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The Lovely peeps over at YLE have given us (and the rest of the media, we aint that special) the official press release about the UMK songs!
The songs for UMK25 will be released one song and music video at a time on every weekday beginning from tomorrow, Thursday January 9, 2025. Each song will be released at midnight EET on each artist’s reveal day on Yle Areena and YouTube, as well as on Spotify and other streaming services.
Release dates for UMK25 entries:
Thu January 9: NEEA RIVER: Nightmares
Fri January 10: Nelli Matula: Hitaammin hautaan
Mon January 13: costee: Sekaisin
Tue January 14: VIIVI: Aina
Wed January 15: One Morning Left: Puppy
Thu January 16: Goldielocks: Made Of
Fri January 17: Erika Vikman, ICH KOMME ( I so want to hear this one!)
Tapio Hakanen, the chair of UMK’s professional jury comments: “This year’s UMK artist and song selection is an amazing showcase of the current level of Finnish songwriting and production. It is fantastic to see both fresh independent artists, and some of the biggest names in our country participating. One of the special features of this year is that the group of artists includes many exceptionally talented vocalists. I’m sure that we’ll witness and hear incredible UMK performances in February at the Nokia Arena in Tampere”.
Audience juries participated in the selection process
UMK’s popularity has also grown year on year among artists. This year, 485 songs were submitted to the contest, which is a record during the current format of UMK. Changes were made to the selection process for UMK participants this year. In addition to the professional jury, consisting of music industry professionals, chaired by YleX’s Head of Music Tapio Hakanen, five audience juries were invited to select the artists and songs for the UMK25 show. The number of high-quality songs with great potential submitted to the contest has increased every year, and the juries were expanded to gain an even broader perspective on the final line-up.
In addition to Hakanen, the professional UMK25 jury consisted of Sibelius Academy professor and UMK vocal coach Aija Puurtinen, Yle X3M and Yle Vega Head of Music Amie Borgar, Yle Radio Suomi Head of Music Johan Lindroos, YleX music journalist Katri Norrlin, Spotify Senior Editor Samuli Väänänen, Head of Music for Nelonen Media radios Jani Juntunen, PME Records’ Head of Marketing Saara Everi, and Head of Music for Radio NRJ Finland Marcus Sjöström.
UMK25 contestants:
NEEA RIVER – Nightmares
Originally from Nurmijärvi, NEEA RIVER’s passion for an international singing career started as a teenager. The biggest leap towards her dreams coming true happened by chance on a holiday trip to Los Angeles. During the trip, River uploaded her own singing videos to Instagram, and a local producer found them and asked River to come to the studio. After returning to Finland, River continued contacts with the producer who two years later proposed that River move to Los Angeles.
The American dream came true quickly for River. The artist’s third song ended up on the soundtrack of a film, which made everything happen even faster. River networked with Finnish music professionals in the United States, which resulted in a publishing deal with Warner Music Finland. For three years, River created hits for both domestic and foreign artists, and River’s reputation in the music industry strengthened.
Later, River realized she wanted to create songs for herself. She stopped writing for others and focused on her own career. Around the same time, she launched her own record label. Today, she’s making waves with her English-language pop hits.
Fan of artists such as Britney Spears, Rihanna and The Weekend, NEEA RIVER sums up her artistry in one word: “pop machine”.
“I have a suit of pop armour that’s full of power. When I’m wearing it, nothing can stop me,” says River.
UMK is a natural continuation for NEEA RIVER’s rising career and the first time that River will perform one of her own songs in public. The UMK song Nightmares was based on the ambitious idea of creating a winning song for the Eurovision Song Contest.
UMK expert jury: “Neea’s voice is the first thing that catches your attention in the song Nightmares. Clearly, this is a top professional who controls her voice exceptionally well. The next thing you notice is the stellar composition that combines modern pop aesthetics with epic Eurovision vibes and cinematic glamour. The finishing touch is the uplifting dance production with its big drops. It is great to see a self-publishing independent artist like NEEA RIVER at UMK.”
