Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021 - Part One - The Songs

 It's that time again, for the Junior Eurovision Song Contests 2021! Held in Paris, the contest features 19 competing countries, all fighting for the Eurovision trophy. Will France continue their successful run? Will Poland, having won twice on the trot win again? Or will it be the dark horse, could Ireland, Albania or Macedonia who win for the first time? I guess we will have to wait and find out. I will of course be reviewing all the entries and the contest itself, and at the end, I will give my votes, and we will see if it changes the scoreboards. So, without further ado, let's start the show!

We start with a quintessentially Parisian opening video, full of the delights of Paris, one of my favourite cities. I know that's a cliche that will probably feature in this video. We then see last years winner Valentina on a shooting star through the Arc Di Triomphe, around the Eiffel tower, just in case you didn't know they were in Paris, before heading further out around France. The star trail draws a heart. N'aww, isn't that just lovely? 

But now, we get our first view of the mainstage in the La Seine Musicale, and the stage looks terrific. Again, very French, but with a real Belle Epoque vibe to it. It's beautifully done, with bridge arches, a ceiling made of out lights, and has real depth to it. Good job to whoever designed it.

We start off with our red, white and blue dancers in the French tricolour, as Valentina comes out to welcome us all. It's a full arena tonight, and it's lovely to have audience energy in the arena. But now, we get our flag parade, combined with a modern twist on French Music. We welcome back many countries who didn't take part last year, many due to the pandemic. So, a hearty welcome back to: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Ireland, Italy, Macedonia & Portugal. It's also goodbye to Belarus, who's broadcaster BTRC was expelled from the EBU. To be honest with you, Belarus will be more missed from the Junior contest, where they've had some really great results, winning twice, compared to their lackluster performance in the main contest, reaching the top 10 once in 2007. But the rules are the rules, and the EBU, as the contest organiser, has every right to refuse participation if they believe rules to have been broken.

Anyway, it's a brisk but fun flag parade, and I am loving the soundtrack. Our host's this evening are television presenter & Eurovision points announcer Élodie Gossuin, presenter & actor Olivier Minne, and former Junior Eurovision participant Carla, who took part in the 2021 contest, coming in 5th with "Bim bam toi" earning 10 points from myself. All the hosts are dressed impeccably, Élodie in a stunning white dress, Olivier in a black tuxedo, and Carla in a red dress, similar to Élodie's, but with a slightly different bottom half. I think Élodie is the best dressed of the three. She also seems to be our designated French speaker so far too. Olivier speaks about the health protocols to bring us a safe & healthy show. Perhaps I should be wearing my face mask while watching this! 

There seems to be a lot of talking. Like a lot of talking. When is the show going to start? Olivier explains the voting process. But finally, we get a shot of the running order, and it will be relative newbie Germany opening the show again. The postcards feature a lot of dancing again, following on from what TVP did with the postcards in Poland the past two years. The postcard features all the German colours, and is set in some sort of amusement arcade I think.

Anyway, Germany is represented by Pauline, with the song "Imagine us". It's has a very traditional JESC pop vibe, with positive lyrics. However, it's very forgettable, and I think will struggle to stand out amongst the 19 competing entries, especially being first out. It needed something, I don't quite know what, but something to give it a bit more uplift or punch. Another lack luster entry from Germany, who I think will replicate their low result from last year.

Georgia is next, with the song "let's count the smiles", performed by Niko Kajaia. First of all, love the postcard. I know the exact bridge they are dancing on, with the metro running overhead and the views of the Eiffel tower. Normally it's packed with tourists and wedding photos being taken, but these kids have got the place to themselves!

It's a very good place to get good pictures, but anyway I am digressing. The song, has a real funk sort of vibe to it, with bright colours, vintage outfits and I can't help but tap my toe to this. I have not a clue as to what Niko is singing about, but I don't care. This is really good fun, and with Georgian, French and English lyrics, there is something for everyone. Anyone else getting Jamiroquai vibes from this? By the end of the song I'm having a boogie with it as I'm stood typing this. Super slick and brilliantly choreographed. A great entry from Georgia, and I think it will do well.

