With Australia’s final taking place in the morning (for European viewers), we’re left with just Finland to provide us with a national selection final tonight (Iceland and Sweden have semi-finals). It means a relatively quiet Saturday night after the six of the previous week and four next Saturday. UMK 2022 (Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu) features 7 artists and voting will be 25% international jury and 75% public vote.
With a relatively small field, you might think it would be easier to pick out the most likely winner, but it’s looking quite a close field – there are a good mix of genres within the seven entries, includes several sung in Finnish, and does include a band that may be be familiar to international audiences – at least those over a certain age.
The favourites to win UMK 2022
While it’s tricky to pick out clear favourites, it’s perhaps most possible that it will come from the following three. Again, that is based on betting odds, the Eurovision scoreboard app, YouTube views, fan polls, and background knowledge of the acts.
Favourite 1: Bess “Ram pam pam”
At first sight and sound, this might have the appearance of a fairly typical Scandipop Eurovision entry but I think it has more merit than that and is a more modern and feisty take on what might otherwise have been something generic and outdated. I enjoy this one and it’s my favourite of the bunch – and for bonus points, it’s in Finnish!
Favourite 2: Cyan Kicks “Hurricane”
Sitting second in the Eurovision app voting and third in betting odds is this boppy pop-rock song with a female lead vocalist. It’s a genre that Finland specialises in, and would be a welcome addition to the contest should this win the final.
Favourite 3: The Rasmus “Jezebel”
The most well known act in the final, most international viewers will know The Rasmus from their 2003 worldwide hit “In the Shadows“. Almost 20 years later, they have the chance to be seen by a worldwide audience again. “Jezebel” is no “In the Shadows” and not even the strongest song in this line up (in my view) but their name recognition and still big following combined with 75% public vote mean they are currently the betting odds favourite. That said, the other two favourites, have much bigger YouTube video views so it may not be a foregone conclusion.
UMK 2022 begins at 7pm UK time and is can be viewed via the broadcaster’s website.