Finland 2011: how much of a surprise will there be?

The Finnish final starts in about an hour from now, and I will not have time to write the lenghty prediction I would have wanted to write.

But if you want my more detailed opinions on a detailed song, go back to my respective reviews of the semi finals. My opinion has not changed a whole lot since then.

The general standard has not been the highest ever in a Finnish selection, but the positive side of that coin is that tonight's final is very open. This can end in many different ways. And it could very well end in tears.

With Düsseldorf in mind, the songs fall into several groups, as I see it.

Sending Eveliina Määttä, Sami Hintsanen or Milana Misic would be completely pointless. Not that they are bad performers, but because their songs are too bland and would sink without a trace on an international level.

Cardiant is partially the same, but would stand out more and have at least a decent chance to reach the final. But rock from Finland is nothing new, and probably the european televoters would find this tired and unsurprising.

Johanna Iivanainen and Marko Maunuksela would have the benefit of at least being a bit representative of music appreciated in Finland. They would probably not get far, but they would at least appeal to somebody somewhere.

Stala & So and Father MacKenzie both have good songs, but share another problem. If you can not perform properly in a small television studio, how will you be able to handle a large arena and the largest tv audience in Europe? Both could result in complete flops in Düsseldorf unless they shape up considerably.

Saara Aalto is a lovely girl with a good voice and all the personality you could ask for. Her song is the kind that most people will like, but that hardly nobody will vote for. Beautiful and atmospheric, but it won't stay in your mind.

Paradise Oskar stands out as the best choice for me. A confident young man with a delicious little song and a twinkle in the eye that goes through the tv screens. The lyric divides people, but that is not a big problem at the ESC where the larger part of the audience won't understand it anyway.

My prediction
I hope that quality will win in the end and that Oskar will go to Düsseldorf on behalf of Finland. He will perhaps not win there, maybe not even make it to the final, but he will represent the country in a dignified way.

The Finnish televoters have surprised me so many times through the years, however, that I almost expect them to disagree with me. And then anyone could win.

An exciting evening, indeed. Hopefully complete with a happy ending.