On February 10, the grand final of UMK 2024 took place, and although Windows95man wasn’t among the favorites, having been placed last by the international jury with about 28 points, thanks to the Finnish public who awarded him 285 points with 72,651 votes, he ultimately managed to clinch victory with a total of 313 points.
Windows95man won accompanied by singer Henri Piispanen, performing the song “No Rules!” Below, you can learn details and curiosities about his professional and personal life.
EBU confirmed whether the presence and name of the character Windows95man at Eurovision 2024 will remain the same (Yle believes that no changes will be necessary).
Who is Windows95man?
Teemu Keisteri, known artistically as Windows95man, was born in 1985 and is from Espoo, though he resides in Helsinki. While in his personal life he is a shy family man, in his professional life, he is a visual artist, radio host, dancer, model, animator, and DJ, especially known for creating iconic characters. He is an admirer of Prince and feels nostalgic for the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. He primarily loves Italo disco, new wave, and synth-pop from the 80s, rave, eurodance, hard trance from the 90s, and eurobeat from the 2000s.
In his early days, Keisteri posted homemade videos on YouTube, which went viral worldwide. Some of his videos even appeared in an advertisement during an NHL (National Hockey League) ice hockey game. He once worked as a chat show host on the MTV3 channel.
Windows95man will be accompanied on the stage in Malmö by vocalist Henri Piispanen, 29 years old and born in Helsinki in 1994. He is a voice actor, singer, and presenter. He has been involved in the entertainment world since childhood, with his first voice acting role at the age of 4. Over the years, he has voiced characters such as Lewis in “Meet the Robinsons,” Hiro Hamada in “Big Hero 6,” Chase in “Paw Patrol,” and Lloyd Garmadon in “Ninjago.”
He is a singer and multi-instrumentalist in the Finnish pop-rock band “Pasa,” where he has released up to three studio albums. He is also a singer and keyboardist in “Kontio Polaris,” an alternative rock band.
“No Rules!” the Finnish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024
Teemu Keisteri, or better known as Windows95man, and Henri Piispanen came together by chance. The CEO of the concert sales company Allday, Jussi Roine, had the idea to create a song for Windows95man. Work on the song began during the pandemic in 2020.
Jussi is good friends with Henri, and after composing the song in the shower, he asked Henri to produce it. Keisteri immediately fell in love with the song upon hearing it. Initially, Henri adamantly refused to sing the song, but they had to send a demo, and his voice was on it. Finally, after the song was chosen to participate in UMK 2024, both became excited and hopeful.
Additionally, Keisteri explained that it was difficult to find someone who could sing the technically challenging chorus demanded by the song, and Henri was the only one who managed to reach the high range required.
“No Rules!” is a motto that Keisteri has always applied throughout his artistic career and adulthood. It encourages you to forget how you should dress, look, love, or behave according to the norms set by society. It’s about not letting others define who you are.
In my opinion, all Finns are a little crazy at heart, and I wanted to highlight that trait more. Now I can also present my music to a wider audience and spread the good news of the song “No Rules!”.
Teemi Keisteri
“No Rules!” is an electronic, danceable, and fun song that draws inspiration from the eurodance style of the 90s. The idea of both artists is to spread joy with their performance.
Lyrics of «No Rules!»
Welcome. My name is Windows… Windows95man
And I only live by one rule, and the rule is… NO RULES!
(No rules…)
Silence, I say
This is my time – my stage
Call me what you may, see if I care
See me slay!
Is there something wrong with the way I look?
Is there something wrong with who I am?
If I’m not alright
Tell me why do I
Feel so beautiful tonight, NO RULES!
It’s how I live
How I find the wind beneath my wings
It’s how I learn to fly, NO RULES!
In the heat of the night
In the thrill of the fight
I don’t even care what’s wrong or right
It’s how I live my life, NO RULES!
Quiet as I speak
I am the king – I am the queen
And you all gonna be free
Forget the rules and scream!
Is there something wrong with the way I look?
Is there something wrong with who I am?
If I’m not alright
Tell me why do I
Feel so beautiful tonight, NO RULES!
It’s how I live
How I find the wind beneath my wings
It’s how I learn to fly, NO RULES!
In the heat of the night
In the thrill of the fight
I don’t even care what’s wrong or right
It’s how I live my life, NO RULES!
It’s how I live
How I find the wind beneath my wings
It’s how I learn to fly
(Make some noise, let’s go!)
In the heat of the night
In the thrill of the fight
I don’t even care what’s wrong or right
It’s how I live my life, NO RULES!
It’s how I live
How I find the wind beneath my wings
It’s how I learn to fly
(Come on!), NO RULES!
In the heat of the night
In the thrill of the fight
I don’t even care what’s wrong or right
It’s how I live my life, NO RULES!
Finland’s participation in Eurovision
Finland has been participating in Eurovision since 1961, amassing a total of 58 appearances throughout history. With just one victory, achieved by Lordi and their legendary “Hard Rock Hallelujah,” it’s one of the Nordic countries with a more modest record, as they have only managed to place in the Top 5 on two occasions in their history, with Lordi’s victory and Käärijä’s second place. They have also reached sixth position twice with Blind Channel in 2021 and Marion Ruig with “Tom, Tom, Tom” in 1973.
Despite reaching the final on several occasions, Finland has had an inconsistent performance in the festival, often occupying the lower positions in the final standings. In fact, they have only managed to qualify for the final ten times after their victory.
Finland’s victory in Eurovision brought together thousands of people in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, who honked their car horns, waved flags, and sang Lordi’s song. It was a moment of celebration for a country that had never come close to winning the contest.
In 2023, Käärijä achieved a second place with their song “Cha cha cha,” which became the most voted song by the public.
This year, Windows95man will try to improve Finland’s last position and bring the crystal microphone back home once again.