Last week, multi-platinum selling Finnish rock band The Rasmus revealed they will compete in Finland’s annual Eurovision selection contest, Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (The New Music Competition). The response from the media and the band’s fanbase following Wednesday’s announcement has been enormous, with The Rasmus peaking at #11 in the UK as a trending topic on Twitter and making headlines both internationally and in their native Finland, where the band were featured in all major media outlets, including TV and the country’s biggest newspaper.
Today, the band have released their infectious new single and Eurovision entry bid ‘Jezebel’ via Playground Music, one of seven songs competing in the UMK. Stream the track here and watch the lyric video here.
The track was co-written and produced by Desmond Child, who collaborated with The Rasmus on their seventh studio album ‘Black Roses’. Child is responsible for formulating some of rock’s biggest hits, with co-writer and production credits on iconic songs by KISS, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and Alice Cooper, to name a few.
Singer Lauri Ylönen comments: "It was awesome to work with Desmond again. He really knows how to put a hit song together. Jezebel is about a girl who takes what she wants, without asking. A free spirit.”
Speaking about the collaboration, Desmond Child says: “Lauri gives me a call and says ‘Hey, I need to write the biggest, greatest song in the entire world, ever. Will you do it [with me]?’ and I said ‘Yeah but I am in Folegandros (Greece)’ and he says, ‘I’ll be right there’.
Jezebel is an homage, a tribute, to the strong women of today, who own their bodies, who are in charge of their sensuality, their sexuality, and who are determined to be an equal.”
The UMK winner and Finland's next Eurovision Song Contest participant will be chosen at the UMK22 event in Turku Logomo on February 26, 2022. The final will be shown live on Yle TV1, Yle Areena and Yle's radio channels from 9 pm to 11 pm EET. The winner will be chosen by TV viewers and the International UMK Jury. Those outside of Finland can watch the show at https://areena.yle.fi/tv
The band also announced the departure of founding guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi and introduced their new guitarist, Emilia ‘Emppu’ Suhonen. The UMK performance will be the band’s first with their new lineup.
More details about The Rasmus’ upcoming new album will be revealed soon, until then you can revisit the previously released singles:
“Venomous Moon” (feat. Apocalyptica): https://youtu.be/71fGZWoncZQ
“Bones”: https://youtu.be/dMfRJofGyIs