Farty or Party - a jESC 2026 review

 Well - this is a bit awkward...

Usually we'll get out the old audio equipment, get into the brace position and make some podcasts, but this year it hasn't quite worked out (personally I blame the powers that be for moving it a good 3-5 weeks early from it's pre Christmas slot)

But I am not letting this contest pass without some form of critique. This year, we will watch the clips as usual and this time I'll add a short pithy comment from Marcus (11yo)and Ann (very much not 11yo) about each song and a score from 0-5. Once all the songs are reviewed we have made a podium of our top faves!

On the plus size, now that we are a little bit more aware of what is coming up on the Eurovision horizon, this does leave us open to reviewing the upcoming Eurovision Asia 2026 in podcast form - so watch this space...!

For ease of working we are reviewing the songs in performance order and are using the videos that are available on the official video playlist: https://www.youtube.com/@junioreurovision/videos

1. Netherlands - Maria "Stronger Together"

MARCUS - pretty good. I felt like it had a meaning to it and you could understand it through the video. I think I'd remember it after I'd watched everything else on the night 4

ANN - a shame this is the opener to the show. It could be a stand out opening gambit that no-one else can achieve or easily forgotten after a plethora of bops and stage school turns. Sounds nice, although I wish the chorus popped more in the instrumental - not just a choir. I hope she can do this live 3

2 Cyprus - Harry Georgiou "Who I Can Be"

MARCUS - the storyline in the video was amazing but I thought the chorus being almost all in English was a bit too much. The tune is quite catchy and Harry has a nice clear voice 3

ANN - this video is clever and it'd be great to have the puppet theming on stage as the narrative of the boy growing up is very symbolic. The song builds well and the chorus has a simple earworm that isn't annoying. This should get a good score but fear it might get lost - I still really like it though 4

3 Portugal - Salvador Rio "Alma"

MARCUS - I  enjoyed the shifts between different styles and genres and the meaning is really deep and meaningful. The setting of the video was a little awkward which was a shame 4

ANN - Portugal always brings something out of the box for the adult and junior shows and this does does not disappoint - waltz trip hop is the genre we didn't know we needed. The repetition of the title is catchy and memorable.. Hopefully the stage show will be more expressive than the video 4

4 Montenegro - Mija Vujović "Muzika nas spaja"

MARCUS - most of that was just the same bits of text repeated over again which I don't like. I liked the settings used in the video but they chopped and changed too quickly 2

ANN - the first of the pop songs with a video from the tourist board. The chorus has a millennial whoopiness that sticks in your head. The backing track is rather thin in the verses but is better in the chorus. The song needs dancers and a simple waving arms dance routine to really make a mark 2

5 San Marino - Violamarie "Ruota panoramica"

MARCUS - I liked the crowds of children and how everyone was enjoying themselves with friends. The location of the video looked interesting. The song good but the video was amazing! 4

ANN - has a Disney/musical theatre feel then leans into a chilled out 'Golden' - but in Italian. The video is simple and I think the teeny girl audience would relate if this was replicated on the stage. The video was simple but effective. Maybe some roller-skating dancers! 3

6 France - Alec "Comment tu vas?"

MARCUS - wow! I quite like the fact it was a stage setting and the focus was one him. The piano solo was the best and I think this is a really catchy song - it may even win! 5

ANN - an unexpected start with which could make people curious or turn them off. The chorus kicks in with a strong beat and an unusual chord structure before an elongated jazzy piano solo. An interesting song with a very professional set up (do they actually want another win...?) 3

7 Poland - Wiktor Sas "Gravity"

MARCUS - hmmmm, I didn't think the English was needed. and the effects in the video were too literal. I don't remember much about the song even thought I just heard it 1

ANN - the change from English into Polish works really well and wasn't obvious. Does feel like the jesc version of Naughty Boy's "Runnin" The flying objects might be a good theme to have one stage or backdrop. The last 20 seconds feels like a real push to the end only to peter out. Shame! 3

8 Armenia - Naré "Boo!"

MARCUS - this was very repetitive  which made it boring quite quickly. The video has a good theme but too many chops. More for girls and TikTok people - not me 2

