Hanna Pakarinen
Encyclopedia
Hanna Helena Pakarinen is a Finnish pop and pop-rock singer who rose to fame as the winner of the first series
of the Finnish singing competition Idols
in 2004. Since then she has also participated in the Eurovision Song Contest
in 2007, and has sold over 91,000 certified records in Finland, which places her among the top 50 best-selling female soloists in her home country.
, South Karelia
(though she now resides in Helsinki
she still proudly speaks the local dialect of the region). Throughout her early twenties she worked as a forklift driver, an unusual occupation for a female, and was part of a local Finnish band named Rained.
in the country's capital, Helsinki. Her powerful and emotion-filled vocals impressed the panel of judges and she was unanimously passed through to the next round of the contest, before making it through to the live finals. From the outset of the live shows, Pakarinen was considered a hot favourite to win. She received consistent high praise from the judges, and on one occasion she was even hugged by one of them. On numerous occasions they described her as, "the first real singer in the competition".
On January 3, 2004, Pakarinen secured a place in the top two grand finale of the contest, alongside Jani Wickholm
. During the finale, broadcast a week later on January 9, Pakarinen performed Tina Turner
's The Best
, the Bangles' Eternal Flame
and the coronation song made especially for the Idols winner, Tulin Voittamaan ("I Came to Win"). She also made an English version of the song titled Love is Like a Song. Later that night, it was announced that Pakarinen had secured 60% (or 413,000) of the viewers' votes, thereby defeating runner-up Jani Wickholm
, who had received 40% (or 282,000) of the public vote. Pakarinen was crowned as the first Finnish Idol and was given an advanced payment of €30,000, along with a recording contract with Sony BMG.
was released in June 2004, five months after her win on Idols, and debuted at number two on the Finnish albums chart. Although it held the number two spot for a total of five weeks and stayed within the top five for ten weeks, the album did not manage to reach the number one position. However, it was still a huge success and was certified platinum for the sale of over 52,000 copies in Finland. Although a second single was not released commercially from the album, the songs "Fearless", "How Can I Miss You" and the title track "When I Become Me" were released as promotional singles in order to support the album, with "How Can I Miss You" becoming Pakarinen's first music video. Pakarinen also embarked on her first nationwide tour as a recording artist named the When I Become Me Tour, which received excellent reviews and sold out at every venue.
. The song debuted and peaked at number four on the Finnish singles chart, and when the album was released in September, it (like her first album) debuted and peaked at number two. Stronger
was not as successful as her first album, falling to number ten within its first three weeks, however it still managed to sell almoat 17,000 copies and was certified gold. The songs "Stronger Without You" and "Damn You" were chosen as promotional singles, the first of which was accompanied by a music video. To further support the album, Pakarinen travelled across Finland on her Stronger Tour, performing many songs from the new album as well as several from her previous record.
, the third album was released on February 14, it debuted at number three on the chart. Although it placed lower than her previous record, Lovers
went on to become much more critically successful and spent over twice as many weeks on the albums chart. It was certified gold and sold 16,000 copies in Finland. The album also marked Pakarinen's personal debut as a songwriter. She is credited on six of the album's eleven original tracks.
On February 17, 2007, it was announced that Pakarinen had been chosen to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest
in Helsinki with the song "Leave Me Alone
", the first commercial single from her new album and her third commercial single overall. During the live finals, the song received 53 points and finished in 17th place. However, the contest allowed Pakarinen to gain a much wider European audience, and "Leave Me Alone" and its music video became very popular, especially in Sweden. Here, the song topped the radio chart for three consecutive weeks and peaked at number eight on the Swedish singles chart. In the UK, the song charted at number one-hundred-and-twenty-two on downloads. Back home in Finland, the song peaked at number eleven.
Following the Eurovision Song Contest, Pakarinen returned to her music and embarked upon her Lovers Tour, again playing to sell-out audiences and receiving rave reviews for her powerful voice and stunning stage performances. On October 17, 2007, she appeared on the soundtrack of the Finnish movie Musta Jää. Pakarinen sang the title song "Black Ice", for which she made a music video to promote the movie.
, the title of which was announced true her official Myspace. After almost two years since the appearance of her third album, Love In A Million Shades
was released on January 14, 2009. Having taken a creative step away from the rock-image of her previous album Lovers
, Love In A Million Shades debuted and peaked at number 7 on the Finnish albums chart, her first release to peak outside the top three. The second single, "Shout It Out Loud" however, peaked at number 2 on the singles chart, her highest position since her debut, "Love Is Like A Song". The album sold 7,000 copies and was the first album by Pakarinen not to be certified. However, her record label Sony BMG stated that the drop in sales was expected due to the growing digital age throughout the world, before going on to say they believed Pakarinen's career could easily last well over another decade. The title-track, "Love In A Million Shades" was also released as the second single in late February and was accompanied by a music video, her first since "Black Ice" over a year earlier. In mid-2009 Pakarinen completed her fourth national tour, supporting her fourth studio album. Unlike her previous tours however, the Love In A Million Shades Tour played small, intimate venues.
