Third time’s a charm — and fourth time is a bonus! Yes, after representing San Marino three times in a row from 2012 to 2014, Valentina Monetta is ready for another attempt at Eurovision. After performing solo in the past, she’s now joined by the American singer Jimmie Wilson.

A number of fans have already insisted that her 2017 song “Spirit of the Night” is her best entry yet. But which of the four songs do you like the most? Have a listen below and then vote in our poll. Be sure to check the box next to each of your favourites before pressing submit. We will go through the results later this spring.

2012: The Social Network Song (OH OH – Uh – OH OH)

Valentina debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 with “The Social Network Song” (and a bunch of uh’s and oh’s). Initially calling their track “Facebook Uh, Oh Oh”, San Marino was forced to change the title and lyrics because it appeared to endorse a company. In Baku Valentina competed in the second semi-final, but failed to qualify — finishing 14th. Even so, this marked San Marino’s best placing in Eurovision up to that time.

In our inaugural edition of the Wiwi Jury, wiwiblogger William wrote:

When I saw the official video for the original version of this song, I laughed and cried and laughed again. First of all, the name was ridic. “Facebook Uh Oh Oh”? That’s a sound my stomach makes when I’ve eaten too many beans. Second were the lyrics. I was like, “Did she really just rhyme ‘cup of tea’ with ‘make love with me’?” But then I saw her perform the second iteration of her song (“The Social Network”) live at Eurovision in Concert, and I realized that Miss Valentina Monetta has sass, and she proves that white girls can shake that ass! Her first rehearsal at Eurovision solidified my belief that she can defy the bookies and log-in to the final. She’s already shown perseverance: having to re-write portions of your song at the last minute must be seriously stressful. Now she’s gonna show Europe that hip-hop and cheesy lyrics do, in fact, go together. That she has done, and will do, all of this with a smile warms my heart.

2013: Crisalide (Vola)

A year later Valentina came back to the contest with “Crisalide (Vola)”, which featured a kick-ass tempo change that moved the song from ballad to banger. Riding a wave of hype, the song finished second in the OGAE voting…but again failed to qualify to the final in actual contest. That despite a nice dress reveal and a glowing IKEA lamp. Once again she still gave San Marino their best placing at the time by finishing eleventh in the semi-final.

Ahead of the contest wiwiblogger Vebooboo gave her glowing marks in the Wiwi Jury. He wrote:

Last year Wiwi and I were pretty much the only people in the press room chasing Valentina around. We were obsessed with her, obsessed with her English skills and above all else obsessed with her song. But she was the laughing stock of the press centre, and of the greater Eurovision community. She was the only act on SVT’s Eurovision preview show to receive a 0, and she huffed and puffed her way to the Baku airport after flopping out in her semi-final. But what a difference a year can make. From tight, trashy track suit to elegant gown. From fake Mac to IKEA lamp. From overly sexual pop song to moving ballad. Yes, people, Valentina is back, but she ain’t a girl no more. She a woman! This song is so moving, and along with France and the Netherlands is my favourite ballad this year. I particularly love the tempo change, showing us all that Valentina may be a woman, but she remembers her youthful roots. I don’t think she can win, but I’d be shocked if she didn’t make the Final, and that alone will be such a pleasure to see. By the way, rumour has it that IKEA is sponsoring her stage performance, so bring along sunglasses!

2014: Maybe (Forse)

Valentina believed in the third time lucky mantra and took part again in 2014. This time she was joined on the stage by Ralph Siegel, who wrote all three of her entries, and she belted it out standing inside of a giant clam that had gynaecological flair. For the first time ever San Marino managed to qualify to the grand final. Valentina finished 24th out of 26 entries with 14 points.

She did this despite a somewhat mixed reception from critics. Ahead of Eurovision, our Angus wrote:

There’s a pretty sombre tone to ‘Maybe’ that wasn’t present amid the relentless hope of ‘Crisalide’ and the bubble gum pop of ‘The Social Network Song’. It reflects Valentina’s maturation as an artist but also that La Republica, like Andorra and Monaco before it, is beginning to accept that microstates just don’t qualify to the Grand Final in this century. That’s a shame. ‘Maybe’ is not the song ‘Crisalide’ was, but that isn’t a bad thing. The spoken middle 8 is inspired and it is more immediately catchy than its Italian predecessor. The raw emotion is also more engaging. If her stars hit the right alignment I think Valentina could slip through the net and into the Grand Final with ‘Maybe’. The lack of assumption and vulnerability on show demonstrate that.

2017: Spirit of the Night (with Jimmie Wilson)

This year Valentina is back for the fourth time. Written and composed by Ralph Siegel, San Marino’s entry “Spirit of the Night” is an addictive eurodance track with lyrics by Steven Barnacle and Jutta Staudenmayer.

San Marino will compete in the second semi-final on May 11th.

Poll: Which entry by Valentina Monetta do you like the most?

