Italy and Serbia at JESC 2014. Photo : Wikipedia

Eurovision Ireland has teamed up with Phil Colclough from the website OnEurope and Roy Delaney from Eurovision Apocalypse to give you our thoughts on this year’s Junior Eurovision Contestants. Today we look at Italy and Serbia.

ITALY

Italy as seen by Garrett

If only RAI could have sent this song to Eurovision this year in Copenhagen then they would have been Top 10. Vincenzo puts in a stellar vocal performance of a contemporary song that would not be out-of-place in the Sanremo festival. I think Viencenzo will be saying Ciao to a lot of “12 Points” on the night

Italy as seen by Phil

Much more like it.  Great song, fab performer, all the right notes in the right order – an impassioned performance that tugs at all the strings… this has it all and is a contender for the top.  Worry is his live performance.  Ask me again in JESC week….

SERBIA

Serbia as seen by Garrett

Ask Eurovision fans what the ingredients are of a classic Eurovision song and they will say 2 things – a ‘Wind Machine’ and that all important ‘Key Change’. Emilija delivers the latter with buckets of grace. The song maybe called ‘World in my eyes’ yet the performance of the song is in Emilija’s eyes. Isn’t it refreshing to see teenagers who understand that you sell the song to the camera – a lesson that many of their adult counterparts completely forget at Eurovision. This is a mature song that I can see Juries liking a lot.

Serbia as seen by Phil

A very good ballad in the Adult mode here.  Mature voice and mature song writing by her and her adult helpers mean a very good  song of the old school.  People that watch the Adult Contest will be familiar with this songs structure ( From about 1995 onwards!), but familiarity is not a bad thing.  Emilja sings this well.  Danger!!