"Marry Me" is a song by Finnish singer Krista Siegfrids. Self-described as a "feel-good uptempo party song", the song was written and lyrically composed by Siegfrids, Erik Nyholm, Kristofer Karlsson, and Jessika Lundström. It was released on 1 January 2013 by EMI Finland and distributed by Universal Music. The song later served as the lead single for Siegfrids' debut studio album, Ding Dong! The song was the Finnish entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, held in Malmö, where it placed 24th, two spots away from last place in the grand final.
Critical response of the song was relatively positive, with the song being described as "a perfect insane Eurovision entry" by Anthony Granger of Eurovoix. The song received commercial success, peaking at number six in its native Finland.
The Eurovision performance of the song gained critical attention when Siegfrids kissed a female background singer during the end of each of her performances as a way of expressing Siegfrids' support for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Finland. The message was seen as controversial as it was accused of trying to display a political message, which is banned by the Eurovision Song Contest. The kiss became a highly polarizing issue; some broadcasters banned the broadcast of Siegfrids' performance and the entire show itself due to the kiss, while LGBTQ+ rights activists and supporters displayed support for Siegfrids' performance and message. The song also drew criticism from feminist writers and activists, who saw the lyrics itself as degrading for women.
Background and composition
"Marry Me" was written and lyrically composed by Siegfrids, Erik Nyholm, Kristofer Karlsson, and Jessika Lundström. Nyholm had previously worked with k-pop group Girls' Generation, while Karlsson and Lundström had both worked with Finnish singer Tarja Turunen. According to Siegfrids, the song to her is a "feel-good uptempo party song" that isn't meant to be taken seriously. The song takes the perspective of "a girlfriend who will do anything to get a proposal from her man" according to The Independent writer Adam Sherwin. In the song, the singer states that she will skip dinner to be skinnier, to be submissive to her husband by comparing herself as a slave, to spy on him, to give him "cuter babies" while pregnant, among other ideals. The song was also a call by Siegfrids herself as a way of expressing her desire to marry her then-boyfriend at the time, Janne Grönroos, with Grönroos promising to marry Siegfrids if she made it to Eurovision. The two eventually married in 2017.
The song was officially announced to compete in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2013 on 4 December 2012. On 1 January 2013, it was released as a digital download along with all other other songs competing in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2013. At the national final, it competed in the second heat on 24 January, advancing to the final on 31 January.
Music video and promotion
A music video was released on 4 February, which premiered on Yle. The music video was directed by Elias Koskimies. The music video features Siegfrids kidnapping and forcing a man to marry her, with the help of several altar women.
In order to further promote the song, Yle and Siegfrids agreed to produce a six-episode web series titled "Marry Me, Europe!" that documented Siegfrids' time in Malmö and her background. Siegfrids also appeared in a music video that parodied the original music video, with the parody featuring two gay men wanting to marry each other; the video also advocated for same-sex marriage to be legalized in Finland. She also performed the song at numerous Eurovision pre-parties, including the London Eurovision Party and Eurovision In Concert.
Critical reception
Anthony Granger, writer for Eurovoix, gave a positive review of the song, praising the upbeat nature of the song itself. Granger described his views of the song as "a perfect insane Eurovision entry". In a Wiwibloggs review containing several reviews from individual critics, the song was given a score of 5.71 out of 10 points. Another review by ESCUnited that also contained several reviews from individual critics gave the song a score of 39 out of 70 points.
The song itself garnered some criticism from feminists on claims that the song degraded women. Linnea Portin, a feminist blog writer, described the song as a "anti-feminist squealing song". In response to their comments, Siegfrids criticized Portin's "lack of humor", stating, "If [they] doesn't have a sense of humor, it's not my fault. This is a Eurovision song, humor!"