[polldaddy poll=9692059]

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Pastora Soler haha!
Pastora Soler haha!
7 years ago

I LOVE Valentina, she is a great singer and a really nice person. Unfortunately, the songs are always dated but that is part of its charming. My favourite is maybe (forse, in italian is even better), vola was nice and deserved the final, facebook song was ridiculous but at the same time so funny, and spirit of the night is sooo dated but it arrives in a year full of boring ballads so… i would like to see them in the final. I also think is gonna be the last year of San Marino in ESC and that is a… Read more »

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

@Lena: That’s because they keep relying on Ralph Siegel to write San Marino’s songs, when they could have found better songwriters and producers elsewhere, like Sweden. 😛

Lena
Lena
7 years ago

@CookyMonzta: I know, I was just trying to be funny by doing a Mean Girls reference 🙂
I didn’t know that about San Marino’s EBU membership. I do think Valentina is a good singer, but the songs just aren’t good.

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

Obviously, their over-reliance on Siegel–whose songwriting or producing strategy seems to be stuck in the 1970s and 1980s–is probably what held San Marino back from progressing as a contender. They needed fresh, new songwriting and production talent, especially for a country that small with little support.

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

@Lena: I don’t think at this point they’re trying to “make Valentina happen”. Either they are about to withdraw their EBU membership–meaning that this could be the last time SMR is seen at an ESC or a JESC–and they decided to end it with their most successful entry, and hope that the sympathy factor gets them to the final one more time; or they had no one else ready to pick up where Serhat left off, and they were left with no option but to beg Valentina (and writer Ralph Siegel) to come back. That being said, they thought they… Read more »

Lady Gagarina
Lady Gagarina
7 years ago

I would love San Marino to continue participating, but Valentina? Girlfriend needs to take a rest from songs from Siegel, which are quite atrocious. Good luck to her though, at least this year, she doesn’t have the worst & irrelevant song

Kjetil
Kjetil
7 years ago

Still shocked Crisalde didn’t make the final

Lena
Lena
7 years ago

Stop making Valentina happen, she’s not going to happen!
All four songs are beyond bad.

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

@Betty: But a lot of other countries (and some artists) do have the money. If you or your team have the money, and you were a bookies’ favorite that got thrown under the bus (like Gabi at A Dal) or had a bad day (like Emma at UMK) in your own country’s national contest, or submitted songs for a contest and were rejected even before the contest began (like Jessika at MESC, whose 3 songs for this year’s contest were turned down), maybe San Marino will seek you out, as a wild card, so to speak, like they sought out… Read more »

Betty
Betty
7 years ago

San Marino had Serhat from Turkey, they seem open minded enough to take from other countries, but the elephant in the room is that San Marino doesn’t have money. So the artist must come with the money (like Serhat). Maybe Valentina has money, or maybe Siegel and maybe Siegel really loves Valentina, maybeeeee….
Hope that San Marino will stay in competition.

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
7 years ago

Crisalide is one of my top five Eurovision songs…ever.

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

@Purple Mask: I always had a soft spot for “Maybe”, more so than “Crisalide”, and maybe because the stage presentation was more elegant. After watching both performances back in 2013 and 2014, I scored them both high enough to qualify, and I believed even back then that “Crisalide” got thrown under the bus. Is it a disadvantage for them that they are so small (<35,000) that they are prone to being left behind so often? Iceland (<350,000) and Malta (<450,000) have been 2nd before, but they have their own televote structures and procedures. The recent televote ruling on SMR certainly… Read more »

Justin K.
Justin K.
7 years ago

Vola is still in my top played playlist, so that’s saying something. Haha. I was also in love with the tempo change and dramatic ending, and thought that it had the structure and lyrics to make it to the Final. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be, and the eliminations of that and Israel in both 2013 and 2014 still remain a mystery to me. When I first heard “Spirit of the Night,” I could feel how dated the composition itself was, but I love the energy both she and Jimmie Wilson bring to the track. Not only is it going… Read more »

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

D’OH! My bad. Not @moco but @cheesecake who implied that this might be SMR’s last ESC appearance.

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

@Charles: I take it that you think Valentina became “homesick”, meaning that she missed the spotlight. But I thought I read somewhere that she told reporters that 2014 would be her last… …Which is why I think @moco may be right on this one, that SMR may be ready to call it quits with the ESC, and the selection committee came to her (instead of the other way around), to ask her to participate, probably one last time, for her and for SMR… …To say nothing of those 2 kids from 2015 (who are now 18), who could become the… Read more »

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
7 years ago

They all bring something different to the party. But my personal favourite performance of Valentina was her Grand Final performance of “Maybe.” It was very free and theatrical with that headset instead of a mic, and very brave and exposed staging – just her in front of the big shell. All the drama and the meaning was produced by her alone. Pure musicality. I loved it. 🙂

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

@cheesecake: I’m afraid you’re probably right, that this may be San Marino’s swan song. In 2015 they fed those 2 young kids (Anita Simoncini and Michele Perniola, both 16) to the wolves with a long-past-his-prime Ralph Siegel song, and it was no surprise that they were eliminated. Last year they invited Serhat from Turkey because (1) Turkey was still boycotting the ESC, and (2) they couldn’t find anyone in SMR to participate. This year, they had trouble with 2 prospects, and time was running out. Naturally, they went back to Valentina, with another Ralph Siegel song. They would have been… Read more »

Just Me
Just Me
7 years ago

Vola is my faavourite. The song is sooooo good!! Is beautiful.