ANN - the usual Armenian jesc fayre. A lot of audio and visual production which may not be achievable live. It almost feels too polished and pointed to the tween/teen market and Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra" and the French songs from a few years back are both doing a lot of heavy lifting here! 2

9 Malta - Beppe "Blue Bird"

MARCUS - the little whistles were interesting and catchy. The narrative of the video was a nice accompaniment to the song. He has a 'young boy' voice not a powerful booming one 3

ANN - the video blurb was a bit too much. An old fashioned Disney feel to the song and sounds very Eurovisiony too. Not a fan of the do-do-do parts which could've been actual words Was just getting through it when there was a very unneeded key change followed by a very abrupt ending 1

10 Italy - Matteo Trullu "Che cos'è l'amore?"

MARCUS - really good. A little repetitive in the lyrics but still a good tune. The fact the people the video were having a good time made me feel like I was having a good time! 4

ANN - this feels like quite the gear change from the last song with a more mature feel. Not a bad tune but doesn't really go anywhere lyrically or musically. Would not feel out of place at the adult contest or Sanremo. The video is rather basic and I am expecting more in a live performance 2

11 Ukraine - Erika Kolesnichenko "Not a Lullaby"

MARCUS - too much English for me and felt a bit meh. I found most of it, apart from the chorus forgettable. I think there was too much going on to really concentrate on one bit 1

ANN - the way this song looks is very confusing and feels a bit too much. Although I am not a fan of literal staging, this is not too bad but I don't like the outfits The song itself is a little messy and I don't like how she whispers the word lullaby - this may also sound rather awkward live 2

12 North Macedonia - Ana Stojanoska "Idnata jas"

MARCUS - it was catchy without needing any English. I liked the dancing parts as they gave the song oomph but didn't take away from the singing. Made me want to boogie 4

ANN - another tourist board video!. There is a nice Balkan feel in the beat. Wondering if there will be something happening on stage during the long instrumental part. It feel like half a song has been strung out to make a whole one. Another song where the hook is lacking which is a shame 2

13 Ireland - Caleb Kirwan & Naomi Gribben "Níos láidre"

MARCUS - this was quite catchy and made me feel good - it has a reassuring message too. The dancing matched the song and the language sounded nice too. 5

ANN - both of their voices blend well and I hope this can be replicated on stage. Was hoping for more of a build up during the bridge making into something a little more anthemic. Production should have gone fully 80s coded musically to give it some personality to kids and adults alike 1

14 Albania - Eslin Kurti "Kërce me mua"

MARCUS - I liked quite a lot tof it but found it a bit off putting that there were no boys in teh video although it was very cool. Song was reptitive but that made it catchy 3

ANN - the music is really interesting but the music video is so busy and choppy it's hard to concentrate on - hopefully the stage show will be more focused. Too much ooooh-ing and shouting. This could have been a really intriguing song if given a bit more space rather than fill the silences 2

15 Georgia - Davit Lomidze "Sun on the Rooftops"

MARCUS - I liked this one and enjoyed the long sections of the video in different settings. The Italian bits were catchy  and it made me sway about. The lyrics were thoughtful too 5

ANN - this was really unexpected as it has a very jazzy 80s feel, almost Sanremo-esque -  as well as a well well used wind machine. The video has almsot a Fame feel too it with Davit singing and dancing over the streets - and waves.  However the key change at the end was really too much 3

16 Spain - Lucas Paulano "Cuore bello (te quiero, te quiero)"

MARCUS - the repetition of the chorus got on my nerves by the end. I think the glowing balls gave the video some good colour and I liked that more than the room of things 2

ANN - this feels like a strange song to finish with although I may have just been tired/fed up after all listening to all the songs It had some very odd stylistic choices with the dancers (and their dancing) and the strange fade outs during the chorus. All of this took me away from his singing 2

After collating the scores  - we have three songs with 8 points!!!! After talking about the songs in question and which we prefer -  we have our top3 fave songs 

1st - PORTUGAL 

2nd - FRANCE

3rd - GEORGIA

An honourable mention to these countries who got 7 points:

Cyprus, Netherlands, San Marino

A reminder that jESC is on Saturday 24th October and everyone can watch the Junior Eurovision 2026 final on you tube here or on your local channel if your country is taking part.

