Cha cha cha is an absolute phenomenon in Finland now so I’m 99% sure it will go to Eurovision. If not, there might be riots 😅😂 Looking forward to see how Käärijä performs this live
As a Finn I’m very proud of UMK now. Yle has done really well in the last few years developing it to be an actually good song competition that also gives a great platform for new artists to get more listeners. And it’s cool that more popular artits like Benjamin and Robin also participate. My list: Käärijä Benjamin Keira Robin Kuumaa Lxandra Portion boys (actually kind of hate this one, the lyrics are very cringy if you speak finnish 😅)
yes !! I am belgian and I only love Kuumaa and Käärijä, hopefully one of those 2 wins. Cha cha cha is a nod to the finnish drinking culture. Not sure if he is actually celebrating it, or if this song is to draw attention to this problem.
@@ViperStrike I loved His song actually but only the LIVE performance. Studio version was boring for me. And He was not my N1 either back in 2020 in UMK
Agree with you Finland has the best national Final up so far!! They overshine indeed other former flagships. Well Done Finland and thanks for giving us music!!
When I saw Cha Cha Cha, I went crazy. The internet did TOO! There's me predicting how everyone else would react for once! I'd be surprised if this didn't win now!
NYT TANSSIMAAN! We are mental indeed. Oh dear, I'm once again feeling rahter optimistic. These pleasant feelings are certainly strange for a Finn, but yes, I must say I'm very proud of the UMK selection. Käärijä is my winner for sure. With this kind of genre it is easy to fall flat if you don't know where you want to go or what you want to do. But Cha Cha Cha is absolutely perfect. Fresh and fun. Not a single empty moment! Now, let's hope the performance is just as good as the track itself. And as you said, I would too be very happy to see the Finnish language return to Eurovision. (Also, great albums you've got there behind you!)
Cha Cha Cha is like the fusion of Go A’s hard techno sound combined with Kalush Orchestra’s modern hiphop sensibility topped with Little Big’s catchy pop hooks. If that’s not a winning combination then i don’t know what to call it.
This was one of the best reaction videos that I've seen! Käärijä is delivering something amazing, for sure the best one for me. I also agree your assessment about the general quality of this year's UMK
This reaction resembles mine in almost every way. 1) I didn't care for the flute part on Keira's song; I thought it was too intentionally added "Eurovision flavor", but the song was good. 2) Benjamin seems to be everyone's favorite, but for me his singing is the weakest out of the contestants. 3) Many reactors have noticed the similarity between Dynamite and Girls like you.. but I'd take a comparison to BTS as a compliment tbh - even though the song is NOT wild at all..! 4) Lxandra (pronounced like "Aleksandra" actually) really has got the voice. This song was not written for the competition, and it shows. Not Eurovision material, but still a beautiful song. 5) Käärijä is going to win Eurovision song contest 2023. Fight me. 6) Kuumaa the band heard Benjamin's song and said that they could swap songs, because their sound is so similar :) I actually liked that song, and it's going to be a hit in Finland, I tell you. Finnish people love this kind of music. 7) Portion Boys seems to be the one that divides reactors the most: it's either love with laughter or hate with cringe. Mine leaned more to the latter, but it is a catchy tune. Thanks for your reaction!
Amazing on all counts! I see the final bout on May 13th between Käärijä and Loreen with Käärijä giving the knock out punch. The journey from malevolence to outright fun is nothing like we have experienced before, and I am sure ballroom dancers have never had so much fun in their lives! It's stunning and will get massive points from every country! (I have never seen Human Centipede, but the thought came to mind when I saw it!). I love the fact that the ballroom dancers have to move the furniture too!
