J'imagine

"J'imagine" (French pronunciation: [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, 48 points ahead of second-placed Kazakhstan, earning France its first victory at the contest.

The song was written by Igit and Barbara Pravi, who also wrote France's entry for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2019, "Bim bam toi". Pravi would later represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Voilà".

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:

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
Not only on our touchscreens.

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.