Armenia are well known for their creative and memorable Junior Eurovision entries, and more often than not, we see Armenia in the Top 5, if not in the Top 3. Incredibly, the nation has finished in 3rd place two times, 2nd on four occasions and has also won the contest. This year the nation will be represented by L.E.V.O.N with the song of the same name, but will this give Armenia yet another top position?
The short answer to that is, yes. This follows the exact path that Armenia like to go down when it comes to Junior Eurovision. The songs are punchy, creative, energetic and confidently performed and this year’s entry ticks all those boxes. Despite that, I do recognise that this does have the potential to alienate some viewers, and perhaps it’s the older audiences who won’t get along with this song simply because it’s all systems go for the entire 3 minutes and at times that energy can be overwhelming.
With that said though, I think it will be too small of a proportion to affect Armenia’s chances of yet another top position on the results table. Some of the competing entries this year need a few listens to get to know a bit better but with this song what you see is what you get. It doesn’t take long to catch onto the melody, and with a fair bit of repetition, it’s impossible not to tap along to the beat. This is a positive in the sense that for many of the Junior Eurovision viewers, it will be the first time hearing the song so first impressions do count. This made a strong first impression with me, and I feel that it will do the same with many others.
This catchy number also has the advantage of being fronted by a very energetic and confident young performer. Perhaps the correct word to describe it is swag, but L.E.V.O.N is absolutely a natural performer and this will play to his advantage at Junior Eurovision, especially if he plays to the cameras at all the right times. For the staging of the song, I think there are a few different avenues that the team could take one of which includes keeping it similar to the national final performance. He doesn’t necessarily need backing dancers, although the song allows that opportunity and either way it would look good. I hope they keep the green suit as it’s actually something that would help audiences remember the entry if not for the song itself.
Can I see this winning? From when it was selected in the national final, I could immediately see this as a huge contender. I see it in the same way as I saw some of Armenia’s previous entries, for example their winning entry Mama, People of the Sun and Tarber all of which finished in the Top 3.
This is another personal favourite of the contest, and I’m feeling quite generous this year, so I’ll hand out another 10/10 score!
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