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 third chapter of our six-part series, we shift the spotlight to North Macedonia, Poland and Portugal — three countries whose approaches share the same vibe: Power Ballad!
North Macedonia:
Lucas Hey - Another favourite for me! A huge crush. This song gives me a suspended, timeless moment. I love it!
Lucas West - I love the vibe of this song! It’s something I would add to my playlist. I think the staging will be important, because the song feels like it needs the right atmosphere.
Amine Othmani - It can be a great vocal performance but will I feel emotional ? Not sure. I appreciate the effort though.
Yaghia Morales - It's nice, but too slow for me. I think the stage work may help it a lot. I do enjoy the Macedonian language.
William Montilla - An OK ballad that doesn’t offer much to help it stand out. Soft and delicate vocals elevate it slightly.
Antonio Soriano - I like it a lot. I think Macedonia is always underestimated when it comes to receiving points, and I think that will continue on this line. But in my opinion, it’s quite a mysterious song with many nuances and a very special ethnic touch. Definitely one of my favorites this year.
Poland:
Lucas Hey - A pretty ballad, and I prefer it over Spain’s or Cyprus’. It wasn’t love at first listen, but it could grow on me.
Lucas West - A cute song with nice lyrics and a beautiful voice. It’s pleasant and sweet, though maybe a bit repetitive. I don’t think it will go very far, but it’s still a lovely effort.
Amine Othmani - It’s not a really original song to me. It looks like I already heard similar stuff at the JESC. Not sure people will drive crazy for it.
Yaghia Morales - Even though I like the presence of Polish language, the musical theatre style is not my style at all. I think the song could integrate its elements in a better way. But in my opinion, the voice of Marianna stands out and may help it get a better result.
William Montilla - A classic Eurovision ballad — not groundbreaking or very original, but perfectly executed, with an impressive voice that will likely shine live.
Antonio Soriano - Definitely my favorite. She's super emotional, a very sweet girl who melts my heart — which is exactly what I look for in winning material for JESC.
Portugal:
Lucas Hey - A very beautiful ballad, but I’m afraid it won’t stand out in Tbilisi considering how many ballads there are this year.
Lucas West - As a Portuguese speaker, the lyrics feel very emotional. The song is beautiful, even though last year’s gave me more chills. But this one is still very good! If she’s able to show the emotion live, it could get a great result in the final.
Amine Othmani - Well actually it’s hard to figure out what I really think about it. Is it good ? Yes! Does it sound portuguese ? Yes! Does it remind you what Portugal usually does? Yes! Is it better than last year? Not sure. It will definetely give a flavor of last year’s song in the style. It’s beautiful and poetic. Let’s see how it will work.
Yaghia Morales - Nice melancholic lyrics, but this is not my style at all.
William Montilla - I must confess I’m terribly biased, as I love Portuguese-language entries, so I have a soft spot for this one. With that being said, it’s a good song with nice lyrics, but it doesn’t take any risks, so it’s unlikely to stand out in the competition.
Antonio Soriano - It has something I like. I think Portugal always does similar things, but it works for them. They’re very emotional, and this time is no different. I think it will end up in a pretty good position.
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!
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