In addition, you can also vote for your faves no matter where you are in the world!

Online audience voting has been a staple of the show for may years now and you can vote for 3 of your favoutite tracks per voting window. Vote by visiting  is available via JESC.tv and you can even vote twice! The first, longer voting window occurs from 23:59 CEST on Friday 23 October until 20:59 CEST on Saturday 24 October, then you can vote again once all the songs have performed during the live show but beware - that window lasts for only 15 minutes!!!!

SOA 2026

They said we couldn't/wouldn't/shouldn't do it again but we are stubborn, opinionated and LOVE a routine... so here we are...

Welcome (back) to Shite Or Alright where we - Andy (normal person) and Ann (ESC fan) review the tracks up for judgement at Eurovision which will, 11 years since the last time, be occurring in Austria. However this year saw the end of the long run of non-capital cities holding the contest as we see ourselves back in Vienna! In the intro, we look back at the fallout from 2025 - and boy is there plenty of that - as well as giving some spoilers as to the tropes and memes we have to look forward to. Once again, we review *most* of this year's songs and give them a score from Parasite to Meteorite! Finally, the top entry of each of the 5 podcasts will go through to the 'Champions of Champions' round to see which one is our favourite of the year GUARANTEEING its fate as 'right side of the leader board' if not 'did not qualify'.

You can also play the shows directly from this blogpost OR you stream/download the shows from your podcast place of choice - including Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, Apple and many many more! If you can, please subscribe to the feed or share the links on your social media, as this will help more people find the Eurovision review podcasts. Outside of ESC/jESC we review albums under the name of ALBUMBLE! In our next show, we will keep up the Eurovision theme by reviewing an album by France Gall and there is already some Eurovision/adjacent music in the feed already!!! https://albumble.podbean.com/

You can find and follow ALBUMBLE on twitter https://x.com/albumble 
Ann is contactable on Blue Sky anngrace.bsky.social and Instagram things.anngrace

EPISODE ONE: SERBING GOTH

BELGIUM, FRANCE, GREECE, MALTA, SERBIA & SWEDEN

Veruca Salt

The last two winners?

The Masked Singer... in reverse

RBF stands for...

Ends at the wrong bit

You will always remember where you were when you first heard that line...

Or download it direct from here: https://albumble.podbean.com/e/soa2026-ep1/

EPISODE TWO: OSTERDAHL'S BIN OF GOOD IDEAS

ALBANIA, ARMENIA, FINLAND, GERMANY, LITHUANIA, ROMANIA & UKRAINE

MC Tunes lacking rhyme or bites

Dance break? Very clever...

The Boy From Space

Status Quo moves

Why is the classroom on fire?

Wine lake and butter mountain

On the brink

Or download it direct from here: https://albumble.podbean.com/e/soa2026-ep2/

EPISODE THREE: FARLEY'S RUSKS & RED BULL

CROATIA, CYPRUS, DENMARK, ITALY, LATVIA, LUXEMBOURG & NORWAY

Not everything has to be niche

Age approriate-ness

Doesn't need the gimmicks

Sponsored by Bic

The signs are there that he is an emotional guy

Teeth as white as the wig

No need for a key change

Or download it direct from here: https://albumble.podbean.com/e/soa2026-ep3/

EPISODE FOUR: SENHIT RAGE

AZERBAIJAN, AUSTRIA, BULGARIA, CZECHIA, ESTONIA, SAN MARINO & SWITZERLAND

Apex predator
It's an impressive rolodex
Beenie Man
He lives with the other strapless lads on Sadboi Street
The dance break comes early
Mumsnet Band
Covering up the punch

Or download it direct from here: https://albumble.podbean.com/e/soa2026-ep4/

EPISODE FIVE: LOOK AT ME, I CAN GO IN THE DESERT

AUSTRALIA, GEORGIA, MOLDOVA, MONTENEGRO, POLAND, PORTUGAL & UNITED KINGDOM

Accidental wrestling chat  

A block of flats

Well, it worked for Lena

Czechia of the Balkans...?

