The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 37 competing songs in Eurovision 2024. Next we review Armenia, who have chosen LADANIVA with “Jako”.
Are we reaching for our trumpets? Read on to find out!
LADANIVA – “Jako” (Armenia Eurovision 2024)
Review: LADANIVA – “Jako”
Tom: I love folk. And LADANIVA hits that folk sweet spot for me. I love that the track is adorned with culture, creativity, and colour. I hope the energy of the music video will be transferred to the stage show in Malmö. If so, this should walk into the final! My only gripe, is that I want it to have a bigger, more climactic ending. Aside from that, quality, original work from Armenia.
Score: 7
Simon: Ethnic entries are always appreciated in Eurovision. But, in a year where too many entries have wordless choruses, “Jako” doesn’t stand out for me and mostly ends up sounding like a theme song to a children’s programme. Apparently the song works perfectly with the video from the Teletubbies intro, and now I can’t get that image out of my head. While I applaud the Armenian sounds, it’s just a little hit and miss from my point of view.
Score: 3.5
Antranig: Musically infectious and high on energy from the first note to the last, Armenia will bring the party to Sweden this year. However, I am left underwhelmed by “Jako” lyrically. This is only the second fully Armenian-language entry at Eurovision and the first upbeat one, yet the hook is just “la la la la la” which is really disappointing. I really love what the song is about, but a more creative chorus and a few more peaks and troughs are what separate this from being a top tier entry.
Score: 6.5
Tomas: What a beautiful ethnic composition from Armenia. It has everything: wonderful high energy, great beat, and such an insanely easy hook. La La La! It’s something that I’ve been waiting to see from Armenia for many years. Cannot wait to see the whole of Malmö’s crowd dancing to this song and chanting La La La!
Score: 8
Armenia Eurovision 2024 ranking
In the Eurovision 2024 Wiwi Jury, we have 17 jurors but only have room for four reviews. The remaining scores are below:
|
Cinan: 6.5 Deban: 4 Georgia: 2 Jonathan: 6.5 Lucy: 5 Pablo: 5.5 Ron: 4.5 |
Ruxandra: 9 Scarlett: 7.5 Sebastian: 8.5 Suzanne: 7 William: 7 Youyou: 7 |
We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 2 and a high of 9.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 6.27/10
What do you think of Armenia’s Eurovision 2024 entry? Share your own score and review for LADANIVA’s “Jako” below!
Armenia is a country that’s been on a roll since 2022. They have delivered decent songs and I wish they win someday. Yerevan seems like a city that can do a good job as host.
LadaNiva vs FordFocus
i’m really happy with this song. it shows armenia’s traditions while also interpolating international sounds. i think it’ll be a televote success in the final.
I love this.
Sonically, it’s in the same category as Greece and Italy for me, only not as good as Greece yet better than Italy.
While wondering why the hell does Armenia ‘still” advertise a Russian car in another thread, someone told me that now it is being manufactured in Azerbaijan actually. Haha the mindf***!
It was me to tell it’s now manufactured in Azerbaijan. I think it will take time before they rebrand themselves. Im sure they will do.
Yes, sorry I forgot who it was… and thx for the info.
They really have to.
ARMENIA – This is not the first time Armenia has decided to display their ethnic music on Eurovision, but as they usually bring diverse genres, it feels fresh and interesting. This is an explosion of joy in a form of instrumental variety and an unapologetic party! Even though I don’t think the songs are similar in any way, I hear that Jako might have ”a Trenuletul level of televote” in the grand finals. This would deserve it far more, in my opinion. It’s cute without being sickly sweet, and empowering without being aggressive about it. The lyrical content of female… Read more »
Remembering the fact that you didn’t like Trenuletul that much, I was fearing you’d have Jako lower (even though as you said the only thing they have in common is the folk orientation and happy, colourful atmosphere). I firmly believe that this song can do well in the contest. I consider it a safe qualifier as well
Oh, that’s interesting that you like this one compared to Trenuletul. Perhaps the women’s empowerment vibe is emotionally resonating more than a song about a noisy train journey.
This is my favourite of the year. It makes me happy and considering what the world looks like today – that’s a feeling at least I need. If they can do live what Zdob ?i Zdub did in 2022 the crowd will go bananas. ? Yerevan 2025! ??
Armenia, as they tend to do, left the release of their Eurovision entry to the last minute. Last year, they were my winner so I was more willing to maintain my enthusiasm as long as they needed me to. Thankfully, it was worth it, as with “Jako”, Armenia are, once again, safely nestled in the top ten of my annual ranking. The song is heavily-ethnic, folk dance-inspired flurry of instrumental energy. It comes in a full thirty seconds under the three minute limit but packs a lot into that time. The theme of the song is about female empowerment and… Read more »
I hope all of our friends in Israel stay safe tonight, with the attacks the country is facing tonight.
Awful silly song. NQ
Wait and see, you clearly understand nothing. So culture is silly?
I’m not saying any culture is silly. I’m saying to me the song is. Lots of la’s and an overgrown woman jumping up and down like a 6 year old i’m afraid does not tick my box as a winning song. Now if this was entered in Junior Eurovision and the Junior Eurovision entries entered in the senior competition from Armenia then everything would sit fine!
The whole meaning of this song, if you cared to see the translation, is literally to confront people like you telling how girls and women should behave and girls and women be their true selves.
A positive, uplifting and easy-to-listen song. This kind of turbo folk songs from Eastern countries always receive some love, so that plus the Armenian diaspora make it very plausible it qualifies without struggles.
