Windows95man and Henri Piispanen bring “No Rules” into the 2024 Eurovision song context. (UMK)
Finland has announced that it has been selected as the artist to follow in the footsteps of Kaliya and his fan favorite song ‘Cha Cha Cha’ at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.
As the most campy night of the year approaches, Windows95man is the latest artist confirmed to be joining the lineup. He sings a quirky bop number, “No Rules!”
Windows95man looks set to be one to keep an eye on, following Finland’s impressive 2023 entry “Cha Cha Cha,” which finished in second place behind Sweden’s Loreen.
On Saturday (February 10), he won the Uden Mushkin Kirpile (UMK), a Finnish pre-contest competition. He came out on top with an astonishing 313 points, 40 points ahead of his nearest rival.
Who is Finland’s 2024 Eurovision entry Windows95man?
Windows95man is the alter ego of visual artist and DJ Teemu Keisteri. He is participating in the Eurovision Song Contest as a duo with Henri Pispanen, who is in charge of lead vocals and hits the high notes on high-tempo songs.
In performance, Keisteri is a lanky man in flesh-colored shorts and a retro Windows T-shirt, sporting impressive curly hair tucked under a Windows baseball cap.
At the start of the track, Windows95man emerges from a patchwork egg of jeans, and then Pispanen rises from the egg wearing jorts (jean shorts) and a top made of jeans tassels.
As a thumping dance track plays, Windows95man receives his personal jolt attached to two tubes that emit sparks. It’s a wild watch.
Keisteri has performed as Windows95man for several years, including at the 2022 Helsinki New Year Celebration. We were also the opening act for Käärijä, which feels very fitting.
“In my opinion, all Finns have a bit of a loony personality deep down, so I wanted to bring that out more,” Keistelli said in a recent Eurovision interview. “Now I can share my music with an even wider audience.”
The track’s raucous lyrics, written by Pispanen, Keisteri and Jussi Roine, go, “I don’t even care what’s wrong or right/That’s how I live my life, there are no rules!” – The song and performance are likely to please the audience. Finland won their first Eurovision in 2006 with a memorable performance of Lordi’s ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’.
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Malmo, Sweden in May, and we’re slowly learning more about each song and artist vying for the coveted crown.
Confirmed entries include Irish non-binary entry Bumbie Thug and Britain’s Olly Alexander from Years & Years and of Years. It’s a sin fame. His song “Dizzy” will be released on March 1st.
This year, 37 countries will be competing, with the semi-finals scheduled to be held on May 7th and 9th, ahead of the grand final on May 11th.