Junior Eurovision 2020 - My Top 12

It’s finally the time for Europe to unite once again for the magic that is Junior Eurovision, although this year it won’t quite be the same as what we are used to. Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, a total of 7 countries which are Albania, Australia, Ireland, Italy, North Macedonia, Portugal and Wales have sadly withdrawn from the contest for this year. This originally left us with 13 countries, however shortly after being announced as one of the participants, Armenia also chose to withdraw due to ongoing conflict in the region of Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh.

What’s more, because of the global travel restrictions, each country will be presenting a pre-recorded performance performed either in Poland or in their own country respectively. Whilst it clearly won’t be the same as the previous year with everyone united in the same venue, it’s amazing that we still have a contest to enjoy and that the kids still get the opportunity to make their country proud. So without further ado, here is my top 12 of Junior Eurovision 2020!

12) Sofia Feskova: My New Day - Russia (3/10)

Is this a bad song? No, but for me it just doesn’t seem to have any originality behind it. As with most of Russia’s Junior Eurovision entries, it's a mid tempo power ballad sung by a girl, the kind that we typically see from Malta that just really has no impact on the juries or voting audience. Placed just before Spain who is a strong contender this year for the win, we will see whether this song is the warm up act, or the star of the show.

11) Sandra Gadella: You Are Not Alone - Georgia (3.5/10)

Due to this song being released very late in the process, I haven’t really had a great deal of time to absorb the track like I have the rest of the songs. I just feel like this is the kind of track you hear once, think “That’s nice”, and then move along. Whilst it may seem like an obvious choice to use the current global situation as inspiration to create a song about being in this together, this song definitely has the strongest message of positivity and hope, which I’m sure we all can appreciate right now.

10) Arina Pehtereva: Aliens - Belarus (4/10)

When I first saw the thumbnail and title for this track I got quite excited, as I thought it was going to be a synth based track with some interesting instrumentation and lyrics, however, what we have is a crossover between a pop ballad and a rap track. My favourite part of this song is the second part when the rap kicks in, as I believe it is very well delivered by Arina and the instrumentation takes a different turn. For me, this is a dark horse which could very well end up in the top 3 of the leader board.

9) Susan: Stronger With You - Germany (5/10)

Unsurprisingly, Germany has decided to play it safe with their first ever entry into Junior Eurovision with yep, you guessed it, a contemporary ballad. Of all the female ballads this year this one has stuck in my head the most, which is probably due to the chorus being in English. Congratulations on your first entry Germany, and let’s hope you don’t suffer the same fate as Wales.

8) Chanel Monseigneur: Chasing Sunsets - Malta 5.5/10)

I just love the chorus of this track which is the most important part of any song, as for many tracks, it is the most memorable and impactful part of their song, and the part that will likely be shown in the recap whilst the public votes. If this were a normal year with an audience, I could imagine a sea of lights waving back and forth as Chanel belts the chorus, which seemed to be designed specifically to showcase the range of her beautiful voice. I would love for this song to end up on the left hand side of the leader board, and being surrounded by two weaker songs in my opinion may help this to stand out a bit.

8) Ala Tracz: I’ll Be Standing - Poland (5.5/10)

Initially, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this but after a few more listens, I’m really feeling the country pop vibes this song gives out. Vocally, Ala is one of the strongest singers of this year, as proven in many interviews she has given throughout the contest. As the host country it can be expected for this song to do fairly well, despite being quite different to what Poland have sent in the previous years but regardless, a unique entry with its own merits to be rewarded.

6) Karakat Bashanova: Forever - Kazakhstan (6/10)

From the first note, this track creates a mystical aurora which no other manages to do this year. This song is a real experience that Karakat has lived through, explaining the pain that many children go through after losing their father at a young age. The chorus is an outstanding composition, especially the violin refrain just before the chorus is repeated in Kazakh. This song truly comes from the heart, and I believe it is a dark horse for the win.

5) Unity: Best Friend - The Netherlands (7/10)

I must say I am a sucker for a song in Dutch, but this song is just so fun! In times like these, just seeing kids go out and enjoy each others’ company just brings so much happiness to my heart, and these girls just seem to have so much chemistry that makes this whole collective work. What’s more, being the only group in the competition will make them stand out to the viewers at home and juries, and will probably produce the most live vocals that we will hear this year.

4) Oleksandr Balabanov: Відкривай (Open Up) - Ukraine (7.5/10)

Whether it be Junior or adult Eurovision, Ukraine always sends such unique and intriguing entries, which I always seen to enjoy. Whilst Oleksandr’s voice may not appeal to everyone, with this style of music it fits well, although a bit of a variation in vocal range may have bagged some extra points with the juries. Despite this, overall I’m liking the package and with a strong live performance, I hope this can pick up some points.

3) Soleá: Palante - Spain (8.5/10)

Spain is here to win, and at any cost. This year they have pulled out all of the stops, deploying Soleá with a modern, contemporary dance-pop song to take the stage by storm. Being the most radio friendly song of the year has its advantage, and by taking one look at Twitter, Reddit, Instagram etc... you can see that this has the full support of Spain, which is great when it comes to voting for yourself in the online vote, which is a rule which I will never get my head around.

2) Valentina: J’imagine (I imagine) - France (9/10)

Award for the cutest kid of the year goes to Valentina hands down. She captures perfectly in 3 minutes what being a child is all about, having fun and loving life. There’s no effort here to appeal to an older audience and that’s ok, because the childishness of the song, especially the “lalalas” is what gives this song a unique flavour. Songs in French always sound beautiful but paired with an energetic, youthful, smiling child, it’s a recipe for success. If I had to predict a win for any country it would be France, as I think the vocal ability is on par with what the juries will side for, and the song for me is just excellent.

12) Petar Aničić: Heartbeat - Serbia (9/10)

I don’t know what it is about this song, but I simply love it. To me, it seems to be the most genuine entry, reminding me a bit of Daniel Yatremski’s song “Time” back in 2018, in the way that it evokes nostalgia when I listen to it. The message of the song is simple - Boy is in love with girl, and can finally hear his heart beating when he’s with her. The chord progression of this lays down guidance for an astonishing vocal from Petar, and as one of the only two male entrants this year, his voice is a refreshing break from all the higher pitched female acts.

Whilst this year’s Junior Eurovision is going to be completely different to what we have had in the past. I am so thankful that we have got a safe contest that can be enjoyed from across Europe, and I wish all of the contestants this year good luck.