KAJ ( , ) is a Finnish Swedish-speaking music and comedy group from Vörå in Ostrobothnia,
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. The group is part of the
Finland-Swedish
Finland Swedish or Fenno-Swedish (; ) is a Variety (linguistics), variety of the Swedish language and a closely related group of Swedish dialects spoken in Finland by the Swedish-speaking population of Finland, Swedish-speaking population, common ...
cultural sphere and primarily performs in Swedish with lyrics in the Vörå dialect. The group consists of Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman, and Jakob Norrgård, whose first name initials form the band's name.
KAJ's music spans multiple genres, including pop (K/J-Pop, latin), rock, rap, opera, disco, and schlager, often incorporating humour and satire. The group also has a satirical
rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
in Vörå, where they became close friends. Later, Axel met Kevin Holmström at a
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
track in Röukas, Vörå, where they helped push Axel's stalled
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational mobility manufacturer headquartered in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka. It manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a va ...
out of the woods. Kevin and Jakob met at a school disco in Maxmo, as they both had Axel as a mutual friend.
The trio later attended the same school, strengthening their friendship, and eventually formed KAJ in 2009.
Musicals and awards
KAJ has produced two musicals at Wasa Theatre: '' Gambämark'' (2018) and ''Botnia Paradise'' (2021).
In 2013, KAJ were the recipients of the inaugural prize awarded by . That same year, their song "" won the award for Best Amateur Production in Film/TV/Video at the Finland-Swedish Nöjesgalan. In 2014, KAJ were awarded the Svenska Natten medal for their promotion of
Finland Swedish
Finland Swedish or Fenno-Swedish (; ) is a Variety (linguistics), variety of the Swedish language and a closely related group of Swedish dialects spoken in Finland by the Swedish-speaking population of Finland, Swedish-speaking population, common ...
dialects. In 2015, the group was awarded the title of Honorable Ostrobothnians of the Year. In 2021, KAJ won the Ostrobothnian distinction for Rural Face of the Year, awarded by and . Following their win, KAJ were named the 2025 Sauna Promoter of the Year () by , which is set to be awarded on 14 June.
Chart performance
On 16 March 2025, KAJ's song "Bara bada bastu" reached number one on the Swedish radio chart
Svensktoppen
''Svensktoppen'' () is a weekly record chart airing on Sveriges Radio. Until January 2003, the songs had to be in the Swedish language. Svensktoppen has aired since 1962, except for the years 1982–1985. In the years leading up to the January 20 ...
with 192 points, marking the group's first time topping the chart. The song also topped Digilistan on 22 March 2025, after three weeks on the chart, climbing from second place the previous week. The song also topped
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
Basel
Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
, Switzerland. The entry was the first entry sung in Swedish sent by Sweden since 1998. The last time an entry was sung in Swedish at the Eurovision Song Contest was in 2012, with Finland-Swedish singer Pernilla Karlsson representing
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
with " När jag blundar". Before their performance, there was speculation that KAJ would have to change some of their lyrics according to Eurovision rules, because using the Finnish expletive '' perkele'' was prohibited. However, when the group performed in the first Eurovision semi-final on 13 May 2025, the lyrics were unaltered, with Kevin Holmström singing "perkele" in his verse.
Following their performance in the first semi-final, KAJ qualified to the grand final on 17 May, where they were placed fourth (out of 26 entries) with 321 points.
Band members
The members of KAJ were born in three different municipalities which have since merged to form Vörå.
* (, born 12December 1993) – vocals, guitar and other instruments. From Komossa in the former municipality of Oravais. Studied sound production and design for film and TV at Arcada University of Applied Sciences. Lives in the Kallio district of
Helsinki
Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
with his wife. His cousins are cross-country skier Matias Strandvall and former professional footballer Sebastian Strandvall. He is nicknamed 'Big Kev' after the Australian businessman due to the fact he regularly exclaims 'I'm excited!'. The nickname was decided after a poll on KAJ's socials.
