Pryvitannie, Polsha! Fourteen-year-old Liza Misnikova will represent Belarus on the Gliwice Arena stage at Junior Eurovision 2019 in November. She’ll sing “Pepelny (Ashen)”.
Scroll down for “Pepelny (Ashen)” lyrics
Belarus in Junior Eurovision 2019: Liza Misnikova with “Pepelny (Ashen)”
Liza was chosen through BTRC’s ten-song national final. Dressed in a fluorescent top and neon footwear, Liza and her dancers showed us the street fashion of Belarus and some on-point choreography. And boy was it a tight race — “Pepelny (Ashen)” won by just two points!
The young artist studies music at the Minsk Gymnasium No 56. Her lessons include vocal practice and choreography.
What do the “Pepelny (Ashen)” lyrics mean?
“Pepelny (Ashen)” advocates for us to look at life from different perspectives. It’s only bad if you decide that it’s bad. Things can change if you look at them differently.
“Someone thinks grey is boring, but someone with a smile responds that it’s silver and ashen. I believe that everything in life can be viewed in different ways because everything depends on yourself. Sometimes it’s enough to change a small thing and life gets better,” Liza tells the official Junior Eurovision website.
Lyrically, the song takes us back a decade or so to the noughties, when setting and swapping ringtones on phones was a popular pastime amongst the youth. Meanwhile, the tea freezes outside. Needless to say, we prefer our tea piping hot!
Liza lists Rihanna as one of her idols and, in a possible homage to the Bajan star, the lyrics read: “But there are downpours between us, baby / White water, yes / You’ll get soaked, maybe / If you don’t have an umbrella, yes”. Of course, Riri’s breakout global hit also revolved around the topic of umbrellas.
As for staging, it seems that Liza will keep much of what we saw in the national selection: “On stage, I will appear with great dancers! These boys are my friends not only on stage but in life as well. I can’t wait to come to Poland and get the most important experience – to present my song on stage in Gliwice Arena and feel support and emotions of the audience.”
A new version of the song was premiered on 22 October with added English lyrics.
What do you think of Belarus’s chances? How will it fare one year after hosting? Let us know in the comments. And click here to read more Junior Eurovision 2019 lyrics.
“Pepelny (Ashen)” lyrics — Liza Misnikova (Belarus JESC 2019)
Written by: Natalia Tambovtseva, Liza Misnikova
Composed by: Kirill Good — he co-wrote Belarus’ JESC entries in 2016 and 2018. He himself competed in Junior Eurovision selections in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and tried his luck at Eurofest in 2016 and 2018.
Belarusian text
Чай на балконе
покрылся льдом.
На телефоне
другой рингтон.
Минуты шли как будто рваные,
и только звезды те же самые.
Между нами ливни, Babe,
Белая вода, да!
Ты промокнешь, Maybe,
Если без зонта, да!
А можешь под дождем промчаться в кайф,
ты хоть немного сделай, change your life
Two, one, zero, do it now
Baby you can’t stop
When crazy party’s over
Everyone wake up
Аnd push the sound power
I will change your color gray
Хэ-эй
Into the silver and ashen gray
Ashen gray ashen gray
Если ты завис
Добавь немного стиля,
Переназови,
И серый станет Silver.
Ты сегодня цвета Gray,
Хэ-эй
А завтра Пепельный, пепельный,
Яркий и пепельный
Хэ-э-эй
о-о-о-о-о-оу-оу
Дай только повод
все поменять.
Проснется город
уже на днях.
Я гарантирую заранее,
Все станет северным сиянием.
Между нами ливни, Babe,
Белая вода, да!
Ты промокнешь, Maybe,
Если без зонта, да!
А можешь под дождем промчаться в кайф,
ты хоть немного сделай, change your life.
Two, one, zero, do it now
Baby you can’t stop
When crazy party’s over.
Everyone wake up
Аnd push the sound power.
I will change your color gray
Into the silver and ashen gray,
Ashen gray ashen gray
Hey, open the door.
Never-never like before.
I’ll let you go.
Never-never, do you know?
Мои летают ноты, будто бы во сне.
Если в мире кто-то
Хоть немного на своей волне!
Если ты завис
Добавь немного стиля
Переназови
И серый станет Silver.
Ты сегодня цвета Gray,
А завтра Пепельный, пепельный,
Яркий и пепельный
Хэй!
о-о-о-о-о-оу-оу
English Translation
Tea on the porch
Is freezing cold (is cold like snow)
Another ringtone
Set on my phone
And minutes run just like insane
But only stars shine the same
And between us rainy
Only white water
You’re going wet
Without your umbrella
Or you can rush in rain like high
Com on let’s do it, babe, change your life
Two, one, zero, do it now
Baby you can’t stop
When crazy party’s over
Everyone wake up
Аnd push the sound power
I will change your color gray
Into the silver and ashen gray
Ashen gray ashen gray
If you gonna glitch
Just do it way more stylish
Remake everything
And gray will become silver
You’re very gloom today
Tomorrow ashen gray, ashen gray
Bright and ashen gray
Give me a reason
a change of scenery.
The city will Wake up
the other day.
I guarantee in advance,
Everything will be the Northern lights.
And between us rainy
Only white water
You’re going wet
Without your umbrella
Or you can rush in rain like high
Come on let’s do it babe, change your life
Two, one, zero, do it now
Baby you can’t stop
When crazy party’s over
Everyone wake up
Аnd push the sound power
I will change your color gray
Into the silver and ashen gray
Ashen gray ashen gray
Hey, open the door.
Never-never like before.
I’ll let you go.
Never-never, do you know?
My notes fly as if in a dream.
If there is anyone in the world
At least a little on your wave!
If you gonna glitch
Just do it way more stylish
Remake everything
And gray will become silver
You’re very gloom today
Tomorrow ashen gray, ashen gray
Bright and ashen gray
Hey!
о-о-о-о-о-оu-оu
Guys, it’s not “Belarusian text” per se, for it is in Russian.
I was looking at the performance without knowing what the song meant and getting some sassy vibes. So I’m quite disappointed to find out that she’s singing about tea on the porch.
Damn, she looks nervous xd But that’s kinda cute to be honest. Song stands out for sure, I wish her to end up in top 10.
Belarussian juries are beyond terrible. Viatry was an amazing song and thoroughly deserved to win. Having said that, nice to see Kirill Good has found his calling as Belarus’s JESC songwriter.
“Tea on the porch is freezing cold … Another ringtone set on my phone.”
I have no idea what this means, but it captures the spirit of the song pretty well.
Thank you for the lyrics, I couldn’t understand by ear what the hell she is singing, and I am Russian. Sadly, it seems like it wasn’t actually a bad thing, cause it turns out they make no sense.
I love ashen color in real life because it’s a colour of my hair, but this song is a NO from me, I’m sorry.
This is definitely my favorite up-tempo song of JESC 2019. I’ve seen people online complain about her nasal-sounding voice, but I actually like it, and I challenge the haters to try singing with dental braces, and not sound nasal doing it (I could barely speak English when I had mine!). This is just a feel-good entry. Granted it isn’t breaking new ground in music, and sure it’s unlikely to challenge for the win, but it is catchy as hell, and you know Belarus is one country you can rely on for over-the-top staging, which will certainly elevate this song to… Read more »
It’s such a throwback! Music, lyrics, haircuts, clothes – it has 90s written all over it, but I strangely enjoy this song. It’s certainly one of the stand out acts of this year, and I think it’s gonna do very well with the public.
90s sweeties…
issa cute bop but she needs a stylist. i don’t get why everyone in jesc is doing bilingual songs, they almost always sound off when they switch languages