Cha Cha Cha (Käärijä song)

"Cha Cha Cha" is a song by Finnish rapper and singer Käärijä, released on 17 January 2023, through Warner Music Finland.[2] The song represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 after winning Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023, the Finnish national selection for that year's Eurovision Song Contest.[3][4] "Cha Cha Cha" became a fan favourite to win the competition, topping the public vote with 376 points, scoring the all-time second-highest televote points and finishing in second place overall with 526 points.[5]

"Cha Cha Cha"
Single by Käärijä
from the EP Cha Cha Cha Mixtape
Released17 January 2023 (2023-01-17)
Genre
Length2:55
LabelWarner Music Finland
Songwriter(s)
  • Jere Pöyhönen
  • Johannes Naukkarinen
  • Aleksi Nurmi
  • Jukka Sorsa
Käärijä singles chronology
"Välikuolema"
(2022)		 "Cha Cha Cha"
(2023)		 "It's Crazy, It's Party"
(2023)
Music video
"Cha Cha Cha" on YouTube
Eurovision Song Contest 2023 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Language
Composer(s)
  • Johannes Naukkarinen
  • Aleksi Nurmi
  • Jukka Sorsa
Lyricist(s)
  • Jere Pöyhönen
  • Johannes Naukkarinen
  • Aleksi Nurmi
  • Jukka Sorsa
Finals performance
Semi-final result
1st
Semi-final points
177
Final result
2nd
Final points
526
Entry chronology
◄ "Jezebel" (2022)
Official performance video
"Cha Cha Cha" (First Semi-Final) on YouTube
"Cha Cha Cha" (Grand Final) on YouTube

"Cha Cha Cha" topped the charts in its native Finland, as well as in Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden. It also reached the top ten in eleven more countries including Austria, Belgium, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, becoming the first ever song in Finnish to reach the top ten of the UK Singles Chart.[6]

Background and composition

The song has been described as a "metal-dance-pop fusion track" by Wiwibloggs writer Oliver Adams. In an analysis of the song written by Adams, the lyrics describe someone's feelings during a night out. At first, the person in the song heads to a bar, with the intention to "free my mind of fear". After drinking several piña coladas, the person heads to the dance floor, free of fear, saying "this world ain’t making me scared no more."[7]

In an interview with the BBC, Käärijä stated that the song was about freedom. He would compare the song to when people face problems, saying "we all have problems... when the weekend comes, people want to forget all those sad things. And many times they drink a piña colada and get the courage to go to the dance floor... I don't care what other people are thinking. Am I good dancer [sic] or not? It don't matter! And I hope other people will think the same."[8]

Eurovision Song Contest
Main article: Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023 was the twelfth edition of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the music competition that selects Finland's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition consisted of a final on 25 February 2023, where seven entries competed.[9] The winner was selected by a combination of public votes (75%) and seven international jury groups from Australia, Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom (25%).[10] The viewers had a total of 882 points to award, while the juries had a total of 294 points to award. Each jury group distributed their points as follows: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 points. The viewer vote was based on the percentage of votes each song achieved through telephone, SMS and app voting.[11]

"Cha Cha Cha" was drawn to perform third in the final. In the days leading up to the final, the song was considered a heavy favorite to win the contest, winning polls on various Eurovision fansites.[12][13] During the voting in the final, it was revealed that the song had received 72 jury points and 467 televoting points, earning a total of 539 points, winning by a margin of 387 points. As a result of its win, the song would go on to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.[3]

When asked why he believed he won, Käärijä stated that the uniqueness of both the song and the performance may have assisted in winning by a wide margin, saying "UMK has never seen a song or performance like this before... you can go far even if you are not the most skilled singer or rapper."[14]

At Eurovision

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with mutually favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 31 January 2023, an allocation draw was held, which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, and determined which half of the show they would perform in.

Finland was placed into the first semi-final, held on 9 May 2023, and performed last in the show.[15] The song qualified for the final held on 13 May 2023, winning the semi-final with 177 points.[16] In the grand final, the song won the public vote with 376 points but came second overall with 526 points, short of Sweden's winning total of 583 points for Loreen's "Tattoo".[17]

Commercial performance

The song has reached the number 1 position on Spotify's Viral 50 chart,[18] and number 7 position on its Top 50 chart.[19] It is the first Finnish-language song to reach Spotify's global top 200,[20] and it became Spotify's most listened Finnish-language song of all time, beating the song "Ikuinen vappu" by JVG, which held the previous record.[21] On the UK Singles Chart, "Cha Cha Cha" debuted at number six, the first Finnish-language song ever to reach the top ten.[22] The song reached 100 million streams on Spotify in August 2023.[23]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[24]

  • Käärijä - vocals
  • Kiro - producer
  • Aleksi Nurmi - producer, writer, arranger
  • Jere Pöyhönen - lyricist
  • Johannes Naukkarinen - writer, arranger
  • Jukka Sorsa - guitar, arranger
  • Kalle Keskikuru - mixing
  • Svante Forsbäck - mastering

Cover versions

"Cha Cha Cha" was covered by German band and fellow 2023 Eurovision entrants Lord of the Lost.[25] A remix by Norwegian DJ Alan Walker was also released.

Charts
Chart performance for "Cha Cha Cha"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australia Digital Tracks (ARIA)[26] 22
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[27] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[28] 9
Croatia (Billboard)[29] 2
Croatia (HRT)[30] 47
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[31] 8
Denmark (Tracklisten)[32] 32
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[33] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[34] 18
Global 200 (Billboard)[35] 27
Greece International (IFPI)[36] 2
Hungary (Single Top 40)[37] 27
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[38] 2
Ireland (IRMA)[39] 7
Israel (Media Forest)[40] 5
Italy (FIMI)[41] 85
Latvia (LAIPA)[42] 1
Lithuania (AGATA)[43] 1
Luxembourg (Billboard)[44] 11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[45] 13
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[46] 9
Norway (VG-lista)[47] 3
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)[48] 2
Portugal (AFP)[49] 43
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[50] 46
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[51] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[52] 8
UK Singles (OCC)[53] 6
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[54] 12

Certifications
Certifications for "Cha Cha Cha"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Poland (ZPAV)[55] Gold 25,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Savage, Mark (9 May 2023). "Eurovision Q&A: Käärijä is Finland's Cha Cha Charmer". BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  2. Adams, William Lee (17 January 2023). "Cha Cha Cha! Käärijä releases his UMK 2023 song in Finland". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  3. Vautrey, Jonathan (25 February 2023). "Käärijä wins Finland's UMK 2023 and will perform "Cha Cha Cha" at Eurovision". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  4. "Finland send Käärijä to Liverpool with 'Cha Cha Cha'". Eurovision Song Contest. 25 February 2023. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  5. Määttänen, Jusso (7 May 2023). "Cha cha chasta tuli tunnettu kappale ympäri maailmaa – HS seurasi viisuviikkoa hetki hetkeltä" [Cha Cha cha became a well-known song around the world - HS followed the Eurovision period moment by moment]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
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  8. Savage, Mark (9 May 2023). "Käärijä is Finland's Cha Cha Charmer. Eurovision Q&A". BBC News. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
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