FYR Macedonia have had a mixed history at Junior Eurovision with a couple of Top 5 places and a whole lot of 12th places and a fair few last place finishes. Last year, the nation seemed to have gotten the formula right with Martija and her song Love Will Lead Our Way, which was modern and mature, but yet still the nation didn’t crack the Top 10. This year, they’re following the same modern and mature path with Mina Blažev and her song Dancing Through Light, but will they fall to the same fate, or is this the year that FYR Macedonia revisit the Top 5?
With the nation approaching their participation in the contest with fresh eyes, I was hopeful that they would bring the goods this year, but after the release of the song, I realised that this was a complicated one for me as it has both positive and negative aspects. What I really enjoy about this song is that it’s god a modern beat, and even from the first verse it sound like it’s going to develop into a really impressive song. Unfortunately it kind of flat lines from there, with the chorus feeling quite underwhelming. Similar to the Polish entry of this year, I find that there isn’t quite enough distinction between chorus and verse, and with this entry, I think the fact that it sounds quite monotone is a factor that has put me off, which is a shame because I think it has the bones of what could have been a really successful song.
I think the trouble with this entry could be the fact that it has similar qualities to their entry last year, so you can’t help but compare the results. Last year, FYR Macedonia performed in 7th place, a song that was bilingual, and this year they’re performing in 8th place with a bilingual entry – both entries with similar modern and mature qualities. In that sense, I don’t know if FYR Macedonia will find themselves in a position any other than what they found themselves in last year. This could just be a little history repeating, but I’d be happily proven wrong!
Not only is this song smack bang in the middle of the running order, but it’s somewhere smack bang in the middle of the field for me. It doesn’t stand out enough for me, and for that reason I’m giving it a 6/10.