NEEA RIVER’s Nightmares will be released on Thursday, 9 January at 00:00.
Nelli Matula – Hitaammin hautaan
Nelli Matula has been working since a very young age. In upper secondary school, Matula got her first professional role in show-business when she was cast to one of the main roles in the musical Mary Poppins at Helsinki City Theatre. After finishing Kallio upper secondary school, Matula had a gap year, during which she completed a vocational qualification in confectionery, which normally takes 2–3 years to complete. During her studies, Matula decided to send a demo and open application to Rähinä Records and was invited to an interview, which led to a recording contract in 2016. In the same year, Matula graduated from the Pop-Jazz Conservatory in Helsinki.
Matula’s second single, Lemmikki, exploded into huge popularity. In 2018, Matula performed in the newcomers’ medley at the Emma Gala (Finnish Grammy Awards). Her success continued with the release of the debut album Jumalatar in 2019. The album was nominated for the Pop of the Year award at the Emma Gala. In 2021, Matula joined Universal Music Finland, and her second album Kiltti tyttö was released the following year.
Show means the world to Nelli Matula, and it was the show element that made Matula apply for UMK.
“My dream is to become so big as an artist that I can perform at arenas. This is a good place to start, because there’s no bigger show than UMK in this country,” Matula says.
The UMK song Hitaammin hautaan is meaningful to Matula, as it describes details from her personal life. The song is a reflection of her desire to change the direction of her life and find new meanings.
UMK expert jury: “Nelli Matula’s Hitaammin hautaan is a huge song with a message that will surely touch hearts in today’s busy world. The song is full of catchy melodies right from the intro, and the lyrics, composition and production keep the audience on board from start to finish. Nelli Matula is a highly talented singer whose beautiful voice shines at the climax of the song. The personal background of the song gives it an extra emotional charge. It sounds like a major Finnish radio hit.”
Nelli Matula’s Hitaammin hautaan will be released on Friday, 10 January at 00:00.
costee – Sekaisin
Costee, whose real name is Jussi Tiainen, grew up in the Turku region and started his music hobby at the age of 8. He got a drum set as a gift from his father, but soon changed his instrument to a guitar as the desire to compose his own music grew. Now, seven years into his solo career, he has over 100 million streams, three hit albums and a large number of sold-out gigs behind him. He has become known as a pioneer in alternative pop.
Costee’s solo career escalated quickly and the pace has been fast. In 2017, he signed a recording contract with Etenee Records, and in March 2018, he released his first single Pakoon pahaa oloo. In 2019, he was chosen as one of YleX’s breakthrough artists, and his debut album Ehkä joskus tääl viel naurattaa was released in May. The following year, costee was nominated as the newcomer of the year and the audience’s favourite at the Emma Gala (Finnish Grammy Awards). He released his second album Kaikki loppuu aina in the same year. In 2022, costee released his third album Kaikki vampyyrit ei juo verta and founded his own record company, Tuhma Music. This allows him to share his expertise with new artists.
Costee strives to be as honest as possible in his art. As a performer, costee is full of energy and captivates the audience with his mystery. His performances often involve an element of darkness.
“I want to be a mysterious performer in my own way. I want some of that darkness on the stage, but I also like strong lights that create contrast,” says costee.
Costee and his fans have a particularly close relationship and community. Many fans have had tattoos of the titles, lyrics and illustrations of his songs.
Costee is aiming to win UMK first and then the Eurovision Song Contest. As soon as the UMK song Sekaisin was completed, costee realized that it had to become a UMK and Eurovision song.
UMK expert jury: “Costee is a modern star in the traditional Finnish pop/rock vocal music scene. The UMK song Sekaisin is full of darkness and melancholy, but also love and hope, a combination that Finns have always loved. The song is more pop than costee’s earlier songs, but the artist’s distinctive sound and style as well as great lyrics are strongly present. Costee has a passionate fan base, and this song and UMK are sure to bring a lot of new fans to the artist who has the charisma of a pop star.”
costee’s Sekaisin will be released on Monday, 13 January at 00:00.
