As Minsk is making the final preparations for tomorrow’s grand final, it’s time for ESCXTRA to share with our readers who our favourites are this year in the ESCXTRA Editors’ Junior Eurovision Top 10 vote!
Over the past few weeks, 17 ESCXTRA editors have been voting for their top 10 favourite songs that will be taking part in the contest in Minsk tomorrow, and now, all the votes have been counted and we can reveal the top 10 songs of our editors!
Our top 10 songs are…
It’s time to reveal our top 10 favourite songs before finding out what our editors have to say about some of their favourites for this year!
That means Kazakhstan is the favourite entry amongst the ESCXTRA editors, followed by France in second place and Armenia in third place. Will Daneliya take home the victory tomorrow night though or will another country walk away victorious? It could be anyone’s game as our editors awarded 12 points to eight different countries – including Ireland who didn’t finish in our top 10.
Our editors’ opinions about our top 10 entries
Kazakhstan: “Kazakhstan is my clear #1 this year, as it brings something new to the contest. It’s the definition of being Kazakh, but also playful and powerful!” (Nick van Lith)
France: “From the first listen, it sounded like a winner. It continues the run of bops France has sent to Eurovision itself since 2016. That combination of modern electronic beats and bouncy chanson is very successful in the French charts, which is music heaven to me and makes this my clear favourite.” (Lisa Bird)
Armenia: “I have to admit the first time I heard this song I wasn’t completely sold. But this is Armenia for me, it happens at Eurovision too. The second listen and I knew that this was going to be my favourite. Levon’s charisma is infectious, the song is cool, upbeat and fresh. And I love the fact they kept it entirely in Armenian. Talk about that trumpet too! Love those sounds. And the fact that green is my favourite colour only helps strengthen my love for the whole package!” (Riccardo Maddalozzo)
FYR Macedonia: “The Macedonian entry is a beautiful Balkan power ballad, the kind I especially like. The melody of the chorus is extremely pleasant and the way the vocal builds is really lovely. The lyrics of the song are incredibly moving and the storytelling that Marija does with her vocal control is impressive. For me, this is one of the strongest songs Macedonia has sent to either Eurovision contest.” (Nathan Waddell)
Albania: “The Albanian song has achieved something rare for a Junior Eurovision song as it sounds quite contemporary yet it still remains a song for children, and doesn’t try to be professional and generic” (Giorgos Pitsikas)
Australia: “It’s an anthem in song that I really like and it is something that’s encouraging, which is what the children need in this world. People might say it’s a bit generic but every track like this is unique in its own right” (Tim Junawan)
Ukraine: “Although the topic of peace isn’t new by any means, the composition is fairly modern. It’s interesting, fresh and unlike any other song in the field. Also, Darina is a very strong vocalist and I expect her to do well on the night” (Sean Sieczka)
Georgia: “Anthemic is the one word to describe Tamar’s “Your Voice” with its drum ‘n’ bass’ infused sound. The music video perfectly captures the energy of the song with Tamar taking on the word. It’s youthful yet modern, appealing to teenagers and adults. I think this will be underrated when all is said and done in Minsk, but it’s another entry Georgia should be very proud of!” (Ryan Cobb)
Poland: “This song is by far the best that Poland has sent yet, it’s catchy and really sticks in your head afterwards, which is something I love from my music. The message in the song is really something inspiring for the younger generation who watch this show.” (Luke Malam)
Wales: “As I expected, Wales has delivered a spectacular debut entry for the Junior Eurovision, and I am very glad that it is Manw that will be performing it. She was by far the strongest singer in the Chwilio am Seren final, and I’m sure she will shine on the stage in Minsk. In terms of the song quality, “Perta” has grown on me a lot since the studio version was released, and I know I might be biased, but I really hope Wales finish top 5 tomorrow! Pob lwc Cymru!” (Tom Ryan)
So, that’s the opinion of our editors and now we just have to wait until tomorrow to find out who will actually win the contest! Until then, make sure you read all our rehearsal reviews from Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4! Also, if you want to know what our readers think, read our XTRA Vote results to see who your favourites are!
Who do you think will win tomorrow? Let us know in the comments below and on social media @ESCXTRA.
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