6.75/10
1. United Kingdom (7/10)
2. Australia (6.75/10)
3. Greece (6.75/10)
4. Azerbaijan (6.75/10)
5. Armenia (6.75/10)
6. Serbia (6.5/10)
7. Portugal (6.25/10)
8. Georgia (6/10)
9. Israel (6/10)
10. Luxembourg (4/10)
11. Cyprus (4/10)
12. Albania (3.75/10)
Armenia continues to deliver year after year. This song is NOT staying in the semis.
Saturday’s Final would be poorer without it.
Armenia sent “one of those folk ditties” this year, and I have been told that it seems to have accidentally stirred something on women’s empowerment a little. (I have no idea why, so I’ll open that up for discussion. Spain’s entry will be spicier on that topic than this one is though.) Now let’s look at Armenia’s music… They key of this song is actually a mode called the “Phrygian Dominant”. Basically it’s a way to write exotic-sounding music by flattening the 2nd note of the scale, raising the 3rd, and flattening the 6th and 7th notes. The song’s structure… Read more »
I forgot to mention: Armenia was nominated for my “Best Official Video 2024” prize, but did not win. (Can you guess who did win?)
Basically, it’s a song that was made to be performed. So, it doesn’t have to be very listenable on streaming services and have many lyrics, also it has all the rights to have endless lalala as a hook (since it’s a folk song). So, the experience of the live performance is key here, ranking the bare studio version of it just doesn’t work.
32nd place – Armenia
I’m sorry, but I personally dislike that song. It sounds too messy and even though there are some good ethnic elements in it, I can’t even manage to listen to the whole 3 minutes. It’s just personal taste.
However I do think that if they do good staging, it will probably look better and come to life as William said, so it will most likely qualify for the final.
9/9
It’s an immediate 10.
3.5? 4? 2?!?! These so called jurors can’t be serious.
17. Armenia – Ladaniva – Jako – 7/10 – I have a strange relationship with this song, sometimes I am totally immersed in the unique world that Ladaniva creates and other times I can’t get through 30 seconds. It certainly teeters on the edge but one thing is for certain, it cannot be ignored. The song demands audience participation and I suspect that this will go down a storm in a live setting. Ladaniva seem to be experienced performers who understand their act and what they are trying to achieve. It looks and sounds different from most other entries in… Read more »
Kosey, I have to write my review, but we have Armenia at the same place and with the same rating!
I totally love this song, it’s a blast, and my only gripe is that it’s too short and could show case the fabulous vocals more. But it’s wonderful, and the album is gorgeous too.
It’s not one of my favourites but it’s fun and I like the ethnic elements. Qualifier.
It’s fun, ethnic, all the things I like, but since the first listen I have felt there are two minutes’ worth of ideas here.. and then they had to stretch it to fill three. As a shorter song, this would be brilliant, now I think it’s just nice.
Well the present version of the song is only 2.26 long
So surprised to see Armenia this low. People are going to be surprised on May 11th, I think this will get a televote at the level of Treneletul.
I think you could be right on this. For me Jako has absolutely sort of the same vibe and energy!!
ROBBED, HELLO?
I agree with Simon. It sounds exactly like a children’s song.
Wiwi Jury Ranking
My personal ranking
Portugal 11,5/12
Armenia 9,5/12
Greece 8,5/12
Azerbaijan 8,5/12
Luxembourg 8/12
Serbia 7/12
UK 6/12
Georgia 5,5/12
Australia 5,5/12
Israel 4,5/12
Albania 3/12
Cyprus 3/12
This is a grower song. At first it was outside my top 10, however, the more I listened to it the more I liked it. Now it is my #10 favorite song this ESC.
This is actually growing on me. Love the culture and sound. Upbeat and she looks flawless.
I can only imagine how Armenia will stage this, which is usually where their strengths lie at ESC. This could be one to watch.
It’s upbeat, it’s cute and I enjoy listening to it. But, I wouldnt intentionally listen to it, cause it gives me good intermission music. I’ll take it for the cute, fun, uplifter for the year to bring a smile during its semi.
Score 5.5/10
Jako is fun, but for next year maybe something contemporary and really competitive as Malena’s Qami Qami at the JESC was
Agreed. Armenia have shown potential to be hard hitting winners, would be great if they get fully to that competitive level.
The guy with the trumpet is quite fit tbf
Gorgeous daddy – open legs all night long.
9TH PLACE: ARMENIA: Eurovision wouldn’t be Eurovision without this kind of songs! “Jako” is 3 minutes of catchy, ethnic, unapologetic fun and with a good staging it has the potential to try to produce a Trenuletul effect. Jaklin seems really energetic and charismatic in the music video and this uplifting song never fails to brighten up my day. Perhaps a bit more words would make it even better, maybe instead of the long notes+sing-along parts towards the end that I find a bit superfluous. Nevertheless the instrumental that is present there makes up for this small shortcomings. I expect a… Read more »
i like ethno-inspired songs, but this one lacks that hook to grab foreign listeners, might translate well on the stage tho
bop, maybe non-competitive but that is also the strength of this entry, how genuine, feel good and fun it is without coming across too tryhard
very ethnic yes
9.5/10
Armenia 9,5/12
When will Armenia send a song in Western Armenian?
Karl: complains when a song is in English.
Also Karl: also complains when a song is in native language.
I’m not complaining. I quite like this song, actually. It’s in my top 10.
I am just curious. It would be nice to hear a song in Western Armenian too, one day.
That is only going to happen if Armenia sends a diaspora act for the first time since 2015. It probably won’t be happening for a while.
5) Armenia – All I can say is that this song is pure joy. It’s incredibly fun, and Jaklin’s enthusiasm is infectious. Some may say it’s repetitive which I understand, but I can’t help but love a song that instantly puts a smile on my face. 9/10
Agree, we need more songs like this in the contest