“Being naked comes naturally to me”: Finland's Windows95man on his no-holds-barred Eurovision performance

Windows95man doesn’t care what anyone might think about his almost-bare-it-all Eurovision on-stage ensemble. (For the record, many loved it, including Lily Collins and her husband Charlie McDowell who shared their enjoyment via their Instagram Stories). In fact, this fearless mindset – or “no rules motto”, as he calls it – is something that has guided the 39-year-old Finnish artist, whose real name is Teemu Keisteri, since a young age.

“I’ve always possessed this certain boldness – I can see it in my own son, too, so it must be in my DNA – I’m not ashamed of wearing something wacky or to not wear anything at all. In elementary school I was sometimes sporting women’s clothes – for me, there are no rules,” he says. “At school people may have laughed at me and if I was bullied, it didn’t matter to me. I just thought it was fun if I made people laugh and happy.”

It’s a sentiment that Keisteri was adamant about bringing with him as he geared up to represent Finland at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö over the past weekend. With his literally explosive performance (Keisteri pulled out sparklers from his denim shorts mid-show) and his catchy, ’90s electronic-infused anthem of freedom and self-expression aptly titled ‘No Rules!’ (featuring vocals by Henri Piispanen) Keisteri captured the hearts of the Malmö audience and beyond, progressing all the way to the competition's grand final where Windows95man ultimately placed 19th.

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But for Keisteri, snatching the top prize wasn’t the primary focus of his Eurovision journey. “I don’t do any sports, engage in betting, I’m not competitive like that,” he says. “Of course I was super stoked to get to the final, but the main thing for me was to showcase my art and do that the best I could, which I did, and that’s a win for me.” As everyone who followed the contest knows, this year’s spectacle was held under difficult circumstances of political tension, which Keisteri hopes will have changed for the better come next year. “Despite all of that, I’m just so happy that we could perform and to pass on the joy, happiness and silliness that I’m all about,” he says. “And that I could do the thing I do best, which is bringing a smile onto people’s faces amid all that chaos. I’m super proud of myself because it was a real mental challenge.”

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Keisteri’s musical pursuits trace back to his childhood when he began playing various instruments at home. In his teens, his interest in music grew further, culminating in a band he formed with his pals from high school, their biggest gig taking place at the cafeteria. “The Eurovision stage was a tad bigger,” Keisteri quips.

For a while, music was one of Keisteri’s side hustles while he completed a photography degree at the Institute of Design in Lahti and fine-tuned his skills as a visual artist, creating everything from paintings to video and dance performances. Fashion and thrifting have always been close to Keisteri’s heart, with the name of his on-stage persona, Windows95man, derived from an iconic, retro look he once wore to Helsinki’s Flow Festival.

Competing at Eurovision had been Keisteri’s dream for years, gradually becoming closer to reality as his gig promoter introduced him to fellow artist Henri Piispanen. The two instantly hit it off, their budding friendship taking on new depths as the duo submitted their demo of ‘No Rules!’ to Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, the Finnish selection format for Eurovision. “We had the first dance practice for the ‘No Rules!’ music video, and there, our creative bond ignited as I witnessed how Henri just dove straight into it with his insane dance moves. I thought, ‘this guy is incredible’,” Keisteri recalls.

With the help of a talented team led by Swedish creative director Frederik Rydman, the mastermind also behind the Eurovision winner Nemo’s stage design, a giant 'egg' adorned with denim patches – a quintessential '90s reference – served as the focal point of Windows95man's set. As the egg cracked open, Keisteri emerged, joined by Piispanen and a couple of background dancers, all dressed head-to-toe in denim. Keisteri, however, sported a white cropped tee featuring a blurred Windows 95 logo. Initially clad in the much-discussed nude thongs, he left little to viewers' imagination until a pair of denim shorts descended from the ceiling.

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“I was supposed to be fully naked, but that didn’t work out,” Keisteri said. Nevertheless, he managed to persuade the EBU to agree to the tiniest bottoms possible. As for the rest of the crew’s attire, Keisteri was closely involved in the design process, being a fashion fanatic and all. “I haven’t even read any comments regarding my performance, but I think it’s wonderful if it evoked emotions. Being naked comes naturally to me; I don’t even register it anymore,” Keisteri says nonchalantly. However, he did exchange direct messages with Lily Collins, who had tuned in to watch Eurovision with her husband. It was clear who the couple’s favourite entrant was, as the Emily in Paris star messaged Keisteri, “You won our hearts 100000%.”

As the Eurovision euphoria subsides, Keisteri is working towards a few small goals. “My next dream is to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show,” he says with a laugh. “Or at least be in an advert shown at the game – you have to have dreams!” In the interim of his dream halftime show appearance, we can expect lots of Windows95man festival gigs, more music and addictive remixes of ‘No Rules!’ that will have us dancing all summer long.