FINLAND

The Finnish Final was held on January 28th at the Espoo Metro Areena in Espoo, hosted by Krista Siegfrids. The winner was chosen by 10 international juries (50%) and televoting & internet voting (50%) - the internet voting was held from December 31st-January 26th as well as during the broadcast of the final. Once all the votes were cast the winner was the duo Norma John with “Blackbird”.

This was a very stark looking presentation with Lasse sat at the side playing the piano and Leena in a very Victorian-style mourning dress. The lighting is very dark and the projection behind is that of choppy seas. As the song progresses, red lights strobe on and off like a blood-lit lighthouse. You are not quite sure if the song is going to progress to be happier or be sadder. The camera work is also very stark they alternate between tight head shots of the singer and sweeping long shots of the whole stage.

The song starts off with no introduction and puts a very immediate stamp on the stage. You start to also get a kind of Adele-esque feeling about the song although Leena’s voice is very different to Adele, even though she has been styled otherwise. There is not much ‘show’ as the story of the song IS the show. Between each verse and chorus there are very slight changes to the orchestration as the song goes on. However, the instrumental from Lasse at the piano at the 2-minute mark is truly magnificent and butterfly inducing and I only wish that this was a catalyst for the show, the instrumentation or background so that something could mirror this shift in the song.

Unlike Finnish finals of the past this one a one-night final with no heats or qualification rounds. The song quality was extremely variable and it was no surprise that this song won quite convincingly. In a contest which looks like it’s turning into a sea of ballads, this could be too dour. Although this was my favourite beforehand I was a little disappointed in the visual show. Personally, during the amazing piano solo it needs to change background or colour because it then starts to feel like it’s going on and on. I also feel a slight change of orchestration during the end chorus would make the ending more definite and more final.
This ws easily the best song in the show and I was very pleased that it won. I think that the song is very relatable to the general public but also shows enough singwriting and musical ability to be a hit with juries, To my eyes and ears this is a total Marmite song – you either love it or hate it. This will either flop spectacularly in the semi-final and not qualify or this will be top 3. Which one that will be is anyone’s guess.

ARTIST - Norma John

SONG - Blackbird

MUSIC - Lasse Piirainen, Leena Tirronen

LYRICS - Lasse Piirainen, Leena Tirronen