Cha Cha Cha got selected, and seems to be some sort of a phenomenon in Finland. If you saw the live performance in UMK finals, the crowd was chachachaaing, standing and/or dancing along the song. It was wild. However, initially I was not at all sure about the message of the song, but the wild energy, rhythm, and the mood change makes it a dancable, singable tune that just gets you from one mood to another. It was a wild ride to see and listen to it at first, but now I understand why it is getting all the hype. It is standing out from the rest of the songs, even internationally with the wild energy right from the beginning of the song, but not all get that. And in my usual Finnish manner, I am not at all it will make through to the Eurovision finals. Now I should listen to all the other contestant songs from other countries. Do not know what to expect. :-) But about your spelling, as someone mentioned about it, you know the long vowels. When you do that, it makes your Finnish spelling stand out from most of the foreigners who have trouble with the double vowels or consonants. And of course, Ä and Ö cause some serious trouble. Good luck and keep up with the good spirit.
As a finish person myself am quite happy with all of the songs, but would rather see Benjamin, Käärijä or Kuumaa win. My personal favourite is Kuumaa's song , as it is a song i will listen to the most of these.. but it wouldn't probably do that well in the eurovisions itself.
Greetings, Roy!😊 Yup, for me it's also Käärijä. If they don't win, I'd be quite surprised. The other contenders, not ringing my bell significantly. But - SPECIAL MENTION - Portion Boys! Crazy brilliant lyrics! I say that as Finnish speaking Estonian😅Kimi is now in the song and he'll never get out of that!😆If they win, I'd not be mad. One more SPECIAL MENTION - Lxandra. Very nice ballad. Not sure she'll make an impact in Liverpool, but I personally I like this a lot.
Even with Robin and Portion Buys which are my bottom two of the selection, they are still decent songs with high quality production. The videos are also all fantastic and you can just see the budget. UMK is the best selection of the year so far, amazing job Finland
my Finnish opinion: either käärijä with cha cha cha or Benjamin. Really good songs this year! Hard to choose on 25th february. Need to see all the songs also live on TV….
Why does is always give such me an absolute, really huge, thrill when, as a native English speaker, I hear you use the phrase "a tad". That is just so, so, so English. Where on earth did you get that and understand it from? One of my favourite reactors ever. Love your reactions Roy
@@RoyPM2Language is a funny thing - but honestly your English is way more English than American. Did you study in the UK? I remember back in the day, people having very Dutch accents, but you don't at all. The Dutch seem to have a real downer on themselves about their own language but, in honesty, it's that mix of English and German that makes it so accessible. I speak a little Dutch myself, but just watching a TV show like the recent Belgian Eurosong I can always understand the basics, even if I don't understand everything
@@thingybob4375 Nope I have studied in The Netherlands my entire life! I have had exchanges in the US and in Germany tho and my granddad had a lot of customers from the UK when I used to help him when I was younger, so perhaps it stems from that!
Idk, as a finn it's always a mix of proud and cringe feelings to see /hear finnish language in competitions etc. but yeah, my faves from these too; Käärijä and Portion boys 😄 first time hearing from either of them, i guess i've been livin under a rock or something.
Lxandra real name is Alexandra Lehti. I don't know, why she is using artist name Lxandra. Maybe first letter from his last name and xandra from his first name:).
Could be both a reference to the last name but also in Finnish L (by itself) is pronounced the same way as "Al" in "Alexandra". And x is obviously "ex".
Agree Roy - UMK is now better than Melfest. UMK innovates where the Swedes are coasting and playing it safe. Loved your enthusiasm for the this selection - unfortunately most casual viewers of ESC don’t know what they missed at UMK this year - such a great party atmosphere to boot!
I thnk Cha Cha Cha is probably going to win, just seeing how many people love it. That being said my order is: Benjamin, Kuumaa, Keira, Lxandra, Kaarija, Robin Packalen, Portion Boys. Hoida mmut and Ylivoimainen have been stuck in my head. No Business on the Dancefloor is very catchy, and I love the vibe and lyrics of Something to Lose. Cha Cha Cha is just not my type of music, I can't get into it. Girls Like You is very basic imo, there's nothing special about it. Samaa Taivasta Katsotaan I don't like at all and I really hope it doesn't go to Eurovision. I think overall it's a very good selection, a variety of well produced songs.
