Disclaimer: contains opinions. All opinions stated belong to the quoted person, and do not represent the views of ESCUnited as a whole.
Hello everyone! Here we come with part 2 of our Reviews for the 2024 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place on 16 November. As per Spain’s commendable second place last year, they hold the honours of hosting the 2024 contest in their capital Madrid.
Our senior reviewer Boris leads the charge, and is joined by our returning writers Alexandros and Holly, as well as our new writers Rebecca and Sam. What opinions do our quintet have in store? Well, read around and find out.
As stated, we shall go over all 17 songs in running order, spread over five updates. In the second update, we take a look at the Armenian, Cypriot, French and Macedonian entries.
#04. ARMENIA
Leo – “Cosmic Friend”
Languages: Armenian & English
Music & Lyrics: Maléna, Tokionine & Vahram Petrosyan.
THE REVIEWS:
ALEXANDROS – 9 – “I really love this. The song has a lot of energy, and you can feel it from the start. The music video is very bright and flashy, which gives you K-pop vibes, and I love that. I really enjoyed the song, and I hope they can translate that energy into the live performance with the same props. I think they have a chance of placing in the top5. I’ll listen to it again because it’s not a classic Eurovision song, and that’s what I like about it.”
BORIS – 7 – “A slick, competently produced K-Pop ancilliary. As if often the case with Armenia’s recent entries, I’m not sure whether the real target audience is children, or shallow Mediterranean gays eager to sell their soul for any uptempo. Personally though, I’m not very hot on it. “Cosmic Friend” follows a musical trope that’s been around for decades and that always mildly entertained me but never *excited* me. All songs in the genre are car assembly line music: sleek, mass produced, (like rolling off a conveyor belt) and ultimately hard to distinguish from each other individually. It’s up to the performer to give them a heart and a soul. I expect Leo to deliver this (Seems like a kid with sufficient base charm). “Cosmic Friend” will also need a colourful live act to truly *pop* though, if they want to be in a driver’s seat position to win JESC.”
HOLLY – 9 – “I was excited by the start of this song – it’s stunningly ethereal – but was not expecting such a bop when it properly launched! I’m a sucker for a horn section, and this is a wonderfully constructed song that masterfully bridges the gap between old school funk and the kind of dance-pop that makes it impossible to sit still. Not to mention, this pocket rocket has stage presence for daaaays”
REBECCA – 8.5 – “Love the interstellar disco sounds we’re bringing here! Leo has a great charisma that really sells the funky, fun energy of the song. The intro section almost feels a little out of place, although it does a great job of emphasising the fun energy of the song that starts right after it. This was the first entry I heard that made me hit replay as soon as the song ended, so props to the Leo and the Armenian team!”
SAM – 8 – ““Cosmic Friend” is one of the most fun songs in the competition, bringing some 70s disco-funk energy before a string of male ballads later in the show (I was half-expecting to see Bruno Mars credited as a songwriter). If the maximalist music video is any indication of the staging, I’m very eager to see how this entry comes together live. Leo’s charisma comes through in the video, and if that transfers to the live performance, this could bring the house down.”
STATISTICS
Total score: 41.5/50
Highest mark: 9 (Alexandros, Holly)
Lowest mark: 7 (Boris)
Percentage: 83%
#05. CYPRUS
Maria Pissarides – “Crystal waters”
Languages: English & Greek
Music & Lyrics: Maria Pissarides, Sophia Patsalides & Armin Gilani
THE REVIEWS:
ALEXANDROS – 7.5 – “I must admit that my bias might be a bit of a factor since I understand Greek, but the song is simply incredible. Maria’s energetic vocals on the other side are captivating, and they perfectly capture the essence of a summer vibe that JESC needs. The music video is also wholesome and adds to the overall enjoyment of the song. I can’t wait to witness what they have in store for the dance break during their live performances. So happy to see Cyprus back in JESC, hopefully Greece makes a comeback at some point too.”
