We’ve just seen the return of Montenegro to the contest and to my top 40 ranking; now it’s time for another returning country after a gap in 2021 – Armenia. They are the current champions of Junior Eurovision, having won in 2021 and will be hosting in Yerevan in December. It’s the second time they have won the junior version of the contest but are yet to triumph in the main contest. Can Rosa Linn and her song “Breathe” change that for them in 2022?

Armenia skipped the 2021 contest in the aftermath of political unrest in the country but have returned this year. They have occasionally held national selection finals but opted to return to their more frequent method, that of internally selecting. Rosa Linn (real name Roza Kostandyan) was the artist selected, a former contestant for the Armenian selection for Junior Eurovision, she’s since gone on to work with US based record label Nvak Collective. They are the label behind “Snap” and the songwriters are mostly American or Amernian American (and Rosa herself is a cowriter).

The American label and the American writers all explain why this lovely and cute song has a distinctly country/US feel to it (without being twee or a pastiche). It reminds me of Ben and Tan’s song for Denmark in the cancelled 2020 contest, “Yes“, albeit more chilled and slower paced. I loved “Yes”, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that “Snap” is one of my 2022 favourites (yes, at #15 I class this as one of my favourites). It has such a warm and sweet (but not sickly!) vibe to it, with an anthemic feel that is the hallmark of many a successful Eurovision entry.

Rosa herself seems absolutely lovely, reaching out to her fellow artists over social media, and charming crowds at the pre-parties with her demeanour and her acoustic versions of her song. After a strong start at Eurovision, Armenia has struggled for a few years, so it would be nice to see them get back on track with this (for Armenia) somewhat atypical entry. It closes semi-final 1 and I hope being given that closing slot is a sign of confidence in the song and the staging. This would be a very welcome addition to the grand final and a deserved return for Armenia.

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Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest