It’s the time of year when the Post-Eurovision depression is in full swing, but there’s no better cure than to reminisce! Together with ESCDaily Editor, Dennis Van Eersel, we will be discussing each of this year’s competing nations – from their results to how we think they could improve in the future!
Malta
Predictions, Personal Scores and Results
Anita:
Prediction: Top 10
Dennis:
Prediction: Top 10
Results: 7th place, Final
Did Malta live up to expectations?
A: Being at the top of the odds leading into the contest, the expectations were very high for Malta. Knowing that Destiny has pulled off a Junior Eurovision win, it would have been incredible to see the nation win Eurovision after all these years, especially with a former Junior Eurovision winner. In a sense, I think the hype was a bad thing for Malta, as it led to the bar being set way too high, and anything other than a win would be a disappointment. A seventh place finish is impressive in Malta’s history, but not what the nation wanted this year.
D: Malta achieved a seventh place at Eurovision 2021, which is a better result than the nation usually gets at the contest. However, they were predicted to be a potential winner in Rotterdam, and in that light a 7th place is not according to the expectations. In the jury vote Destiny scored very well, as predicted. Her televote was very disappointing.
How do you personally feel about the song for Malta at Eurovision 2021?
D: I also saw ‘Je me casse’ as a potential Eurovision winner when I first heard the song. I was eagerly awaiting the rehearsals to see if that was still going to be the case when we also saw the visual presentation. That’s when my first doubts about their win started to arise for me, and those doubts never went away anymore. I am left with the feeling that Malta could have booked a better result with the potential they had in hand this year.
A: I actually didn’t get that winning feeling from ‘Je Me Casse’ when I first heard it. I definitely thought it had the potential to score high, and was certainly one of Malta’s better entries, if not their best modern day Eurovision entry, but I just didn’t see it winning. I really enjoyed the song however, and thought it was a step in the right direction for Malta.
Could Malta have done anything different?
A: The biggest issue around the Maltese entry this year was the visual performance. Destiny could, and did belt out the song perfectly, but the stage show was too static and didn’t really match the song. That being said, I don’t know what would have matched the song. It always felt like more of a studio version song, rather than being suited for a live performance.
D: It’s sad to say it, but we must conclude that their stage act did not work out at all. The hand gestures were not captured on screen well enough, the overkill of pink, blending the dancers with the backdrop. It all didn’t work out on screen as the Maltese team surely thought up in their minds. The vocal powerhouse performance by Destiny was great, nothing wrong there, and it gave them a lot of votes from the jury. But to make an actual connection in the televote, their overall performance needs to make sense, and it did not. A wasted chance.
What can Malta do to ensure success in future years?
D: Being the small nation they are, the pool in which Malta is fishing for professional artists is thin. They are doing a great job, when you look at how often they are present at the final, usually because of the quality of the artist. Malta is one of the nations with a tradition to do better with the jury than in the televote. To ensure success in the future, they need to investigate what is causing their lesser connection to the televoters and seek a way to continue sending good vocalists, but with better stage presentations to get an overall top result more often. Which is easier said than done, I know.
A: The nation does have talented artists, but it’s more about creating the whole package. Their recent history is hit or miss, but the process of publicly selecting the artist and then internally selecting the song ensures that the nation is sending strong songs. The nation definitely has the potential to win, but it’s all about that combination of song, singer and performance.
I can’t pinpoint why Malta would be lacking in the televote, especially this year. Even with an average stage performance, it seemed strong enough to gain enough votes to at least place it in the Top 5.
D: It’s always hard to say, but my guess would be because the act was very artificial and thought out in a studio. Sweden also has this problem quite often. Acts lose a sense of sincerity that way, and this hurts the call-to-action to actually vote for it. It would be my only explanation for Malta failing to get a good televote this year, of course combined with a bad starting slot for the song.
Which was better, the live-on-tape performance or the actual performance?
D: In the live-on-tape performance Destiny is carrying the song all alone, no backing dancers and extra choreography. It’s strong, I like that move. I still don’t think it would have come closer to Italy and France for the win, but for me that back-up performance highlighted Destiny’s vocal power and the fun nature of the song more than the direction they went with in Ahoy.
A: I liked the outfit more in the live-on-tape, and the vocal performance was perfect, but the staging was far too generic. It does show her strength being on the stage alone, but I would then say that it was too static in the music breaks. The lights, colours and patterns were uninspiring, and the title of the song behind her on the screens feels like a cop out. Flashing lyrics I can give a pass, but just the song title by itself – it’s a no from me.