This year marks the first participation of Germany in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest after many years of ‘will they, won’t they.’ The broadcaster organised a national selection to choose their debut act, and it will be Susan performing the song Stronger with You at the contest this year.
Song + Vocals
In the German selection this year, each of the participating singers performed the same two song, with the winning combination being Susan with the song Stronger with You. Pun intended, but it wasn’t the strongest national selection, in terms of both acts and songs, but nonetheless, here we are.
The first impression from the national selection itself wasn’t a strong one. The song lacked dimension, and the vocals towards the end were hit or miss. A revamp was a necessity for this song, and thankfully we got one. Despite getting a revamp, the song still doesn’t pack a punch and could have benefitted from stronger instrumentals. The beat feels repetitive and flat, and by the end, it leaves me feeling underwhelmed. A simple backing track can be salvaged with strong vocals, but even the vocals fall flat. Susan has a nice voice, and in certain parts of the song you can really hear it shine, but this uninspiring song just doesn’t do her any favours.
Act + Performance
I’ve seen the snippet of the performance, and I am pleasantly surprised by the staging of this song. I love the neon lighting, and while the staging looks to be quite dark, the neon lights give the performance a nice glow. I like Susan’s outfit for the performance, and I like that she isn’t static on stage. This song needs a bit of movement to keep audiences interested, and that could come from the backing screens and how Susan moves on stage.
Conclusions
It’s probably not on the same level as Italy on debut (where of course, they won), but it’s a nice, safe entry to begin their Junior Eurovision journey. I had hoped for a stronger song, or at least a stronger revamp, but the performance snippet looks to be significantly improved from the previous performance. I don’t think this song will make a big impact on the results table, and I would place it somewhere on the lower end.
Rating
5/10
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