"Kimi, have you heard the song about you, what do you think about the song, there was so many..... (read long and complicated question) ....did you like the song?" Kimi: Yes.
My top 7: 1. Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha 12 (10/10) 2. Keira - No Business On The Dancefloor 12 (10/10) 3. Kuuma - Ylivoimainen 10 (9/10) 4. Benjamin - Hoida mut 8 (7/10) 5. Portion Boys - Samaa Taivasta katsotaan 7 (6/10) 6. Lxandra - Something to Lose 7 (6/10) 7. Robin - Girls Like You 6 (5/10)
I instantly said the same after hearing it but my husband thinks it's a good "bridge builder", basically reminder that we are all living under the same sky.
@@RoyPM2 couple of other foreign reactors argue that the song is "ten times better" WITH subtitles. I agree with them but because most countries do NOT have subtitles, this is not my number one choice...even though it's easily the catchiest.
Girls like you is my winner but i don't him winning would down well the euro fandom, being the most established might help him tho like the rasmus last year
Don't get me wrong, I really like Robin and I know he's capable to make great music. But "Girls like you" is not it, I think it's really on the weaker end for this year. Any other year, yes, but this year it's hard to be in the top, as Roy said.
Horrible selection. Having said that UMK usually produced great songs, but this time its just so basic and poor quality. I really hoped to see Mikael Saari return as well.
@@Pissa23 I only defeneded some of the last years UMKs cause people saying this one is their best, but actually there're 2 songs this year only stand out, and the other ones are same generic pop songs, and you 'd forget them 2-3 more later. But hey, there's an obvious choise this year, and it could perform really well.
yes, generic _bland_ songs. like a carton full of eggs that all look the same... you only want to throw them at the wall to see at least _some_ explosion of colour.
Cha cha cha is an absolute phenomenon in Finland now so I’m 99% sure it will go to Eurovision. If not, there might be riots 😅😂 Looking forward to see how Käärijä performs this live
As a Finn I’m very proud of UMK now. Yle has done really well in the last few years developing it to be an actually good song competition that also gives a great platform for new artists to get more listeners. And it’s cool that more popular artits like Benjamin and Robin also participate.
My list:
Käärijä
Benjamin
Keira
Robin
Kuumaa
Lxandra
Portion boys (actually kind of hate this one, the lyrics are very cringy if you speak finnish 😅)
@@sasuhiableI have low expectations - Finland always pick something else … Only Saara in 2018 was my fav
yes !! I am belgian and I only love Kuumaa and Käärijä, hopefully one of those 2 wins. Cha cha cha is a nod to the finnish drinking culture. Not sure if he is actually celebrating it, or if this song is to draw attention to this problem.
@@tom_4546 aksel was not compete in 2020 because of COVID. But he could be great imo.
@@ViperStrike I loved His song actually but only the LIVE performance. Studio version was boring for me. And He was not my N1 either back in 2020 in UMK
Agree with you Finland has the best national Final up so far!! They overshine indeed other former flagships. Well Done Finland and thanks for giving us music!!
I have to say, after seeing several reaction videos to UMK songs, I honestly rank your Finnish pronunciation the best. Well done!
Time to apply for Finnish citizenship then! 😅
When I saw Cha Cha Cha, I went crazy.
The internet did TOO! There's me predicting how everyone else would react for once! I'd be surprised if this didn't win now!
Idk, I dislike that song a lot.
I was just waiting for Käärijä to come with Cha cha cha. I was saying " just wait Roy, just wait!!!!!!!!" 🤣 Loooove it, gonna vote it.
As you should!
Think it could do incredibly well in Eurovision!
Yaaas! If my country will fail on this and send something else, I will CHA CHA CHA to Sweden. Just saying!
