By: eurovisionunion
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Top 5 Junior Eurovision Entries of 2005!

In the lead up to the upcoming edition of Junior Eurovision, we are looking back on the previous editions of the contest to rediscover the songs we love!

For this Top 5, we are heading to Belgium, the hosts of the 2005 edition of Junior Eurovision. A total of 16 participants took to the stage to perform their Junior Eurovision entries. This was the third edition of the contest, and we saw Russia and Serbia and Montenegro debuting, and Cyprus, France, Poland and Switzerland withdrawing. Now it’s time for our Top 5!

  1. Lorena Jelusić – Rock Baby (Croatia)

It took a bit of googling to confirm that it wasn’t just a coincidental shared last name with former Junior Eurovision winner Dino Jelusić, as they are indeed brother and sister. It all makes sense while watching this performance, with the song itself sounding very reminiscent of Ti Si Moja Prva Ljubav. Both entries were very upbeat with catchy choruses and strong vocals. Lorena has a bit of a wobbly moment at the end, however her stage presence makes up for it. Overall, this finished in 12th place, which I think is a bit too low!

  1. Denis Dimoski – Rodendenski Baknež (North Macedonia)

Denis must have taken some outfit inspiration from the late Toše Proeski, who had represented North Macedonia the year prior. Dressed in all white, Denis commanded the stage from the opening moments of his song. While the song was upbeat, there were still strong cultural connections. The instrumentation is what we’ve come to know from the Balkan nations, and it certainly gave this song a stronger identity. The vocals were strong throughout the performance, so it’s easy to see why this finished within the Top 10.

  1. Ksenia Sitnik – My Vmeste (Belarus)

This was the first Belarusian win at Junior Eurovision, and a deserved one at that. For me, this song suits the format of Junior Eurovision. It’s a fun performance that appeals to the younger audience, but can also be enjoyed by adults. The vocals were not always perfect throughout the song, but this was charming enough that you could put that aside. The chorus is incredibly catchy, and Junior Eurovision fans would easily be able to recite it at a moment’s notice.

  1. Antonio José – Te Traigo Flores (Spain)

Spain was just 3 points away from another win at Junior Eurovision, and once again, it’s a runner up. There’s no confusion about which nation this song represents, that’s for sure. This upbeat song has a traditional style of vocal that is very impressive from someone so young, and Antonio really nails it. The visual performance is also strong, so it’s easy to see why Spain finished high on the results table. It would be great to see this style of song or at least, this style of vocal again on the Junior Eurovision stage.

  1. Nicolai – Shake Shake Shake (Denmark)

In their short history at the contest, Denmark was fearless with their song choices. It’s not super common to hear a hip-hop style song at Junior Eurovision, but Denmark delivered. The song was super refreshing in the line-up, but the best part was the performance. Nicolai was confident throughout the performance, working the cameras and committing to the choreography. He interacted well with the backing dancers and it made for a really slick performance of quite simply, a really cool song.