* (, born 6February 1993) – vocals, bass, violin, saxophone and other instruments. From Palvis in the former municipality of Old Vörå. Is also a writer of short stories, children's books, and novels, having published four works since 2020. Placed third in the 2017 for Finland-Swedish authors organised by Svenska folkskolans vänner. Studied journalism at the
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki (, ; UH) is a public university in Helsinki, Finland. The university was founded in Turku in 1640 as the Royal Academy of Åbo under the Swedish Empire, and moved to Helsinki in 1828 under the sponsorship of Alexander ...
's and worked as a journalist for . Lives in
Vaasa
Vaasa (; , ), formerly (1855-1917) known as Nikolaistad (; ), Nicknamed 'Mr. International'.
* (, born 22March 1993) – vocals and melodica. From the former municipality of Maxmo. Studied photography and editing for film and TV at Arcada University of Applied Sciences. Was a radio presenter for Yle X3M in 2017. Lives in Helsinki with his fiancée. Nicknamed 'Schakob' after a skit with SVT, whereby Jakob humorously mimicked the British pronunciation of his name.
The significance of dialect and language to the group
KAJ considers humour, rather than dialect, to be the central element of their creative work. They emphasise linguistic playfulness and relatability as key components in their performances.
Although not an explicit aim from the outset, the group has frequently been regarded as informal ambassadors for
Finland-Swedish
Finland Swedish or Fenno-Swedish (; ) is a Variety (linguistics), variety of the Swedish language and a closely related group of Swedish dialects spoken in Finland by the Swedish-speaking population of Finland, Swedish-speaking population, common ...
dialects. They have expressed that they do not reject this role. According to the group, dialects in Swedish-speaking Finland remain relatively robust, although regional distinctions — particularly within Ostrobothnia — have become less pronounced over time. Axel Åhman has noted that it was once common for older generations to criticise deviations in pronunciation, even between neighbouring communities, a practice that has largely faded.
The group has confirmed that they tend to adjust their speech when performing in Sweden, describing their usual variety as a "rougher Finland-Swedish dialect," which they acknowledge may be difficult to understand for those unfamiliar with it.
Dialect is regarded by the members as their native and most natural form of expression, used both in performance and in private communication, provided it does not hinder mutual understanding.
Among audiences in their native Ostrobothnia, the use of dialect was initially a distinctive and notable aspect of the group's identity. However, over time, the focus of audience attention has shifted more towards the group's humour. A similar pattern was observed when KAJ began performing in the Nyland () region, where the dialect initially drew attention but eventually became secondary to the comedic content.
The group is known for its playful approach to language. Following their rise in popularity in southern Finland through the viral success of "", the group was invited by the radio station Yle X3M to attempt mimicking dialects from Nyland. According to the editors, KAJ performed the task successfully, with the result described as "in any case, much better than when someone from Nyland tries to imitate an Ostrobothnian dialect."
The group's relationship with the Finnish language
KAJ's relationship with the
Finnish language
Finnish (endonym: or ) is a Finnic languages, Finnic language of the Uralic languages, Uralic language family, spoken by the majority of the population in Finland and by ethnic Finns outside of Finland. Finnish is one of the two official langu ...
has been described by the group members as marked by a mix of apprehension and goodwill. Their victory in Melodifestivalen 2025 led to broader recognition within Finnish-speaking Finland, where they had previously received limited attention. As a result, the group began appearing in Finnish-language media and conducting interviews in Finnish. In an interview with the Finnish public broadcaster Yle in February 2025, the members expressed nervousness about speaking Finnish but emphasised the importance of enabling Finnish-speaking audiences to engage with the group's activities and share in the celebratory atmosphere.
The group has, with characteristic self-irony, referred to their own use of Finnish as ("rally Finnish"). The term is a play on rally English, a humorous expression referring to heavily accented, grammatically simplified English, often associated with Finnish rally drivers and, more recently, the Eurovision performer Käärijä.