@@kristalaine1896 I cackled at this comment 😂
@@kristalaine1896😂😂 Sadly Robin/Lxandra or Keira will win :(
@@tom_4546 nope
finland have smashed it with umk this year but cha cha cha is something else 🔥
As a Finn I just love to see these reactions!! I rly hope that Käärijä wins, my absolutely favorite and it was nice to see that you liked it too! 😍😍
Cha cha chaaaaaa! I had THE feeling right after listening the song, the same feeling as I had with Dark side. Hugs from 🇫🇮
That might be a stretch to say because the song is so weird (in a good way for me) but I prefer it over Dark Side.
NYT TANSSIMAAN! We are mental indeed. Oh dear, I'm once again feeling rahter optimistic. These pleasant feelings are certainly strange for a Finn, but yes, I must say I'm very proud of the UMK selection. Käärijä is my winner for sure. With this kind of genre it is easy to fall flat if you don't know where you want to go or what you want to do. But Cha Cha Cha is absolutely perfect. Fresh and fun. Not a single empty moment! Now, let's hope the performance is just as good as the track itself. And as you said, I would too be very happy to see the Finnish language return to Eurovision. (Also, great albums you've got there behind you!)
Like Käärijä self says "it's crazy it's party"
Cha Cha Cha is like the fusion of Go A’s hard techno sound combined with Kalush Orchestra’s modern hiphop sensibility topped with Little Big’s catchy pop hooks. If that’s not a winning combination then i don’t know what to call it.
Great review thanks. Altijd mooi om jou te zien reageren. Cha cha CHAAAAAA!!
the quality level of UMK is sooo high! As a swede there is so many selections now that are giving us a run for our money, i love it!!
This was one of the best reaction videos that I've seen! Käärijä is delivering something amazing, for sure the best one for me. I also agree your assessment about the general quality of this year's UMK
Sophisticated Kimi Räikkönen impression at 15.47.
tbf, he would only say 'Bwah' if he did a reaction
The way your eyes light up at 09:45 :D
I think we will choose Käärijä, but of course it still depends on the live performances.
Benjamin is super confident on stage. He won just TTK aka Dancing with stars.
I love seeing how Kaarija just Blows people away ! lol
Funny how the three best songs (my favorites at least) are all in Finnish. 🤩
thank you😂 good things are said about Finland every year, it's wonderful to hear
This reaction resembles mine in almost every way.
1) I didn't care for the flute part on Keira's song; I thought it was too intentionally added "Eurovision flavor", but the song was good. 2) Benjamin seems to be everyone's favorite, but for me his singing is the weakest out of the contestants.
3) Many reactors have noticed the similarity between Dynamite and Girls like you.. but I'd take a comparison to BTS as a compliment tbh - even though the song is NOT wild at all..!
4) Lxandra (pronounced like "Aleksandra" actually) really has got the voice. This song was not written for the competition, and it shows. Not Eurovision material, but still a beautiful song.
5) Käärijä is going to win Eurovision song contest 2023. Fight me.
6) Kuumaa the band heard Benjamin's song and said that they could swap songs, because their sound is so similar :) I actually liked that song, and it's going to be a hit in Finland, I tell you. Finnish people love this kind of music.
7) Portion Boys seems to be the one that divides reactors the most: it's either love with laughter or hate with cringe. Mine leaned more to the latter, but it is a catchy tune.
Thanks for your reaction!
Amazing on all counts! I see the final bout on May 13th between Käärijä and Loreen with Käärijä giving the knock out punch. The journey from malevolence to outright fun is nothing like we have experienced before, and I am sure ballroom dancers have never had so much fun in their lives! It's stunning and will get massive points from every country! (I have never seen Human Centipede, but the thought came to mind when I saw it!). I love the fact that the ballroom dancers have to move the furniture too!
Cha Cha Cha got selected, and seems to be some sort of a phenomenon in Finland. If you saw the live performance in UMK finals, the crowd was chachachaaing, standing and/or dancing along the song. It was wild. However, initially I was not at all sure about the message of the song, but the wild energy, rhythm, and the mood change makes it a dancable, singable tune that just gets you from one mood to another. It was a wild ride to see and listen to it at first, but now I understand why it is getting all the hype. It is standing out from the rest of the songs, even internationally with the wild energy right from the beginning of the song, but not all get that. And in my usual Finnish manner, I am not at all it will make through to the Eurovision finals. Now I should listen to all the other contestant songs from other countries. Do not know what to expect. :-) But about your spelling, as someone mentioned about it, you know the long vowels. When you do that, it makes your Finnish spelling stand out from most of the foreigners who have trouble with the double vowels or consonants. And of course, Ä and Ö cause some serious trouble. Good luck and keep up with the good spirit.