Idols (Finland)
Idols is a Finnish reality-television singing competition that airs on MTV3 . It debuted in the summer of 2003, and went on to become one of the most popular shows on Finnish television...
of the Finnish singing competition Idols
Idols (Finland)
Idols is a Finnish reality-television singing competition that airs on MTV3 . It debuted in the summer of 2003, and went on to become one of the most popular shows on Finnish television...
in 2004. Since then she has also participated in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
in 2007, and has sold over 91,000 certified records in Finland, which places her among the top 50 best-selling female soloists in her home country.
Early life
Hanna was born in LappeenrantaLappeenranta
Lappeenranta is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately inhabitants Lappeenranta is the largest city in Finland...
, South Karelia
South Karelia
South Karelia is a region of Finland. It borders to the regions of Kymenlaakso, Southern Savonia, North Karelia and to Russia. The term "South Karelia" might also be used to refer to the southern parts of the entire Karelia — the Region of South Karelia is termed "South" because it is the...
(though she now resides in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
she still proudly speaks the local dialect of the region). Throughout her early twenties she worked as a forklift driver, an unusual occupation for a female, and was part of a local Finnish band named Rained.
Idols Series 1
In the summer of 2003, a twenty-three-year-old Pakarinen auditioned for the inaugural season of the Finnish singing competition IdolsIdols (Finland)
Idols is a Finnish reality-television singing competition that airs on MTV3 . It debuted in the summer of 2003, and went on to become one of the most popular shows on Finnish television...
in the country's capital, Helsinki. Her powerful and emotion-filled vocals impressed the panel of judges and she was unanimously passed through to the next round of the contest, before making it through to the live finals. From the outset of the live shows, Pakarinen was considered a hot favourite to win. She received consistent high praise from the judges, and on one occasion she was even hugged by one of them. On numerous occasions they described her as, "the first real singer in the competition".
On January 3, 2004, Pakarinen secured a place in the top two grand finale of the contest, alongside Jani Wickholm
Jani Wickholm
Jani Wickholm is a Finnish pop/rock singer. He came in second place on the Finnish MTV3 show Finnish Idols in 2003 after Hanna Pakarinen. Both Wickholm and Pakarinen had previously worked as truck-drivers....
. During the finale, broadcast a week later on January 9, Pakarinen performed Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
's The Best
The Best (song)
"The Best" is a song written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight, originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler on her 1988 release Hide Your Heart, in reference to Tom Mason. The single reached reaching #10 in Norway and Portugal, #34 in Spain and #95 in the UK....
, the Bangles' Eternal Flame
Eternal Flame (song)
"Eternal Flame" is a song by The Bangles from their 1988 album Everything. It became a hit single, when released in 1989, peaking at number one in the charts in nine countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was written by popular songwriters Billy Steinberg and...
and the coronation song made especially for the Idols winner, Tulin Voittamaan ("I Came to Win"). She also made an English version of the song titled Love is Like a Song. Later that night, it was announced that Pakarinen had secured 60% (or 413,000) of the viewers' votes, thereby defeating runner-up Jani Wickholm
Jani Wickholm
Jani Wickholm is a Finnish pop/rock singer. He came in second place on the Finnish MTV3 show Finnish Idols in 2003 after Hanna Pakarinen. Both Wickholm and Pakarinen had previously worked as truck-drivers....
, who had received 40% (or 282,000) of the public vote. Pakarinen was crowned as the first Finnish Idol and was given an advanced payment of €30,000, along with a recording contract with Sony BMG.
2004-2005: When I Become Me
Immediately after winning Idols, Pakarinen signed a recording contract with Sony BMG and she released her debut single "Love Is Like A Song", which debuted at number one on the Finnish singles chart, a position it held for four non-consecutive weeks. Her debut album When I Become MeWhen I Become Me (album)
When I Become Me is the debut album by Finnish pop/pop rock singer and season one Idols winner Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on June 9, 2004. "Love Is Like A Song", Pakarinen's number one hit Idols coronation song is featured as a bonus track on the album...
was released in June 2004, five months after her win on Idols, and debuted at number two on the Finnish albums chart. Although it held the number two spot for a total of five weeks and stayed within the top five for ten weeks, the album did not manage to reach the number one position. However, it was still a huge success and was certified platinum for the sale of over 52,000 copies in Finland. Although a second single was not released commercially from the album, the songs "Fearless", "How Can I Miss You" and the title track "When I Become Me" were released as promotional singles in order to support the album, with "How Can I Miss You" becoming Pakarinen's first music video. Pakarinen also embarked on her first nationwide tour as a recording artist named the When I Become Me Tour, which received excellent reviews and sold out at every venue.
2005–2006: Stronger
In the late summer of 2005, Pakarinen returned to the music scene with her second commercial single "Kiss Of Life", which would serve as the first single to be taken from her second album StrongerStronger (Hanna Pakarinen album)
Stronger is the second album by Finnish pop/pop rock singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on September 7, 2005. The album was preceded by the lead single "Kiss Of Life" in August 2005 and followed later in the year by promotional singles "Stronger Without You" and "Damn You"...
