Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2022 Acts: Ones to Watch

Twenty-two songs are vying to be selected as Malta’s Eurovision Song Contest entry – following in Destiny’s steps. The Maltese chanteuse brought much-hyped track Je Me Casse to 2021 contest in Rotterdam and was one of the contest’s most loved acts – therefore the best of the Maltese music scene are keen to follow and step up to the challenge.

Through a semi-final on the 17th of February 2022, the top sixteen entries will qualify to compete in the final on 19 February 2022. We’ve picked our highlights of the 2022 crop below.

Aidan – Ritmu

Songwriters: Aidan Cassar, Boban Apostolov

Aidan is definitely the one to beat with Ritmu – a Maltese language banger than translates as Rhythm. Aidan delivers oodles of charisma against a tropical-beat that feels like a side of Malta we don’t often get to see at Eurovision. This is a real standout, but expect Aidan to feature in the contest in some way as he has written four of his fellow competing entries.

Emma Muscat – Out of Sight

Songwriters: Antonio Caputo, Emma Muscat, Gabriel Rossi, Lorenzo Santarelli, Marco Salvaderi

Another name getting a fair amount of pre-contest hype is Emma Muscat, a Maltese singer who has gone on to have success in Italy after competing on talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi. Out of Sight is an intriguing one that starts like a sultry mid-tempo but reveals a funk-flavoured twist as the production navigates some exciting electronic grooves.

Baklava feat. Nicole – Electric Indigo

Songwriters: Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg

Another name that crops up a few times in the contest is Gerard James Borg whose National Final CV is rather an extensive one. Borg writes violin-centric electronic banger Electric Indigo which impresses with bouncing synths, smooth vocals and the aforementioned violin touches. This is a big euphoric Eurovision anthem that will hopefully stick with listeners.

Jessica Grech – Aphrodisiac

Songwriters: Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg

With high camp lyrics such as the opening verse “I need you badly, like the desert rain / To get to you, I’d learn to fly a plane / You’re a piece of chocolate melting on my skin / I can’t resist you, I can’t be free” Jessica Grech’s Aphrodisiac is a euphoric little boppy number that we have grown to love.

Denise – Boy

Songwriter: Aidan Cassar

Aidan contributes to Boy as a songwriter, with this slinky R&B flavoured pop track shining through Denise’s sultry delivery and production which gradually escalates in tempo. It’s an unapologetic anthem about getting what you want and is delivered with a sense of swagger and gumption.

Jessika – Kaleidoscope

Songwriter: Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg

Jessika will close the first semi-final with Kaleidoscope, a charming and hopeful pop number driven by production with a rousing style. It’s a joyous call to arms that celebrates the diversity and energy that Eurovision brings. Jessika sells the song with a great enthusiasm and charm.

Nicole Azzopardi – Into the Fire

Songwriter: Peter Boström, Per Jonsson, Marika Lindė, Dimitri Stassos, Nektarios Tyrakis

Former Junior Eurovision entrant Nicole Azzopardi assembles a crack team of writers for Into the Fire, a high energy bop that delivers big vocals against even bigger production. Shining thanks to its powerhouse chorus, Nicole belts “I’m falling, oh-oh-oh-over again / You got my heart and my soul in your hands / I’m burning up inside, the flame’s getting high / Your love is making me fly / Into the fire…” against banging Europop production.