Eurovision 2009 - Number 27 - Janita - "Martian"
2009 was a pivotal year in the life of Janita. She is Janita Maria née Raukko. She'd learned to sing before talking and had begun playing the piano at the age of three. When she was thirteen she met Tomi Ervi also called Tomi Sachary, the co-writer of this song. He became her manager and she had a few hits in Finland in the mid 1990s as well as two albums, and all before she was seventeen. She also took part in the 1994 edition of Euroviisut at the age of sixteen.
At seventeen Tomi whisked her off to New York to try to break America. And she did. She moved more into the jazz and soul areas of music, although still keeping some pop elements. She released a cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence.
By the time of her appearance at Euroviisut, she'd released six albums both in Finland and the USA. She was resident in New York, and she's also just got divorced from Tomi Ervi. She'd married her manager four years previously, but now they were separated. Tomi had been thirty when he met the thirteen year old Janita. Now she was on stage, on TV, having cut her long hair short.
Despite the divorce, Janita and Tomi continued to work together as song-writers. This was their first post-divorce single Martian and it's important to note that although the song is co-written, the lyrics are all from Janita. It's a low key rock song about a journey into life. Looking ahead and into the unknown and not backwards. It's a song about dramatic changes and about not wanting to be yourself, and about looking at yourself with fresh eyes.
She discards her boa just as she's telling us that she hates what she is right now. Given her image to this point has been one of a sexualised, blonde singer - this is a moment of dramatic realisation captured in song and on camera.
It unfortunately didn't make an impression on a Finnish public who would have been expecting the older Janita they were used to. This change of direction was a surprise and it reflected in the televote. She didn't get through the heat or the second chance round, and Janita was eliminated at the first hurdle.
Shortly after this, Janita started blogging. She started to listen to new types of music and read new things. Her image became increasingly androgynous. Reading her blog from 2010, it's clear that Janita was going through momentous changes in her life at that time. Her first post-Tomi album is Haunted, released in 2010 and clearly shows her change of direction - to become more authentically the person she wants to be.
She's released two more albums since then with another due this year. There have been several singles. She became an American citizen in 2013 and has stood up for musician's rights, especially in getting musicians their dues from airplay and streaming.
From her forthcoming album, this is the single I Want You I Warn You. It's a bit good.