. The song debuted and peaked at number four on the Finnish singles chart, and when the album was released in September, it (like her first album) debuted and peaked at number two. Stronger
Stronger (Hanna Pakarinen album)
Stronger is the second album by Finnish pop/pop rock singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on September 7, 2005. The album was preceded by the lead single "Kiss Of Life" in August 2005 and followed later in the year by promotional singles "Stronger Without You" and "Damn You"...
was not as successful as her first album, falling to number ten within its first three weeks, however it still managed to sell almoat 17,000 copies and was certified gold. The songs "Stronger Without You" and "Damn You" were chosen as promotional singles, the first of which was accompanied by a music video. To further support the album, Pakarinen travelled across Finland on her Stronger Tour, performing many songs from the new album as well as several from her previous record.
2007: Lovers and Eurovision
In January 2007, after a short break from the music industry, Pakarinen released the song "Go Go" as a promotional single from her highly anticipated third studio album. The song was accompanied by a music video which became extremely popular, and when LoversLovers (Hanna Pakarinen album)
Lovers is the third studio album by Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on February 14, 2007. It was preceded by the lead single "Go Go" and also includes the singles "Leave Me Alone" and "Hard Luck Woman". "Leave Me Alone" served as Pakarinen's entry song in the 2007...
, the third album was released on February 14, it debuted at number three on the chart. Although it placed lower than her previous record, Lovers
Lovers (Hanna Pakarinen album)
Lovers is the third studio album by Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on February 14, 2007. It was preceded by the lead single "Go Go" and also includes the singles "Leave Me Alone" and "Hard Luck Woman". "Leave Me Alone" served as Pakarinen's entry song in the 2007...
went on to become much more critically successful and spent over twice as many weeks on the albums chart. It was certified gold and sold 16,000 copies in Finland. The album also marked Pakarinen's personal debut as a songwriter. She is credited on six of the album's eleven original tracks.
On February 17, 2007, it was announced that Pakarinen had been chosen to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
in Helsinki with the song "Leave Me Alone
Leave Me Alone (Hanna Pakarinen song)
"Leave Me Alone" is a song by Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen. The song was released as a single from her third album Lovers."Leave Me Alone" was Finnish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. The song was directly qualified for the Final of Eurovision Song Contest in Finland on the 12th of May...
", the first commercial single from her new album and her third commercial single overall. During the live finals, the song received 53 points and finished in 17th place. However, the contest allowed Pakarinen to gain a much wider European audience, and "Leave Me Alone" and its music video became very popular, especially in Sweden. Here, the song topped the radio chart for three consecutive weeks and peaked at number eight on the Swedish singles chart. In the UK, the song charted at number one-hundred-and-twenty-two on downloads. Back home in Finland, the song peaked at number eleven.
Following the Eurovision Song Contest, Pakarinen returned to her music and embarked upon her Lovers Tour, again playing to sell-out audiences and receiving rave reviews for her powerful voice and stunning stage performances. On October 17, 2007, she appeared on the soundtrack of the Finnish movie Musta Jää. Pakarinen sang the title song "Black Ice", for which she made a music video to promote the movie.
2008–present: Love In A Million Shades
Following her highly successful Lovers album, Pakarinen took a break from the music industry in order to write material for her fourth studio album. In late 2008, Pakarien released "Make Believe" as the first single from her upcoming fourth studio album, Love In A Million ShadesLove In A Million Shades
Love In A Million Shades is the fourth studio album by Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on January 14, 2009. It was preceded by the single "Make Believe" and followed by the singles "Shout It Out Loud", "Love In A Million Shades" and "Rescue Me".The album debuted and...
, the title of which was announced true her official Myspace. After almost two years since the appearance of her third album, Love In A Million Shades
Love In A Million Shades
Love In A Million Shades is the fourth studio album by Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on January 14, 2009. It was preceded by the single "Make Believe" and followed by the singles "Shout It Out Loud", "Love In A Million Shades" and "Rescue Me".The album debuted and...
was released on January 14, 2009. Having taken a creative step away from the rock-image of her previous album Lovers
Lovers (Hanna Pakarinen album)
Lovers is the third studio album by Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on February 14, 2007. It was preceded by the lead single "Go Go" and also includes the singles "Leave Me Alone" and "Hard Luck Woman". "Leave Me Alone" served as Pakarinen's entry song in the 2007...
, Love In A Million Shades debuted and peaked at number 7 on the Finnish albums chart, her first release to peak outside the top three. The second single, "Shout It Out Loud" however, peaked at number 2 on the singles chart, her highest position since her debut, "Love Is Like A Song". The album sold 7,000 copies and was the first album by Pakarinen not to be certified. However, her record label Sony BMG stated that the drop in sales was expected due to the growing digital age throughout the world, before going on to say they believed Pakarinen's career could easily last well over another decade. The title-track, "Love In A Million Shades" was also released as the second single in late February and was accompanied by a music video, her first since "Black Ice" over a year earlier. In mid-2009 Pakarinen completed her fourth national tour, supporting her fourth studio album. Unlike her previous tours however, the Love In A Million Shades Tour played small, intimate venues.