Great review!
Your reaction to Käärijä’s song made me smile. 💚
As a finish person myself am quite happy with all of the songs, but would rather see Benjamin, Käärijä or Kuumaa win. My personal favourite is Kuumaa's song , as it is a song i will listen to the most of these.. but it wouldn't probably do that well in the eurovisions itself.
Totally agree. The format is strong. Line up is superb.
Benjamin for me.
Greetings, Roy!😊
Yup, for me it's also Käärijä. If they don't win, I'd be quite surprised. The other contenders, not ringing my bell significantly.
But - SPECIAL MENTION - Portion Boys! Crazy brilliant lyrics! I say that as Finnish speaking Estonian😅Kimi is now in the song and he'll never get out of that!😆If they win, I'd not be mad.
One more SPECIAL MENTION - Lxandra. Very nice ballad. Not sure she'll make an impact in Liverpool, but I personally I like this a lot.
Käärijä's Cha cha cha won our UMK and will be sent to Liverpool. :D
Even with Robin and Portion Buys which are my bottom two of the selection, they are still decent songs with high quality production. The videos are also all fantastic and you can just see the budget. UMK is the best selection of the year so far, amazing job Finland
my Finnish opinion: either käärijä with cha cha cha or Benjamin. Really good songs this year! Hard to choose on 25th february. Need to see all the songs also live on TV….
Why does is always give such me an absolute, really huge, thrill when, as a native English speaker, I hear you use the phrase "a tad". That is just so, so, so English. Where on earth did you get that and understand it from?
One of my favourite reactors ever. Love your reactions Roy
I have no clue where or when I added that to my vocabulary, thank you for the compliment!
@@RoyPM2Language is a funny thing - but honestly your English is way more English than American. Did you study in the UK? I remember back in the day, people having very Dutch accents, but you don't at all.
The Dutch seem to have a real downer on themselves about their own language but, in honesty, it's that mix of English and German that makes it so accessible. I speak a little Dutch myself, but just watching a TV show like the recent Belgian Eurosong I can always understand the basics, even if I don't understand everything
@@thingybob4375 Nope I have studied in The Netherlands my entire life! I have had exchanges in the US and in Germany tho and my granddad had a lot of customers from the UK when I used to help him when I was younger, so perhaps it stems from that!
Idk, as a finn it's always a mix of proud and cringe feelings to see /hear finnish language in competitions etc. but yeah, my faves from these too; Käärijä and Portion boys 😄 first time hearing from either of them, i guess i've been livin under a rock or something.
That Kimi Räikkönen imitation 😂😂
good pronunciation, thank you
Lxandra real name is Alexandra Lehti. I don't know, why she is using artist name Lxandra. Maybe first letter from his last name and xandra from his first name:).
Could be both a reference to the last name but also in Finnish L (by itself) is pronounced the same way as "Al" in "Alexandra". And x is obviously "ex".
I just knew you’d love Cha Cha Cha
Thank you Spain… the best
Cha Cha Cha is a banger and I will riot if we don't choose it
Agree Roy - UMK is now better than Melfest. UMK innovates where the Swedes are coasting and playing it safe. Loved your enthusiasm for the this selection - unfortunately most casual viewers of ESC don’t know what they missed at UMK this year - such a great party atmosphere to boot!