VIIVI – Aina
Music has been a part of VIIVI‘s life since childhood. Originally from Joroinen, VIIVI studied music actively and stepped onto the stage whenever she could. She gave her first performances in singing competitions.
At the age of 18, VIIVI signed a recording contract with Capitol Records, and her first song was released three years later. The same year, Lääke ranked third on Finland’s official singles list. VIIVI’s debut album Parisuhdehautausmaa, published in early 2022, won three Emma awards (Finnish Grammy Awards) and VIIVI won the newcomer of the year award. In the same year, Ihana kipu, a duet with Robin, a previous UMK contestant, broke Spotify Finland’s daily streaming record for this decade. At the beginning of 2024, VIIVI joined Warner Music Finland.
VIIVI has collaborated with many artists, including Ahti, Ani and JVG. Her career has taken significant turns, but its core has remained the same.
“Writing songs is really important to me. When I’m involved in making the songs myself, the songs look like me and you can clearly hear my voice in them. My hobby has become my life’s work, and that’s really cool,” says VIIVI.
VIIVI had been planning to apply for UMK for a long time, but she wanted to wait for the right song.
“The song must have a “douze points” vibe! Aina is loaded with such an indescribable emotion that it requires an arena to perform it. I feel like this is the most important song in my career,” VIIVI concludes.
UMK expert jury: “VIIVI’s Aina will certainly be sung and heard at weddings years from now, because it is such a fantastic description of lifelong love and partnership. The song is full of beauty and hope. The fine lyrics have many layers that give you shivers and tears time and again. The song is really dynamic, growing from the tender beginning to an epic ending. At the same time, it retains the authenticity and sensitivity that immediately captures the audience, thanks to VIIVI’s beautiful and expressive voice.”
VIIVI’s Aina will be released on Tuesday, 14 January at 00:00.
One Morning Left – Puppy
One Morning Left has been making music for 16 years, and consists of five members from different parts of Finland. The founder and lead vocalist of the band is Mika Lahti, second lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Leevi Luoto, bass player and background vocalist Miska Sipiläinen, drummer Dennis Hallbäck and songwriter, guitarist and background vocalist Juuso Turkki. The story of the band began when Lahti met Teemu Rautiainen from Jyväskylä in the Finnish social media service IRC Galleria. They had a similar taste in music, which led them to found One Morning Left in 2008.
The band’s first EP was released in 2008, and the following year they went on their first European tour. In 2010, the band signed a recording contract with Spinefarm Records and the following year released their first full-length album, The Bree-Teenz. Metalcore Superstars, which was released in 2016, featured the hit song You’re Dead, Let’s Disco. The song became particularly popular in Japan, and the band’s gigs in Tokyo sold out. In 2022, One Morning Left toured Europe with UMK winner Blind Channel and the German band Electric Callboy. Today, the band makes music under the German record company Arising Empire.
The band describes themselves as a hyperactive, boundary-pushing feel-good act. Their unique sense of humor sets them apart from other Nordic metal bands.
“Musically, we rely on the 80s and 90s, and we do not take ourselves too seriously. Sometimes, people look at you in a funny way if you mess around too much. You can dance to the beat of our music, and that’s fantastic,” Leevi Luoto says.
The band had been planning to apply for UMK for a long time.
“We already spoke with our previous drummer that UMK would be a great experience. After meeting Kiro, who produced Cha Cha Cha for Käärijä, we began to think about making an UMK song with him,” Mika Lahti reveals.
The UMK song Puppy is exactly what the name suggests. It is, very simply, about a puppy.
UMK expert jury: “It is impossible to listen to Puppy without a reaction. Modern metal and dance elements meet beautifully in the song. The song sounds angular and edgy, but at the same time it is full of joy and the chorus is really catchy. The three-minute song is loaded with different musical hooks. It is easy to imagine a sold-out Nokia Arena singing this song in February.”
One Morning Left’s Puppy will be released on Wednesday, 15 January at 00:00.
