Ukraine wins the ESC 2026. True or false? Stay with me to the very end of this text to find out if this is possible at all. And if you stay with me till the end, you’ll be able to hear my song “I’m Choosing a New Era” that I submitted to the Polish Preselection for the ESC 2026.
Hello, Guys!
This is your EurovisionaryVoice calling! My name’s Janusz Jacek Siwiorek JJS. I present my reactions here.
This time I’m going to show you my most sincere reaction to the song that will represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. This is “Ridnym” (“Рідним”) [“To Loved Ones”] by Leléka (whose full name’s Viktoriia Leleka).
Let’s watch the video:
Leléka – “Ridnym” (“Рідним”) (LIVE) – Ukraine 🇺🇦 | Eurovision 2026 | Reaction
Well, frist things first.
This Ukrainian entry was chosen both by the public (50%) and the jury (50%) > it came first both in the jury and public voting.
This year’s Ukrainian song was created by Adama Cefalu, Jakob Hegner, Viktoria Leleka herself and Yaroslav Dzhus. It’s sung in Ukrainian and English.
What’s the song about?
“Green into rust
Trust in the change
Everything fades be that as it may
Red into dust
Cut from the branch
Leaves in the flames
Nothing is safe
I will embroider, I will embroider
I will embroider a new destiny
I will embroider, I will embroider
For the loved ones, the most loved ones
When we oppose our fears
And turn all our woes to cheers
I know the roots still carry water
When all the seeds we’ve sown
Blossom and lead us home
We’ll see the trees grow even taller”
Leleka received her bachelor’s degree in performing arts/acting in Kiev. She jazz vocals and composition in Dresden, Germany.
In “Ridnym” the singer’s voice is warm and soft, but also strong. She does not try to show off. Instead, she sings with feeling and control. In the quiet parts, her voice sounds gentle and emotional. In the chorus, she sings louder and fuller, holding clear high notes.
Her singing feels honest and natural. This simple but emotional vocal style makes the song powerful.
Is this going to be a banger? Hmm, first let’s ask a question: Is this song going to make it to the Grand Final?
All in all, I’d say this is a very good song with great vocals.
As each juror is going to rank all the competing songs in each show based on the given criteria, I will assign points in the same categories (eurovision.com):
– composition and originality of the song, 9 out of 10;
– quality of the performance on stage, 10 out of 10;
– vocal capacity of the performer(s), 10 out of 10;
– overall impression of the act, 9 out of 10.
So the total is: 38 out of 40 points that is 95%.
Will Leléka’s “Relatives” lead her to victory? We’ll see if she will get the best result for Ukraine. To do that she would have to win the whole Contest (as the best result for Ukraine so far was the 1st place; it happened thrice: it was in 2004, 2016 and 2022).
In the end, I can only say: Well done, Leléka! Congratulations, Ukraine! I assume this song might qualify for the Grand Final but of course it depends on the other entries as well. What do you tink, Guys?
What do the bookmakers say about the Ukrainian entry? Well, at this moment (18th February 2026) Ukraine is in 7th place (eurovisionworld.com).
Let’s hear it for Leléka and the whole team!
And Guys! If you’ve enjoyed my video then please like it and remember to subscribe to my channel. Like, comment, share and subscribe. 😊 Thanks ever so much. 😊
Let me know what you think of this performance in the comments section below. I encourage you to read my texts and watch my previous videos about the Eurovision Song Contest.
And if you’d like to watch my first song ever “I’m Choosing a New Era” that I submitted to the Polish Preselection 2026, you can click on the screen below.
𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝘇 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗸 𝗦𝗶𝘄𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗸 𝗝𝗝𝗦 – „𝗪𝘆𝗯𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗮̨ 𝗲𝗿𝗲̨” / “𝗜’𝗺 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗿𝗮” | 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲
Thank you for reading my text and watching my video!
I’ll be back soon.
Stay tuned!
Bye, Guys! 😊
