Derrick — “II”
Fun fact: we haven’t heard a Maltese song at the contest since 1972 — ever since, Malta has taken advantage of having English as one of their official languages (which is fair enough). I don’t think this song will break the drought though. It’s a competent pop song: Derrick sings well, the music is appropriately modern and there’s a nice moment at the end when some vocal effects come in as a coda just when you think the song is done after some big notes from Derrick. Beyond that, I’m not sure it will appeal enough to a broad audience.

Nicole Azzopardi — “Into the Fire”
One of those songs which will be catnip for a good portion of the Eurovision fandom. Azzopardi gives us a straight-up banger with easy-to-follow lyrics that wastes little time getting to the point. She doesn’t have to do much with her vocals, because the song sells itself to those who watch Eurovision waiting for the next opportunity to get up and dance. However, Azzopardi stays true to the banger formula: a big note and a key change appear in the final minute of the song, and if you’re an EDM fan, you could want nothing more (or less, for that matter).