FeaturesYerevan 2022

Junior Eurovision 2022: Our Top 10 (2 & 1)

Another year, another Junior Eurovision top 10! The team here at ESCXTRA have scored all 16 of the Junior Eurovision 2022 entries and we’ll be counting down our top 10 along with a selection of reviews. Has your favourite made the top spot? Let’s find out!

Last year we revealed our top 10 of all the 19 entries at the 2021 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Previous winners of our votes have included:

Earlier we revealed our 10th to 7th place and 6th to 3rd place. Today we reveal our top 2! What do you think of our favourites?

3🇦🇲 ArmeniaNare – “DANCE!”
4🇳🇱 NetherlandsLuna – “La Festa”
5🇪🇸 SpainCarlos Higes – “Señorita”
6🇬🇪 GeorgiaMariam Bigvava – “I Believe”
7🇮🇹 ItalyChanel Dilecta – “BLA BLA BLA”
8🇰🇿 KazakhstanDavid Charlin – “Jer-Ana”
9🇫🇷 FranceLissandro – “Oh Maman!”
10🇲🇰 North MacedoniaLara ft. Jovan & Irina – “Životot E Pred Mene”
11🇵🇹 PortugalNicolas Alves – “Anos 70”
12🇵🇱 PolandLaura – “To The Moon”
13🇺🇦 UkraineZlata Dziunka – “Nezlamna”
14🇷🇸 SerbiaKatarina Savić – “Svet Bez Granica”
15🇲🇹 MaltaGaia Gambuzza – “Diamonds In The Skies”
16🇦🇱 AlbaniaKejtlin Gjata – “Pakëz Diell”

02 – 🇮🇪 Ireland: Sophie Lennon – “Solas”

Sean 🇺🇸

An absolutely gorgeous entry that does an amazing job at blending traditional Celtic-inspired musical elements with contemporary polish and production. I’m not holding my breath for this on the night, considering Ireland has been given the cold shoulder repeatedly at JESC. But I also know that Ireland’s entries aren’t solely meant as entries. They are attempts at exposing a new generation to Irish language and culture, which is far more important than any scoreboard placement. And “Solas” certainly fulfills that purpose. That doesn’t mean this shouldn’t do well though. It is far and away the best song they’ve ever sent to the contest and solidly my favorite song this year.

Lisa 🇬🇧

Another strong Celtic entry from Ireland that I hope gets the result that its musical predecesor, ‘Banshee’, didn’t. I was half expecting Linda Martin to turn out to be the lighthousekeeper in the video. The string instruments give the vocals the powerful lift required of the song and hopefully the jury appreciates this enough to encourage Ireland to send this type of entry to Eurovision.

Micheál 🇮🇪

I am so proud of ar Sophie! She is really doing Ireland proud this year. “Solas” has so much power and I have no doubt that Sophie will perform this flawlessly. The modulation will be such a beautiful moment on stage. The message is also very beautiful as the song is about mental health and being the light (solas) for someone else. It’s so current and well produced but at the same time, some celtic influences can heard. I am a nationalist this year, I can’t deny it.

Isabella 🇦🇺

It’s instances like this where I wish Ireland would sometimes send songs in Gaelic to the adult contest, because ‘Solas’ really shows us how beautiful it is. Sophie has a stunning voice, which are accompanied by what are probably my favourite lyrics of this contest. The traditional Celtic instrumentation and elements heard throughout also add to the uniqueness and beauty of the song. Whilst ‘Solas’ is a more jury-friendly song, I can see it being loved as equally by the public with an impactful live performance, complemented by a staging that effectively showcases the message of the song.

Alyce 🇦🇺

Wow, this is magical! From the very first listen this song struck a note with me in a way that no other song had before. As a fan of Banshee I had high expectations for this song, and I was certainly not disappointed. Sophie’s vocals are incredible, and if she nails this live (which she no doubt will) this is going to blow people away. It also has an important message, which will hopefully translate on stage. The running order is certainly not Ireland’s friend, but if TG4 have learnt their lessons from Banshee they will hopefully do a better job with staging, which is where I think things went wrong with Banshee. Anyway, as much as I’m worried about the running order, I have high hopes for a good result for Ireland here. If this isn’t Ireland’s best result ever I’m going to be annoyed
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat Sophie!

01 – 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Freya Skye – “Lose My Head”

Lisa 🇬🇧

What a way to make a comeback statement! This is what I want us to send to actual Eurovision! It is contemporary and modern, in part thanks to the hit writing team behind the entry. However they have played it smart and ensured the song is relevant to the everyday dramas teenagers go through. Freya also has the charismatic energy the performance will require in Yerevan, so I’m confident of a good result for us once again in the Junior contest.

Micheál 🇮🇪

I am still getting over how the United Kingdom are back in Junior Eurovision and boy, did they come back with a bop. I can see this song winning as it is current, fun and something that many kids across Europe would listen to.I hope to see the UK remain in the contest for years to come. Freya is so charismatic and she will sell “Lose My Head” very well. Good luck to my neighbours!

Sean 🇺🇸

The United Kingdom has done something after over 15 years of being absent that many JESC regulars have never been able to do. “Lose My Head” has perfectly struck the balance between writing a song that is age appropriate for children but still accessible to more “serious” age demographics. It’s clean and not over-sexualized, but it also doesn’t treat 14-year-olds like toddlers. It respects the fact that young tweens and teens are listening to Top 40 hits and meets them at their level. Add all of this to the fact that Freya has charisma for days and is a competent performer. This has a *really* good shot at winning.

Isabella 🇦🇺

The United Kingdom seems to be ticking all the boxes at both Eurovision and now Junior Eurovision with their entry after a 15 year hiatus. ‘Lose My Head’ is an extremely polished, radio-friendly but also fresh hit that Freya performs excellently. Just from a viewing of the music video, it is clear that she is an extremely charismatic performer and dancer, which will only work in her favour and elevate the song with a strong staging and live performance.


What do you think of our favourites? Be sure to stay updated on Junior Eurovision 2022 by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter@escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube chan

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