2008–2009: Staraskaba and New Wave Junior Contest In 2008, Packalen won the Finnish nationwide singing contest for youth,
Staraskaba, when he was just 10. In 2009, he represented Finland at the New Wave Junior Contest in Moscow, which was followed by about 100 million viewers.
2012–2013: Koodi and Chillaa On 16 January 2012, Packalen, described as the "
Justin Bieber of Finland" by his label, released his debut single "
Frontside Ollie". It received instant success, huge following online, and based on digital downloads debuted at number five on the
Finnish Singles Chart before reaching the top position. On 22 February 2012, his first album
Koodi was released. It sold over 100,000 records in Finland, earning quintuple platinum. On 5 October 2012, Packalen released his second studio album
Chillaa. The album topped the
Finnish Albums Chart in its first week of release.
2013–2014: Boom Kah On 30 August 2013, Packalen released "
Boom Kah", featuring
Mikael Gabriel and
Uniikki, as the lead single from his third studio album
Boom Kah. The song peaked at number four on the Finnish Singles Chart. On 2 October 2013, he released the album
Boom Kah, which also topped the
Finnish Albums Chart. The chart topping second single, "
Erilaiset", was released on 16 October 2013. Packalen released his fourth studio album
16 on 22 September 2014.
2015–2018: Yhdessä, acting, and military hiatus An all-duet album,
Yhdessä, was released on 9 October 2015. In 2017, he had a small role as a soldier in the Finnish war film
The Unknown Soldier. Packalen later went on a hiatus in 2018 to serve in the military, which is
mandatory for every Finnish male citizen.
2019–present: Comeback On 2 February 2019, during the Emma Gaala awards ceremony, Packalen announced his comeback with a live performance of "I'll Be with You". On 11 January 2023, it was announced that Packalen would participate in
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023 with the song "Girls Like You". In the final, he finished in fourth place with 109 points (81 points from the
televote and 28 points from the juries). ==Discography==