Georgia has consistently been a powerhouse in Junior Eurovision, with two 1st places, and a number of top 10 finishes since their debut in 2007. They have created a reputation for over the top, but memorable performances which are fresh and modern. This year, they have changed direction and sent Mariam Mamadashvili with the song Mzeo, but does it have what it takes to clench Georgia’s third Junior Eurovision win?
Mzeo is the complete opposite of what we have come to expect from Georgia, with previous songs such as Bzz, Mari Dari and even last years’ entry Gabede pushing boundaries and reaching new levels of creativity. Mzeo is a simple ballad sung by a strong vocalist. The song sounds like it could have been a part of a Disney film, or a musical show, as it builds strongly over the three minutes and has that cutesy feel to it thanks to Mariam’s angelic voice.
As much as this song is nice, it’s just not doing anything for me. I love the crazy Georgian entries, and even if they don’t do well at the contest, they at least offer something so different. This is, for me, will be lost in amongst the really strong pop songs of this year. Alternatively, being one of few traditional ballad based songs this year could make it stand out.
I’m not sure how they will approach the visuals for this song, but it’s likely to feature Mariam on stage alone to truly showcase her voice. This for me would be the best approach as for me, her voice is the only standout of this song. It could do well, but I think it will be beaten by the great range of more upbeat pop songs of this year.
