Today the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — travelled to this year’s host city Valletta. After we had cuddles with Ira Losco’s new baby, we got together and reviewed Malta’s entry for Junior Eurovision 2016. Does Christina Magrin lift us up with her “Parachute? Or was it more of a crash landing? Read on to find out…

Malta’s Junior Eurovision 2016 song

“Parachute” reviews – Christina Magrin

William: You can throw me out of a plane so long as Christina’s “Parachute” is playing! This feel-good track starts with a tsunami of sound and Little Miss Magrin sustains the momentum for the entire three minutes. Kid-friendly songs sometimes sound very yesterday, but the electro-dance production pulls this firmly into 2016 — and the club. Curiously the song is inverted: Its strength comes in the verses rather than the chorus. But Christina’s charisma and powerful voice quickly make me forget that.

Score: 9/10

Deban: The opening bars of “Parachute” set the tone. The verses, the bridge, the melody and the metaphors all work — this is craftsmanship, honey! Although the actual hook is a little weak, overall, it has a cutesy likability. Christina follows in the footsteps of Malta’s JESC stars with her on point vocals and star quality. This could easily secure Malta her third victory.

Score: 9/10

Stanislav: I was a little perplexed after listening to “Parachute” – but in a good way. I wouldn’t mind hearing it at next year’s Junior Eurovision during the winner’s reprise. Christina’s voice is among the most powerful in this year’s contest — and it fits her song perfectly. I wish nothing but the best of luck to Christina.

Score: 10/10

Antranig: There’s a lot to like about the Maltese entry and the tiny island once again proves why it is the queen of Junior Eurovision. Unfortunately, “Parachute” has a bizarre hook that sounds like “ew ew ew” which really turns me off. On the other hand, the rest of the song and the message are powerful and Christina’s vocals are enchanting. I would bet on Malta being in the Top Five again.

Score: 7/10

Jason: “Parachute” is fun, current and instantly appealing. Christina has plenty of space to impress with her vocals, and she certainly does not hold back. This is a great follow-up entry to last year’s Maltese winner. I also agree that the “ooh ooh ooh” hook sounds a tad odd, but it is only a minor flaw. Will “Parachute” leave the juries saying “ew ew ew“? I don’t think so.

Score: 8/10

christina_magrin_-_official_programme_9788_2Bernardo: Christina owns a powerful set of pipes — and she knows how to control them. She is going to be the bomb in a couple of years. The production of the song helps her convey a kid-friendly atmosphere while remaining jury-friendly. Malta knows how to work Junior Eurovision. I would consider this one of the favourites to win, but it needs a stronger chorus. Brava, Christina!

Score: 8/10

Chris: This signifies the first real mis-step from Malta at Junior Eurovision in recent years. Whilst I fully expect Christina to deliver in her performance — SHE is fantastic — the song just seems a little weak. The “ooh” hook really falls flat and I can’t see juries seeing past that when deciding on Christina. Then again the live performance can change everything. I wasn’t a huge fan of “Diamonds” until Federica performed the song live — and beautifully.

Score: 6/10

Josh: When I first heard “Parachute”, I was completely obsessed with the first minute of the song. Then the chorus started and it suddenly went down-hill. I could absolutely live without the “ooh, ooh, ooh, p-p-p-parachute”. Christina’s voice, however, is incredibly powerful and comparable to her Malta JESC alumni such as Destiny Chukunyere, Frederica Falzon and Gaia Cauchi. I’m sure the song will score well but I’m just not a fan.

Score: 6/10

Marek: I couldn’t believe it when I first heard “Parachute”. Young Christina somehow reminds me of Cheryl Cole and I can’t get her song out of my head. Her voice is just as strong as Destiny’s — and she has a song that is just as danceable. Hopefully the performance exceeds my expectations and brings the song up to the level it deserves.

Score: 10/10

Robyn: “Parachute” was evidently written to showcase Christina’s extensive vocal abilities. Sometimes it works, other times it just feels like showing off. But some listeners will enjoy this junior diva style. “Parachute” brings a fresh tropical house sound to the contest, but gives it roots with the warmth of Christina’s classic soul voice.

