Junior Eurovision is coming back! This December, it will return to Tbilisi, Georgia. I still have a lot of good memories of JESC 2024. I did feel the show was rather rushed and didn’t have as much green room coverage as past shows. Also I’m sure most of us were creeped out by the AI postcards. Try as we might, we’ll never forget Titouan the cowboy, Chloe the mermaid, the San Marino princesses, Andria’s four-fingered hand and Sir Artem! We’ll also never forget how well the young performers performed that night. And Andria’s winning performance was unforgettable. His Jury Point total was especially unforgettable: twelve of the seventeen juries giving him 12 points and a total of 180 points out of a maximum 192!
I’ll also remember how especially uplifting that Contest was at the time. It was held just a week and a half after the US Election and other ugly events in the news happened. Even host nation Spain was dealing with a devastating flood from two weeks earlier. Seeing how many entries sang songs of hope really gave me a sense of hope for the future. This is not the first time after a JESC. It’s often been the case we hear negative stories about young people. Many times after I’ve watched Junior Eurovision, I’m left with the feeling the future of the world will be just fine. Last year was especially no exception.
This year’s set of entries can also make you think very positively of the young. They’re all talented and they all have good songs! Even with just a few songs released, I’m anticipating this year’s songs to again be full of positive uplifting messages.
For now, I will start my annual reviews with the very first song decided:
ALBANIA
Song: “Fruta Perime”
Performer: Kroni Pula
DISCLAIMER: There’s recent news the song will be revamped for the Contest. My review is based on Kroni’s version from back in June. If the revamp of this song is very different from the original, I will give a second review.
Hard to believe Albania chose their singer and song at their Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës Për Fëmijë all the way back in June. That much of a rush? The song is about enjoying fruits and vegetables and their nutritional benefits but still loving the ‘guilty pleasure’ foods, as is common child nature. The song has a tropical beat to it and nine-year old Kroni Pula delivers a good job singing. The problem is the song is too simplistic and is way less mature than most Junior Eurovision songs of recent years. The songs does have some catchy traits, but it’s too cutesy.
JESC Chances: Lately Albania has been getting way better results. They finished in the Top 10 the last two Contests and to think, they only had one other previous JESC Top 10 finish. This song does not show the same potential. I’m sure that as more and more entries come out, there will be more songs people will find better and more enjoyable. It’s not to say it will do terrible. It’s possible the young child-like charm can win a lot of online votes and maybe some jury points. Nevertheless judging from past Contest entries, I’m expecting a low finish.
Listen to Albania’s Junior Eurovision 2025 song
And there you have my first review of the eighteen Junior Eurovision songs for 2025. With it being at month and a half to go for the Contest, it’s too early to tell who will win. We will have to see as song after song is decided.
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