Spain is returning to the contest after a 13-year absence, and it’s an exciting re-addition to the Junior Eurovision line-up. Spain participated at the contest between 2003 and 2006, and during that time, the nation placed 2nd twice, 4th once and even won the contest. That means at no point have they fallen out of the Top 5, so the pressure is on Melani GarcĂa to continue the good streak of success, even if there was a 13 year gap! The song that Melani will be performing at the contest is titled Marte, a song that falls into the ‘unofficial’ theme of saving the environment.
Song + Vocals
After last year’s return of France, and a strong return at that, we now see another Eurovision Big 5 nation re-join the line-up. Both nations managed to really grasp the modern day Junior Eurovision, and as France did last year, I suspect Spain is also in for a great result this year.
Prior to the full song released, a teaser of Marte was released to create hype around the entry. From that point, I realised that Spain was really in this to win it. Once the full song was released, all my prior thoughts were confirmed as the song really met up to my expectations. Despite Melani being a young singer, the song has a maturity about it, both in the message of the song and as well as her stunning vocals.
I’m not always a big ballad fan, but this one is a big hit for me. There are different levels of intensity during this song, and it grows well over the 3 minutes. Towards the end, we really hear Melani unleash the opera style vocals which are a seamless addition to this song. The final note is mammoth, and if she hits that in the live performance, I can see this being a frontrunner.
There is something really addictive about the melody of Marte, in both the verses and choruses. It’s the type of song that I could listen to multiple times, but not get bored. The piano backing Melani in the first verse is enough to really draw me in, and then the choruses are increasingly more epic as the song progresses. It is a strong entry from Spain, but vocally complex. Melani has the skill to be able to pull this off, but I do fear that the frequency of difficult notes might tire her through the performance.
Act + Performance
Winning the Voice Kids Spain will have certainly helped Melani with confidence in front of a camera, and I anticipate that they will feature close-up shots throughout the performance to really capture her emotive style of performance. I hope they stay away from too many staging clichés and create something spectacular but original for this performance. Clever use of lighting and the backing screens could help create an atmosphere that matches the style of the song.
Based off the music video, I hope Melani tones down some of the physical movements, as at times they do feel too dramatic and unnecessary. A lot of the emotion can be seen through her eyes alone, so overacting the performance may come across as unnatural.
Conclusions
Could this win the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2019? Absolutely. Judging by the fan reaction, it’s certainly up there with a handful of other songs ready to take the crown. If Spain manages to score a good place in the running order and they can execute a strong visual performance to back Melani, she will be the one to beat.
Rating
10/10
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