Man at C&A

Twang on your harp

The revolving door of artists

Or download it direct from here: https://albumble.podbean.com/e/soa2026-ep5/

GEORGIA 2026

The Georgian song was revealed on 11th March with the video release on youtube. Back in January, Georgian broadcaster GPB announced their chosen act and that the song would be revealed at a later date Going to Vienna, and hoping to be the first act to win both adult and junior Eurovision competitions, is the group Bzikebi with "On replay".

The video chops and changes a number of different settings, outfits and dance routines. The male of the trio, Giorgi, seems to take the lead with the two girls, both named Mariam, are mostly flanked either side. There is a lot of very precise and rather unusal looking choreography, usually with a bank of dancers behind them. The production is very polished and contains a lot of short snippets from one setting or viewpoint then changes to another.The song is an uptempo dance song, all in English, but there is a lot of la-la-la and dum-dum-dum filler. They sing about the ability to live in the moment and wishing that good times could continue or be relived at a moment's notice. The song is coincidentally reminiscent of of Cyprus' "Replay" as well as Sweden's "Unforgettable" and "You are the only one" by Sergei Lazarev.

The trio are professionals who have - believe it or not - been working as Bzikebi for almost 20 years! I expect their show to be slick and very polished. It will be interesting to see how far they are leaning into the choreography and if they opt for hand or headset mics. They could tone down some of the moves to ensure the vocal is clear but could push the visual as the main audience pull. My fear is that the show could come across as cold and clinical and I hope that they will interact or at least acknowledge the audience.

ARTIST - Bzikebi
SONG – On replay
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Giga Kukhianidze, Liza Japaridze

CZECHIA 2026

The Czech song was revealed on 11th March with the video release on youtube. Three days earlier, Czech broadcaster ČT announced their chosen act and that the song had also been internally selected. Going to Vienna is Daniel Žižka with "Crossroads".

Daniel is relaxing in a small cluttered room. Throughout the video we see the room from both sides of the mirror, almost like there are two versions or alternate realities of Daniel's world - one dark and quiet, the other agitated and uncontrolled. Near the end there is a continual 'memento' loop of seeing a room inside a room inside a room but if you look carefully Daniel is doing different thing in each frame. After the spinning (and music) stops, Daniel takes the door knob out of his trouser pocket and then exits the now empty room. This English language entry is an ethereal and anthemic ballad which explores the narrator's journey through life. In particular, it touches on the realisation of when you are dependent on others rather than being independent and trusting of yourself.  The song is reminiscent of Gjon's Tears' two entries as well as Arcade. 

I can envisage the swirling continuous loop elements being utilised in the backdrop on stage but probably very little else. The simplicity of the video makes you focus on the text and the song's unusual structure make you pay attention. There are some really interesting changes of tune, tempo and beat meaning Daniel's vocal control will have to be top notch to rise above it all. If he can execute the performance live, this will be lapped up by the juries and I feel in the realm of ballads on offer, this stands out.

ARTIST - Daniel Žižka
SONG – Crossroads
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Viliam Béreš, Daniel Žižka

ARMENIA 2026

The Armenian song was revealed on 11th March with the premiere of the video on youtube. Two days earlier, Armenian broadcaster AMPTV announced the name of their chosen act. Going to Vienna is Simón with "Paloma Rumba".

The video takes place in a drab grey office room filled with other office workers. They all have the same computers, glasses, grey office uniforms and are only identifiable by the names written on their identical name tags. We see shots of the entire office participating in a whole group dance routine - sometimes stood, sometimes in office chairs but these shots then become darker, more unhinged. Simón's suit becomes layered with post-it notes and the floor littered with paper. This is a multi-genre song with hints of urban, folk, rap, rock and sung in English, which, like the video, decries the mundanity of everyday life with the wish to just leave everything and have fun. The song and its video reminds me of Käärijä's "Cha cha cha", Baby Lasagna's "Rim tim tagi dim" as well as "Pump it" by Black Eyed Peas.

