That is hilarious! I hope they win
posted by mumimor at 11:07 AM on February 23 [3 favorites]

That was delightful!

It also led me to finding out that M?ns Zelmerl?w is back again this year. I have to admit I dig it, even if it's very much like he took his previous winner "Heroes" and blended it up with "Love Love Peace Peace."
posted by dnash at 12:02 PM on February 23 [2 favorites]

That was awesome and I loved the fact that the background dancers are part of the storyline and not just there to be cool(or hot)
posted by Art_Pot at 12:05 PM on February 23 [1 favorite]

This was great!

I was kinda hoping for a big finish (ha) where the musicians would strip down and join in with the bathers, maybe even do an ice plunge. Sauna!
posted by kinnakeet at 2:07 PM on February 23 [3 favorites]

YES

I think they missed an opportunity, kinnakeet

The dial definitely went to 11 and they came shy
posted by ginger.beef at 2:27 PM on February 23 [2 favorites]

I'm gonna get in my sauna later tonight!
posted by vrakatar at 4:50 PM on February 23 [3 favorites]

this is reparations for what sweden did to k?rij?? in 2023
posted by i used to be someone else at 8:31 PM on February 23 [2 favorites]

I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting the bucket hats.
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:39 AM on February 24 [4 favorites]

The song is actually called Bara Bada Bastu (which Google translates as Just Bathe Sauna, which is literally correct but sounds off to me), and it has been running in my brain pretty much nonstop since I first heard it on Saturday night. I knew they would be voted straight to the final. There is always at least one wacky group embraced by the public.
posted by Bella Donna at 8:37 AM on February 24 [1 favorite]

It does have a general "Rock Me Amadeus" vibe to it.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:11 AM on February 24 [2 favorites]

Here's hoping it wins today in Mello, but also that Kaj continues to have fun with it! This song has really has brightened my day lately and has made me want to get a sauna to melt away the stress.
posted by Art_Pot at 9:59 AM on March 8 [2 favorites]

Yes! They won and will be competing in eurovision! Will be interesting to see how/if they change the staging.
posted by Art_Pot at 1:09 PM on March 8 [2 favorites]

I somehow missed this post back when it was made. Bara Bada Bastu has absolutely taken over my brain, in a good way. Here in Finland people are very excited about KAJ. As someone said on Bluesky, and I paraphrase, "when I was a kid I never in a million years would've expected to see a Finnish song triumph at Eurovision¡­ the idea that Finnish song would win at Melodifestivalen was even less thinkable."

If you're curious to know more about the context for its win at Melodifestivalen, YouTuber ESC Gabe has a good breakdown where he explains how much of a change this is for Sweden, and how the Swedish pop establishment had a minor freakout about them winning.

It isn't mentioned in the video, but apparently this is the first Swedish-language Eurovision entry since Pernilla sang N?r Jag Blundar in 2012¡­ representing Finland.
posted by Kattullus at 2:28 AM on March 19 [2 favorites]