Malta has never won the Eurovision Song Contest. I’m a big believer in countries that haven’t hosted getting some preference when it comes to voting. I am happy that Malta decided to switch up songs. Walk on Water is stronger than Chameleon, but Chameleon had some nice aspects to it. Ira Losco previously performed in 2002 and came in second place. Will she garner top nods this year?
Walk on Water reminds me of Molly Pettersson Hammar’s Hunger (which is no surprise because she co-wrote both) but Walk on Water is the stronger offering. Unfortunately for Losco, Hammar is the stronger vocalist. The song is good and definitely allows Ira the opportunity to showcase her vocals more than Chameleon.The soulful chorus with gospel backings gives the song life but overall the song lacks that je ne sais quoi to elevate it to top 5 quality, imho.
I’d love to see Malta host Eurovision, but this year’s competition is fierce with the male acts coming strong. The challenging arrangement will call on Losco to have flawless vocals in Stockholm.This is looking like a qualifier right now but the onstage performance will make it or break it. The success of this act relies heavily on Ira (no pressure girl, I believe in you).