Live in Paris: Day Four of Junior Eurovision 2021 rehearsals (December 17)

Junior Eurovision 2021 second rehearsals continue in Paris, France today. Ten more countries will take to La Seine Musicale stage for their second run-throughs ahead of the grand final this weekend. Who will improve the most from Wednesday? 

We’ll be bringing you live reactions direct from La Seine Musicale, so be sure to check back here throughout the day for updates. We’ll also be streaming live on YouTube, so make sure you’re subscribed to wiwi.tv so you don’t miss a thing.

December 17: First rehearsals at Junior Eurovision 2021

Here’s who will be taking to the stage for rehearsals today. All times are listed in CET (GMT + 1).

• 10:00 – 10:20 Azerbaijan: Sona Azizova – “One Of Those Days”
• 10:30 – 10:50 Bulgaria: Denislava & Martin – “Voice Of Love”
• 11:00 – 11:20 Albania: Anna Gjebrea – “Stand By You”
• 11:30 – 11:50 Ukraine: Olena Usenko – “Vazhil”
• 13:00 – 13:20 North Macedonia: Dajte Muzika – “Green Forces”
• 13:30 – 13:50 Kazakhstan: Alinur & Beknur – “Ертегі әлемі (Fairy World)”
• 14:00 – 14:20 Armenia: Maléna – “Qami Qami”
• 14:30 – 14:50 Serbia: Jovana & Dunja – “Children’s Eyes”
• 15:00 – 15:20 Russia: Tanya Mezhentseva – “Mon Ami”
• 15:30 – 15:50 France: Enzo – “Tic Tac”

Azerbaijan: Sona Azizova – “One Of Those Days” second rehearsal

Starting the day out strong, Sona Azizova delivers a vocally-flawless performance of “One Of Those Days”. Today we get to see the staging in its full glory. It’s simple, but frames Sona nicely in the centre of the stage and draws the eye towards her. Initially the lights are white and blue, then at the final key change there is an explosion of golden sparkles as she belts out the high notes. Brava, Baku!

Bulgaria: Denislava & Martin – “Voice Of Love” second rehearsal

No big changes from Bulgaria, but we get a closer look at the tent prop which is the focal point of the stage. Deni and Marti begin their performance inside the tent, moving around to the front of the stage as the song crescendos. They’ve got good chemistry and their vocals are in perfect harmony. A sweet rehearsal from Bulgaria, and a loud applause in the press centre. 

Albania: Anna Gjebrea – “Stand By You” second rehearsal

Albania’s Anna Gjebrea made waves with her first rehearsal and she’s doing the same again here. The backdrop shows words like “ugly” and “feo” before transitioning to show Keith Haring doodles of stick figures with hearts for heads, holding up signs reading “love”. During the bridge, bright lights are projected onto Anna’s face before a huge burst of colour at the final chorus. There’s lots of choreography to get through but Anna nails all her steps like a pro. 

Ukraine: Olena Usenko – “Vazhil” second rehearsal

What a voice! Ukraine’s Olena Usenko served one of the boldest performances of the day. The background is all orange, just like her hair colour. There’s a fire-coloured ring at her back at one point, and then huge red and orange wings appear behind her. After the first chorus, the stage goes completely dark and there’s just white lights surrounding Olena. It’s like if you were attending her concert. By the end of the performance, the red lights are back and there’s an effect that makes the floor look like a bridge over troubled waters. This is fire, y’all!

North Macedonia: Dajte Muzika – “Green Forces” second rehearsal

The eco-heroes have arrived! Staging and choreography-wise, it’s very similar to Dajte Muzika’s music video, but there are new graphics and symbols for earth, fire and water. For anybody who’s a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, this performance will give you the nostalgia hit you’ve been looking for. We see flashes of batteries that slowly charge throughout the show until they’re at full juice in the final chorus, with the troupe raising their fists to the air with a poignant message: protect this planet.

Kazakhstan: Alinur & Beknur – “Ертегі әлемі (Fairy World)” second rehearsal

Kazakhstan have a history of blowing us away with their staging and this year is no different. The performance starts with a close-up of Beknur, panning away to reveal Alinur in the background as the first verse begins. We travel through an underwater vapourwave-steampunk fairy world, with huge silver dolphin balloons floating around the stage. Butterflies fill the screen at the final climax as Alinur hits an astonishingly-high note. This has jury favourite written all over it.

Armenia: Maléna – “Qami Qami” second rehearsal

Armenia’s Maléna is a powerhouse of talent. Her “Qami Qami” staging is a departure from the music video in terms of colour, but otherwise the concept remains the same — Maléna is centre stand as her dancers move gracefully around her, making wind motions with their arms. At the final chorus, Pyro pillars envelop the stage in golden sparkles and Maléna stands proud on stage like a warrior princess. Rapturous applause here in the press centre for Team Armenia!

Serbia: Jovana & Dunja – “Children’s Eyes” second rehearsal

Henri Rousseau, Claude Monet, Jovana and Dunja. Team Serbia’s performance takes place down the rabbit hole of an Alice in Wonderland fairytale world, with hyper-vivid forest visuals of trees, mushrooms and fauna. The backdrop is split in two colour pallets directly through the centre by a huge mirror frame which the girls mimic each others’ actions through. Later, they spin the mirror around and step through to a new scene that merges the best of both worlds. Jovana and Dunja deserve to have their own storybook based on this staging.

Russia: Tanya Mezhentseva – “Mon Ami” second rehearsal

Tanya performed “Mon Ami” live for the first time. She takes us in a journey around Moscow on a sunny day. First, Tanya and her two dancers are riding their bikes, and after the first chorus, they are joined by other two dancers in the middle of a park where they dance and enjoy themselves. Then, for the grand ending, the Russian songstress hops onto the trapeze and belts out the final chorus of “Mon Ami”.

France: Enzo – “Tic Tac” second rehearsal

What a way to end the day! France has laid all their cards on the table and they’re playing their strongest hand. The set design is immaculate, filling the stage in its entirety without distracting the eye from Enzo and his dancers. A backdrop shows brass cogs and clockwork, like a scene from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with an extra sprinkle of glamour. Enzo is thriving today. Could a second victory be on its way?

What do you think? Which act had the best second rehearsal? Let us know in the comments below.