The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022 is fast approaching!
Taking place in Yerevan, Armenia after the victory of Maléna and her futuristic electro track 'Qami Qami', Junior Eurovision 2022 will see 16 young artists fight it out for a place in Eurovision history.
As we look forward to the festivities in December, we got the Aussievision team to rank their favourite songs from this year's Contest.
18 team members took up the challenge, with the results set out below.
Do we think Armenia can do a back to back win? Will long-term absentees the UK be our favourite with their first entry in over a decade? Or will one of the dark horses take out the top of our list?
There's only one way to find out here are our top 10 favourites!
10. Gaia Gambuzza - 'Diamonds in the Sky' (Malta) - 45 points
(8 points from Fleur, 7 points from Josh and Emma)
"The 80s Europop element is what drew me to this. The lyrics are very basic but this is Junior Eurovision - I prefer Junior Eurovision songs to cater to its demographic. We don’t need every song to be about saving the environment or female empowerment. Gaia has a lovely voice although she doesn’t get to test her vocal range here. I’m expecting this to finish mid-range. The music video will definitely help with public votes." ~ Fleur
"Malta have gives us another catchy number with this dance bop! Looking forward to how they translate this to the live stage for Junior Eurovision." ~ Kyriakos
9. David Charlin - 'Jer-Ana (Mother Earth)' (Kazakhstan) - 46 points
(10 points from Samuel and Kyriakos, 7 points from Stef)
"This is such a powerful entry from Kazakhstan and so on brand for them! The song is such a beautiful journey with impressive variation in vocals from David that works so well! What a powerful ending. Yet again they could win this." ~ Kyriakos
"In a sea of up-tempo songs, this beautiful ballad really stands out. Like most Kazakh Junior Eurovision singers, David has an incredible voice and range that conveys the deep emotion of this song, which has a powerful environmental message. If the graphics in the music video are anything to go by, hopefully this entry will have amazing staging in Armenia." ~ Samuel
8. Lissandro - 'O Maman!' (France) - 53 points
(7 points from Hugo and Estelle, 6 points from Steven, Kyriakos and Samuel)
"France always manage to produce Junior Eurovision entries that are age appropriate for children yet have equal appeal to all demographics. Lissandro oozes charisma and cuteness but backs this up with strong vocals and an energetic and entertaining performance. His call to clap & click along should ensure maximum audience participation and will no doubt swing some votes his way. Love the big rock 'n' roll style ending too!" ~ Emma
"France do this type of Junior entry so well! French but anthemic, catchy and easy language to sing along to, and this is another quality entry. Lissandro seems to have so much charisma and a real presence onstage, so if he can bring that energy (and importantly those vocals) to the live show, I can see this doing well. Would be a great show closer!" ~ Hugo
7. Sophie Lennon - 'Solas' (Ireland) - 58 points
(12 points from Stef and Estelle, 8 points from John Christian)
"I love big sweeping ballads with ethnic vibes." ~ Stef
"Beautiful ballad, just very Irish!" ~ Estelle
6. Luna - 'La Festa' (Netherlands) - 85 points
(12 points from Cooper and Hugo, 10 points from John Christian)
"The Dutch always get it right, but this year Luna has taken it to another level! 'La Festa' as a studio track is great fun but the staging and charisma that shines throughout makes this a standout performance and a definite contender for the trophy." ~ Cooper
"I thought after Maléna that JESC was beginning to turn into “Young Adult Eurovision”, but this song perfectly reminds us what Junior is all about. Luna is an energetic performer with great, tasteful dance moves, and the song is catchy and age appropriate. I love the Dutch language and it has enough English (and Italian?) so everyone can sing along with it; a great combination of melody and build. Just the best overall package and a win would be a great reward for consistency and attention to JESC for the Netherlands." ~ Hugo
5. Carlos Higes - 'Señorita' (Spain) - 86 points
(12 points from Olivia, 10 points from Tim, 8 points from Josh and Dale)
"I think this song stands out for how fun and upbeat it seems. It wouldn't sound too out of place in the adult version of the contest. It seems like it's fun and enjoyable and sounds like something the young folk would enjoy these days. I think this easily stages itself as high energy and sounds like it could easily be a winner." ~ Tim
"I can’t help but do the little dance." ~ Olivia
4. Chanel Dilecta - 'BLA BLA BLA' (Italy) - 103 points
(12 points from Colleen, Fleur and Teddy, 10 points from Olivia, 8 points from Laura and Steven)
"A catchy pop song with a slightly nonsensical title, "BLA BLA BLA" picks up where "Bim Bam Toi" left off in 2019. The song exudes pure fun and I can't wait to see what Italy do with it on stage." ~ Colleen
"I don't think I've been so thoroughly charmed by a Junior Eurovision song since Bim Bam Toi, and that's saying something! The chorus gets stuck in your head, the dance moves are pleasingly goofy, and there's a nice message buried in there too. It manages to be both child-friendly and a genuinely good and memorable pop song, which imo is the perfect balance to do well at JESC!" ~ Teddy
"This one was the most catchy for me. BLA BLA BLA is stuck in my head. It must resonate with me therefore it gets my douze points." ~ Fleur
3. Mariam Bigvava - 'I Believe' (Georgia) - 112 points
(12 points from Dale, Josh and Tim, 10 points from Fleur and Hayley, 8 points from Colleen, Cooper, Estelle and Stef)
