With Junior Eurovision 2025 just a matter of days away, we spoke to Asja Džogović, who will be representing Montenegro in Georgia.
Montenegro returns to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest this year after a ten year absence, with Asja Džogović set to perform “I tužna i srećna priča” in Tbilisi. We spoke to Asja ahead of rehearsals in Georgia about her musical influences, the story of her song, and how she wants viewers to feel after her performance.
For people meeting you for the first time — how would you describe yourself in three words?
“I would describe myself as emotional, gentle, and brave.”
When did you first discover your love for music? Was there a moment where you said: “This is what I want to do”?
“I have loved music since I was very young. Music relaxes me, and it’s my favourite thing to do in my free time. But the first moment I knew this was something I wanted to do was after the Naša radost festival in Podgorica.”
Who are some of your musical inspirations? Any artists from Montenegro or abroad you admire?
“I listen to many different genres, but my biggest inspirations are Danijel Alibabić, Jelena Rozga, and Emina Jahović.”
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not singing? We saw you like to paint and play volleyball. Any other hobbies you like to take part in?
“I like going for walks, spending time with my family and friends, and I love swimming. Even though I’m from the north of Montenegro, I go to the seaside often. I enjoy good food—my favourite being fish and seafood.”
Your entry is called “I tužna i srećna priča” (Both a sad and happy story) and is dedicated to all children without parental care. The message is very important, but also emotionally challenging to express, especially at a young age. Why did you decide to address this specific topic with your Eurovision entry?
“I wanted to sing a ballad with a powerful message, so my team and I decided to create a song with strong meaning—something universal, but not talked about enough. I believe my performance will touch the heart of every viewer.”
How involved were you in the creation of the entry — lyrics, melody, song structure?
“My team played the main role in creating the lyrics, melody, and structure of the song, because they know my vocal abilities very well. Whereas for the staging, an international team was in charge of it.”
Do you have a favorite line in the song?
“Of course I do: “U ljubavi priča ljubav, nek čuje svako.”
The lyrics reflect a contrast between happiness and sadness— joy, but also fear, loneliness, and moments of pain. Will this duality also be present in your staging and performance?
“Yes, it (the duality) will be present. You will have an opportunity to see it soon, but let it be a secret until the show.”
How did you find out that you would be representing Montenegro at JESC this year?
“Due to all the awards and achievements I’ve received so far, our national broadcaster decided that I should represent Montenegro at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest after 10 years of absence.”
What part of the JESC experience are you most excited about — performing the song, meeting other artists, traveling to Georgia…?
“Performing the song, of course.”
Montenegro is a small country, but very rich in musical talent and culture. Do you think festivals like the Junior Eurovision Song Contest are especially important for young artists from smaller European countries?
“I think competitions like Junior Eurovision are an amazing opportunity for children from small countries to show their talent.”
We wish Asja Džogović the best of luck competing in Junior Eurovision and thank her and the Montenegrin delegation for their time. Find out more about Asja below:
Image source: Corinne Cumming/EBU
Montenegro has participated twice in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. In 2014, the nation debuted as an independent nation. Maša Vujadinović and Lejla Vulić represented Montenegro on their debut with the song “Budi dijete na jedan dan”. They finished 14th in the final, scoring 24 points. They last participated in 2015, where Jana Mirković finished 13th with “Oluja”. Montenegro will return to Junior Eurovision this year.
