Who are Finland’s Eurovision 2019 entry Darude and Sebastian Rejman?
The star behind club sensation Sandstorm will be competing for his country
This is not a drill: Darude, the DJ behind worldwide super-hit Sandstorm will be competing at the Eurovision Song Contest.
And he’s not alone. The Finnish star will be accompanied by another singer – one you probably haven’t heard of before.
- When is the Eurovision Song Contest 2019?
- Meet the acts competing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019
- Who will be the UK’s entry at Eurovision 2019?
So, who are they? And what song will they be performing? Here’s everything you need to know…
Why isn't Finland in the Eurovision Grand final?
They performed at the contest's first semi-final (held Tuesday 14th May), but failed to pick up enough votes to qualify for Saturday's final.
Who is Darude?
If you don’t recognise 1999 club banger Sandstorm by its name, you will do from its first few notes. Its techno riff has become one of the most famous in music and internet culture (more on that below).
After achieving a Finnish number one (and UK number three), Darude’s follow-up singles failed to reach the heights of Sandstorm, although there’s a chance you might recognise song Feel The Beat.
Since 1999, Darude has released four studio albums and performed at festivals such as Tomorrowland.
What is the Darude – Sandstorm meme?
The meme started way back in 2007 when a Call of Duty gameplay video featuring Sandstorm went semi-viral with users all asking what the music was.
This question leaked on to gaming streaming site Twitch: every time somebody asked what the background music was during a stream, the reply would always be “Darude – Sandstorm”.
YouTube also got in on the joke on April Fools' Day 2015, adding a Sandstorm button to every page, which added the techno classic to any video.
From this, many versions of the song have gone viral, including this fantastic cover on a toy trumpet.
…And this one, played on a potato…
The meme propelled the song’s popularity and it became certified gold in the United States in 2010 – 11 years after it was first released.
Who is Sebastian Rejman?
Rejman is a Finnish singer, actor and TV host. He’s been in the frontman of several bands, including The Giant Leap.
What is Finland’s Eurovision 2019 song called?
Darude will perform Look Away at the Eurovision Song Contest:
The track was chosen by the Finnish public and an international expert jury and was one of three put forward by Darude and Sebastian Rejman – Look Away saw off competition from Release Me and Superman.
What will Finland's Eurovision 2019 song look like on stage?
Pretty darn weird. And slightly underwhelming.
The performance will see Darude right at the back of the stage while Rejman sings in front of a dancer wearing Roman-style robes. Sense: it makes none.
What are the odds of Finland winning Eurovision 2019?
Despite Darude's star power, the pair will have to fight to reach the grand final: at the moment the bookies predict they'll bow out in the semis.
How did Finland do at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest?
Very badly. In fact, their act, former X Factor finalist Saara Aalto, finished 25th – once place worse than the UK. Still, she went on to have more luck on the latest series of Dancing on Ice, reaching the final alongside James Jordan and Wes Nelson.
The Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final takes place in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 18th 2019
