Sarah Bonnici was crowned the winner of MESC 2024 after gaining the majority support of the jury and being the second most voted by the Maltese public through the televote. Sarah Bonnici, who participated with “Loop,” a song with which, after the final of the contest, she has confirmed that she will try to improve her country’s results at the European contest next May in Malmö, following the non-qualification of the Maltese group The Busker in the 2023 edition.
Who is Sarah Bonnici?
Sarah Bonnici was born on the Maltese island of Gozo in 1998, a place that inspired her from a young age to explore her passion for music and dance. Raised in a musical environment, Sarah became the lead vocalist for the Brass Tubes Band, a group led by Mro. Mark Gauci, which toured across Malta and Gozo performing an eclectic repertoire ranging from jazz to pop-rock.
From an early age, Sarah demonstrated her innate talent for music. At 9, she began taking singing lessons and joined the prestigious Gozo Children’s Choir, where she honed her voice and developed her passion for choral music. Her entry into the Maltese music scene began with the Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest, where, at just 11 years old, she presented her song “The Mambo Song” in 2009 and later “Kitty Kitty Cat” in 2011.
Sarah continued her musical journey by participating in festivals like L-Għanja Tal-Maltin, where her song “Melodija” earned her a victory in her age group. Her talent crossed Malta’s borders, gaining international recognition at competitions like Trixie in Hungary and Carpathians Star in Romania.
In 2018, she made a triumphant return to the Kanzunetta Indipendenza festival with her song “Il-Pinna.” Her participation in Factor X and the Malta Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 reflect her ongoing pursuit of new opportunities to shine on the international stage. Finally, in 2024, she secured her ticket to Eurovision by winning the Malta Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Loop.”
“Loop” the Maltese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
“Loop” is the song chosen by Sarah Bonnici to enter MESC 2024, and therefore to represent Malta at the next Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in the Swedish city of Malmö. It was written and composed by Sarah herself, along with Sebastian Pritchard-James, Leire Gotxi Angel (who composed other songs for the Maltese final), Kevin Lee, and Michael Joe Cini (better known as Micimago, a renowned Maltese music producer and DJ).
But what is “Loop” about? In general terms, it’s a song that deals with the dynamics of a passionate yet volatile relationship over time. The lyrics depict a person who is aware of the power they hold over their partner and enjoys manipulating their emotions.
Through the lyrics, Sarah conveys the idea of a toxic relationship characterized by power and addiction. The song warns against falling into this pattern of dependence and emphasizes the need to break free from destructive relationships.
The revamp of the song that won MESC was presented two months after the conclusion of the contest. It has been given more powerful musical elements, so that both the vocals and the dance break that Sarah performs midway through the song stand out more than in the initial version of the track.
Lyrics of «Loop»
Don’t you know that you got me
That you got me, yeah, me, yeah
Got me so hot, burning’ up like a fever
I’m a honey pot, never tasted nothin’ sweeter
Thought you could turn me down, no, no, no
Let’s go another round, slow
Don’t you tell me I’m your addiction
It was obvious you’d end up like this
Not my fault that you got-got-got me on (Loop)
I’m all in, but the b-b-b-b-blame is on (You)
I’m a tease and, oh God, you love it when I
M-m-m-move, m-m-m-move
In your head all night, you got me on
Got me on, got me on loop
Cherry on top, you’re the cinnamon
Makin’ my heart skip a little bit
Like ra-pa-pa-bam-ba, ra-pa-pa-bam-ba, yeah
You know how to spin me, boy
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Don’t you know you’re my, my addiction?
It was obvious we’d end up like this
Not my fault that you got-got-got me on (Loop)
I’m all in, but the b-b-b-b-blame is on (You)
I’m a tease and, oh God, you love it when I
M-m-m-move, m-m-m-move
In your head all night, you got me on
Got me on, got me on loop
Ooh
Ooh
It was obvious, we’re addicted, addicted
Yeah, it was obvious
Here we go again
Huh
(Loop)
I’m all in, but the b-b-b-b-blame is on (You)
I’m a tease and, oh God, you love it when I
M-m-m-move, m-m-m-move
In your head all night, you got me on
Got me on, got me on loop (Ah)
Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest
Malta began participating in Eurovision in 1971. Since then, over the course of 50 years, it has taken part in the festival 37 times, doing so continuously since 1990. Malta has sent all its Eurovision entries in English, the island’s second official language, except for its first two entries in 1971 and 1972, which were in Maltese.
The country’s best ranking in the contest was two second-place finishes: in 2002 with Ira Losco’s “7th Wonder,” which received 164 points, and in 2005 in Kiev, when Chiara Siracusa represented Malta with the song “Angel,” earning a total of 192 points, securing the same position.
Malta has had a notable representative, Chiara, who has participated in the festival three times—in 1998, 2005, and 2009—becoming the person to represent Malta the most times.
In her first two participations, Chiara achieved excellent results, placing third in 1998 and second in 2005. However, in her last appearance in 2009, her song “What If We” only managed to reach 22nd place in the final.
Last year, the group The Busker and their song “Dance (Our Own Party)” won MESC 2023. However, in their participation in the first Eurovision semifinal, they finished in last place, with only 3 points received from the televote.