Sara James is representing Poland with the song "Somebody". Instantly, you are captivated by her voice, moving effortlessly up and down the registers. It's a good song, and she's joined onstage by 5 dancers in dirty looking body suits holding branches. Not quite understanding that part just yet. But the song has high's and lows, and flows nicely. It's not going to be Poland's third winner, but they should expect a good score for it. I think Sara is someone to keep an eye out for, a voice like that will get you far in life. We may well see her again in the main contest.

Something I've noticed from the postcards, and from some of the stage performances, is loads of people are in tutu style dresses with coloured doc martins on. Is this some sort of fashion trend I've not heard of before? When I was younger, the only people who wore those style boots were people who worked in heavy industry, junkies and anyone deemed alternative. Nowadays it seems everyone is wearing them. Anyway, Malta's entry this year is called "my home", and it's sung by Ike & Kaya. The start feels like something from Dawn of the Triffids, before we see Kaya sat in some sort of giant fruit. Oddly, her earpieces are taped in, and it's very noticeable. Oh look, another tutu with matching boots. Anyway, the song is a little confusing. We get a very light ballad to start with, before Ike comes in, with a hearty rap and some spinning camera angles. Songs like this are not my cup of tea, especially as you end up with one doing most of the chorus, with the other just sort of stood there shouting the occasional phrase or yo! Maybe I really am showing my age, I really am 31! This is really not for me, and I'm not sure if I want to ever hear it again.

Italy is next, and we get a fantastic postcard filmed outside Le Pantheon. Italy's entrant is Elisabetta Lizza, and she will be performing "Specchio (Mirror on the wall)". It's got a rocky edge, and not what I was expecting from Italy. It's got a gritty edge to it, and is a world away from Italy's normally refined and perfected formula. Elisabetta performs it very well, even if she and the backing dancers are wearing the most awful outfits. The camera work is very jagged also, which adds to the grittiness of the performance. It certainly gets a good response from the audience. I'm a bit on the fence about it, I'm not sure if I like it or not.

We now go back to our hosts, Élodie & Ollivier,, who are stood on one of the bridges, and advise us to keep tagging using the hashtag #JESC2021. Élodie surprisingly bursts into a French Monologue, and we suddenly shoot across to Carla in the green room with Sara from Poland. Sara's dream was to perform on the JESC stage, and has now done so. Her christmas wish is to be proud of her performance. Not sure if Santa can help with that, but your performance was very good. We now chat to Elisabetta from Italy, who says everyone was great. We love a pageant answer! I think we will only get French from Élodie tonight.

Anyway, we now move to across to Bulgaria, represented by Denislava & Martin, with the song "voice of love". Singing in a tent, is that a first for Eurovision?  Ok, so it was more half a teepee. It's a bit on the whimsical side, I feel like this is a disney song. They perform beautifully, really harmonising well together. The longer it goes on, the more I'm enjoying it. They work together to perform, rather than trying to compete with each other. The teepee vanishes, and we get the song moves up a notch. Not sure if there was a key change involved, but certainly the song ends on a high note. Very good performance and an enjoyable song. Should do well.

Another familiar face, this time from Russia. Tanya Mezhentseva is back again, after coming 13th in the 2019 contest, as part of a duo with Denberel Oorzhak. This time she is back alone, and with the song "Mon ami". She sings while riding a bicycle, again, another Eurovision first? The song itself is uptempo with a similar Junior Eurovision vibe as Germany. However there's a nice little break with a Russian sounding vibe bringing us through. They do stick her on a flying ring to add a bit more drama. I feel like the vocals suffer while shes on the ring, I mean it can't be easy to sing on. It also makes the staging feel a bit off, with the dancers sort of continue in the middle of the stage. There's some decent choreo, and overall, the song is nice. Just not a stand out for me, it could have been a bit punchier.

A view of the Eiffel Tower you don't normally see!