Ern
Ern
7 years ago

“Vola” and “Maybe” were both really good songs, but their staging wasn’t great.

Had Valentina simply stood there with a microphone (in her hand) and sang the song, it would have been much better. No weird dancers or some half-shell, just Valentina by herself singing.

“The Social Network” was just embarrassing. Let’s forget about that one.

Good luck to her this time around.

Onde vai o gato?
7 years ago

Hi there everyone! At the Onde vai o gato? blog, we are currently having our Eurovision Poll and would really enjoy hearing your voice! Share your opinion by voting and commenting on the results as they go live. We hope to see you soon at the blog! And please share it with your friends so that we can gather the biggest number of votes possible. POLL link–> https://goo.gl/Z2pY5P

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

None! It’s all too “I’m trying to be a reality TV contestant that comes back every new season expecting some attention … for no reason”.

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

2013 by far.

Tomás Patrick davitt
Tomás Patrick davitt
7 years ago

I can’t tell what she loves more – entering Eurovision or song titles with parentheses

R
R
7 years ago

So, what I got from this article is that everytime Valentina participed, San Marino got their best result ever. hummm…

AndersP
AndersP
7 years ago

It’s like being asked to choose between your least favourite children.

Ron
Ron
7 years ago

I don’t hate Vola and Maybe – let’s just leave it there. “Like” or “Love” would be too strong of words to use.

Paul D.
Paul D.
7 years ago

1) Vola
2) Maybe
3) Facebook song
4) Spirit of the night

SpirK
SpirK
7 years ago

1. Maybe 10/10 and my winner of 2014
2. Crisalide (Vola) 9/10
3. Spirit of the Night 6.5/10
4. The Social Network Song 5.0/10

YoungsterJoey
YoungsterJoey
7 years ago

Why Ralph Siegel still produces 80s-type music is beyond me and sad. At least make it an updated 80s-type tune like Macedonia and Sweden utilized this year.

Esc
Esc
7 years ago

valentina sees esc like the melfest, trying and trying 2020 valentina history will continue

ImpressiveInstants
7 years ago

1. 2013
2. 2014

….

3. 2017

….

4. 2012

velorin
velorin
7 years ago

2017* sorry

velorin
velorin
7 years ago

2013 > 2012 > 2016 >>>>>>>>> 2014 , The song she went to the final with was for me by far the worst.

AzeriBoy96
AzeriBoy96
7 years ago

@cheesecake I also think the same.

AzeriBoy96
AzeriBoy96
7 years ago

1. 2014
2. 2013
3. 2017
4. 2012

Colin
Colin
7 years ago

Crisalide is an underrated masterpiece that should have not only qualified, but also be in top 10 in 2013.

Maybe is a solid entry and Valentina’s payback for non-qualification of Crisalide.

Facebook song is so bad it’s good. It might be a troll entry, but it’s doing so in such a funny and charming way.

Spirit of the Night is catchy and funny. I wish they went all the way to camp, but in any case, I welcome Valentina back.

Just to point it out, of course I voted Crisalide (Vola), the only win-worthy entry of the bunch.

cheesecake
cheesecake
7 years ago

I still think she’s taking part because it might be San Marino’s last appearance…

Hi
Hi
7 years ago

Welcome back

fikri
fikri
7 years ago

2013 >>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2017 > 2014 >>> 2012

PP
PP
7 years ago

1.2013
2.2017
3.2014
4.2012

I don think like only her song from 2012. She deserved final 2013

marco
marco
7 years ago

EBU reference group and SVT ruined her chance 2013, when they put her to sang 2 be in running order in semi

Racal
Racal
7 years ago

I really liked what she did in 2015 and 2016 #ohwait

HBau
HBau
7 years ago

La Repubblica di Valentina <3

'Maybe' is my favourite, but I like all of them in their way.

Austrian Ari
Austrian Ari
7 years ago

Crisalide and Maybe were acceptable attempts, after she made a complete fool out of herself the first time. This year pushes her presence over the edge, plus musically, she’s almost right back where she started in the contest. Song number one and four are equally ridiculous.

Jonas
Jonas
7 years ago

In four attempts, she hasn’t really had a standout.

Vola, I guess, but I don’t really listen to any of them. Still love her, though.Jon

Leaf
Leaf
7 years ago

Crisalide (Vola) is the song that made her so loved by the eurovision community and her none qualification – one of the biggest crimes since 2010.

Jeana
Jeana
7 years ago

Crisalide (Vola) was my favorite. She deserved qualifying in 2013!

beccaboo1212
7 years ago

I like all four (4) of them, but my very favorites are the ones from Malmö and Copenhagen! 🙂