Saara Aalto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saara Aalto
Aalto at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018
Background information
Birth name	Saara Sofia Aalto
Born	(1987-05-02) 2 May 1987 (age 38) Oulunsalo, Finland
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter voice actress
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Sony No Fear Music

Saara Sofia Aalto (born May 2, 1987) is a talented Finnish singer, songwriter, and voice actress. She became well-known after being the runner-up in the first season of The Voice of Finland in 2012.

In 2016, Saara gained international fame when she finished second in the thirteenth series of The X Factor UK. Two years later, in 2018, she represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. She made it to the grand final and placed 25th. That same year, she became a judge on X Factor Suomi. In 2019, Saara competed on Dancing on Ice and finished in third place.

Saara's Early Life and Musical Start

Saara Aalto was born in Oulunsalo, Finland. She grew up in a family that loved music. She started taking piano lessons from a young age. Saara wrote her very first song when she was only five years old! Her grandfather, Eeli Aalto, was a painter and director. Her uncle, Simo Aalto, is a magician.

When she was 11, in 1998, Saara won a children's song contest at the Kotka Maritime Festival with one of her own songs. In 2003, she also won an international singing competition in the US, organized by Charlotte Church, again with her own music. Saara represented Finland in the Golden Stag International Song Contest in Romania in 2004. She studied music at the Madetoja secondary school and graduated in 2005. After that, she moved to Helsinki to continue her music studies at the famous Sibelius Academy and the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory.

Saara's Career Journey

Starting Her Music Career (2007–2011)

In 2007, Saara took part in Talent Suomi (which means "Talent Finland"). She made it to the top three finalists.

Besides singing, Saara is also an actress. She has performed in several musicals. She played Dorothy and Pfannee in the Finnish version of the musical Wicked. She also played Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar. From 2008 to 2011, she appeared in musicals at the Helsinki City Theatre. She was Kelsi in High School Musical on Stage! and its sequel, and later in Wicked.

Eurovision Song Contest Attempts (2011, 2016)

Saara tried twice to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2011, she competed in the Finnish selection rounds for Eurovision 2011. She came in second place, just behind Paradise Oskar. She received 40.7% of the public votes.

Her second attempt was for Eurovision Song Contest 2016 through the competition Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu. Again, she placed second. Even though she won the public vote, the judges' votes favored Sandhja, who went on to represent Finland.

Finding Success in China (2010–2013)

After performing her song "Blessed with Love" for Eurovision in 2011, Saara had a unique opportunity. In December of that year, she sang a Chinese version of her song, "Ai De Zhu Fu," at the Santa Claus Season's Greetings Song Contest.

In November 2012, Saara was a special guest singer at Robert Wells's show Rhapsody in Rock in Shanghai. After a successful performance in Shanghai in May 2013, where she opened for Spanish tenor José Carreras and sang in Chinese, Saara returned to the city. In June 2013, she sang a duet with tenor Han Peng at the Closing Ceremony of the Shanghai International Film Festival. This performance was broadcast to over 800 million viewers in 10 countries!

Because Chinese audiences loved her music, Saara released a full album for Mainland China and other Chinese markets in July 2013. The album was also called Ai De Zhu Fu. On this album, she sang nine of the 13 songs in Mandarin language.

The Voice of Finland (2012)

Saara participated in the first season of The Voice of Finland in 2012. During her "blind audition" on February 6, she sang "Taking Chances" by Celine Dion. All four coaches turned their chairs, showing they wanted her on their team. Saara chose to join Team Monroe.

She continued to impress the coaches and the public throughout the competition. In the live shows, she sang songs like "Barracuda" and the French song "Je suis malade." She made it to the finals on April 20, where she sang "I'm Gonna Be Strong" and her own song, "My Love." Saara finished as the runner-up, with Mikko Sipola winning the season.

The X Factor UK and Beyond (2016–Present)

In 2016, Saara auditioned for the thirteenth series of The X Factor UK. She sang Sia's "Chandelier" and received three "yes" votes from the judges. She faced some challenges during the competition, including being sent home at one point, but the audience cheered for her return. She was brought back as a "wildcard" and eventually made it to the live shows, mentored by Sharon Osbourne.

Saara often found herself in the bottom three during the live shows, meaning she had to sing again to stay in the competition. However, she consistently won the sing-offs, showing her strong talent and public support. She performed many memorable songs, including "Let It Go", "River Deep – Mountain High", and "My Heart Will Go On". For the first time, she topped the public vote in the quarter-final.

In the semi-final, she again topped the vote, making it to the final. In the grand final on December 10, she performed "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and a duet of "Bohemian Rhapsody" with Adam Lambert. She was in the top two with Matt Terry. On December 11, she performed "It's Oh So Quiet" and "I Didn't Know My Own Strength". Saara finished as the runner-up, with Matt Terry winning the series.

After The X Factor, Saara signed a five-album deal with Sony Music UK and Sony Music Finland. However, in October 2017, she moved to Warner Music Group. She felt Warner Music was a better fit for her theatrical style. On November 7, 2017, it was announced that Saara would represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. She released three songs for the competition.

Saara also became a judge on the Finnish version of The X Factor, mentoring the girls' category. Her contestant, Tika Liljegren, won the show, making Saara a winning mentor! In March 2018, Saara announced her first album with Warner Music Group, Wild Wild Wonderland, which was released on April 27, 2018.

In 2019, Saara competed in the eleventh series of Dancing on Ice with her partner Hamish Gaman. They reached the final and finished in third place. Saara's song Dance Like Nobody's Watching became the official song for Pride in London 2019. That same year, she started her own record label called No Fear Music. She released her Fairytale – International EP under this label.

In September 2020, Saara released a new single, "When the Sun Goes Down," with British drag queen Baga Chipz. She also shared that she had left Warner Music earlier that year. In the fall of 2021, Saara played the main role in the musical We Will Rock You in Helsinki, Finland.

Saara's Personal Life

Saara Aalto was in a nine-year relationship with singer Teemu Roivainen [fi] that ended in 2013. They continued to work together on music projects.

Later, Saara started a relationship with Meri Sopanen, who was a personal trainer. Saara and Meri got engaged in August 2016 and moved to London in January 2017. The couple got married in April 2020. Meri took Saara's last name. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they couldn't have a big wedding ceremony at that time and moved back to Finland in spring 2020. In the fall of 2021, they lived temporarily in Spain before returning to Finland in November. They celebrated their wedding in Italy in June 2023.

Saara's Music Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles as Lead Artist

Singles as Featured Artist

Promotional Singles

Other Song Appearances

Saara's Voice Acting Roles

Film Dubbing

Television Dubbing

Awards and Achievements

See also

In Spanish: Saara Aalto para niños