I like the 'crazy office' aesthetic but not sure if this will be applied to the ESC stage. I am not quite sure what this song wants to be or wants to achieve. I also don't know what they mean by 'paloma rumba' as it doesn't fit the dance style nor reference any birds! There seems to be an over-reliance on the visual and the choreo to make a mark. It's set out to be multi-layered and over the top but it doesn't quite work and comes across as a hodge-podge of random. A lot of unanswered questions and dubious thoughts.

ARTIST - Simón 
SONG – Paloma Rumba
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Roza Kostandyan, Lilit Navasardyan, David Tserunyan, Eva Voskanyan

SWITZERLAND 2026

The Swiss song was revealed on 11th March with the premiere of the video on youtube. Back in January, Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR announced the name of their chosen act and that the song would also be internally selected and revealed at a later date. Going to Vienna is Veronica Fusaro with "Alice"

The narrative of the video sees singer Veronica attending a wedding. The video traipses through the traditional parts of a wedding day, hinting at the bride (presumably, Alice) and Veronica's 'secret' relationship. The actors do a good job at showing the characters' (true) feelings as nobody says anything. Interspersed are shots of Veronica playing guitar and singing the song with a band. At the end, the two protagonists embrace at a lakeside with a snow topped mountain in view. The song, wholly in English, is a rocky ballad with some simple but prominent guitar riffs. In the text, the narrator wishes to explain to the subject of an unrequited - maybe even forbidden  - love and how they wish they could be open about their feelings. The song makes me think of Anna Calvi, Rihanna's "Love on the brain" and "You don't own me" by Lesley Gore and subsequent covers.

I love the simple storytelling in the video but I am unsure if this could/should get moved to a ESC perspective. Alternately, the sections where Veronica plays with the band look cool, authentic and also lets her personality come to the fore. Her style is individual and is easy to recollect, plus her minimalistic reactions and performance style is a welcome change from some of the more emotive shows. I could easily hear this on the radio throughout Europe and may have a longer life outside the contest.

ARTIST -Veronica Fusaro
SONG – Alice
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Veronica Fusaro, Charlie McClean

AZERBAIJAN 2026

The Azeri song was announced on 9th March. A few days prior the the song's video being released on youtube, the name of the act was also unveiled. Going to Vienna is Jiva with "Just go".

The video has Jiva singing in a number of settings interspersed with cuts of her interacting with her lover and ends with Jiva setting fire to a photo and the two of them. Jiva has two main outfits during the video, one is her wearing a tight fitting woollen coat with a chunky belt, the other is an off-white silken, strappy dress, possibly nightdress. The song is a straightforward ballad with a slightly rocky chorus and some ethnic instrumentation. Jiva doesn't really do very much and emotes not too over the top towards the camera. This power ballad is mostly in English but utilises a few lines of Azeri right near the end. The song charts the emotions of someone in a relationship explaining why it needs to end and how this is making them feel. The song puts me in mind of ballads such as "For Life", "Shelter" and "Shine".

The presentation gives us little to go on regarding what the show may look like in May. This is a rather straightforward entry and will need something else to elevate it. On one hand, the text is repetitive and the title really stays in your mind but the lyrics are rather route one and the story arc doesn't really 'arc' anywhere - this ballad feels 20/30 years too late. I really wish more was in Azeri as it sounds much more interesting. This feels dated, brings nothing new and will need more than this to progress further.

ARTIST - Jiva
SONG – Just go
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Fuad Javadov

POLAND 2026

The Polish act and song was announced on 8th March. The national final "Finał krajowych kwalifikacji" was held on the 7th March with the result revealed the next morning.  A winner was solely selected by app voting. Finally going to Vienna is Alicja with "Pray".

