1) The Result
“I Am What I Am” by Emma Muscat was never strong enough to stand a chance in the second semi — it finished 16th.
2) The Process
Malta and Iceland are the most pro-Eurovision countries in the contest, but while Iceland keeps things fairly simple for their selection process, Malta turns their into a festival to which everyone is invited. A series of three quarter-finals and a semi-finals whittled the number of songs down from 40 to 16 for the final. It was at this point that The Busker was selected after winning the televote by a large margin and finishing equal second with the jury.
3) The Artist
The Busker formed in 2012 and have released two albums, an EP, and the usual handful of singles.
4) The Song
Upbeat saxophone-pop. Sure, this might not be an official sub-genre, but I dare you to consider what this song would be without that instrument. It opens the track and forms the backbone of the music all the way through. The lyrics are a charming take on social anxiety and introversion.
5) The Verdict
It’s fortunate for Malta that Sunstroke Project failed in their attempt to win selection again for Moldova, otherwise there would have been a battle of the saxophones in the first semi-final. However, The Busker still face an uphill battle to qualify, with quite a few televote magnets in their semi. Their case has been further complicated by being assigned the “slot of death” (2nd) in the running order. I enjoy this song quite a bit, but it’s more for the fun vibes rather than something at which I’d be throwing my votes. I’d be pleasantly surprised if they qualified for the final, but it would be a shock result if they did.
My ranking: 20th
EUROVISION, SERIOUSLY 