Photo: Miikka Varila / Yle
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Erika Vikman has won Finland’s Contest for New Music UMK 2025 with her song ICH KOMME. She secured victory with 430 points, receiving 75% of the vote from the Finnish public and 25% from the international jury. Vikman will now represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel in May 2025.
A major figure in Finnish pop music, Vikman began her career at a young age, performing in summer theatres and on television.
She gained national recognition in 2016 by winning the Tangomarkkinat festival. In 2019, she signed a recording deal with Warner Music and Mökkitie Records. The following year, she participated in UMK with her song Cicciolina, which became a breakthrough moment in her career. In 2021, she released her debut album Erika Vikman, which topped the Finnish charts.
Vikman sees her music as a way to challenge norms, particularly for female artists. She believes Cicciolina encouraged women in the industry to be bolder, breaking free from restrictive expectations. She has spoken openly about the pressures placed on female artists and the criticism they face for expressing themselves.
Her music resonates widely across Finland, attracting fans from major cities to small towns. At the core of her message is a belief in self-acceptance and personal freedom. “People should be loved exactly as they are. When people are allowed to be themselves, they are free and happy,” she said.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
