Finland - Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha

2 - 526 pts / 1 - 177 pts in semi 1

Finland chose Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä to represent the country in Liverpool. Käärijä (Finnish word for Wrapper) won the 7-song UMK with a huge margin. (UMK = Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, New Music Competition)

Cha Cha Cha won the (televote only) semi and the televote in the final so it's safe to say the public loved Käärijä.

Cha Cha Cha, a song in Finnish, was written by 

Jere Pöyhönen (Käärijä), 

Johannes Naukkarinen, 

Aleksi Nurmi and 

Jukka Sorsa.

Cha Cha Cha was released as a digital single on January 17. All songs from the UMK contest were released through your favorite digital sources.

It is released on a CD EP titled Cha Cha Cha Mixtape on the 5th of May. I ordered it here at Recordshop X. Thanks for the tip Immo!

It contains 6 tracks, mostly previously released singles.:
1 Cha Cha Cha
2 Klo23
3 Viulunkieli
4 Välikuolema
5 Morgan bonus track
6 Kovis bonus track

(Warner/Monsp 5054197641107)

A Vinyl green 12" inch version will be released on August 11. It has the same tracks.

Strictly Limited to 1000 (upped to) 2000 copies and 200 copies come signed with a poster. (update the signed/poster edition is sold out already)

pre-orderable here at recordshopx.

Thanks again Immo! 

pre-release image

A remix by Faustix was released on April 14.

The YES YES remix was released on May 5.

The Reggae mix, released as a digital track on May 9, was released as a video performance on April 14.

On May 19 another remix was released, the Future Bounce remix by Mr. Silker but I'm not sure if this is official as it is not released by Warner (and all the other versions are).

The Alan Walker remix was released on June 9.

An odd spatial mix called 8D Suomi or something like that appeared on official sources on 22-4 but it is unofficial and has been removed. (except from Youtube)

Lord Of The Lost of Blood & Glitter fame have released their tribute to Käärijä, a coverversion of Cha Cha Cha, on May 5.
It can also be found on LOTL's 2CD Weapons Of Mass Seduction out on December 29, 2023. 

Note: only on the 2CD & Napalm exclusive 3CD edition, NOT on the 1CD, LP or cassette editions.

Another great coverversion is released by Stuðlabandið, read more about that (and their other Eurovision covers) here at Eurocovers

Versions:
Cha Cha Cha - original single version
- digital 17-1, Cha Cha Cha mixtape CD
Cha Cha Cha - Faustix remix
- digital 14-4
Cha Cha Cha - YES YES remix
- digital 5-5
Cha Cha Cha - Reggae mix
- digital 9-5
Cha Cha Cha - Future Bounce remix by Mr Silker
- digital 19-5

Cha Cha Cha - Alan Walker remix

- digital 9-6
Cha Cha Cha - karaoke (=instrumental)
- on the official karaoke album (digital)


Charts:

Cha Cha Cha entered the Finnish top 20 straight after release, as did four other UMK 2023 songs. It went to #1 after the UMK victory. Kuuma's Ylivoimainen spent two weeks at #1 before the UMK final. Their song is also released on their CD Hyvikset Ja Pahikset (Vinyl in June).

Finland top 20/50 (IFPI): 2, 2, 4, 5, 4, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, / 3, 3, 4, 5, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1* 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 7, 11, 15, 17, 25, 21, 23, 26, 27, 36, 40, 42, 42, 35, 20, 28, 38, - re: 11, 41, 38, 40, 48, -, 33, 36, 37, 45, - (1-57)

*Due to a technical error the charts of week 24 were changed a few days after publishing so Käärijä is not at #1 but at #2 that week. 

Cha Cha Cha The Alan Walker remix  charted seperately: 12, 24, 44, -
Sweden top 100 (Topplistan): 82, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 14, 15, 19, 16, 26, 29, 38, 45, 62, 71, 69, 88, 99, - (1-20)
Ireland top 100 (IRMA): 7, 12, 34, 55, 78, -
Italy top 100 (FIMI): 85, -
Germany top 100: 18, 40, -
Netherlands Top 100: 13, 34, 78, -
U.K. top 100 (OCC): 6, 15, 47, 78, -
Norway top 40 (VG Lista): 3, 3, 5, 10, 15, 22, 26, 31, 38, -

Switzerland top 100 (Hitparade.ch): 8, 26, -

Belgium (Ultratop Flemish): 17, 9, 24, 35, 43, -

Portugal top 200: 43, 107, - 

Bulgaria top 40: 35, -

Austria top 75: 7, 14, 45, -

Denmark top 40 (Tracklisten): 32, -

Spain top 100: 46, 85, -


Links and sources:
Käärijä: at Warner Website, Insta, his FB doesn't seem to be updated much.
UMK: Website in Finnish, English
UMK 2023 at ESC History
Remember The Rasmus, Blind Channel, Krista Siegfrids
Or have a flashback to the Finweeks at Eurocovers (2007)