In March 2025, the
Institute for the Languages of Finland
The Institute for the Languages of Finland, better known as Kotus, is a governmental linguistic research institute of Finland geared to studies of Finnish, Swedish (cf. Finland Swedish), the Sami languages, Romani language, as well as Finnish ...
(Kotus) selected as the Finnish "Word of the Month," highlighting KAJ's use of Finnish as a positive example of practical language application. According to the institute, it is more important to utilise one's language skills than to aim for flawless speech. Kotus director Leena Nissilä had addressed this perspective in a 2023 blog post, where she encouraged speakers to take pride in the courage it takes to use a developing second language and to overcome language-related shame.
Music videos and performances
The group KAJ has produced music spanning a wide range of genres. They have often created unique music videos and occasionally released filmed live performances. Several of their videos have surpassed one million views on YouTube.
Heimani i skick
In May 2013, KAJ released the song Heimani i skick. After completing their conscription service, the group contemplated how to gain airtime not only on the adult-oriented Radio Vega but also on the youth station Yle X3M, despite performing in dialect and using acoustic instrumentation. This led them to invent their own genre, "pipp pop"—a form of
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
that humorously centers around themes of intimacy, derived from the Swedish dialect word '' pippa''. The term "heimani i skick" refers to the sense of security provided by well-maintained property, a concept associated with the attractiveness of Ostrobothnian men.
The song earned them the award for Best Amateur Production in film/TV/video at the first Finland-Swedish entertainment gala in 2013.
Jåo nåo e ja jåo YOLO ja nåo
In July 2014, KAJ released a
Finland-Swedish
Finland Swedish or Fenno-Swedish (; ) is a Variety (linguistics), variety of the Swedish language and a closely related group of Swedish dialects spoken in Finland by the Swedish-speaking population of Finland, Swedish-speaking population, common ...
summer hit with the single Jåo nåo e ja jåo yolo ja nåo. The lyrics depict a man from Pensala, a small town in
Nykarleby
Nykarleby (; , ) is a town in Finland, located on the west coast of the country. The town is situated in Ostrobothnia (administrative region), Ostrobothnia, along the Gulf of Bothnia. The population is approximately , while the Jakobstad sub-re ...
, Finland, experiencing a midlife crisis and going out to test his appeal on the market. The title is a tongue-twister roughly translating to "Sure, I guess I'm YOLO, yeah."
The techno-style track with rap elements became the group's breakthrough across Swedish-speaking Finland.
Pa to ta na kako?
With Pa to ta na kako? ("Do you usually eat cake?") in July 2015, KAJ introduced the genre "KAJpop", a fusion of
J-pop
J-pop (often stylized in all caps; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in trad ...
and
K-pop
K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...
according to the group. The song was produced in collaboration with , a Finnish music producer with success in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
The theme centers around a grandmother who insistently offers her grandchildren food until they become nauseated, while the grandfather doubles the
defibrillator
Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach). Defibrillation delivers a dose of electric current (often called a ''count ...
speed. In the music video, the band performs on a rotating stage inside a
microwave
Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than other radio waves but longer than infrared waves. Its wavelength ranges from about one meter to one millimeter, corresponding to frequency, frequencies between 300&n ...
, with dyed hair—blue (Kevin Holmström), pink (Axel Åhman), and platinum blonde (Jakob Norrgård).
Cultural editor Patrik Back of Vasabladet ranked the song as KAJ's best ahead of their Melodifestivalen 2025 appearance.
Kom ti byin
The song Kom ti byin celebrates rural village life, highlighting the group's own hometowns: Maxmo (Jakob), Komossa (Kevin), and Palvis (Axel), with Komossa and Palvis being small towns in the municipality of Vörå.
It emphasizes five benefits of countryside living: close-knit social ties, proximity to the sea, communal access to public spaces, creative coping with boredom, and a strong tradition of voluntary cooperation (" talko" spirit).
The song ends with a nostalgic reflection: You can take the boy out of the village, but not the village out of the boy.
