunity to offer Finnish party atmosphere.

Mikael Garbriel & Nublu – Vox Populi

Mari Pudas: Music styles, languages ​​and messages are mixed here. The end result is messy and confusing. The chorus is memorable, which is always a good thing. The duo’s previous songs together are clearly better than Vox Populi, which sounds old.

If you go to Malmö with this, you shouldn’t expect a very high ranking.

Lake Ismo Puljujärvi: My first reaction was confusion. Different musical styles are mixed in the composition, which works amazingly well. This could be the dark horse of the race.

The song has already sparked a discussion about whether the song takes a stand on conspiracy theories. Mikael Gabriel has denied the allegations, but such accusations are not immediately forgotten. Nublu should have got a bigger role in the song, as he is now overshadowed. A fast-paced performance can bring them a thunderous avalanche of votes from telephone voters.

The final of the new music competition will take place on February 10 at the Nokia Arena in Tampere.