As our journey through the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 continues, our team of correspondents is back with fresh insights, perspectives and a closer look at what each entry brings to this year’s competition.
In this second chapter of our six-part series, we shift the spotlight to Albania, Italy and Ukraine — three countries whose approaches couldn’t be more distinct, each offering its own blend of creativity, emotion and ambition for the Junior Eurovision stage.
Albania:
Lucas Hey - Last in the running order, a truly junior song that makes you smile, with a catchy tune I can’t help but start singing out of nowhere in the middle of the street. The formula is there — well done, Albania. I really hope they finally achieve an excellent result, because this country is, in my opinion, far too underrated.
Lucas West - This is a song where it’s probably best not to look into the translation. It’s a cute, fun tune for very young kids to dance to and learn about fruits and vegetables, and that’s it.
Amine Othmani - It was the first song out if I remember well. That was crazy! I was like 😳 what is that, it’s horrible! And then when you listen to it, it sticks in your head hahaha 🤣 and maybe this is the interesting part of it. After the revamp, I think it’s a bit better but not crazy and very repetitive. Let’s see how it will work.
Yaghia Morales - A funny and interesting message transmitted in an original way through a nice song. I wasn't expecting something like this but it surprised me positively.
William Montilla - An interesting combination of rhythms makes it quite catchy, but with that being said, I don’t see this being a serious contender compared with some other entries.
Antonio Soriano - It seems to me like the most childlike song of the season, and I like it a lot. I think it’s the best option for closing the performances and that it will end up very close to winning.
Italy:
Lucas Hey - I don’t understand the production and the autotune, which really doesn’t seem necessary for a The Voice Kids winner. The song has some very nice compositional elements, but I’m afraid it won’t be enough. Italy is definitely a weak country at Junior, especially when compared to the adult contest.
Lucas West - I’m a bit disappointed with la bella Italia this year. Unfortunately, this is another song that I didn’t enjoy. Apart from the beat, the lyrics don’t seem to match the music for me. It feels like a child trying to sing something written for an adult, both in tone and rhythm. It just doesn’t quite connect.
Amine Othmani - I don’t really appreciate the music. It’s kind of repetitive. The style isn’t really my favorite. No real hook.
Yaghia Morales - Very nice, I think it may stand out because it has a very different style in comparison with the rest of the songs, although it may get a little bit repetitive. I like the lyrics.
William Montilla - A bit underwhelming for an Italian entry. It lacks a wow moment and doesn’t offer the strongest vocals of this year’s competition either. Slightly repetitive.
Antonio Soriano - II really like the melody; I think it's going to do better than the locals on social media think.
Ukraine:
Lucas Hey - For now, the most impressive live performance. A strong contender for the win. A small note to the Ukrainian selection, which was of a very high level.
Lucas West - What a banger! It reminds me a little bit of last year’s entry, and yes, that’s a good thing, because last year’s song was amazing! I really like this one too. Beautiful voice, great energy, and the song keeps evolving so you never get bored. Ukraine definitely has what it takes to go far this year, I can see this reaching the Top 5.
Amine Othmani - Ukraine is sending a banger again. It’s a very powerful song with some enthnics sonorities that belong to Ukraine. There is not song this year which looks like it. Well Done Ukraine.
Yaghia Morales - I love it, one of my favorites as I'm a passionate of Ukrainian language and this formula of including traditional elements usually convinces me very easily. Also the lyrics are interesting. I think it will do well in the contest, as it has everything to get a good result.
William Montilla - Perhaps one of my favorites this year. It has the right combination of ethnic rhythms, modern beats, and strong vocals to take it far this year.
Antonio Soriano - A combination of a good voice and good lyrics with ethnic touches — it has everything to win. It’s one of my favorites, and I think it will be the audience’s favorite.
Stay tuned for our next round of reviews as we continue our journey through this year’s line-up and discover which songs are winning over our correspondents!
