Iona Dalli is entering the Maltese national selection Malta Eurovision Song Contest for the very first time! She is entering this Contest with an upbeat pop/rock song  titled “Could Have Been Me”, written by Philip Vella.

We had the pleasure to chat with Iona about her participation in this Contest, ask her about her song, her views on the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as her personal favourite songs. Check out all of that and more in the following interview:

• Hi Iona! First of all congratulations for making it to the top 20! How do you feel?

I’m feeling great! I consider myself so lucky to be in the semifinal this year, and as I saw in the sneak peak videos the stage, it is going be spectacular.

• How did you decide to enter the Contest this year?

It was not exactly my decision to enter this year, but my family believed in me and they went to submit my song. I signed it, but I did not want to go and submit it.

• How did you get in contact with the composer of your song?

My Dad used to work at the airport where he met Philip Vella, and contacted him about the song.

• Can you tell us a little bit about your song?

It is a pop/rock song .The song was written three years ago. It is about a person who wished she did not let go of another person, but now she regrets that choice, and is seeing the other person with someone else.

• How are you preparing yourself for the national final?

Rehearsals, Meetings, etc…

• Have you already had some thought about how your performance will be on stage?

Yes sure !

• Who do you think is your biggest competition to win this national final?

The songs are all great , the song which I like the most is the song “Beautiful to me” by L-Ahwa.

• Malta is hosting Junior Eurovision only a week before the national final. Are you planning to attend this event?

No. Right now I am too busy, but i will be watching bits of it on tv, while working on school stuff.

• What does Eurovision mean to you?

As a singer in Malta, it means a lot to me, because it gives a lot of exposure to the people in the music industry.

• Are you a Eurovision fan, and have you got an all time favourite Eurovision song?

I used to be a Eurovision fan, but in the past three years I lost a bit of interest in the Eurovision Song Contest. One can understand the disappointment of working hard to submit a song, and then in the last phase the song doesn’t make it to the semi-finals.

• Do you have a message for all the readers of escbubble?

NEVER GIVE UP!! This year I was going to give up, and with the help of those who believed in me I got back on my feet. And here I am – in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest…. living one of my dreams!

• Thank you so much for taking your time out for this interview, and we wish you the best of luck in the Maltese national selection!

Give a listen to Iona Dalli’s entry in Malta Eurovision Song Contest – “Could Have Been Me”: