WORTH A LOOK?: ****

For the 2nd year running the UK enters a song in Junior Eurovision that would do well in the grown-up Eurovision itself.

• Read on for reasons including how this song’s writers have penned tunes for acts including Kylie and Ava Max

Last year Freya Skye’s Lose My Head was a song of the month for us in December, won the public Junior Eurovision vote and finished a creditable 5th on the UK’s 2022 return to the event.

This year’s entry in the 16-song field in Nice, France on 26 November is the 1st group to represent the UK at Junior Eurovision featuring Hayla, Maisie and Yazmin.

Back To Life is about facing your fears and is written by Sky Adams, Jakke Erixson and Jack Hawitt who have written for artists such as Jason Derulo, Lauren Spencer Smith, Kylie Minogue and Ava Max.

The tune reminds of Sugababes ska like charttopper Round Round and there’s a whistle hook which gives the song both instant appeal and a sound that wouldn’t be out of place on UK radio.

In the run up to the live Contest in France, the band are set to perform on UK shows Blue Peter, Saturday Mash-Up, Strictly – It Takes Two and BBC Children in Need.

12-year-old band member Hayla from Liverpool has an interesting family history when it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest: her grandfather was a backing dancer for the 1987 UK entry.

13-year-old Maisie from Essex loves to sing, dance and act on stage, as well as enjoying clay pigeon shooting with her grandad.

12-year-old Yazmin from Newcastle is no stranger to performing in front of crowds, she enjoys Latin and Ballroom dancing.

Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s and Education, says: ‘The Junior Eurovision Song Contest was a real spectacle and success for us last year and we’re very happy that we have a new calendar moment for fans of Eurovision and a brand new girl group for audiences to get behind. We have a great song and high hopes for our brilliant trio, STAND UNIQU3.’

Suzy Lamb, MD of Entertainment & Music at BBC Studios, says: ‘BBC Studios are once again excited to have led the song and artist search for Junior Eurovision after a successful debut year for the BBC in 2022. STAND UNIQU3 are a really fresh girl band who had immediate chemistry during the audition process. With an infectious pop song written by hugely successful writers, matched with STAND UNIQU3’s incredible vocals it promises to be another exciting year for the UK in the Junior contest.’

The Contest will be broadcast live from France on BBC Two, CBBC and BBC iPlayer at 3pm on Sunday 26 November.

• Main picture via Facebook courtesy BBC Tickets
• Have you seen Junior Eurovision before or heard a Junior Eurovision song? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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