My gender pride Finnish music recs!
idk, just Finnish language songs with different vibes about gender for all your pride needs, to finish this month off.
Dilemma and Turvallinen mies (A safe man) is a must on this playlist. In the song, the singer discusses the narrow idea of masculinity they grew up with and the need to grow and rebel against it. Works very well with both his style as a rapper and the more guitar heavy sound of the song. I also love his look in the music video.
Then we have Bämä and Jumala on muija (God is a chick). The song over all discusses gendered expectations and how women are easily the target of harrassment over things men never get called out for. Simultaneously it uses Christian ideas and language to highlight the hypocrisy. Aren’t women too made in the image of God? The highlight of the song is spoken word bridge, performed by Marja-Sisko Aalto, Finland’s first openly transgender priest when she came out in 2008 while in position as the Vicar of Imatra. Such a good feature for the song, and the lyrics are amazing.
Ibe also gets to be in this list with Lohikäärme (Dragon). It is, admittedly, a really queer song. That was my first impression of it. It discusses the pretenses of fitting in, feeling like an outsider, trying to discover yourself and more importantly, trying to accept yourself in a world that doesn’t accept you. Simultaneously it holds quite many mundane descriptions of masculinity.
Ooppera (Chef's kiss) by Senya goes here as well. Over all the Crash out album is a crash out, showing the highest highs and lowest lows and the rapid swing between them. Particularly enjoy this take on a glow up and finding your way, with the singer describing an idealized version of themself and finding their way to it, going from "a completely different guy" to the trap queen she calls Cece. Over all, Senya had a very different way of describing her femininity, that is more in line with the expectation of a tough guy rapper, without ever compromising on being a woman and a very girly one at that at times.
Next, I’d say Veronica by Emma & Matilda. There is something deeply difficult about wishing you were that woman. Wishing you were effortlessly feminine, that no one ever doubted you, that your life could be the dream you see others living.
One that always makes me feel a bit queer about my gender and life is Tavikset (normies) by Happoradio. The song is about what normal people are supposed to want and expected to get in their lives, while the singer considerd their own mixed feelings on achieving these things. The song manages to hit the nail on the head of wanting normal, yet feeling out if place within it.
I’ll finish this list off with Jussi by Mikael Laurent feat. Jaakko Kulta. The song is about the expectations other people have of you, the characterisation they have of you and character they make you out to be. There are so many people that can be considered the norm in one way or another, yet the singer doesn’t find themselves able to be it, even when outside pressures would encourage it. It concluded with the singer casually apologising for not being that everyman, rather being a bit wilder and immature, though the song does not give off the impression of regret over any of it, simply some wistfullness.