Today the Wiwi Jury – our in-house panel of music unprofessionals, travelled to Sofia. Whilst we walked the streets chanting “O, day mi lyubovta”, we took a break by reviewing Bulgaria’s entry for Junior Eurovision 2016. Did Lidia Ganeva‘s “Magical Day” turn our day into something magical? Or did this magic trick go wrong? Read on to find out…
Bulgaria’s Junior Eurovision 2016 song
“Magical Day” reviews – Lidia Ganeva
William: Morning, day or night — Lidia Ganeva brings magic with her innocence, charisma and gorgeous voice. This pint-sized powerhouse balances diva and adorable better than most and her song is a stroke of genius. Pitched as a torch song from an animated movie, this has major feel good factor and serves some dimbi dimbi damba je realness. I want to heal the world and play this in the background while I do it.
Score: 9.5/10
Chris: What a delightful song and performer. Lidia’s shown she can be really engaging on stage and “Magical Day” complements that. Whereas some other songs are a bit artificially sweet, this makes me smile. My complaint lies with the switch to English at the end. The message becomes a little too forced and takes some of the joy away from the song. Without it I’d probably have this as my number one.
Score: 8.5/10
Josh: “Magical Day” perfectly encompasses everything I want in a Junior Eurovision entry. Oozing innocence, cuteness and positivity, Lidia is the ideal candidate to perform the song. I enjoy how this feels and sounds Bulgarian, and how the choir of kids chimes in towards the end. No it doesn’t matter what the colour of your skin is. Embracing differences at a young age deserves a high-five from me.
Score: 8/10
Luis: Bulgaria has become a Junior Eurovision powerhouse since their return and little Lidia is further proof of that. “Magical Day” takes me to a summer day and this would make great background music for a day at the pool with friends! Lidia has a lovely voice and it’s nice to see how, in a video full of other kids, she still stands out and remains the center of attention. Overall, Lidia offers a fresh and fun act which should stand out between the slower songs this year. Well done, Bulgaria!
Score: 7.5/10
Robyn: I’m feeling a little conflicted. On one hand, “Magical Day” is a delightful song, with a melody that never quite takes the obvious route. Lidia is adorable and is a good singer. All up, it’s a whole lot of feel-good vibes. On the other hand, it feels a little safe, a little too much of an obvious Junior Eurovision entry. It will be interesting to see how this comes across live — and how the two juries respond.
Score: 7/10
Jason: Lidia Ganeva is super cute with a surprisingly powerful voice. In her music video, she shows that despite her stature, she can keep all the attention firmly focused on her! “Magical Day” has a touching message and is quite universal in its appeal. The song is a tad forgettable, but with the right staging, this could earn a respectable placing for Bulgaria.
Score: 7/10
Antranig: Lidia is very talented with vocals that are incredibly powerful for her age. On the other hand, the song is very forgettable. For the second year in a row, Bulgaria has sent a great vocalist with a mediocre song. I hope to see Lidia grow and develop as a performer because she is full of potential.
Score: 4/10
Bernardo: Lidia’s voice is so sweet and compelling. Junior Eurovision always brings us new breakout talent. However, after “Planet of the Children”, all that comes from Bulgaria sounds a bit flat. I can’t see this song winning the competition. On the other hand, I see a bright future in front of Lidia. She has the presence and the voice. Slay girl!
Score: 6/10
Dayana: Little Lidia completed her task successfully — I loved both her vocals and the positive vibes coming from her. The children’s choir at the end emphasized the positivity of the song. The only thing that stops me from giving her a higher score is the fact this is very ordinary. That said, the nice lyrics about Lyubovta were really appealing.
Score: 7/10
Deban: Lidia Ganeva exudes magic, and I love the lightness of her entry. Vocally, she’s very strong. However, as new songs emerge, “Magical Day” starts to fade. The final attempt of building in a children’s gospel choir breathes some life into the track, but ultimately, it falls short. Does Lidia soar? Yes. But she deserves a better song.
Score: 6/10
Our jury for 2016 consists of twenty-one jurors, but we only have room for ten reviews. The remaining eleven scores are listed below.
Andy: 7/10
Antony: 6/10
Edd: 9/10
Jordi: 8.5/10
Marek: 8/10
Mario: 9/10
Matt: 8/10
Renske: 9/10
Rezo: 8/10
Stanislav: 9/10
Zakaria: 9/10
The highest and lowest scores are dropped prior to calculating the average score. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 4 and a high of 9.5.
adorable song but the contest is so tight this year it can go from middle of the pack to bottom
It’s just an okay song for me… Nothing special. Qutie meh for Bulgaria’s standards.
I think this is a little overrated. First place? Not for me. In my opinion, there are much better entries this year. This doesn’t mean it’s a bad song though. On the contrary, I think it’s memorable and kid friendly and Lidia has a great voice, so it has potential. I’m just not a fan because as Robyn already stated, it feels “too safe” and not something that would blew one away.
Score: 6/10
Rank: 12th/15
I give Lydia 9.5/10 as a performer and the song 7.5/10. Lidia has magic-that intangible something else which makes a true performer. I love her voice, her stage presence and the way she is so expressive on stage both in the video and in the National selection performances. I have to give kiddos to Bulgaria for sending a song about tolerance, the magic of childhood and being yourself, and friendship. The song, while admittedly nothing earth shattering is both modern and different. The arrangement could have been way stronger. That said, Lidia makes the most of what she is given.… Read more »
So far I place it as my third. I like how it stays true to itself and don`t attempt voice gymnastics even with the obvious capabilities of the girl singer <3 It sounds innocent and cute! So refreshing ^^
She’s so cuteeeeee! And interesting song. My 4th
@Beccaboo – Seeing is believing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALatXOjjkzs
(and BTW, I love the song FYI)
A typical JESC song. Meh for me.
5/10
@Erin Wait! “A Million Voices” contained controversy? 🙁
A nice hand clap song which sounds like the Junior Eurovision version of ‘A Million Voices’ without the pathos and the controversy. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy and it’s refreshing that a singer isn’t required to go through so many dramatic peaks and valleys in less than 3 minutes for a change. 8/10
7,5/10
It’s kind of in my middle places, I like it though. Especially the last part.
I like it, but it is kind of forgettable. Much better than last year’s overly produced, histronic entry, feels much ore junior and organic.
I ADORE =) Bulgaria will surely finish in the top 6 ! The song is very catchy and Lidia is so cute !
I’ll give to the country a 9/10 =)
Actually , the song is magical and brings all JUNIOR and kids things in one song , and im one stage.That’s a junior eurovision song needs and has to be.Yes , they are a lot of upbeat songs , but they are TEEN songs , not Junior . And some of them are copy-paste from other songs .I think she deserves one 10 point from you . All in all it’s your opinion , but i still thinks this song is a little underrated .