Ahoy, fellow Eurofans! Join me on this Mediterranean cruise as we dive into the Second Semi-Final of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest (MESC).
This year, 24 songs competed in the Maltese national selection, with 12 drawn into each semi-final and 8 advancing to the final. You may ask: why hold two semis to narrow from 24 songs to 16 in the final? Who knows! But let’s focus on the music 😊
The show on February 6th featured guest appearances from 2013 Eurovision winner Emmelie de Forest and several Maltese artists like Richard Edwards (Firelight, ESC 2014), Claudia Faniello (ESC 2017), and Janvil (MESC 2024).
Now, onto the contestants, ranked by performance order:
Kelsey Bellante – "365": Kelsey kicked off the night with an upbeat pop song, dressed in all white with four dancers. Good performance, but the song felt a bit generic. R: Eliminated.
Dario Bezzina ft. Żeppi l-Muni – "Għażliet" (Options): In a sharp turn, the show moves to an ethnic mid-tempo song in Maltese. Dario performed well, and Żeppi added authenticity. R: Qualified.
3. Kelsy Attard – "Love Me Loud": Classic ballad with a backdrop of red flames and smoke adding to the drama. Although the song gains power towards its second half, it lacked a hook to stand out. R: Eliminated.
4.Miriana Conte – "Kant" (Singing): Probably the most waited performance of the night, Miriana served sass and confidence, totally talking about what “singing” means to her. Good performance, but a few tweaks are needed if she makes it to Eurovision *wink wink*. Also, why play a ukulele when a piano is in the backing track? Why not? R: Qualified.
5. The Alchemists – "Rubble & Stone": Soft rock song that quickly won the crowd over. Good vocals with a flair of authenticity and nostalgia. Visuals really helped the performance to feel more energetic. R: Qualified.6.
6. Martina Borg – "Yo Listen": Urban pop with a good choreography. Although Martina does feel authentic, the song is not as catchy as it needed to be. R: Qualified.
7. Nathan – "Concrete": A challenging empowerment anthem. Nathan struggled vocally, especially early on, but staging was interesting. R: Qualified.
8. Kurt Anthony – "Miegħek Biss": Emotional Maltese ballad. Earnest performance, but a bit repetitive and feels flat in the end. R: Eliminated.
9. Kantera – "LalaRataTakeke LalaRataKabum": A potential dark horse, it was a high-energy song with traditional instruments and costumes. Lively but not quite Trenulețul levels of entertaining. R: Qualified.
10. Krista Šujak – "Unheard": Third ballad of the night, and the most compelling. Not the best vocals, but Krista was really captivating. R: Qualified.
11. Stefan Galea – "Lablab (Talk Talk)": The night’s most innovative entry. Quirky and upbeat, it had really interesting staging (including screens, dancers and visuals). R: Qualified.
12. Miguel Bonello – "Breaking the Cycle": A dark ballad closing the night. Interesting staging, but the song and vocals didn’t stand out. R: Eliminated.
And there you have it! Eight acts moved on to the final, where they fought for their chance to represent Malta at Eurovision 2025. Who was your favorite of the night?