Revealing #6 of our top 10 songs this year!

At number 6, we have Armenia. Armenia chose “Jako” by Ladaniva through an internal selection process. Ladaniva will perform 7th in the second semifinal.

“Jako” is titled after singer Jaklin’s nickname growing up. In the song, Jaklin Baghdasaryan sings about being told to be quiet and humble and behave like a girl. But she answers, “I am a free girl / So I will dance and you will watch” 

And we do watch! Jaklin’s personality shines through in her performance. She is loud, daring, mischievous, and charming. The protagonist of her own story, she dances freely and asks everyone to join in the song: “Come and join me / No matter what they say… Come on my dear / Get up and dance!” The music video captures our imaginations and brings us into this fictional rural Armenian world full of music and pomegranates. And it’s easy to see how little Jako could be a character in a book that little U & C would have loved to read.

Of course, all of the lyrics are in Armenian, but you don’t need to know what she’s saying to be charmed and enthralled by this song. It is one of those melodies you can’t help but dance to, and it is easy to sing along with all of the “La la lai’s.” The rhythm and the instrumentation make “Jako” stand out against all of the other pop songs. Its timeless quality makes it appeal to anyone, and we believe that everyone watching the performance will get up and dance. 

And we cannot forget to mention the other half of Ladaniva’s duo: the multi-instrumentalist Louis Thomas, who easily plays three instruments in the music video. We love his supportive sidekick energy. 

Jaklin has that stage presence and star power that is a joy to watch. We are enthralled by her charismatic presence, and we hope that Armenia will have no trouble qualifying for the grand final.