I thnk Cha Cha Cha is probably going to win, just seeing how many people love it. That being said my order is: Benjamin, Kuumaa, Keira, Lxandra, Kaarija, Robin Packalen, Portion Boys. Hoida mmut and Ylivoimainen have been stuck in my head. No Business on the Dancefloor is very catchy, and I love the vibe and lyrics of Something to Lose. Cha Cha Cha is just not my type of music, I can't get into it. Girls Like You is very basic imo, there's nothing special about it. Samaa Taivasta Katsotaan I don't like at all and I really hope it doesn't go to Eurovision. I think overall it's a very good selection, a variety of well produced songs.
You’re the first person to notice how annoying it is that robin wants a ”wild girl” when he’s too shy to even flirt with a girl (his own words)
"Kimi, have you heard the song about you, what do you think about the song, there was so many..... (read long and complicated question) ....did you like the song?"
Kimi: Yes.
My top 7:
1. Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha 12 (10/10)
2. Keira - No Business On The Dancefloor 12 (10/10)
3. Kuuma - Ylivoimainen 10 (9/10)
4. Benjamin - Hoida mut 8 (7/10)
5. Portion Boys - Samaa Taivasta katsotaan 7 (6/10)
6. Lxandra - Something to Lose 7 (6/10)
7. Robin - Girls Like You 6 (5/10)
CHA CHA CHAÄAAAA!!! 🇺🇦🇫🇮💖🤲
So you live in Finland? I was browsing through international reactions :D But your reactions is just the same as everyone's around the globe :D
Yes... Winner is... Chaaaa..... 💪
Yes.... Cha Cha Cha..... Wins.... Allllll
no business on dancefloor for the win bop
Did you no that the no business in the dance floor is keiras first song?
Cha cha cha
i geel like käärijä will make it to eurovision this year unless they f something up in the live performance
As a Finn my winner is Käärijä!
I'm obsessed with Cha Cha Cha. I will give up my citizenship if we send something else.
Käärijä is a SLAY! ❤️🧨
Too much emotion acting like Kimi Räikkönen 🤣
Cha Cha Cha IS My fav though.
You're right, he'd only just say 'bwoah'
I love Käärijä's Cha cha cha 😍. It's totally my number 1.I love Portion Boys but not this song 🤣. The lyrics are too terrible 😂.
Fine for the other artists but Cha cha wins
11:26
For a Finn, the lyrics of Portion Boys are cringe also in Finnish😅
I 100% understand that, luckily most of Europe doesn't speak Finnish I guess
I instantly said the same after hearing it but my husband thinks it's a good "bridge builder", basically reminder that we are all living under the same sky.
@@RoyPM2 couple of other foreign reactors argue that the song is "ten times better" WITH subtitles. I agree with them but because most countries do NOT have subtitles, this is not my number one choice...even though it's easily the catchiest.
Girls like you is my winner but i don't him winning would down well the euro fandom, being the most established might help him tho like the rasmus last year
Don't get me wrong, I really like Robin and I know he's capable to make great music. But "Girls like you" is not it, I think it's really on the weaker end for this year. Any other year, yes, but this year it's hard to be in the top, as Roy said.
1. Portion Boys by far
2. Käärijä is ok
Rest I don't like
I'll be going to Netherland in September :D
Also, you talking about Iceman :D
Horrible selection. Having said that UMK usually produced great songs, but this time its just so basic and poor quality.
I really hoped to see Mikael Saari return as well.
Your bad preferences in music don't mean shit
Mikael Saari yes!! We should be through was everything ❤
@@sakraeve9043 It's a timeless masterpiece, and I'm pretty sure with his voice and taste of music we could have so much more songs like that. :)
@@Pissa23 I only defeneded some of the last years UMKs cause people saying this one is their best, but actually there're 2 songs this year only stand out, and the other ones are same generic pop songs, and you 'd forget them 2-3 more later. But hey, there's an obvious choise this year, and it could perform really well.
Weaks election, too many dated crap, like only Lxandra songvise and cha cha as novelty act
yes, generic _bland_ songs. like a carton full of eggs that all look the same... you only want to throw them at the wall to see at least _some_ explosion of colour.
CHA CHA CHAÄAAAA!!! 🇺🇦🇫🇮💖🤲