The Aussievision team have listened and ranked all Junior Eurovision songs and we have our final rankings. The Netherlands have finished in eleventh place. Details, individual rankings and comments below.
The entry
Ayana - ‘Mata Sugu Aō Ne’
The Netherlands will be represented this year by fourteen year old Ayana.
Ayana, who is of Japanese and British descent, will be singing ‘Mata Sugu Aō Ne’, which translates to 'When I See You Again'. The song is about missing those who are close to you. The song resonates particularly with Ayana, as she has not been able to see her relatives in Japan for quite some time now due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Ayana is no stranger to performing on the stage for crowds of people. She was a member of the vocal and dance group 'Kinderen voor Kinderen' for four years, where she got the opportunity of a lifetime to perform for the Dutch monarch.
Ayana plays piano in her spare time, and with this song, she will be the first performer to sing in Japanese at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
Ayana was selected to represent The Netherlands at Junior Eurovision after winning the Dutch national final 'Junior Songfestival 2021'.
The Aussievision team rankings
3rd - Estelle
3rd - Hayley
5th - Steve
6th - Kyriakos
7th - Laura
11th - Mike
12th - Cooper
12th - Hugo
13th - Emma
13th - Tim
14th - Ford
15th - Craig
15th - Dale
15th - Josh
The comments
Such a pretty song, and she has a really beautiful voice. I think the theme of the song may tug at the heartstrings of those missing their family. ~ Hayley
A very cute "musical theatre" style number with lyrics that pull at the heartstrings and a dramatic key change. ~ Steve
So many great entries that have a good chance of taking, and the Dutch entry is one of them! A beautiful chorus and love the change of languages which flow very well. ~ Kyriakos
It’s very hard for me to leave an unbiased review about this song purely because its subject matter is so relatable and very close to my heart. I’ve been separated from my partner for nearly 2 years now thanks to COVID-19 and miss her dearly. The lyrics are very touching, and the melody makes for a pleasant listen. One thing which could hurt it is that in my opinion, the song grew on me more and more after multiple listens, so it may not make an immediate impact to a casual audience member who only listens to it once. That being said, it tugs at my heartstrings and Ayana puts a lot of emotion into the vocals; the song feels very authentic to her and it shows. ~ Laura
This is really nice but feels a little paint by numbers to get higher. Great to see Japanese included. ~ Dale
The Netherlands at Junior Eurovision
The Netherlands is one of only two nations to have participated in every Junior Eurovision Song Contest since its inception in 2003. As of this year, however, it will hold the title of the only nation to participate every year, as rival nation Belarus is no longer allowed to participate.
The Netherlands has enjoyed some relative success at the Contest, with eleven top ten results, including three fourth-place finishes (all in the last four Contests), a second-place finish with Rachel's 'Teenager' in 2011, and a win in 2009 with Ralf Mackenbach's 'Click Clack'.
"The entry" and "The Netherlands at Junior Eurovision" written by Emma
Aussievision team's Junior Eurovision 2021 rankings
Aussievision Podcast - Junior Eurovision 2021 Preview
Our bonus preview episode of Junior Eurovision 2021 is out. We run through the Contest, the top 3 songs from the Aussievision team and make predictions.
Listen to it on Apple Podcasts here:
And on Spotify here: