Fact Check: "Käärijä won Eurovision 2023"
What We Know
Käärijä, a Finnish rapper and singer, represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with his song "Cha Cha Cha." He won the Finnish national selection competition, Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023, with a total of 539 points, which included 467 points from the public televote and 72 points from the jury votes (Käärijä - Wikipedia, Cha Cha Cha (Käärijä song)). During the Eurovision final, Käärijä topped the public vote with 376 points but ultimately finished in second place overall with a total of 526 points, losing to Sweden's Loreen, who won with her song "Tattoo" (Eurovision 2023: Sweden's Loreen Tops Finland's Käärijä, Eurovision 2023 Finland: Käärijä - "Cha Cha Cha").
Analysis
The claim that "Käärijä won Eurovision 2023" is misleading. While Käärijä did achieve significant popularity and success during the contest, including topping the public vote, he did not win the overall competition. Loreen from Sweden was declared the winner, marking her second victory at Eurovision (Eurovision 2023: Sweden's Loreen Tops Finland's Käärijä). The distinction between winning the national selection and the international contest is crucial; Käärijä won the right to represent Finland but did not secure the top spot at Eurovision itself.
The sources used to verify this information are credible and well-established, including Wikipedia and various Eurovision-focused websites. They provide a clear account of the events, detailing both Käärijä's achievements and the final results of the contest (Käärijä - Wikipedia, Cha Cha Cha (Käärijä song), Eurovision 2023 Finland: Käärijä - "Cha Cha Cha"). Therefore, the claim can be evaluated as inaccurate based on the documented outcomes of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
Conclusion
Verdict: False
The claim that "Käärijä won Eurovision 2023" is false. Although he performed exceptionally well and finished first in the public vote, he ultimately placed second overall, with Loreen from Sweden taking the title. This distinction is essential in understanding the results of the competition.
Sources
- Käärijä - Wikipedia
- Cha Cha Cha (Käärijä song)
- Here are the full results of #ESC250 by Songfestival.be: Käärijä
- Eurovision 2023 Finland: Käärijä - "Cha Cha Cha"
- Eurovision 2023: Sweden's Loreen Tops Finland's Käärijä
- Käärijä wins UMK and will represent Finland Eurovision 2023
- Finland: Käärijä wins UMK 2023 – To Eurovision with "Cha ..."
- Käärijä receives the ESCBubble Eurovision 2023 trophy!