The third song of this year’s Uuden musiikin kilpailu (UMK) has been released. You can listen to the song ”Paskana” (”I’m a f***ing wreck”) by Sara Siipola here:
Sara Siipola is a Finnish singer-songwriter, who is known for her powerful voice and strong interpretations. Siipola was born in 1997 and she spent her childhood years in Laihia, which is a small town in western Finland. According to YLE, during Siipola’s childhood years in Laihia it wasn’t easy to find oneself and in school those with big dreams were quickly put into their place. In 2016 Siipola graduated with a vocational qualification in business and shortly thereafter really started to put invest on her singing career. In 2019 Siipola made a recording deal with Sony Music. Her debut single ”Rohkee Sydän” (”Brave Heart”) was released in September 2019. Siipola’s first album ”Kaunis kun itken” (”Beautiful when I cry”) came out in March 2021, and the album’s genres are soul and pop.
”I love writing songs with 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”, Siipola tells YLE.
Siipola’s UMK entry ”Paskana” is about a friend who loses their father and the feelings that the loss stirs up. During one social evening Siipola watched how her friend tried to be present in shared moment, even though they were in the middle of a huge mourning process.
According to YLE, ”Paskana” is about grief and gives a listener a permission to feel heartbroken: why do other people go to grocery shopping and go on with their lives when my own world has stopped moving? According to artist herself the power of the song stems from the fact that it doesn’t romanticize the idea of grief, that there will be a happy ending.
This is what the jury of UMK24 said about ”Paskana”:’’
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.
What do YOU think of ”Paskana” by Sara Siipola? Would you like to see it winning UMK24 and carry the Finnish flag in Malmö? Let us know in comments or our social media channels!
