J'imagine
{{Short description|2020 song by Valentina}}
{{For|the Annie Villeneuve song|I Believe (Nikki Yanofsky song)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox song
| name = J'imagine
| cover = Valentina - J'imagine.jpeg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Valentina
| album =
| released = {{Start date|2020|10|16|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = {{hlist|Chanson{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/fr/album/jimagine/1535053410|title=J'imagine – Single par Valentina sur Apple Music|access-date=2020-11-29|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129112529/https://music.apple.com/fr/album/jimagine/1535053410|url-status=dead}}|French pop{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/jimagine-single/1535828879|title=J'imagine – Single by Valentina on Apple Music|date=2020-10-16|access-date=2021-01-28}}}}
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=59}}
| label = Play Two / M6 Interactions
| writer = Igit, Barbara Pravi{{cite web|url=https://junioreurovision.tv/participant/valentina-2020|title=Valentina – France – Poland 2020 – Junior Eurovision Song Contest — Poland 2020|access-date=2020-11-29}}
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc =
{{External music video|{{YouTube|3UDirQG7VRI|"J'imagine"}}|link=no}}
{{Infobox song contest entry
| embed = yes
| junior = yes
| song = {{Flagicon|France}} "J'imagine"
| image =
| caption =
| year = 2020
| country = France
| artist = Valentina Tronel
| as = Valentina
| with =
| language = French
| place = 1st
| points = 200
| prev_year = 2019
| prev = Bim bam toi
| next = Tic Tac
| next_link = Tic Tac (Enzo song)
}}
}}
"J'imagine" ({{IPA|fr|ʒimaʒin}}, {{lit|I imagine}}) is a song by French singer Valentina, released as a single on 16 October 2020. The song's lyrics were inspired by the isolation and separation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"J'imagine" was France's winning entry in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020. Valentina, aged 11 at the time, won the competition with a total of 200 points,{{cite web|url=https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/centre-val-de-loire/loiret/orleans/eurovision-junior-clip-gagnante-francaise-valentina-tourne-orleans-1885456.html|title=Eurovision Junior : avec Valentina, la France gagne le concours de chanson. Son clip tourné à Orléans|publisher=France 3 Régions|date=2020-11-29|access-date=2020-11-29}} 48 points ahead of second-placed Kazakhstan, earning France its first victory at the contest.{{refn|}}
Composition
The song was written by Igit and Barbara Pravi, who also wrote France's entry for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2019, "{{lang|fr|Bim bam toi|i=unset}}".{{Cite web|date=2020-10-16|title=Eurovision Junior 2020 : Ecoutez « J'imagine », la chanson de Valentina pour la France|trans-title=Junior Eurovision 2020: Listen to "J'imagine"; Valentina's song for France|url=https://www.20minutes.fr/arts-stars/culture/2886727-20201016-eurovision-junior-2020-ecoutez-imagine-chanson-valentina-france|access-date=2020-11-30|website=20 minutes|language=fr}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rtve.es/television/20201016/francia-valentina-jimagine-junior-eurovision-song-contest-2020/2044124.shtml|title=Eurovisión Junior 2020 {{!}} Valentina representará a Francia con la canción "J'imagine"|publisher=RTVE|date=2020-10-16|access-date=2020-12-06}} Pravi would later represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "{{lang|fr|Voilà|i=unset}}".{{Cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1439907/France-Eurovision-2021-winner-Barbara-Pravi-Voila-Song-Contest-latest-news-updates|title=France declared Eurovision 2021 winner by Barbara Pravi fans: 'Paris 2022 beckons'|last=Kelly|first=Helen|date=2021-05-22|work=Express|publisher=Reach plc}}
The head of the French delegation to the 2020 Junior Eurovision, Alexandra Redde-Amiel, described "J'imagine" as "a sparkling, very positive song that will allow us to imagine ourselves in a world of tomorrow full of joy and life". Its lyrics deal with the isolation and separation caused by measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The singer invites the listeners to imagine a brighter future with her:
{{Verse translation
|lang=fr
|Oups! J'ai rêvé qu'on était plein
À repeindre les murs de nos villes
Et laisser l'empreinte de nos mains
Pas que sur nos écrans tactiles
|Oops! I dreamt that there were a lot of us
Repainting our towns' walls
And leaving our hand marks
}}
{{Verse translation
|lang=fr
|Tout commence par un j'imagine
Dans un coin de la tête
Un rêve qui soudain se dessine
Que plus rien n'arrête
|Everything starts with an "I imagine"
At the back of your mind.