Goldielocks – Made Of
Goldielocks, whose real name is Ella Mäntynen, is the youngest UMK25 contestant at age 23. She describes herself as an ordinary girl from North Karelia. Goldielocks is a character created by Mäntynen, “a rock star inside the shell of a pop star”. The alter ego was inspired by the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, in which actor and artist Miley Cyrus transforms into a fictional pop star by wearing a wig.
Goldielocks’ career path has taken her from Joensuu via Helsinki to her current home town Berlin. Prior to her solo career, she created music for Finland’s biggest pop stars, including Gasellit, Isac Elliot, Abreu, and Sara Siipola.
At the beginning of 2020, Goldielocks signed her first publishing agreement with M-Eazy Music, in 2021 a manager contract with Comusic management and, in 2022, a recording agreement was signed with Sony Music Finland. Her first single, Electrifying, was released in the spring of 2023, and she went on a tour in the fall the same year.
Goldielocks’ career development has been dizzying. She has already performed on all major stages in Finland, and is now on the verge of an international breakthrough, supported by her own record company.
The catchy and pure pop UMK song Made Of was born in a studio in Berlin, in collaboration with Goldielocks, producer-brother Lauri Mäntynen, and producer Topi Kilpinen. The song can be seen as the artist’s own reflection of herself or another person.
UMK expert jury: “Goldielocks’ cool and original singing voice gives the song a unique touch. Made Of has a bunch of catchy international-level pop hooks, strong lyrics, good danceability and a bit of production-based alt-pop roughness and individuality. Goldielocks performed on the main stage at Flow Festival last summer and showed that she is ready for grand stages. This song will be her biggest yet, working flawlessly on the dancefloor, streams, and radio.”
Goldielocks’ Made Of will be released on Thursday, 16 January at 00:00.
Erika Vikman – ICH KOMME
One of the brightest stars in the Finnish pop world, Erika Vikman, started her career in the entertainment industry at a very young age. In the early stages of her career, she performed at summer theatres and various TV programmes and, in 2016, Vikman became famous among Finnish people by winning the popular Tangomarkkinat festival. In 2019, Vikman signed a recording agreement with Warner Music and Mökkitie Records. In 2020, she participated in the Contest for New Music (UMK) with the song Cicciolina, and the following year, she released the Erika Vikman album, which reached the top of the Finnish album charts.
“Cicciolina encouraged female artists to be bolder. Female artists tend to be put inside a certain mould. You must not reveal too much, otherwise you get labelled a whore. Someone had to pop the cork to let the champagne flow! Vikman says.
Vikman’s music resonates with many Finns, and her fans are all across the country, from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area to small municipalities. The message inside her music is clear.
“People should be loved exactly as they are. When people are allowed to be themselves, they are free and happy,” says Vikman.
Vikman and UMK have a long history together. In 2020, she came second with her performance of Cicciolina. The following year, she performed UMK’s opening number together with Antti Tuisku. At last year’s UMK, Vikman and Käärijä performed their duet Ruoska during the intermission.
Vikman had initially thought that she would not return to the UMK stage as a contestant. However, the plans changed when she made a song wish when working on her next album with producers Chisu and Jori Roosberg. That was how the UMK song ICH KOMME was born.
“I asked Chisu and Jori to make a Eurovision-type song for me. They asked me directly if I wanted to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest. That’s where it all started.”
UMK expert jury: “ICH KOMME feels like a piece of art that takes Erika Vikman to a new level. The song combines traditional Finnish disco with a remarkable composition and lyrics, wrapping it up with the rave aesthetic of electronic music. The song is original and so approachable that the lyrics of the chorus will surely catch you at the first listening. The climax, pun intended, of the song is one of the most exciting in UMK’s history.”
Erika Vikman’s ICH KOMME will be released on Friday, 17 January at 00:00.
UMK25 event and show: February 8 2025 at Nokia Arena, Tampere
The winner of UMK, and Finland’s next Eurovision representative will be selected at the grand UMK25 event and show at the Tampere Nokia Arena on February 8, 2025. The show can be followed internationally with English commentary via Yle’s streaming service Yle Areena starting at 8pm CET