Last Friday, we got the first taste of new music from Darude, as he presented the first out of three songs for Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) which is Finland’s national selection show for Eurovision, where the public decides which song will represent the country. Darude will release three songs week-on-week, and this first one is titled “Release Me”.
Real name Ville Virtanen, Darude is one of the biggest Finnish DJs in the world. His instant hit, “Sandstorm” went viral and hit the charts hard internationally. He’s gone on to have a successful DJ career spanning two decades. He’s released a total of four studio albums, won three Finnish Grammy Awards, and has had his music included in movies, TV series’, games, and events such as the Euro 2000, The Olympics, and Wimbledon. We also interviewed him, just last year, about the release of his fourth studio album Moments.
This new single has been written by Ville Virtanen, Joakko Manninen, and Brandyn Burnett. It’s an up-tempo number that has a very beautiful backing track – we expect nothing less from this “Sandstorm” DJ. Sebastian Rejman’s vocals are something to get used to, but by the end of the song he really nails it and you just know this song will be stuck in your head.
Watch Darude’s Music Video For “Release Me” Featuring Sebastian Rejman Here:
The music video is visually appealing from start to finish, with Sebastian Rejman taking most of the performance spotlight as he emphasises the lyrics of the song, whilst kaleidoscopic imagery is projected on him, around him, and behind him. There are narrative scenes throughout, showing Darude playing a father as he visits his son and spends the day with him, only to then leave at the end.
UMK is set to take place on 2 March 2019, where all three songs will be performed live for the public to decide. The next track to be released is titled “Superman” and is expected to be dropped tomorrow.