Alicja starts on a dimly lit stage with four male backing dancers behind. The backdrop scans across a black and white urban landscape and when the video glitches, so do the dancers. After the video ends the backdrop has a 3D moving corridor feel as well as flashes and strobes. The aesthetic of the show is black and white and works very well with the gospel/urban feel of the song.  The dancers are all in black while Alicja wears very wide black trousers and a low v-necked silver bodice. Alicja moves and interacts with her dancers in a relaxed and confident manner. The song, which has a very modern R&B chart feel interpolates sections of rap, gospel, trap and soul in an effortless way. The English lyrics lean into prayer being a synonym for self-belief and not letting others lead you off your path. The song puts me in mind of Destiny's 2020 entry "All of my love"

The song shows off the control Alicja has in the riffs and long notes but also highlights the huskiness in her lower register. I like how the backdrop and dancers create an optical illusion at the start. I hope they can upscale the visuals and not change too much. It is hard to judge how this will do with the televote and if this harnesses the power of the Polish diaspora vote. The 'blue-eyed soul' style may be too niche for some but may stand out for technicians in the juries. It's good to get her on stage 6 years late!

ARTIST - Alicja
SONG – Pray
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Weronika Gabryelczyk, Sinclair Alan Malcolm, Alicja Szemplińska

PORTUGAL 2026

The Portuguese act and song was chosen on 7th March through the national final "Festival da Canção". A winner was selected via a 50-50 mix of regional juries and public televoting. Going to Vienna is the group Bandidos do Cante with "Rosa" (Rose)

We begin with the members of the band singing a capella and the music joins in soon after. The music is gentle, lilting and full of strings. This is a folky ballad in the style of 'Cante Alentejano' a UNESCO protected style of singing from Portugal. The text is in Portuguese and describes the different faces of love - its beauty, its absence, its loss and the hope it gives you. Bandidos do Cante is a group made up of 5 male singers. They are spread out on stage and step forward when it is their turn. They are all dressed in earthy coloured suits. The background starts off like a blue twilight sky then turns red, yellow, green and then all together. Near the end, they are joined on stage by a female violinist, who is all in white. The song ends with one of the singers offering a rose the the camera. The song reminds me of entries from Klapa s Mora, Salvador Sobral and Maro.

The song has a lot of heart, soul and emotion and this comes though in the harmonies, lilting rhythms and vocal trills. However, because this song is quietly confident, controlled, culturally proud and simply staged, this entry will do well with juries but may become memory holed by the non-Portuguese speaking televote. The delegation could attempt to be more ambitious with the staging, maybe with a narrative video behind them. As pleasant as this is, this may falter when it comes to qualification.

ARTIST - Bandidos do Cante
SONG – Rosa
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – JL. Aleixo, G. Alface, M. Costa, D. Farias, G. Narciso, F. Pereira, F. Pestana, F. Raposo, J.C. Tavares

SWEDEN 2026

The Swedish act and song was chosen on 7th March through the national final "Melodifestivalen". A winner was selected via a 50-50 mix of international juries and public app & phone voting. Going to Vienna is Felicia with "My System"

Felicia starts off alone, but is soon flanked by 6 male dancers. The staging is dark - predominantly red and black - with lots of flashing, strobing and lasers involved. The dancers are all dressed in black and Felicia in a black top, skirt and gloves with red intertwined ribboning. The choreography is enhanced by the lighting as the strobe effect gives it a robotic sheen. This said, the timing for all people on stage has to be impeccable or it does not work. At the end, Felicia removes her face covering and places on intricate glasses. The song, which is in English, describes the feeling of wanting to forget about a past relationship but too many things trigger you to want them back again. The backing track, especially in the instrumental, is hypnotic, electronic and repetitive - all of which influences the dance moves. The song puts me in mind of Europapa, Unbreakable and Shum.

The song is in a Swedish vein but has a harder edge to previous entries. The backing track is intricate but aggressive and this gives it a much needed rawness. The lyrics, however, are awkward and odd, particularly the line including the phrase 'body parts' which feels a little shoved in like the writers couldn't think of anything better for the rhyme. I'd love the lighting to be a touch brighter and I hope Felicia's face covering intrigues people rather than putting them off. This should be a shoo-in for the final.

ARTIST - Felicia
SONG – My system
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Julie Bergan, Felicia Eriksson, Audun Agnar Guldbrandsen, Emily Harbakk, Theresa Rex