This evening, Finland continued its search for the song to go to Oslo in May. The second semi-final saw five songs compete for the three guaranteed places in the final on January 30th.
The five songs were:
Monday – Play
Antti Kleemola – Sun Puolella
Heli Kajo – Annankadun Kulmassa
Sister Twister – Love at the First Sight
Veeti Kallio – Kerro Mulle Rakkaudesta
Monday – Play – the Finns like a bit of rock and there is a lot to like about this song. The vocals could have been stronger, but it still sounded good enough to qualify for the final. It certainly was a hard act to follow.
Antti Kleemola – Sun Puolella – Every semi-final needs a good ballad and Antii provided this evening bit of class. He sat at the piano for most of the song, only rising in true traditional style for the big finish. It sounded like another place in the final had been taken.
Heli Kajo – Annankadun Kulmassa – The third song of the evening sounded like it had travelled through time from a Finnish final of the 1970’s, with a hint of children’s television. The chorus is much stronger than the verse, which is just a bit too twee to appeal to a wide audience.
Sister Twister – Love at the First Sight – this was the second rock song of the evening. It looks and sounds rather amateurish, like something you might hear at a school talent show. If a rock song was going to qualify from tonights show, there was a better one than this to vote for.
Veeti Kallio – Kerro Mulle Rakkaudesta – To end the evening’s entertainment was a mid-tempo plodder. Veeti could count himself fortunate that he was on last as he might have been forgotten had he performed nearer the beginning.
After the telephone votes had been counted, the three songs that had qualified for the final were revealed, and there were one or two surprises: The three songs are:
Antti Kleemola – Sun Puolella
Heli Kajo – Annankadun Kulmassa
Sister Twister – Love at the First Sight
Monday and Veeti Kallio won’t give up all hope yet of being in the final as a jury will select one song from all those who weren’t voted into the final by the public to go as a wildcard.