Härkas (No var e nåo na twerkas)
Härkas (No var e nåo na twerkas) is KAJ's first
animated
Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...
music video. It features a DJ repeatedly told to "get a real job," reflecting the group's own artistic struggles. According to band member Kevin Holmström, the song is inspired by the slow path to acceptance through performance and audience response.
In the video, the DJ receives a call from a
festival
A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...
producer asking him to step in as a substitute because Avicii has "driven into a ditch"—a pun in which the Vörå dialect word ''diiki'' (ditch) rhymes with "Avicii."
The music video references the dance style known as twerking, characterized by hip and lower-body movements in a squatting position. The animation includes satirical elements featuring caricatured dance scenes with well-known Finnish politicians, including then-Prime Minister Juha Sipilä,
Finns Party
The Finns Party ( , PS; , Sannf), formerly known as the True Finns, is a right-wing populist political party in Finland. It was founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party.
The party achieved its electoral breakthro ...
leader
Timo Soini
Timo Juhani Soini (born 30 May 1962) is a Finnish politician who is the co-founder and former leader of the Finns Party. He served as Deputy Prime Minister of Finland from 2015 to 2017 and Minister of Foreign Affairs (Finland), Minister of Foreig ...
, and Christian Democrat Päivi Räsänen.
''Härkas'' is a dialectal exclamation expressing astonishment or dismay.
Paavos barkbrö
Released in 2017, Paavos barkbrö is a patriotic tribute to Finland’s centenary of independence. It was performed at the Skolmusik 2017 festival in Botniahall with hundreds of schoolchildren. The song is based on the poem ''(''also known as Bonden Paavo) by national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg. The lyrics tell of resilience in times of hardship, as a farmer mixes bark into his bread and ultimately helps a neighbor despite his own struggles. The band members describe the song as blending Finnish melancholy with a touch of humor.
Nissan bromsa
Nissan bromsa is the group's
parody
A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...
of the
aria
In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
'' Turandot''. It was performed at the Alexander Theatre in episode 2, season 3 of the Svenska Yle series ''Nästan unplugged'' in 2018.
Kevin Holmström opens by describing how black ice had formed on the road and the car owner had neglected to switch to winter tires. Dressed in a tailcoat, Jakob Norrgård sings about the consequence: a
Nissan
is a Japanese multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the ''Nissan'' and ''Infiniti'' brands, and formerly the ''Datsun'' brand, with in-house ...
car braked, slid into a ditch, and remained there despite futile attempts to retrieve it—first with a
Renault
Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...
, and then using a
winch
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension (physics), tension of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable").
In its simplest form, it consists of a Bobb ...
.
Phonetically, the Vörå dialect matches the Italian lyrics in several ways: ''guardi le stelle'' / ''bärgningsställe'' ("tow site"), ''splenderà'' / ''bränder å'' ("I set off"), and the final crescendo ''vincerò'' ("I will win") / ''gick vinschin å'' ("the winch broke").
The performance gained international attention in 2025 and was received positively, including by opera singers.
In 2025, Jakob performed another version of the parody titled ''Näsan domnar'' ("The nose is going numb") in both Stockholm and Vaasa.
Text-TV
In 2019, the group paid tribute to
teletext
Teletext, or broadcast teletext, is a standard for displaying text and rudimentary graphics on suitably equipped television sets. Teletext sends data in the broadcast signal, hidden in the invisible vertical blanking interval area at the to ...
with a song in the
electronic music
Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
genre. The track is considered to be inspired by
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, ) is a Germany, German Electronic music, electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk was among the first successful a ...
and
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...
.
In live performances, Kevin portrays a father who, seated in his armchair after a day of work, uses his remote control to read the "truth" on page 899—covering topics such as Bottas, the weather, and news. Axel is the primary soloist, and Jakob performs with a television set on his head.
Vörjeans
Vörjeans are the comedy group's
alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
s who perform rockabilly music. Under the names Tommy (Jakob), Freppa (Kevin), and Määnin (Axel), the group released the album ''Born to börn'' on June 14, 2019, which includes the song ''Volvoräägör''.