Finland: YLE reveals the UMK 2023 participants

• The Finnish national broadcaster, has unveiled the participants of the national final UMK 2023 that will select the Eurovision 2023 hopeful. 

  A total of seven acts will be taking part in Uuden Musikiin Kilpailu 2023, the show that traditionally selects Finland's Eurovision act and entry. 

  Namely the competing acts of the national final along with the song titles are the following: 

  • Robin Packalen – “Girls Like You”
  • Portion Boys – “Samaa taivasta katsotaan” (We look at the same sky)
  • KUUMAA – “Ylivoimainen” (Overpowered)
  • Käärijä – “Cha Cha Cha”
  • Keira – “No Business On The Dancefloor”
  • Lxandra – “Something to Lose”
  • Benjamin – “Hoida mut” (Take care of me)

  However, each one of the participants will have their own day of presentation as from tomorrow and for a week on daily basis YLE will be introducing to the audience the artists and their songs. The timeline of the presentation will unfold according to the schedule below: 

  • January 12 – Keira
  • January 13 – Benjamin
  • January 16 – Robin Packalen
  • January 17 – Lxandra
  • January 18 – Käärijä
  • January 19 – KUUMAA
  • January 20 – Portion Boys

   

  UMK 2023

  Uuden Musikiin Kilpailu 2023 is set to take place on February 25, 2023 at the Logomo in Turku for a second consecutive year. Out of 363 entries , 7 artists have been selected to compete in next year's national final.

  While the 7 contestants will be unveiled on January 11, 2023 during a special press conference their entries will be released progressively from the next day and up to January 20, 2023. 

   

  Finland in Eurovision

  Finland has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 53 times since its debut in 1961. Finland won the contest for the first time in 2006 with Lordi's "Hard Rock Hallelujah". The country's best result before then was achieved by Marion Rung with the song "Tom Tom Tom" in 1973, which placed sixth.

  Finland has finished last in the contest eleven times, receiving "nul points" in 1963, 1965 and 1982. Since the introduction of the semi-finals in 2004, Finland has failed to reach the final eight times. In 2014, the country had its best result in eight years when Softengine finished 11th. In 2015, Finland finished last in the first semi-final with the shortest-ever Eurovision entry, "Aina mun pitää" performed by Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät.

  In 2020 Aksel won the national final with the song “Looking Back”.  As the competition was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic he never reached the Eurovision stage in Rotterdam. Last year the rock band Blind Channel triumphed in UMK 2021 with their song 'Dark Side' and went off defending the Finnish colors in Rotterdam, where they achieved the country's second best result finishing 6th with 301 points in the overall score. 

  Last year The Rasmus won the UMK national final and went on represeting the nation with their song "Jezebel" which after advancing to the final finished 21st with 38 points in the overall score. 

   

  News Source/image: UMK

   

   

   

AUTHORS

Angelos D.
Loyal follower of the Eurovision Song Contest since 1987, I've made the competition one of the stories of my life. After attending as accredited press the event for 13 consecutive years along with the 2017-2024 JESC editions, I also enjoy the last three years sharing more Eurovision music through the Eurofans radio's project.

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