Our Best of the Bunch series continues, but this time, we’re crossing over between the two main formats of Eurovision, the Eurovision Song Contest and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The concept is simple, we take the Eurovision and Junior Eurovision entries of a certain year and put them up against each other in a poll to find out which is your Best of the Bunch! Our focus will be between 2016 and 2018, so let’s find out who you think is the Best of the Bunch!
2016
Eurovision:
After a non-qualification the previous year, Malta were hoping to return to the final, and the nation put their hopes in former Eurovision participant Ira Losco. Although it was normal practice to see the national final winning artist take their winning song to Eurovision, it was decided that a new song would be released for Ira, which as we know was Walk On Water. It was a favourite among fans, and had the potential to do well at the contest, but in the end it finished in 12th place with 153 points.
Junior Eurovision:
In a complete contrast, Malta was riding the wave of success at Junior Eurovision having won the year prior for the second time in contest history. Christina Magrin represented the nation on home soil with the song Parachute. After a confident performance, Malta landed in the Top 10 once again, finishing in 6th place with 191 points.
Which is your Best of the Bunch? Vote below:
2017
Eurovision:
In 2017, Claudia Faniello was selected to represent Malta with the ballad, Breathlessly. Although it wasn’t nearly as hyped as the previous Maltese Eurovision entry, the song was performed flawlessly in the semi-final with a simple staging that suited the entry. With that said, it was a non-qualification for Malta, finishing in 16th place in the semi-final.
Junior Eurovision:
Gianluca Cilia was chosen to represent Malta at Junior Eurovision in 2017 with the upbeat entry Dawra Tond. Unlike many of the previous entries, both English and Maltese languages were used in the song, which was great to hear. Gianluca was confident on stage, and his energy was infectious. In the end, Malta finished in 9th place with 107 points.
Which is your Best of the Bunch? Vote below:
2018
Eurovision:
A national final was once again used to select the Maltese act, and it was Christabelle who came out on top with her song Taboo. Every trick in the book was used in the staging of the song at Eurovision, from lasers to fire, props and a dancer. Even with all that, Malta again struggled to reach the final, finishing in 13th place with 101 points.
Junior Eurovision:
Ela Mangion won the Junior Eurovision national final with her uplifting song Marchin’ On which received mixed reviews from fans. It flew under the radar right up until the contest, but Ela’s vocals were some of the best on the night, and as a result, Malta managed to finish in 5th place with 182 points.
Which is your Best of the Bunch? Vote below: