MALTA 2025

The Maltese act and song was selected on February 1st via the show "Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2025". In the week leading up to the final there were two semi finals reducing the field from 24 to 16. A winner was selected by adding a equal amount of jury and televote scores. Going to Basel is Miriana Conte with the song "Kant" (Singing)

Mirana Conte may only be in her mid-twenties but she is already a seasoned singing star. She first attempted to sing at Eurovision in 2017 with the song "Don't Look Down" but unfortunately she came in last place. Undeterred, she came back in 2018 with "Rocket" and finished 12th. This same year she entered the first edition of "X Factor Malta". She and three other solo singers were placed together to form 4th Line and they got through to the live shows. Her third attempt in MESC happened in 2022 where her song "Look What You've Done Now" placed 6th in the final. She tried again in 2023 and finished 9th with "Venom"

This is giving Drag Race does Sound of Music and keeps you on your toes for the 3 minutes. Miriana starts in a white pinstripe dress with netted green fringe along her shoulder line. Underneath is later revealed a leopard print bodysuit with a leotard and bodice, in a similar print, on top. On stage are 5 dancers who start in green and white Alpine inspired outfits but later appear in furry bathing outfits. The backdrop shows pink and purple mountain scenes, echoing the Alpine concept. The song is verse - long pre chorus - chorus which runs through twice before a bridge, a short pre-chorus and final chorus. Miriana plays the Maria persona and the dancers are the Von Trapp children - there is even a point when Miriana plays a ukulele and the dancers kneel around her in awe. Later, the personas break free, showing less repressed versions of themselves. During the last 20 seconds, all six on stage bounce up and down on yoga balls, fanning their faces, as Miriana looks down the camera and says her final line.

This entry certainly puts pay to the old adage 'less is more' and is in fact the whole shebang with a kit and kaboodle on top. This show is edgy, cool and fun and could easily be placed as is on the stage in Basel. Time and money could be spent on finishing touches to the costume and tightening of the choreo, but this just works. Miriana conveys such confidence throughout the song and she shines throughout. Her voice is also very strong and I think the fact she knows she can belt this out gives her the fearlessness to go full out on the performance. We have had entries in the past which have riffed on onomatopoeia, listed names & places or leaned into double entendre but this must be the first entry ever that has used a homophone in one language that sounds like a rude word in another. It feels like the Maltese have innocently been sitting on this bombshell of a translation and now that it has been 'discovered', and have the brazenness to show it off, boy have they used this to their advantage! 

ARTIST - Mariana Conte

SONG - Kant

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Miriana Conte, Sarah Evelyn Fullerton, Matthew Mercieca, Benjamin Schmid