Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company has chosen EDM icon Darude to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. The representing song will be chosen on live TV broadcast on the 2nd of March.

You’ve heard the ubiquitously iconic Sandstorm, amongst others in an almost 20 year long career and now for 2019, Finland will be represented by Darude for this year’s competition. Darude is one of the most successful Finnish artists of the modern era with true global appeal.

A multi-platinum, award-winning Producer/DJ, who plays hundreds of club and festival shows around the world and who to date has released 4 critically acclaimed studio albums, his most recent album Moments coming back in 2015.

— This is a huge challenge for me in many ways, when I was asked to represent Finland I felt a bit scared at first, but there was no way I could say no to my country! It is an honour to be part of this incredible experience and I only have positive expectations!, Darude says. Promising to create the atmosphere and visuality of his DJ gigs on the Eurovision stage, Darude will perform his tracks with featured vocalist Sebastian Rejman, known from the band The Giant Leap, sure to bring a fresh vitality and admirable live element to Darude’s musical backdrop.

Darude has released three songs that will compete in the national selection of the UMK.

Which of these Darude's Eurovision candidate songs is your favourite? Look Away 41% (43 votes) Superman 35% (37 votes) Release Me 25% (26 votes) Total votes: 106

Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman: Release Me

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Release Me // Laulun sanat // Lyrics The more I go, the less it seems to make sense

Not sleeping in my bed, I can really feel the distance How can we fix what’s already been stolen When the emptiness inside is eating us alive

I don't want to waste our precious time

‘Cause we're not getting any younger now

We're not getting any closer to the truth

And there's nothing left to figure out

So wo-o-oo, so why don't you... Release Me

Release Me Release Me

I see the light on and I'm soon coming home

Release Me

’Cause you love me, you let me go You said be myself, well, careful what you wish for

It's a cloudy day in hell, and here comes the downpour We’ll save some sunshine, it's banging on the front door

What's on the other side, it's just another lie

Tell me why we're wasting both our time 'Cause we're not getting any younger now

We're not getting any closer to the truth

And there's nothing left to figure out

So wo-o-oo, so why don't you... Release Me

I see the light on and I'm soon coming home

Release Me

’Cause you love me, you let me go Release Me

I see the light on but I'm not coming home

Release Me

’Cause you love me, let me go Release Me

I see the light on but I'm not coming home

Release Me

’Cause you love me, let me go Release Me Sävellys ja sanoitus: Ville Virtanen, Jaakko Manninen & Brandyn Burnette

Musiikkivideon ohjaaja: Jaakko Manninen

Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman: Superman

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Superman // Laulun sanat // Lyrics Oh god I'm terrified when I'm not with you

No matter how I tried I was feeling blue You walked into my life, showed me something new

Oh baby when you're gone I don't know what I should do 'Cause only you can make me fly like I'm Superman

How you make feel like this, hard to understand When I need a hero, you'll be my hero

When I feel the darkness, you'll be the light 'Cause only you can make me fly like I'm Superman

Like a Superman When all my hope is gone and I'm caving in

When I can see the light from the dark within You walked into my life, showed me something new

Oh baby when you're gone I don't know what I should do 'Cause only you can make me fly like I'm Superman

How you make feel like this, hard to understand When I need a hero, you'll be my hero

When I feel the darkness, you'll be the light 'Cause only you can make me fly like I'm Superman

Like a Superman When you're around I can reach for the sky

I won't look down, going high at night When you're around I'm above all the clouds

You don't let me down 'Cause only you can make me fly like I'm Superman

How you make feel like this, hard to understand When I need a hero, you'll be my hero

When I feel the darkness, you'll be the light 'Cause only you can make me fly like I'm Superman

Like a Superman Sävellys ja sanoitus: Ville Virtanen, Chris Hope & Thom Bridges.

Musiikkivideon ohjaaja: Jaakko Manninen

Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman: Look Away

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Look Away // Laulun sanat // Lyrics There's something you should know

That I can't sing a love song anymore

There's something going on

And I can't turn my back on it anymore How can we go to sleep at night

And lay there in our beds

When we know what's going on

With the world today Is it in my head?

Am I the only one?

Is it in my head?

Where the war has just began? We look away

look away

look away

look away, hey

look away

look away

look away

look away, no-o-o Is it in my head?

Is it in my head?

look away

look away, hey, no-o-o There's something in the air at night

That feels so different

And I don't understand

I didn't see this one coming How can we go to sleep at night

And lay there in our beds

When we know what's going on

With the world today Is it in my head?

Am I the only one?

Is it in my head?

Where the war has just began? We look away

look away

look away

look away, hey

look away

look away

look away

look away Is it in my head?

Am I the only one?

Is it in my head?

Where the war has just began? We look away

look away

look away

look away, hey

look away

look away

look away

look away, hey, no-o-o Sävellys ja sanoitus // Music & lyrics: Sebastian Rejman & Ville Virtanen.

Musiikkivideon ohjaaja: Jaakko Manninen

The winning Darude track that finally represents Finland in the ESC 2019 will be decided by a combination of public vote and an international jury’s points via live stream and TV broadcast UMK19: Darude on 2nd March.

In a career that has seen him win prestigious awards that include 3 x Finnish Grammy Awards to having one of the world's biggest selling 12 inch singles in 2000, Darure has continually flown the siniristilippu (Blue Cross Flag) of Finland wherever he has travelled.

An act that his home country has always respected him for and is in part the reason behind why he was invited to usher in the 2017 New Year Eve celebrations by DJing at a largescale public event in the country’s capital of Helsinki in front more than 100, 000 people as part of the celebrations of 100 years of Finnish independence.

— We are really excited that Darude is representing Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest. This is probably the first time that a DJ artist is taking over the Eurovision stage, the producer of Yle’s Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), Anssi Autio, says.

Additional info and photos for Media.