The second song of this year’s Uuden musiikin kilpailu (UMK) has been released. You can listen to the song ”Hoida mut” (“Do Me”) by Benjamin here:
Benjamin Peltonen is a 25-year-old singer-songwriter, who first came to the public knowledge in 2012, when he opened an Instagram account which quickly became popular. In 2014 he made a recording deal with Warner Music Finland, and his first single ”Underdogs” was released in September 2014. ”Underdogs” got radio playing time not only in Finland but in Spain also. Benjamin’s debut album ”Fingerprints” was released in 2016.
In 2018 Benjamin changed his singing language to Finnish, and his two singles ”Naarmuja” (”Scratches”) and ”Juon sut pois” (”I’m drinking you away”) were very successful. In 2020 he released an album called ”Someveteraani” (”Social media veteran”), and the themes of this album were for example Benjamin’s past as a popular social media person and the phenomenons and challenges of 2020’s internet. In the summer of 2022 Benjamin released the song ”Gay”, which chorus was a sample of a legendary Finnish rock song, Maija Vilkkumaa’s 2003 hit song ”Ei” (”No”). ”Gay” became a big hit song, and it was summer’s Pride party anthem.
Benjamin is also the most recent winner of Finland’s “Dancing with the Stars”. We charmed the Finnish public with his amazing dancing skills during the show’s 15th season, and ended up winning the show with his dance teacher Saana Akiola in November 2022.
According to Yle, Benjamin’s UMK entry ”Hoida mut” is an important song for him. The song tells about an important moment in life and also challenges the traditional gender roles. There is no need for a man to be an alpha, but even a strong man can sing about surrendering to someone. ”This is exactly what I wanted to do when I participate in UMK one day”, tells Benjamin to Yle.
This is what the jury of UMK 2023 said about Benjamin and his song ”Hoida mut”:
Fast-riser Benjamin’s UMK song entry “Hoida mut” brings an explosive energy, a contemporary sound that draws from 80s pop, not to mention a truly hit-making chorus. The production brings to mind the driving 80s-style beat used by Ava Max, The Weeknd and Dua Lipa in recent years. The song has a hot and sexy feel from start to finish, and we’re really looking forward to seeing how Benjamin, with his charisma and stunning dance moves, will bring it to life in the music video and stage performance.
What is YOUR opinion about Benjamin and his song ”Hoida mut”? Do you think it could do well in Eurovision? Let us know in comments and our social media channels!
