Preparations for Junior Eurovision 2024 in Madrid are in full swing. Ahead of his participation, Germany’s Bjarne sat down to answer some questions from the press. Bjarne will be representing Germany in Junior Eurovision with the song “Save The Best For Us”.
These questions and answers were provided to us by the German Head of Media
What inspired you to take part in the Junior ESC?
I watch the ESC quite often and I think it’s just super cool that almost every country in Europe gets together and sings to inspire the audience with other languages.
How did you find out that you had been selected for the Junior ESC?
I was on holiday playing padel tennis. I saw my dad on the phone all the time and recognised the grin on his face. He didn’t stop talking on the phone and when I looked at him, he said to me, ‘Yes, concentrate on the game. When I finished, I went outside and then the news came. Everyone was looking at us because we were celebrating so much and they probably only spoke Spanish. It was just really cool.
Why do you want to take part in the Junior ESC and what are you most looking forward to?
Because I think it’s cool to get to know talents from other countries and to represent Germany on TV and in front of the jury. I’m also looking forward to meeting the other children. I think it’s super cool to speak only in English with them.
What’s the message behind your song ‘Save The Best For Us’?
Well, I used to be a bit of a ‘better turn the lights off now, better do this and that’ kind of person. And then I got to choose what my song was going to be about. I chose conservation and I thought that was really cool. That’s how it became my song. My song is for the older people out there, but also for the younger people, because I know that if we don’t do something now, we might not be able to live on this planet much longer. We have to make a change now because we are polluting the earth more and more and I don’t think that’s good at all. As you can see, the forests are burning, the glaciers are melting. When I sing my song, pay attention to the lyrics rather than how I sing it.
What are your expectations?
I have no expectations, except that I want to have a lot of fun. I want to talk to all the other kids and do something cool with them.
Which song from the other countries do you particularly like?
I actually think France is very cool because it’s an emotional song, but also a bit of a happy song. And I think that’s just mega cool. And I think I really like the personality of the person.
How does it feel to be allowed to take part in the Junior ESC?
It’s an indescribable feeling. You really can’t put it into words. I’m just really looking forward to it. And everything that’s going to happen to me is just going to be great.
How did your passion for music come about?
I started singing very early. I think when I was three or four, or maybe even earlier. And then I realised: Aha, I really enjoy this. And in the years that followed I realised that I like singing because you can put the emotions that you can’t really put into words into a song. And that always helps me to express my feelings properly. I also play a bit of guitar and I’ve been taking singing lessons for three years now.
Where do you sing?
For myself, at singing lessons and with my grandma Carola.
Do you have a musical role model and who are your favourite artists?
My role model is Adele. Because she has such an incredible range and a great voice. Recently I’ve also become a big fan of Nina Chuba, because she has such great songs that you can always vibrate to. I always listen to her in the car with my mum.
What other hobbies do you have apart from singing?
Trampolining, dancing, cooking and baking. I like watching my idols on TikTok, imitating dances or freestyling. I’m also interested in music legends and deceased artists, geography and history.
And what’s your favourite food?
Strawberry cake, cheesecake and spaghetti carbonara.
Bjarne’s Junior Eurovision Journey So Far
Bjarne, and his song “Save the Best for Us”, was selected on 1st July 2024 through a national final. He won out over four other contestants after winning both the jury and online votes. “Save the Best for Us” is a call to action to protect the environment and to experience the world in person as opposed to through a screen.
What we think of “Save The Best For Us”
The team at That Eurovision Site has reacted to Germany’s entry for Madrid. Tim gave his thoughts on “Save The Best For Us” which you can check out below.
Who is Bjarne?
10-year-old Bjarne comes from a small town in Lower Saxony, where he lives with his parents and older brother. He was encouraged to become a musician by his grandmother and loves performing on stage, even though he gets nervous! At the age of 6, he sang “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I to a sports crowd of 300 people and has continued entertaining ever since, culminating in appearing on The Voice Kids and making it all the way to the semifinals.
Germany’s Junior Eurovision Journey
Germany was originally due to join the Junior Eurovision family in the initial edition of the Contest, but unexpectedly withdraw. This also happened in 2004, when Germany withdrew ahead of the Contest in Lillehammer. It wasn’t until 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that Germany first participated in a Junior Eurovision event. Germany has participated on three occasions, the first being 2020 – when Susan performed “Stronger With You”, finishing 12th in a field of 12.
Germany’s most recent participation came in 2023, when Fia represented the nation in Nice with her song “Ohne Worte”. Performing fifteenth in the running order, Germany would finish in 9th place out of 16 performers. Germany received a total of 107 points, 33 from professional juries and the remaining 74 from the online vote. To date this is Germany’s best result at the contest.
Are you looking forward to seeing Germany at Junior Eurovision in Madrid? As always, let us know what you think by commenting down below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Junior Eurovision 2024!
News Source: That Eurovision Site, KiKA/ARD/ZDF
Photo Credit: KiKa
That Eurovision Site 
Tim J