"This is a really impressive entry. A well-constructed song with a powerful chorus sung by what seems a strong young performer. It may be a little mature for Junior and actually reminds me of something I might find at a Scandi national final but I am here for this." ~ Dale
"Why can’t Georgia serve as many bops in Adult Eurovision as they do in Junior?? This is my winner. Such a mature composition and great song. Catchy and the beat/melody stays with you. This would probably be a better fit for adult Eurovision and maybe they could qualify for once if they submitted this! The final 30 seconds of the song is a cut above the rest." ~ Josh
"Firstly, the music in this song is fantastic. There's a real heaviness to this song that really carries it along. It's hard to describe but it's almost eerie in its music and the way that its produced. Mariam's vocals sound incredible, and I really enjoy the tone of the song. The song has a memorable hook with its inflection on certain words in the chorus, which will help win it some votes." ~ Tim
2. Nare - 'DANCE!' (Armenia) - 141 points
(12 points from Kyriakos, Laura and Steven, 10 points from Dale, Emma and Stef, 8 points from Hugo, Samuel and Teddy)
"DANCE! is a slick well-produced banger that is bound to make you want to do exactly that. The clever use of dual language (Armenian verses & English chorus) ensure everyone can sing along which is a major part of this catchy song's appeal. Unlike many JESC entries over the years, there's no underlying theme of world peace or saving the environment here, but that's ok. There's a reason they call it the universal language - Nare just wants everyone to get up and dance!" ~ Emma
"This song is super fun and something both kids and adults can dance to! I love that it leans into Kpop-sounding elements with Nare bringing plenty of energy to the track. If Armenia end up winning back-to-back contests, I certainly won't be complaining!" ~ Laura
"This gets my nod as the best well produced "banger" of Junior this year. The "dance dance dance" is a great hook, it's sounds and looks expensive and Nare comes across as a natural performer. Armenia could go back to back." ~ Dale
"A modern, catchy, bilingual bop performed by an artist who gives me genuine popstar vibes. A very strong host country entry that could see Armenia do the double." ~ Steven
"Armenia have yet again delivered a bop! I was hooked from the first listen! I will not be surprised if they win the Contest back-to-back." ~ Kyriakos
1. Freya Skye - 'Lose My Head' (United Kingdom) - 144 points
(12 points from Emma, Hayley, John Christian and Samuel, 10 points from Cooper, Estelle, Hugo, Laura, Steven and Teddy)
"Lose My Head' is a well written pop song that sounds just like the latest Ava Max release - no surprise when you learn the song's writers have previously collaborated with Ava herself. Freya sounds like a young Ellie Goulding as she snappily navigates her way through this tale of a broken relationship. It's possibly too adult sounding for Junior Eurovision but beats many of the entries the UK has sent to the senior version of the contest over the last couple of years (Sam Ryder excluded). This is bound to have wide appeal and is arguably the strongest song in the JESC lineup this year." ~ Emma
"The UK returns to Junior Eurovision with a bang and doesn’t disappoint. “Lose My Head” has such a contemporary feel – you could imagine it on Dua Lipa album. Freya has the confidence of a performer many years her senior, and hopefully she channels those dance moves in her music video onto the Junior Eurovision stage in December. After finishing second at adult Eurovision this year, the UK has a great chance at doing one better in the Junior edition." ~ Samuel
"A song and singer posing with attitude. It’s a great little pop song and I particularly like the pre-chorus. A strong and welcome return from the UK to the Contest." ~ Steven
"Perhaps a little too similar to last year's winner to take out the whole thing, the UK's entry is nonetheless top-quality and feels destined for the upper end of the scoreboard. The production sounds modern and expensive, Freya is a confident performer, and the whole thing feels like something that emerges naturally out of the UK music scene. Glad to see that Sam Ryder wasn't just a one-off!" ~ Teddy
"Lose My Head' is very well produced and the UK have certainly put a lot of effort into their JESC entry. The standout of this song is its clever songwriting, with lyrics that are applicable to many situations without sounding too generic." ~ Laura
"United Kingdom has come back with a bang! This is a banger in line with previously successful Junior entries like Superhero and Qami Qami (which both won their respective editions). This is a track that will be remembered and could give the Brits another contest to host in 2023." ~ Cooper
"We’ve seen what happens when the UK puts some concerted effort into ESC itself, and now they’re sending quality to Junior as well. “Lose My Head” is a great little bop - I like the constant beat, and the dance instrumental is quite catchy. Freya shows to have great charisma and the song builds nicely to the big ”vote for me” note near the end. The UK doesn’t have the same sort of traditional “ethnic” style and sound as some of the eastern countries for example, but both Space Man and this song feel British - the retro style beat and synths give it that sense of British-ness. One of the better songs this year." ~ Hugo
"It's high time for the United Kingdom to win the Junior Eurovision Song Contest." ~ John Christian
"It really is a cut above the rest. Like last year’s winner, it feels quite grown up. I see this winning!" ~ Hayley
What are your favourite Junior Eurovision songs for this year? Let us know on our socials.
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