BORIS – 8 – “Welcome back, Cyprus. This is one of three songs in this year where the child performer directly had a hand in composing the song, and you can immediately tell. “Crystal Waters” has a naïve, hopeful positive message about the environment hidden beneath layers of infectuous beat and crisp, innocen energy. Maria is foremost having fun, and that makes her likeable as a lead. She follows the “Music For Children, By Children” standard that all of these entries should adhere to. Consider me charmed. 🙂 “
HOLLY – 7 – “This has big summer vibes – a punchy horn section, a hypnotic rhythm complete with whistles and stomping, and a cool energy that makes you want to call your mates, pack a picnic and catch a tan. The spoken word section is normally a Eurovision cliché that annoys me, but here it’s a nice touch!”
REBECCA – 5 – “Another that just really isn’t my type of music, but I did enjoy the summer beats and guitar throughout the song. Maria’s vocals are very solid, and the song suits her voice and style really well. This song also presents one of my biggest pet peeves in music, which is what I’ve termed “speaky bits.” It’s like a step down from a rap verse, and it always rubs me the wrong way when it’s used in anything other than maybe a comedy song. It feels so jarring to go between singing with a particular rhythm that follows the music, and then suddenly normal talking rhythms.”
SAM – 8.5 – ““Crystal Waters” is another very cool song and could be another dark horse. Unlike “Pigiama Party,” this song strikes the right balance between youthfulness and maturity. It’s a shame JESC takes place in November, because this song is a proper summer anthem – with room for a dance break, adding to the song’s cool factor (Pissarides, who co-wrote the song, is a trained dancer). It’s also the closest thing to an ethno-bop in this year’s contest. While the song has some stiff competition, I see it easily placing in the top five.”
STATISTICS
Total score: 36/50
Highest mark: 8.5 (Sam)
Lowest mark: 5 (Rebecca)
Percentage: 72%
#06. FRANCE
Titouan – “Comme ci, comme ça”
Languages: French
Title in English: “Like such, like so”
Music & Lyrics: Malory Legardinier & Marie Bastide
THE REVIEWS:
ALEXANDROS – 4 – “Okay, great melody but the lyrics are incredibly basic. I genuinely enjoyed his energy, and I had hope when he began singing and playing the piano. I think the song would be better as a ballad. He’s quite likeable, but the song lacks originality. Nevertheless, I’m eager to see it performed live and witness how it’s presented.”
BORIS – 8 – “We’re already getting entries following the Nemo pipeline of questionable start into great middle and end? Well, sort of. “The Code” and “Comme ci, Comme ça” both have a difficult first minute before they burst into an emotional rollercoaster, but where Nemo immediately grabbed our attention with pure unfiltered anxiety (setting up the overcoming of obstacles in the third act), Titouan nearly puts me to sleep with a dull piano soliloquy. ONCE he gets the rhythm going, his song immediately and suddenly becomes a borderline addictive injection of serotonin. I believe this is not intended to win, but rather as a respectable top fiver to keep the French hot streak alive, and I can get behind that.”
HOLLY – 6.5 – “I could have listened to the first half of this song for literal hours. The vocal harmonies gave me proper goosebumps. Then the tempo picked up, and I’ll be honest, it lost me a bit. It’s fun, and I’m hopeful I’ll be forced to eat my words after seeing it live – Titouan definitely has the energy to get the entire room on their feet – but the studio version lacked a bit of depth and left me wanting more.”
REBECCA – 6.5 – “It’s giving me Disney Channel vibes, and I can’t decide if I like it or not! The switch from delicate piano ballad to fun party song definitely took me by surprise, but not in a bad way. Titouan has a very lovely voice that suits both styles, so it’s like his vocals are the through-line that ties the whole song together. So far all I’ve heard from this year’s entries has been more of an upbeat sound, so I was actually a little disappointed when we moved away from the delicate piano at the start. It was really refreshing and stood out amongst the other entries for a moment!”
