What is your name and where are you from?
My name is Emilia and I'm from northern Finland.
Tell us something interesting about yourself? Well, I feel like if I wasn't a fan of Eurovision, I wouldn't have ended up loving different genres of music, wanted to study as many languages as my brain can handle and learn geography. Eurovision has helped me to become the person I am today and find the things I truly love.
What we always admire about so many Europeans is your grasp of so many languages. Well done!
When did you first get into Eurovision? The first Eurovision I ever watched was back in 2006, the golden year for my country. I was only 6 years old back then and I remember having to go sleep early, but I was so excited and loved our song. I was so happy when I woke up and saw in the news that my favourite song and my country had won. But it was until 2008 when I became a fan. Dad and I were flickering through TV channels late at night and Eurovision was on. I was so mesmerized by every performance and the voting was so exciting. After that, I had to google everything and that's how I became a fan.
That is so amazing that you had such a great memory of winning so young!
What is your favourite Eurovision year and why? It's always hard for me to choose my favourite year because they're all special to me. Every year brings new songs and new memories and I enjoy everything to the fullest because Eurovision is only once a year. But if I had to choose, then it would be 2007 because I love so many songs from that year and I always go back to watch it.
Which Eurovision song:
Is your favourite? I have two favourites: Hari Mata Hari's Lejla and Verka Serduchka's Dancing Lasha Tumbai. Even though they're completely different when it comes to the genre and the show, but I love them equally. Lejla calms me down during every stressful situation and Dancing Lasha Tumbai makes me happy during every sad situation.
Verka is an absolute bop, such a great performance and catch song. '
Is overrated? I feel bad saying this but Dami Im's Sound Of Silence. I do see why people would love it, but it doesn't happen to be my cup of tea. But that's the fun of Eurovision: everyone has their own favourite song!
What we like about this is that you felt comfortable telling us that...we respectfully disagree though haha
Was robbed? Sofi Marinova's Love Unlimited. It was my winner that year and seeing it not qualifying made me really upset.
Had the best live performance? Probably Lordi's Hard Rock Hallelujah. It was something completely new for Eurovision at the time and we ended up making a point record that year!
Did you last play? I'm currently listening to my playlist on Spotify and the last Eurovision song that was on, was Benjamin Ingrosso's Dance You Off.
Is your guilty pleasure? I feel like every novelty act that has ever performed at Eurovision.
Every year needs a good novelty song, we can't take the contest too seriously!
Any other interesting honourable mentions? Still to this day I think Finland's best entry has been Hanna Pakarinen's Leave Me Alone. Rock is very underrated in Eurovision and I'd love to see more of it, not just one song, which is usually the case every year.
What do you think of Australia being in Eurovision? I once forced my best friend to watch Eurovision with me when we were little. Not knowing English very well at the time, my best friend confused Austria as Australia. We then ended up discussing, what if Australia would take part of Eurovision one day. Well around 6 years later it was announced that Australia will be participating for the first time. I was a bit confused and didn't understand why but now I don't mind you guys taking part, because it also means we will get more songs! I'm looking forward what you will bring in the following years.
Haha so many times Austria and Australia get confused.... :/
What do you think of our song 'We Got Love' and Jessica Mauboy? Not liking the past two entries that much, I'm happy that I like this one! Her vocals are great, the song is catchy and gets stuck in your head. I can see it doing well with the juries.
Wahey!
And finally favourite Australian song – Sea of Flags, Tonight Again, Sound of Silence or Don’t Come Easy? Tonight Again! It felt like something fresh and new for Eurovision and it's really catchy.
Oh and also - what do you think of your Finnish entry for this year? I like it! I also voted for Monsters in UMK so I'm happy we chose that song. I hope we do well and we will be in the final after missing it for so long.
Best of luck we would love to see Finland do well!
Thank you for your time!