Eurovision 2021 Finland profile: 'Dark Side' by Blind Channel

Finland in Eurovision

Finland first debuted in Eurovision in 1961, however the country would have to wait until 2006 to achieve a result in the top 5, when Lordi with ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’ won the competition. Having competed fifty-three times, their most recent entry, ‘Look Away’, performed by Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman failed to qualify for the final in 2019, finishing in 17th (last) place in the first semi-final with 23 points.

Finland have the record for the shortest entry at one minute at 27 seconds with the 2015 entry ‘Aina mun pitää’ performed by Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät. Despite being selected to represent Finland in 2020 with ‘Looking Back’ Aksel Kankannranta was not automatically selected to represent Finland in the 2021 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.

2021 Entry: Blind Channel - ‘Dark Side’

Blind Channel will compete in Semi-final 2, and will perform 14th in the running order
My Eurovision Scoreboard fan ranking: 9th out of 39 entries
Odds to win ranking: 11th out of 39 entries
Odds to qualify ranking: 3rd out of 17 entries

(rankings as of 30th of April, 2021)

About Blind Channel

Blind Channel is composed of Joel Hokka (vocals and guitar), Niko Vilhelm (vocals), Joonas Porko (guitar), Olli Matela (bass), Tommi Lalli (drums) and recent addition Aleksi Kaunisvesi (keyboards), with the group hailing from the city of Oulu. Blind Channel were selected to represent Finland in this year’s version of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), which was the tenth edition of the selection show.

Beating out the likes of Aksel (Finland 2020) and Laura (Estonia 2005, 2017) in a record-breaking landslide, the Finnish rockers received the competition’s highest ever televote, taking 54.31% of the total votes cast.

Formed in 2013, Blind Channel have played at the largest outdoor heavy metal festival in the world, Germany’s Waken Open air, obtaining a record deal as a result of the acclaim their performance generated.

Despite bringing ‘violent pop’ to the world stage via the Eurovision Song Contest, their hometown of Oulu has since set up a scholarship fund in order promote and support local talent and music culture within the city.

About ‘Dark Side’

Composed and written by Aleksi Kaunisvesi, Joonas Porko, Joel Hokka, Niko Moilanen, Olli Matela (all the members of Blind Channel barring Tommi Lalli), the song itself has several somewhat distributing themes, combined with pyrotechnics and middle fingers.

There exists within ‘Dark Side’ repetitive mentions of the ’27 Club’ and ‘I don’t want to grow up’, alluding to the infamous list of notable celebrities who have passed away at the age of 27, many of whom have struggled with alcohol and substance abuse.

Despite this, the group see the entry an anarchic anthem to parties in the dark, and express it as a "song for all those who feel outward and inadequate".