Following the grand reveal of the seven acts competing in Finland’s Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) 2024, Finnish broadcaster Yle is dropping the lyrics videos for each entry one by one. The third artist to reveal is Sara Siipola with her song “Paskana”.
She’s no stranger to the Finns. They know her dark and soulful voice from songs such as Rohkee sydän, Susta tulee tähti and one of her latest, Uusi musta. A veritable forge of hits, Siipola grew up in the Ostrobothnian town of Laihia, where finding herself was not easy. In school, those with big dreams were quickly put into their place.
Siipola had trouble finding her own place when she was young. In 2016, she graduated with a vocational qualification in business in Vaasa. Shortly thereafter, she began her singing career. Within five years, she had a raft of singles, a debut album and music programme Tähdet Tähdet under her belt.
“I love writing songs on big topics. I really want people to be able to listen to my songs whenever they want to feel self-confident and connect with others.
Sara Siipola – “Paskana”
Her UMK entry Paskana (“I’m a f***ing wreck”) is about a friend who loses their father and the feelings that the loss stirs up. During one evening, Siipola watched how her friend tried to be present at a dinner party after experiencing such a loss.
Paskana deals with grief and lets the listener feel heartbroken: why do others go grocery shopping and go on with their lives when my own world has stopped cold? According to Siipola, the power of the song stems from the fact that it doesn’t romanticise the idea of grief, that there will be a happy ending.
UMK24 jury: “Sara Siipola is one of Finland’s rising vocalists with a stunning voice. Paskana is a touching and dramatic song, offering both tender vulnerability and uplifting power. It is easy to identify with the song, because each and every one of us has felt low (paskana) at some point. The lyrics and interpretation are full of raw emotion, for which the modern production gives a lot of space and support”.
UMK 2024 song release schedule
- Thu, 11 January: Cyan Kicks – Dancing With Demons
- Fri, 12 January: Sexmane – Mania
- Mon, 15 January: Sara Siipola – Paskana
- Tue, 16 January: Jesse Markin – Glow
- Wed, 17 January Windows95man – No Rules
- Thu, 18 January Sini Sabotage – Kuori mua
- Fri, 19 January Mikael Gabriel x nublu – Vox Populi