Score: 6/10

Our jury for 2016 consists of 21 jurors, but we only have room for ten reviews. The remaining 11 scores are listed below.

christina-magrin-malta-junior-eurovision-2016Andy: 7/10

Antony: 8/10

Dayana: 8/10

Edd: 6.5/10

Jordi: 8.5/10

Luis: 9/10

Mario: 8.5/10

Matt: 5/10

Renske: 8.5/10

Rezo: 6/10

Zakaria: 8/10

The highest and lowest scores are removed prior to calculating the average score. This is to remove outliers and reduce potential bias. We have removed a low of 5 and a high of 10.

Wiwi Jury Score: 7.71/10

READ ALL OF OUR JESC 2016 RANKINGS AND REVIEWS

FOLLOW OUR JUNIOR EUROVISION COVERAGE

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EUROFAN MEXICO
7 years ago

I WANT TO BE WIWI FROM MEXICO TO THE WORLD, I AM ENRIQUE

Eva M.
Eva M.
7 years ago

This is another top 5 for me. I have to say that year after year Malta sends stong singers and good songs, even if these songs are not entirely original. My only other minor complaint is that the opening sounds a bit of show off–and seems to have been placed there to allow Christina to show some vocal acrobatics, which by the say are always easier to do at the beginning of a song, instead of the middle or the end. In anycase, good singer, nice song, which as a concept somehow reminds me of Umbrella by Rihanna, modern sound…… Read more »

HP
HP
7 years ago

Not to be rude but Christina sounds like she is saying Ew Ew Ew!

rusforever
rusforever
7 years ago

Azaad

I agree with you .Same happen in adult eurovision with Ireland , UK in 90 ties.

Azaad
Azaad
7 years ago

if malta wins this year they’ll have to scrap the official language rule, because Malta can completely sing in English, which I feel is a huge contributor to their success.

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
7 years ago

I love her voice, and the song is super catchy. With better production it would’ve been PERFECT!
Score: 7/10
Ranking: 10th/17

Erin
Erin
7 years ago

The ooh-ooh-ooh part reminds me of Kurt Calleja’s 2012 repetition of the ‘Yeah-eh-eh-eh’ sounds on ‘This is the night’. Oddly enough, Kurt says “I’ll be flying high” and Christina replies “I’ll be your parachute”… I like the danceable Calypso groove which makes the song so carefree with positive energies and Christina’s vibrato is one the most noticeable this year. She’s very skillful in modulating her voice which goes through impressive register changes in both tone and quality almost unmatched by other contestants. The lyrics and the imagery are very vivid and relatable to the age group they address and so… Read more »

Paul D.
Paul D.
7 years ago

At first I wasn’t completely sure about this one because of the chorus, but now I really don’t mind it. It has a caribbean feel that I love

DenizNL
DenizNL
7 years ago

9/10

Perfect. A mix of childfriendly and teen music.

rusforever
rusforever
7 years ago

We all know that Malta will be overrated in points with senior juries and 2 of 3 experr members of juries .

Héctor
Héctor
7 years ago

Overrated.

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

As William pointed out, the verses of this song are stronger than the chorus and that’s why I’m not a fan of it. I don’t dislike it, she has an amazing voice and the verses are really good but in my opinion, what matters the most in a song is its chorus. And the chorus of this one is weak and disappointing.

I feel like Malta tried to imitate Destiny in order to win again. It could happen but it shouldn’t.

Score: 6/10
Rank: 15th/17

Roelof Meesters
Roelof Meesters
7 years ago

This song has an amazing opening, and it sounds GOOD. The chorus is a little weak, but it sounds like a very well written song.

8/10
Rank: 12/17

beccaboo1212
7 years ago

When adding electronics and classical instrumentation, you might think it’s “an awful pairing”, but then you could find it enjoyable after binge-listening…in case you don’t know what that means! After I first watched the music video for “Parachute”, I figured out that combining classical music and techno noises actually worked! 🙂

Score: 7.5/10
Rank: 6/17

MarioMario
7 years ago

I don’t get Malta. They compose amazing songs for JESC… and then feature Deborah C in their senior NF.