The 6 artists that will take part at UMK 2020 in Finland have been announced by broadcaster YLE. There are no former Eurovision participants on the list, but a lot of former talent show participants take the stage on March 7th.
This year, 6 artists are competing for the win in Finland’s nationals selection UMK: Tika, Erika Vikman, Aksel Kankaanranta, F3M, Sansa and Catharina Zühlke. The winner will represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam. The 6 finalists were chosen from a total of more than 400 entries by the UMK jury of music professionals, chaired by Tapio Hakanen, Head of Music at YleX radio.
The final of UMK will be broadcast live on Yle TV1, starting at 20:00 CET. The international public can also watch the final online. The event will be hosted by Krista Siegfrids and commentated on by Mikko Silvennoinen.
The entries will be released, 1 by 1, at midnight on Yle Areena and via various music streaming services like Spotify, Deezer and YouTube:
Friday 24th January: Tika – I Let My Heart Break
Monday 27th January: Erika Vikman – Cicciolina
Tuesday 28th January: Aksel Kankaanranta – Looking Back
Wednesday 2th January: F3M – Bananas
Thursday 30th January: Sansa – Lover View
Friday 31st January: Catharina Zühlke – Eternity
About the Finnish artists for Eurovision 2020
Tika
Tika, the winner of the Finnish X Factor 2018, promises to deliver a real power ballad powerhouse with I Let My Heart Break: “I applied for UMK because I love the Eurovision Song Contest and I think that UMK is a great concept. I was given the chance to be a part of this and I really feel fantastic! Whitney Houston and Celine Dion are my greatest idols because they are strong women and they really bring it.”
Erika Vikman
Erika Vikman’s piece is the boldest entry to this year’s UMK. She sings pop songs in Finnish and even though they are made with a tongue in cheek, they also have a message.
Aksel Kankaanranta
Aksel took part in the Voice of Finland 2017 contest and featured in the prize-winning megahit Jättiläinen (Giant) of the Finnish artist Pyhimys. Aksel is determined to show that being shy shouldn’t prevent you from performing before an audience. “People ask me why I want to appear before an audience of one million, even though I’m shy. Why should that be a problem? I want to fulfil myself and provoke strong feelings and reactions. I want to transmit emotions with my singing.
F3M
F3M wants to be the Spice Girls of the 2020s. Their music is full of wild energy and with their highly distinctive personalities, the members of the trio show that we are all great in our own way. Bananas is a catchy and dance-inspiring pop song performed with an anarchistic touch. It has uncompromising tolerance and boisterous partying as its themes.
Sansa
Sansa, a long-term musician, is bringing a touch of club atmosphere to UMK. After a love affair with indie folk, Sansa has adopted a more electronic style and is now writing timeless pop music. Her cooperation partners include the EDM artist Kaskade, a far cry from the days when she was performing warm-ups for Bryan Adams and appeared in Provinssirock Festival. Sansa names Sia and Robyn as her main musical influences at the moment.
Catharina Zühlke
Catharina Zühlke, who came 2nd in the Contest for New Music UMK in 2017, is an experienced artist: She has loved performing since she was a little girl and has worked as a professional musician for many years. In 2013, she came 5th in the Finnish Idols contest. Catharina Zühlke is known as a performer of melodious and empowering pop music. She has German roots, but grew up in Vantaa, Finland.