Monty’s Eurovision Countdown 2023 Part 12 – Finland

Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä.

Stop the clock, Anneka! We have our winner. Or mine at least. This is FABULOUS!

There’s something gorgeous about the sound of Finnish in song, though I’ll admit it’s an acquired taste. There’s something glorious about a song that seems to tap so well into the Finnish psyche too. Maybe it’s just the company I keep, but sometimes it feels like the Finnish national sport is drinking, and this channels the role of alcohol as a social lubricant on a night out.

Käärijä sings of embracing the weekend. It’s Friday night and he needs to cut loose, but there’s still an underlying anxiety he needs to shift, and he does it with booze. He dives into the cocktail list, and knocks back a few piña coladas, each loosening him up until he feels free enough to get on the dance floor. Although by now it’s a little late and he’s tipped the balance.

Unhindered he throws himself into his Friday night, a little slurry, a little squint-eyed, but living in the moment and free to let himself go. So free in fact he’s happy to pour champagne all over himself. He’ll regret splashing out for that bottle in the morning, especially at Nordic prices.

Musically there’s a clever technique to demonstrate the progression of Käärijä’s night. It starts with a tense electronic beat and anxious vocals, verging on the angry. As the booze loosens him up so the song embraces a lighter, poppier feel and invites you to embrace the joy of the moment.

I’ve rarely known such a glorious embrace of Dutch courage. Lady Gaga comes close with Just Dance but there’s something about the Finnish that adds a special touch here. Visually it’s a treat too, with Käärijä wearing natty little ‘Incredible Hulk’ green PVC bolero sleeves. In the national final performance, which I’ll also link as you really have to see it, the neon green is matched by ballroom dancers in neon pink who bring a sense of surrealism to the performance. It’s like Come Dancing on ketamine and it is MAGNIFICENT! Tampere 2024!

My marks: DOUZE POINTS!

National final performance