Käärijä

Pöyhönen grew up in the Ruskeasanta neighbourhood of Vantaa, Greater Helsinki, as the son of Mikko and Arja Pöyhönen.[4][5] He discovered his passion for music while learning to play the drums, and started producing music in 2014. His stage name, owing to his gambling hobby, is derived from the phrase kääriä rahaa, "to make a quick buck".[6][7]

Pöyhönen released his music independently until 2017, when he was signed to the record label Monsp Records. He subsequently released the double single "Koppi tules" / "Nou roblem".[8] The following year, he released an extended play, titled Peliä. In 2020, his debut album Fantastista was released.[9]

On 11 January 2023, Pöyhönen was announced as one of seven participants in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023, the Finnish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.[10][11] His entry "Cha Cha Cha" was co-written with Aleksi Nurmi and Johannes Naukkarinen, and was released on 18 January 2023.[11] At the national selection competition he finished in first place with a total of 539 points (467 points from the televote and 72 points from the juries), thus becoming the Finnish representative for that year's Eurovision in Liverpool.[12]

Käärijä performing "Cha Cha Cha" on stage during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 at the Liverpool Arena.

Performing in the first semi-final, held on 9 May 2023, Pöyhönen finished first with 177 points and thus qualified for the final. In the final, he topped the public vote with 376 points, but ultimately finished in second place with 526 points overall to Sweden's entrant Loreen.[13]

Ahead of Eurovision, Finnish software company Zoan created an experience inside the popular online video game Fortnite, where players can visit a virtual rendering of Helsinki's famous Senate Square with Käärijä signs and stages.[14][15] With the release, Finland became the first country in the world whose capital city has a photorealistic twin in Fortnite.[16]

Käärijä in 2021

Pöyhönen's image as Käärijä started off with a bowl cut and a yellow suit, but during performances he would get too warm, remove the suit and perform mostly shirtless, which became a part of his brand.[17][18] On social media Pöyhönen uses the name "Paidaton Riehuja", which translates to "shirtless rampager", and is a reference to his punk rap song of the same title. He has expressed his belief that going topless should be acceptable regardless of body shape or size.[19]

Pöyhönen has described Rammstein as a major influence of his, and he has a Rammstein tattoo across his chest.[20]

Sometimes, a mysterious yellow-clad doppelgänger on rollerblades, also known as "Häärijä" (or "Paidaton Kiehuja" on social media), has been observed in connection with Käärijä.[21][22]

In promotion for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the artist has used the phrase "it's crazy, it's party" to describe "Cha Cha Cha", which became an Internet meme and was adopted by his brand as a merchandise catchphrase.[23]

Pöyhönen has spoken about suffering from ulcerative colitis since his teenage years, culminating in emergency intestine removal surgery in 2014. The scar of the stoma he had to use for five months afterwards is still visible on his lower stomach. He has stated he wants to be open about his experience with the disease, to encourage others to get checked for it.[17]

Pöyhönen used to play ice hockey from 2009 to 2013, before he started his musical career.[24]

• Media related to Käärijä at Wikimedia Commons