The TVM, Malta’s public broadcaster, chose its Eurovision representative for the second consecutive year through a national final. This year, they organized a large preselection with 40 participants and six shows (four quarterfinals, one semifinal, and the final). The winners of this race to win the ticket to Liverpool were The Busker, a popular pop group on the island, with the song “Dance (Our Own Party)”.
Get to Know The Busker (Eurovision 2023 Malta)
The Busker was formed in 2012 with the drummer Jean Paul Borg as a founding member. Over the years, the other two musicians who complete the current trio joined him: Sean Meachen on saxophone and David “Dav.Jr” Meilak as a vocalist. The band began their journey performing on the streets and uploading both original songs and covers of other artists’ songs to YouTube until in 2017, the group’s first studio album, “Telegram”, was released. The following year, “Ladies and Gentlemen” was released, the band’s second work, which won the Lovin Music Award for Best Album of the Year (the most important award in the Maltese music industry). During this first stage, the folk sound was predominant in the group’s songs, although this would change when The Busker’s current lineup was established.
From 2020 onwards, the band took a turn towards a sound closer to pop with touches of funk and the EP “X”, released in 2021, served as a new introduction to the public. The commercial impact began to grow and several more singles have been released since then.
“Dance (Our Own Party)”, the Maltese song for Liverpool
The song with which the trio will compete in Liverpool is composed by its members along with local producers Michael Joe Cini and Matthew James Borg, who also composed “Diamonds in the Skies”, the song that represented the Mediterranean nation in the last edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. “Dance (Our Own Party)” is an uptempo that invites us to dance and do it in a relaxed atmosphere.
LYRICS OF Dance (Our Own Party)
Original lyrics
Wait now,
Can you speak up
It’s a little bit loud
I’m a little bit lost
Oh
Fogged up
Might be the drinks
Or the social tease
Of anxiety
The tension
I’m getting
The faces I drew on
I can’t focus
Should’ve known this
When the tik gets toking I’m gone
I feel better
In my sweater
Got my stereo
I’ll play you songs you know
But Hey,
Wait,
What you say?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Dance
It’s on
Yeah, we go outside
Take the very first ride
Try to save our night
If you’re keen
I got some indoor shoes
I can offer you
Get you in the groove
The tension
Is lifting
Another moment would’ve been too much
This the real me
Our own Party
Our own Party
Our own Party
I feel better
In my sweater
GaGa Radio
Is this the song you know?
Hey
Wait
What you say?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Dance
I feel better
In my sweater
GaGa Radio
Is this the song you know?
But hey
What you say?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Do you want to dance?
Dance
Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest
Malta has participated in Eurovision since 1971, competing in the festival 32 times, without interruption since 1990. In all of its participations, the country has submitted its entries in English, which is the second official language of the island, except for the first two entries in 1971 and 1972, which were in Maltese.
Malta’s best result at Eurovision was achieved twice, with a second place in 2002 with Ira Losco’s song “7th Wonder,” and a second place in 2005 in Kiev with Chiara Siracusa’s song “Angel,” which received a total of 192 points. Chiara is a notable representative of Malta, having participated in the contest three times, in 1998, 2005, and 2009, becoming the person who represented Malta the most at the festival. In her first two appearances, Chiara achieved excellent results, finishing in third place in 1998 and second in 2005. However, in her last appearance in 2009, her song “What if we” only reached number 22 in the final.
Destiny was chosen to represent Malta at Eurovision 2020 after winning the local version of The X Factor, which was used as the national selection process that year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the contest was cancelled and Destiny was re-elected to participate in the 2021 edition.
In the Maltese Eurovision history, Emma Muscat won the MESC 2022 and went to Eurovision with “I Am What I Want” but was eliminated in the semifinals, finishing in 16th place with 47 points.