Belarus is one of the most consistent Junior Eurovision nations, having participated in every contest since its debut year back in 2003. Early in their Junior Eurovision history, they achieved two wins with Ksenia Sitnik in 2005, and in 2007 with Alexey Zhigalkovich. It’s been a few years since they last finished in the Top 3, but will that change with this year’s entry Aliens, performed by Arina Pehtereva?
Song + Vocals
It felt a bit strange to not have a Belarusian national final for Junior Eurovision this year, but the nation has done very well to select this gem. For those who know me, it takes a certain type of ballad to impress me, and Belarus have absolutely delivered on the ballad of the year. Aliens is powerful, memorable, and ready to reach the Top 3.
The opening beat of the song immediately grabs your attention, and you are eager to hear where the song is going. The verses achieve the same goal, really grabbing you in ready for the big chorus. The song grows over the 3 minutes, with a subtler first chorus leading into a stronger second verse and subsequently a spectacular finish to the song. Arina sure can sing, and this song will really test her vocals during the live performance. Her vocals are backed by incredible backing music that has highs and lows, with the chorus incredibly powerful. The bridge is a contemporary addition to the song, and really creates a point of difference for this song.
There is just one thing I don’t love about this song, and it is that they chose to add English into this song. The English lyrics just seem a bit clunky to me, but in reality, it’s a small criticism to a pretty perfect song.
Act + Performance
I have high hopes for the staging of this song, as Belarus usually does a great job at staging their Junior Eurovision entries. I can’t help but to think back to Helena Meraai and her entry, I Am The One which was a similar style of song – could we see a similar style of staging this year?
I can imagine a dark staging, using flashes of lights to highlight the strong beats of the song, especially when we start to hear the real rock undertones of the song. I am very eager to see if they can use the staging to really elevate this song to even higher peaks.
Conclusions
I can say without hesitation that Belarus is a very strong contender to win. With a strong vocal and visual performance, I don’t see why it wouldn’t win in this year’s field. It’s an incredibly strong ballad, and dare I say, significantly better than what we usually get from Belarus at Eurovision. Top 3 at minimum, and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t pan out that way.
Rating
10/10
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