Our nearest neighbours are up next, Maiú Levi Lawlor is performing "Saor (disappear) for Ireland. Ireland had the honor of having Paris's most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower, in their postcard. Does this mean the organisers think Ireland will win?  First of all, the voice I was not expecting. It was much more mature than I thought it was going to be looking at him. The song you can tell is from Ireland, being in Irish, but the staging feels unimaginative. I'm not feeling the song, it's very punky, but not particularly interesting. Whereas Italy's camera angles added to the performance, here they seem to distract, especially with the nondescript background that doesn't really help with understanding the song in anyway. The terms GCSE music spring to mind, and I'll leave it at that.

Armenia is up next, and we have Maléna, performing the song "Qami Qami". She was supposed to represent Armenia in the 2020 contest, but Armenia withdraw due to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. "Qami Qami" has a sort of futuristic vibe to it, with Maléna starting off with breathy and curious vocals. The song picks up in pace, with backing dancers joining on. This is a really interesting song, and I'm bopping about as I write this. It's got this sort of underground music EDM kind of feel to it, which I'm really liking. She almost has a Loreen style vibe, and I think it will do very well. 

JESC hot shot's Kazakhstan are up next, and its Alinur Khamzin & Beknur Zhanibekuly performing  "Ертегі әлемі (Fairy world)" And yes, I did copy and paste that. Another futuristic vibe, although with a steampunk feel to it. It's a nice song, but not as good as compared to previous Kazakh entries. We get a rap break, which again isn't my type of thing. Overall, it's not memorable, and I'm slightly distracted by the almost meow meow meow lyric in the background. It just didn't work for me, and may spell the end of a successful run of Kazakh results. However, I think this is the first time a wheelchair user has performed on the JESC stage, and it's a sign that you can do anything you want to, even if you have a disability. 

Back to Élodie & Olivier on the bridge, and Élodie gives us another lovely French monologue. I get the feeling this would all be in French if France Télévisions had their own way. Anyway, Carla is with Tanya from Russia who asks if she knows any French aside from the "Mon ami" from her song. Ooh, that's snappy. I like it. Carla then speaks to Maléna, and asks what France means to her. Bizarre question, but ok. Maléna's answer is it means emotion and it's great to be in France. Who wrote these questions?

Thankfully Albania is next before any more Green Room questions, and it's Anna Gjebrea performing "Stand by you". Also, I just want to say whoever designed the onscreen graphics for the information about the performance did a brilliant job. It's clean, clear, easy to read, while still fitting in with the theme of the stage. This is a song with punch, and a super clear message from the start, with bully on the stage made out of boxes that Anna smashes down. The staging is fantastic, everyone on stage looks great with the white clothing with black edging, giving it a smart school vibe. They turn the stables to say the songs title, "Stand by you". For me, the vocals are not so strong, they aren't quite powerful enough to go with the music. But overall, it's a powerful song and performance. 

Ukraine is next, and we have "Vazhil" performed by Olena Usenko. It's a dramatic start, only the silhouette of Olena showing, under a strong beam of light. It sets the scene beautifully. Her eyeshadow matches her hair colour which is a nice touch, as videos of her messing about show in the background. So far, I think she has the strongest vocals. Rising and falling with ease, and the song picks up in pace and power. I feel like this could be a James Bond theme song. She commands the stage and your attention, with an intensity that feels just right, sometimes with songs like this its too easy for the adrenaline to take over and it becomes too intense. The stage is in this fantastic orange glow, and this is a sublime performance. This is possibly the one to watch for the win tonight.

The pyramid of Louvre is iconic, but having a cake in the shape of Louvre? Super iconic!

Host's France are up next, and we have Enzo performing "Tic tac". France will be hoping for a win on home turf, just like Poland did in 2019. This is an infectious song, performed well, but it's the performance and choreo that is so so slick. It fits in perfectly with the song, the background graphics just add it all together really well. Kudos France for making it work so well. Also, Enzo reminds me of a young Itzhar Cohen, who won Eurovision in 1979 for Israel. Watch his performance, and tell me they have the same sort of energy. Bravo France! 

