Kirka, born Kirill Babitzin, was one of Finland's best-known rock and pop singers, active from the 1960s until his death in 2007. Short clips of his live performances have circulated on Finnish soundboards for years, where an intense or off-key moment is reframed as the joke phrase about singing terribly. The word kiitos, meaning thank you in Finnish, turned this snippet into a shorthand thank-you meme. It remains used in Finland-flavoured edits and chats because the performance is instantly recognisable to local audiences, even when the clip is played completely out of context.