Very good points about non alienating music (unless you are specifically going for a certain feel).
There's a reason popular music is popular, sometimes you have to swallow your pride and go with what is going to work best. Since this is for a youth talent thing I'm not saying go for something twee but just consider what might least alienate you from the audience and therefore the judges.
There is a few tunes out there that have bits seem to automatically make a crowd clap, good luck finding one of those but if you do it wouldn't hurt
P.s. please don't let this thread spiral into a 'this or that music sucks' or a 'look at me, I'm so cool because of my knowledge of some obscure up and coming next thing music which as soon as it becomes mainstream I'm going to denounce and carp on about how the first album was great before they sold out' or just a random list or tunes you like. There's already a thread for that'.