Lorena Jankovic is the youngest of the five finalists of Montevizija, as she is only 15 years old. Should she win the competition and go on to represent Montenegro at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, she would be the youngest participant this year, as she would turn 16 on the day before the Grand Final, which is just according to the rules of the competition. She is competing with the song “Dusu mi daj” (Eng: Give Me Your Soul).

We had a great pleasure to chat with Lorena Jankovic ahead of Montevizija. In this chat was telling us about her entry, various festivals she already took part in, all the things that inspire her, and more. Check it all out here in this interview:

Hi Lorena! Thank you for taking your time out for talking to us. For the start of this interview, what can you tell us about yourself and your career so far?

In regards to my career so far I can say that I only expect the best things to happen, as I am only 15 years old. However, I am equally proud of my success in various music festivals for children, taking part in the famous “Slavyanski Bazar” festival in Belarus, as well as finishing 6^th in the finals of the talent show “Pinkove Zvezdice”.

How was your experience in “Pinkove Zvezdice”? What did you learn in this show that will help you grow, and become a better artist in the future?

It helped me a lot with building my self-confidence and self-integrity on stage. It is certainly a lot easier now for me to get into some new stories and happenings as well.

How did you decide to enter Montevizija?

I haven’t had any plans for Montevizija actually, however the composers I am working with now contacted me, and told me that they have a fantastic song for me and that they would like me to sing it and enter this competition. It all came very unexpectedly and spontaneously, and I’m very proud of what we have achieved.

What was your first reaction when you found out that you made it to the final of this contest?

I was so happy and excited that I started jumping around, because honestly, I wasn’t expecting it. Then I realized that I need to get myself together, and that lots of preparations are ahead of me.

Can you tell us more about your song? What type of song can we expect, and who is the team behind it?

The song completely suits my age and my sensibility. It’s a ballad written by Mirsad Serhatlic, whilst the lyrics were done by Milan Minja Peric, and the arrangements were done by Marijo Pajic.

You are the youngest contestant in this year’s Montevizija, and in case you win, you will be the youngest Eurovision entrant this year as well. Do you think this is gives you an advantage, or perhaps a disadvantage in the contest, due to the fact that the others competing against you have more experience?

I think this has both its positive and negative sides as well. My colleagues have more experience on the music scene, and I think I can learn a lot from them, but the thought of sharing the same stage with them is just indescribable. I think it takes a lot of courage to enter this competition at my age, but this doesn’t mean that I’m not ready for it, and I’m sure I will be able to face all challenges just like everyone else.

Do you already have some ideas about how your performance in Montevizija is going to look like?

I haven’t fully prepared my performance yet. There are various ideas which didn’t completely come together yet, but I won’t say too much. Let it be a secret for all the viewers.

What would it mean to you to represent Montenegro in Eurovision in Portugal?

Representing your own country in Eurovision is a great honor and a huge responsibility. These are facts that no one can deny, as many speculations there might be on this subject. Not to mention the experience all artists must gain when they actually get to Eurovision, as it must be a terrifically organized event.

Why should you be the one to win Montevizija?

Because I’m a young artist ascending artist full of energy, and enthusiasm, and I have full confidence in my success and the success of my song.

What inspires you normally?

I’m inspired by small things. It’s enough only to wake up, see how beautiful the day outside is, and I’m already getting inspired. Even the smallest successes I have at school also inspire me, all the praises of my singing teacher, as well as a good theatre act or concert I would go to.

What type of music do you like to listen to in your free time?

Lately I’m focusing more on our domestic pop music scene, but I love listening to music from abroad as well, and I listen to lots of different artists and different genres of music.

When you are not performing, what do you like to do?

I love spending time with my pets. I have two dogs, and every single minute I spend with them means a lot to me. Apart from this, I like to play the piano, listen to music, come up with new outfits for my old dolls, and of course to spend time with my family and friends.

Did you watch Eurovision in the last couple of years, and was there any song in particular that you liked?

I watch Eurovision every year, sometimes with more and sometimes with less attention. There were lots of songs that really stood out, and my favorite by far is Loreen’s “Euphoria”.

Thank you very much for your time Lorena, and we wish you the best of luck in Montevizija!

Thank you for chatting with me, and for your lovely wishes. Bye bye 🙂

Whilst we are waiting for “Dusu mi daj”, give a listen to one of the Lorena’s covers from “Pinkove Zvezdice: “Ederlezi”: