The Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is back in full swing! TVM, the Maltese public broadcaster has just announced the names of the 36 semifinalists that will be competing to represent Malta in Malmö next year.
The 36 semifinalists and their song titles are:
1. Kyle Geroge – Arrows
2. MATT BLXCK – Banana
3. Dan – Baraxx (Outpour)
4. Christian Arding – Bellus (Velvet)
5. Miguel Bonello – Better Off Alone
6. Dominic Cini – Bewsa (Kiss)
7. Thea Aquilina – Blood Stream
8. Karin Duff – Breaking Bad
9. Lisa Gauci – Breathe
10. OXYGYN – Cloudmaker
11. Mark Anthony Bartolo – Condition Or Friction
12. Sopranique – Empire
13. Marie Claire – Fading
14. Moira Stafrace – Feather Flight
15. Lyndsay Pace – Fire Proof
16. Cosette Baldacchino – Free Fall
17. Nathan – Ghost
18. Mark Portelli – Just Be
19. Ryan Hili – Karma
20. Michela Galea – Let’s Talk About Love
21. Sarah Bonnici – Loop
22. Janvil – Man
23. Denise Mercieca – Mara (Woman)
24. Martina Cutajar – Miles Away
25. Kurt Calleja – Misunderstood
26. Maria Christina – Moving On
27. Stefan Galea – Numb
28. Franklin Calleja – Puppet
29. Erba’ – Sirena (Mermaid)
30. Jessica Micallef – Taghna Tnejn (Ours)
31. Haley Azzopardi – Tell Me That It’s Over
32. Eliana Gomez Blanco – There’s Only Flowers
33. Greta Tude – Topic (Bla Bla)
34. Miriana Conte – Venom
35. Desirei Grech – Watch Me
36. Gail Attard – Wildcard
For the Maltese fans, most names in this list are not new. For starters, we have a former Maltese representative: Moira Stafrace represented Malta in 1994 with More Than Love. Together with her late husband Chris, they made it to 4th place. Fans will be pleased to see her return to the music industry after the tragic death of her husband.
Multiple acts who have tried their luck at MESC before are making a return. These include Denise Mercieca, Miriana Conte, Janvil, MATT BLXCK, Nathan, Ryan Hili, Sarah Bonnici, Greta Tude, Lyndsay Pace, Mark Anthony Bartolo, Dan, Christian Arding, Stefan Galea, Eliana Gomez Blanco and Franklin Calleja.
There are also some interesting new names in the mix, predominantly OXYGYN, a relatively successful spooky-rock band and Lisa Gauci who placed second in X Factor Malta 2021 and in Mużika Mużika 2023.
It is not yet known how many semi finals will we see before the grand final of MESC 2024, nor is it known when the show will come to our screens. However, what we do know is that the show will not see any live performances as the final will consist of live on tape performances as well as music videos of the 12 finalists.
This change in the format of MESC has proven controversial with the Maltese fans, with many voicing their disappointment at not hearing the singers perform live.
Malta was last represented with The Busker and their quircky-dance song Dance (Our Own Party). Although they were a breath of fresh air in the Maltese songbook, they only managed 3 points in the semi final and finished last overall.