Malta’s Eurovision selection show MESC 2017 is coming up next weekend, and we spoke to participant Maxine Pace ahead of the contest.
Maxine Pace is one of the 16 artists that will be taking part in the final, which will take place on the 18th February. In our interview, she talks about her song “Bombshell”, her musical influences, and even what she’d take to a desert island.
Watch the interview below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4TaFgHWuDU]The opening of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2017 will feature all 16 finalists together on stage, accompanied by 50 dancers. The 16 artists that will take part in the show on 18th February are:
- Klinsman – Laserlight
- Raquela – Ray of Light
- Deborah C & Josef – Tonight
- Kevin Borg – Follow
- Jade – Seconds Aways
- Crosswalk – So Simple
- Franklin – Follow Me
- Rhiannon – Fearless
- Miriana Conte – Don’t Look Down
- Shauna – Crazy Games
- Janice Mangion – Kewkba
- Cherton – Fighting to Survive
- Maxine – Bombshell
- Richard Edwards – You
- Unstoppable – Brooke
- Claudia Faniello – Breathlessly
Ira Losco, Christina Magrin and The Travellers will perform in the interval of the show. Ira Losco represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002 and 2016, and now she is back in MESC as one of three interval acts to promote her new single. Ira is one of the most successful Maltese Eurovision stars, as her 2002 entry “7th Wonder” placed 3rd with 165 points. Her 2016 entry “Walk on Water” placed 12th with 153 points.
Christina Magrin represented Malta on home soil at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016, with her song “Parachute” which placed 6th with 191 points. She will be singing her first single as part of her album that will be released later in the year.
The Travellers are the third interval act to perform. The Travellers are a young group that rose to fame in Malta over the past few months with their song “Semplicita”.
The winner of the Maltese selection will be decided by 100% televoting this year. This follows years of the Maltese public having a minority say in who represents them at the Eurovision Song Contest, while international jurors had the main say.
[tw-accordion class=””] [tw-accordion-section title=”Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest”] Malta debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 and was represented by Joe Grech and the song “Marija I-Maltija”, the song finished last. Malta competed again in 1972 and 1975 but withdrew until their return in 1991. During the 1990s Malta only once finished outside of the top.10 and in 1998 they came within just 7 points of victory. It was Chiara who brought the country their 3rd place finish in 1998, that went on to finish 2nd at the 2005 contest in Kyiv. The only other artist to finish 2nd for Malta is Ira Losco, she was 12 points away from victory.[/tw-accordion-section] [/tw-accordion]