A dream that takes shape
That nothing can stop.{{cite web|url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2020/10/17/lyrics-jimagine-valentina-france-junior-eurovision-2020/257865/|title=Valentina: J'imagine Lyrics in English – France Junior Eurovision 2020|website=Wiwibloggs|date=2020-10-17|access-date=2020-11-30}}
}}
Valentina's favorite part of the song is:
{{Verse translation
|lang=fr
|Alors c'est vrai
C'est pas toujours la joie
Dans nos cœurs c'est
Un peu comme un combat
Et toi demain
Toi tu fais quoi
Imagine avec moi
|So it's true
It's not always joy.
In our hearts it's
A bit like a fight.
And you,
What are you doing tomorrow?
Imagine with me.{{cite web|url=https://www.today24.news/en/2020/11/who-is-valentina-the-girl-who-won-the-competition-for-france.html|title=Who is Valentina, the girl who won the competition for France?|website=Today24 News English|date=2020-11-30|access-date=2021-01-25}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
}}
As Valentina explained, this part of the song "reflects reality — life is not always easy and fun — but yet has a strong hopeful message at the end: imagining together a brighter future". She likes singing this part "because it's a mellow moment of the song that contrasts with the rest of the track, and it finishes with a high note that [she] really like[s] to reach."
Junior Eurovision Song Contest
{{See also|France in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020}}
= Selection, announcement and release =
On 9 October 2020, France Télévisions announced that it had selected Valentina with her song to represent France at the Eurovision Junior Song Contest organized in Warsaw, Poland, on 29 November.{{cite web|url=https://www.lci.fr/medias/programme-tv-eurovision-junior-2020-valentina-11-ans-representera-la-france-en-novembre-the-voice-kids-kids-united-2166806.html|title=Valentina, 11 ans, représentera la France à l'Eurovision Junior en novembre|publisher=LCI|date=2020-10-09|access-date=2020-12-06}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ozap.com/actu/eurovision-junior-2020-valentina-kids-united-representera-la-france/597676|title=Eurovision Junior 2020 : Valentina (Kids United) représentera la France|website=Puremedias|date=2020-10-09|access-date=2020-12-06}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.20minutes.fr/arts-stars/culture/2880911-20201009-eurovision-junior-2020-valentina-kids-united-representera-france|title=Eurovision Junior 2020 : Valentina des Kids United représentera la France|website=20 minutes|date=2020-10-09|access-date=2020-12-06}}
According to Alexandra Redde-Amiel, Valentina and her song were chosen from around twenty candidates: “We had around twenty proposals, either songs on their own or songs carried by an artist. But Valentina arrived with her sparkling little eyes and her optimistic message. We fell in love, the choice was obvious."
On 16 October, the song was released as a single. The music video, which was shot in Orléans, was unveiled on the same day.{{cite web|url=https://www.france.tv/jeux-et-divertissements/emissions-musicales/concours-eurovision-de-la-chanson-junior/2043011-valentina-j-imagine.html|title=Valentina – J'imagine – Extrait Concours Eurovision de la Chanson Junior en streaming|website=France tv|date=2020-10-16|access-date=2020-12-06}}{{cite web|url=https://www.telestar.fr/actu-tv/eurovision/eurovision-junior-2020-valentina-devoile-le-clip-de-sa-chanson-j-imagine-546830|title=Eurovision junior 2020 : Valentina dévoile le clip de sa chanson J'imagine|website=Télé Star|date=2020-12-06|access-date=2020-12-06}}
= Victory =
On 29 November, Valentina won the contest, scoring 200 points. Kazakhstan's entry came in second, receiving 152 points, while Spain's 133 points put them in third. This was France's first victory in the contest.{{cite web|url=https://www.20minutes.fr/arts-stars/culture/2919715-20201129-eurovision-junior-2020-valentina-triomphe-offre-france-premiere-victoire-concours|title=Eurovision Junior 2020: Valentina triomphe et offre à la France sa première victoire au concours|author=Fabien Randanne|website=20 minutes|date=2020-11-29|access-date=2020-12-06}}{{cite web|url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/musique/eurovision/la-france-remporte-l-eurovision-junior-pour-la-premiere-fois-avec-la-chanson-j-imagine-de-valentina_4200425.html|title=La France remporte l'Eurovision junior pour la première fois avec la chanson "J'imagine" de Valentina|website=Franceinfo (francetvinfo.fr)|date=2020-11-29|access-date=2020-12-06}}
Track listing
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|3iIMGA0aUZE|Valentina performs "J'imagine" at the 2020 Junior Eurovision}}
{{List of Junior Eurovision Song Contest winners}}
{{Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020}}
{{France in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020
Category:Junior Eurovision Song Contest winning songs
Category:Songs written by Barbara Pravi
Category:Songs about the COVID-19 pandemic