Käärijä

Käärijä studied at Simonkallio school and Peltola school. The recorded working language is Finnish and English. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are pop rap, electronic music, synth-pop and rap metal. Residence is recorded at Ruskeasanta. Works named in the authority record are Cha Cha Cha and It’s Crazy It’s Party. Distinctions recorded are MTV Europe Music Award for Best Nordic Act.

• Name — Käärijä • Birth Name — Jere Mikael Pöyhönen • Born — 21 October 1993 • Birthplace — Helsinki, Finland • Origin — Vantaa, Finland • Genre — * Pop rap • electronic • synth-pop • rap metal • punk rap • Occupation — * Rapper • singer • songwriter • Instrument — Vocals • Years Active — 2016–present • Label — * Monsp • Warner Music Finland

Pöyhönen grew up in the Ruskeasanta neighbourhood of Vantaa, Greater Helsinki, as the son of Mikko and Arja Pöyhönen. 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, "make a fast buck". 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". The following year, he released an extended play, titled Peliä. In 2020, his debut album Fantastista was released. 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. His entry "Cha Cha Cha" was co-written with Aleksi Nurmi and Johannes Naukkarinen, and was released on 18 January 2023. 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. • Illustration — 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. 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 Senate Square with Käärijä signs and stages. With the release, Finland became the first country in the world whose capital city has a photorealistic twin in Fortnite. Käärijä was nominated at the 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards in the Best Nordic Act category, which he went on to win. He released his second studio album, entitled People's Champion, on 1 November 2024. In 2026 he collaborated with Basshunter on "Ja eller nej". It debuted at number 12 on the Finnish singles chart. On 23 May 2026, after his concert in Veikkaus Arena, he announced his third studio album, entitled Eurodisko, which will be released on 2 October 2026.

In Malmö 2024, Käärijä appeared during the voting session of the 2nd Semi-Final and made a playthrough of a small portion of the single "Cha Cha Cha" after a performance of Ievan polkka. He was also set to read the votes from the Finnish Jury, but withdrew on the day of the Grand Final without stating a reason; a few days later it was confirmed he withdrew due to the disqualification of Dutch entrant Joost Klein earlier that day. In Basel 2025, Käärijä made an appearance during the interval session of the Grand Final, alongside 2024 runner-up Baby Lasagna, who had represented Croatia in Malmö. On stage, the two went head-to-head alongside various background dancers, with Käärijä performing "Cha Cha Cha" and Baby Lasagna performing "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" in a setup reminiscent of a fighting game with healthbars. After both songs completed in a mashup, the two performed their new single "#eurodab", which had been released after the 2nd Semi-Final two days prior. At the end of the performance, Käärijä briefly mentioned Joost Klein's "Europapa", which had represented the Netherlands in Malmö the previous year prior to disqualification. Additionally, Baby Lasagna wore a suit with the same color as Joost wore during his disqualified performance, and he styled his hair the same way as Joost did the previous year.

• Illustration — Käärijä in 2021 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. Pöyhönen used to play ice hockey from 2009 to 2013, before he started his musical career.

• Title — Details — Peak chart positions • FIN • Fantastista — * Released: 7 February 2020 * Label: Warner Music Finland, Monsp * Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming — 4 • People's Champion — * Released: 1 November 2024 * Label: Warner Music Finland * Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming — 2

• Title — Details — Peak chart positions • FIN • Peliä — * Released: 27 July 2018 * Label: Warner Music Finland, Monsp * Formats: Digital download, streaming — 22 • Cha Cha Cha Mixtape — * Released: 12 May 2023 * Label: Warner Music Finland, Monsp * Formats: Digital download, streaming, CD, LP — 2 • Boyband (with Joost Klein and Tommy Cash) — * Released: 11 May 2026 * Label: Self-released * Formats: Digital download, streaming — —

• Title — Year — Peak chart positions — Album or EP • FIN — IRE — ICE — LTU — NLD — NOR — SWE — UK — WW • "Heila" (featuring Urho Ghettonen) — 2016 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — rowspan="7" • "Urheilujätkä" (featuring Jeskiedes) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Puun takaa" — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Tuuliviiri" — 2017 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Ajoa" — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Koppi tules" — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Nou Roblem" — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Klo23" — 2018 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Peliä • "Puuta heinää" — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Viulunkieli" — 30 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Fantastista • "Rock Rock" — 2019 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Hirttää kiinni" — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Mic mac" — 44 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Paidaton riehuja" — 2020 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — rowspan="3" • "Menestynyt yksilö" — 2021 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Siitä viis" — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Välikuolema" — 2022 — 19 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Cha Cha Cha Mixtape • "Cha Cha Cha" — 2023 — 1 — 7 — 2 — 1 — 13 — 3 — 1 — 6 — 27 • "It's Crazy, It's Party" (featuring Tommy Cash) — 4 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — People's Champion • "Huhhahhei" — 5 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Ruoska" (with Erika Vikman) — 2024 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Kot Kot" — 8 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Trafik!" (with Joost Klein) — 5 — — — — — 60 — 84 — — — — — — — — • "Sex = Money" — 15 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — People's Champion • "Autiomaa" — 23 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "San Francisco Boy" (with Hooja) — 2025 — 8 — — — — — — — — — — — 5 — — — — • "Kaistaa" (with Bess) — 4 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Ultravioletti • "#Eurodab" (with Baby Lasagna) — 7 — — — — — 92 — — — — — 93 — — — — • "Raveyard" (with Lord of the Lost) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Opvs Noir Vol. 2 • "Yhtä en saa" — 42 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Vain elämää kausi 16 • "Moottoritie on kuuma" — 24 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Hyväuskoinen" — 29 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Aamuun asti" — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Vantaalainen" — 6 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Menoo (Get On)" — 49 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Disko Balls" — 17 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — rowspan="3" • "Ja eller nej" (with Basshunter) — 2026 — 12 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Booty Call" (with Sanni) — 25 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.