Sona is representing Azerbaijan, one of this years returnees. The song is called "One of those days" and first of all, what's with the badly fitted ear pieces this year? Sona is another participant with large pieces of tape holding the earpieces in. Couldn't they find any smaller ones that actually fit? Anyway, it's a nice ballad, with a great use of English phrases mixed into the Azerbaijani to keep your attention. Sona performs it well, and it's a nice song, but it's not standing out for me, particularly considering the high energy French performance just before. But props to Sona, this was beautifully sung.

Our longest competing country, The Netherlands are up next. The song is "Mata sugu aō ne" and is performed by Ayana. It starts with Ayana tossing a picture of her family away, and that sort of sets the tone for the rest of the song. There's a strong Japanese theme running throughout, but I'm not feeling this. It's feeling very cheesy and the lyrics just sound terrible. It sounds very childish, I know how ridiculous that sounds considering this is the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, but so far no other entry has sounded that immature. Sorry Netherlands & Ayana, but it's a no from me.

Élodie & Olivier are back on the bridge, and no doubt it's time for another French speech, and she doesn't disappoint. Carla is with Albania & Anna, who was inspired to become an artist by singing. Again, the microphone is taped to her cheek! Why is this such a frequent occurrence? We now sing happy birthday to Anna's granddad, which Carla attempts to cut halfway through. Sing it in French and you can do an extra happy birthday verse! Carla then chats to Enzo from France, but I haven't a clue what he said, but he sounded excited. Maybe this is what it feels like to be French, to have everything in English with a token bit of French now and again. Apologies to French speakers, I now understand your frustration! But now we get more French from Élodie. I take back what I just wrote about feeling sorry for the French speakers.

Spain is up next, and it's Levi Diaz with the song "Reír". Levi is rocking the double denim. Perhaps that's still the style in Spain. But anyway, it's a fast paced song, with a Spanish flair to it. It's fun, and he performs it well, but I think it's not the most memorable song, although being this late in the running order will help. There's some fun choreo in a bus stop, that splits in half and lets the backing dancers play the drums. I'm very unsure about that final high note. To quote Coco Montrese, "find the note, find the note". Overall, fun but I think it may be overshadowed by some of the other uptempo entries.

Jovana & Dunja are representing Serbia this year, with the song "Oči deteta (Children's Eyes)". First of all, the person in charge of dressing them needs to be shot. The dresses are just a mash of various fabrics and frills and it just looks awful. The concept is good, with them singing opposite each other like a mirror, but it doesn't quite work due to the opposing outfits that just break the illusion. Performance wise, it seems timid at times, and I'm not sure if that's a stylistic choice. I'm not sure who is who, but whoever is wearing the pink dress is better vocally. The choreo is really lacking. This was a bit of a miss. Needed some editing, and it could have worked much better.

Neighbours Macedonia are up next as the penultimate entrants. Dajte Muzika are performing "Green forces". This is an interesting entry, it's got a vibe to it that I find really intriguing, that almost muted EDM background with a Balkan rhythm throughout. There's a fun dance break, and I'm really enjoying the unison style of vocals. By the end of the song, I am hooked on it. I will learn the lyrics and dance and perform them for you at a later date. Could Macedonia be the best Balkan entry this year?

Our final entry is from Portugal, the song is "O rapaz" sung by Simão Oliveira. This is just one of those songs. It starts abruptly, with Simão in curious burnt caramel tuxedo jacket and flat cap. It's a very Portuguese style of song, I think I could have guessed that if I didn't know. It's very wordy, and even with the vintage video clips in the background, I'm not sure I fully understand. At least it picks up a bit, with a starry background and a bit more of a music change. I feel like Simão is older than his years, if you understand the expression. Bit of a slow ending to the first part of the show.

But there we go, thats now all 19 songs performed, and the artists are all in the green room, awaiting the votes. We've seen a large variety of songs performed, some good, some bad, and I will be sharing my scores in the second part of this post. So stay tuned, part two will be coming very soon!