SAM – 4 – “”Comme ci comme ça” commits the worst sin that any Eurovision song can: it’s bland. This is a huge shame, because Titouan has a lovely voice and, judging from his live performance in Quimper a few weeks ago, good stage presence. I suspect he’d be capable of a more interesting, dynamic and/or powerful performance with a song that gave him the chance. The presentation (based on both the music video and the Quimper performance) is cheesy. The lyrics are repetitive. The melody is dated. It reminds me of the feel-good soft rock anthems of the mid and late-aughts (see: “Hey Soul Sister” by Train). This will fall flat coming immediately after Armenia and Cyprus.”
STATISTICS
Total score: 29/50
Highest mark: 8 (Boris)
Lowest mark: 4 (Alexandros, Sam)
Percentage: 58%
#07. NORTH MACEDONIA
Ana & Aleksej – “Marathon”
Languages: English & Macedonian
Music & Lyrics: Lazar Cvetovski & Magdalena Cvetovska
THE REVIEWS:
ALEXANDROS – 6.5 – “Wow, what a nice duet from North Macedonia! I really enjoyed their previous entries, with a few exceptions. The beat is perfectly suited for JESC, and their chemistry in the music video is undeniable. I can already picture their performance and only hope they bring the visuals. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic that they will secure a favorable placement.”
BORIS – 6 – “I wish I liked this more. I wish I liked it, period. “Marathon” builds up dramatic panache in its verses and pre-chorus, and it makes me excited for the BURST OF ENERGY in the chorus… and then we are hit in the face by a very unfortunate case of BAD CHORUS SYNDROME. Yikes. “Run Run Run Run Run Run Like a Marathon” x4 (I counted) is not a satisfying pay-off here. The chorus is dull, repetitive and lasts WAY TOO LONG for what it brings to the table. It is always a shame when composers are SO close to *actually* having a good, well-rounded song and then throw it away due to laziness and/or a lack of creative ideas. It’s especially a shame when the kids are throwing in their best effort. Oh well. Perhaps Ana and Aleksej can salvage the live?”
HOLLY – 4 – “I struggled to lock in with this one. The instrumentation is a little erratic, like it can’t decide on what kind of energy it wants to carry. The duo have a beautiful vocal blend though, and are incredibly charismatic.”
REBECCA – 7 -” If it wasn’t clear already, I like a song with a good beat to it. It gets my head bopping, what can I say? I really like the metaphor of a marathon—it’s unique and not something I’ve heard done in a song before, so it stands out in that regard, and you instantly know what it’s trying to tell you so it works well to serve the message of the song.”
SAM – 6.5 – ““Marathon” is a very charming entry. In the music video, Ana & Aleksej look happy to be there and fully invested, and if that enthusiasm comes across in the live performance, I can see this entry doing reasonably well. The song itself is a bit cliche, and the “run run run…” bit is (for better or worse) reminiscent of Germany’s ESC 2024 entry, but somehow the whole package works.”
STATISTICS
Total score: 30/50
Highest mark: 7 (Rebecca)
Lowest mark: 4 (Holly)
Percentage: 60%
THE SCOREBOARD (7 out of 17 counted)
- ARMENIA (Cosmic Friend) – 83%
- ALBANIA (Vallëzoj) – 75%
- CYPRUS (Crystal Waters) – 72%
- ESTONIA (Tänavad) – 70%
- ITALY (Pigiama Party) – 60%, Highest 7.5
- NORTH MACEDONIA (Marathon) – 60%, Highest 7
- FRANCE (Comme ci, comme ça) – 58%
ARMENIA have overtaken Albania in the classification, with a very good 83%. Cyprus snag a temporary third place in the ranking, while North Macedonia and France rank at the bottom so far.
What shake ups will the next update have in store? Tune in tomorrow, when we will publish our thoughts on the entries from Poland, Georgia and Spain.
Do #YOU agree with our editor panel? Join the discussion on social media, our forum or in our discord!
