After two top 10 finishes in a row at Junior Eurovision, Portugal has trusted The Voice Kids winner Júlia Machado to maintain their streak with the song “Where I Belong”. From the United States to Nice via Portugal, Júlia will perform her entry at the contest on November 26th.
Scroll down for “Where I Belong” lyrics
Portugal in Junior Eurovision 2023: Júlia Machado with “Where I Belong”
From New Jersey to Portugal, Júlia Machado’s life is the story of a family split by an ocean. She was born in the United States, but at age 12 she decided to move to Portugal with her grandparents in order to compete in The Voice Kids Portugal.
Once she moved to her grandparents’ village, in the centre of the country, she competed in The Voice Kids, mentored by Festival da Canção alum and MTV EMA winner Fernando Daniel. He also mentored JESC 2021 star Simão Oliveira.
In fact, Júlia is the third artist in a row for Portugal that has come from The Voice Kids, just like Simão and Nicolas Alves.
Besides singing, Júlia also loves surfing.
What do the “Where I Belong” lyrics mean?
“Where I Belong” is a bilingual song in both English and Portuguese that expresses Júlia’s feelings while she’s crossing the Atlantic to meet her family: “I want to go to Lisbon, to start all over”.
Júlia’s longing is all about the distance between her two worlds: “Another trip without knowing for certain what to expect from me, what to expect from the world. Another sunset that the sky promises us, one more reason to let it all go”.
“Seat number 31, here I go again. Waiting for time to bring me what life didn’t. 14:14, I make another wish now”, Júlia sings. It’s all moody, and it’s perfect for a Sunday evening of rain, just like what will be happening in many places across Europe during Junior Eurovision.
“Where I Belong” lyrics – Júlia Machado (Portugal JESC 2023)
Lyrics and music: Aurora Pinto, Fernando Daniel, João Direitinho, Luis “Twins” Pereira
Original text
Lugar 31, aqui vou eu de novo
Esperar que o tempo traga o que a vida não trouxe
14:14 e peço outro desejo
Mais vale acreditar naquilo que não vejo
Perdida por 100, perdida por 1000,
Talvez já nem faça sentido eu estar aqui
Quero ir para Lisboa, começar de novo
Viver num “quase tudo”, sabe-me a tão pouco
Mais uma viagem sem saber ao certo
O que esperar de mim, o que esperar do mundo
Mais um pôr do sol que o céu nos promete,
Mais uma razão para largar tudo
I wanna go to a place where I belong
I wanna go to a place that I can call
Call home, call home
To a place that I can call
Call home, call home
Procuro a luz no meu peito
E sinto a voz que me conduz
De volta para um lugar melhor
Escrevo o destino
Nas linhas tortas à minha maneira
Que a vida seja para sempre assim
Mais uma viagem sem saber ao certo
O que esperar de mim, o que esperar do mundo
Mais um pôr do sol que o céu nos promete
Mais uma razão para largar tudo
I wanna go to a place where I belong
I wanna go to a place that I can call
Call home, call home
To a place that I can call
Call home, call home
A place where I can bury all my ghosts
A place to escape from this black hole
Um sítio onde eu possa voltar
I wanna go to a place that I can call
Call home, call home
A place that I can call
Call home, call home
Where I belong
English translation
Seat number 31, here I go again
Waiting for time to bring me what life didn’t
14:14, I make another wish now
Worth more believing in the things I can’t see
There is nothing left for me to loose
Maybe it doesn’t make any sense for me to be here
Want to go to Lisbon, start all over
Living a “almost all” just seems too small
Another trip without knowing for certain
What to expect from me, what to expect from the world
Another sunset that the sky promises us
One more reason to let it all go
I wanna go to a place where I belong
I wanna go to a place that I can call
Call home, Call home
to a place that I can call
Call home, Call home
I search the light inside my heart
And I feel the voice
That will guide me back to a better place
I write my destiny
In the crooked lines of life
Hoping that life is forever this way
Another trip without knowing for certain
What to expect from me, what to expect from the world
Another sunset that the sky promises us
One more reason to let it all go
I wanna go to a place where I belong
I wanna go to a place that I can call
Call home, Call home
to a place that I can call
Call home, Call home
A place where I can bury all my ghosts
A place to escape from this black hole
A place where I can return
I wanna go to a place that I can call
Call home, Call home
a place that I can call
Call home, call home
Where I belong
What do you think of “Where I Belong”? Is Júlia Machado one of your favourites in this year’s contest? Let us know in the comments below.
The verses on this song are so chill! Just a simple guitar and Júlia’s pleasant voice. Given she’s a Voice Kids winner like past Portuguese JESC contestants I have hopes that she’ll perform it well live too. The chorus is fine as well, though it tends to get a bit repetitive near the end. It’s still a wonderful song though, and even if I see a different message in the lyrical context as the intentional one, I still like it.
I don’t really know what else to add. It’s a pleasant listen every time. It’s a solid 8/10 for me
What an age-nondescript-y song. It’s very OK for an age-nondescript-y song. And I love what they did in the video with the face paint. Good luck to Julia, Nice should be very nice!
I like the song. I prefer the parts sing in Portuguese more than the English parts. I wish Julia good luck in France.