Does absence make the heart grow fonder? Eleanor Cassar will certainly be hoping so, as she returns to Malta Eurovision Song Contest for the first time since 2012. But what does our team of music un-professionals, the Wiwi Jury, think of her return?
Eleanor’s comeback song is “Back to Life”. Eleanor says she’s inspired by the likes of Whitney Houston, BeyoncĂ© and Celine Dion. Could she replicate Celine and take the Eurovision crown? Check out our thoughts below:
Eleanor Cassar — “Back to Life”
“Back to Life” Reviews:
Antranig: Very contemporary and packaged with a sleek beat, “Back to Life” oozes sass and Eleanor delivers the feisty lyrics with gusto. This is a perfect marriage between singer and song and everything works really well here. With a strong revamp, this could do really well at Eurovision and in its current state, it cannot be ruled out of contention in Malta.
Score: 9.5/10
Barnabas: The only question that is surrounding this entry is if Eleanor can hit those high notes in the final chorus. If she can, she’ll bring life to the song and life it above an average break-up pop song.
Score: 5/10
Robyn:Â “Back to Life” could have been a Maltese Eurovision entry at any point in the past decade. It’s a well-written song, nicely paced and Eleanor sings it with the skill of an R&B diva. But it’s hard to see a retro tune like this holding up against a modern pop track (think “Beautiful Mess”) or an unexpected delight like “Amar pelos dois”.
Score:Â 6.5/10
Chris: An unfortunate case of a singer who’s much, much better than the song. As with many of the songs in MESC, it feels like “Back to Life” could have been given to just about anyone. Eleanor still shines through, but she could be doing so much more.
Score: 5.5/10
Jonathan: “Back to Life” starts off dark and mysterious and then transforms into a nice pop-tune. Eleanor puts her all into it, and the hook is catchy enough to get stuck in your head for a short while. But overall it still feels a bit too generic to really be counted as a true contender for victory.
Score: 8/10
Deban:Â Although there’s nothing I dislike about this entry, I’m not in love with it either. “Back To Life” sounds like something Anastasia would’ve latched onto during her heyday. That said, Eleanor Cassar’s stamp on this track makes it a mark of quality. She gives me peaks, valleys and volcanic ad-libbing.
Score:Â 6/10
In our Malta Wiwi Jury, we have 17 jurors but only room for 6 reviews. The rest of our scores can be found below:
William: 7/10
Angus:Â 3/10
Luis: 6.5/10
Natalie: 9/10
Sebastian: 5.5/10
Bernardo: 5.5/10
Rezo: 8/10
Josh: 8/10
Jordi: 7/10
Lukas: 8.5/10
Patrick: 9/10
Before calculating the average score, the highest and lowest scores are dropped. This is to remove outliers and reduce potential bias. We have removed a low of 3 and a high of 9.5.
WIWI JURY VERDICT: 7.0/10
Is Eleanor giving you life? Let us know all your thoughts on the entry down in the comments section!
Here is the thing… it’s very Eurovision-y, not necessarily the best thing…
But technically it’s the best song and Eleanor is above everyone else. The melody is easy to follow… maybe too predictably so, but it might be a good thing in Eurovision? Lyrics are stronger than the rest of the entries, her voice is good… SHe might be the one to win it.
8/10
Instantly reminds me of “Skeletons” last year. Isn’t it similar?
Also, Eleanor looks like Claudia Faniello from last year.
Nice production, great voice. Strong entry. Not a fan though.
6.5/10
Please send this one, Malta! Taboo’s OK, but this is the only one with the slim chance of breaking through the semi-finals.
Her vocals save the song.
generic swedish written melfest reject… nothing special at all
This is the best I heard from Malta since Warrior!
This one should win!
….gurl shut up, it’s not anyone’s fault that it’s way more fun to be gay
Huh! The song is pretty cool! Why does she have to shut up?
Best song in the selection! She can sing live and this will make the top 3 on the 3rd February.
After the underwhelming 1st Verse (two chords, really?), this song is spectacularly good after that. I LOVE this song for one main reason alone: that Extended Chorus! If you’re going to do four chords in a Chorus, this is how to ramp it up. There’s no doubt that Eleanor Cassar’s vocal is outstanding on this track, and that her improvised scale melodies (reminiscent of CĂ©line/Whitney) have elevated this song beyond what it actually is, especially in the 2nd Verse and in the Bridge into the Reprise. Without her, this song would be a comfortable 6. With her, it’s a 9!… Read more »
I agree with your review. Eleonor is one of the best singers in Malta and she has the ability to sing live with ease. This or Song for Dad will win in Malta.
Thanks. Honoured to read your comment. 🙂
This is definitely one of the better songs in Malta’s selection if not the best. Eleanor has good vocals….the chorus is good….and lyrics make sense! Perfectly outdoes 75% of Malta’s songs in this regard itself.
An 8/10.
A certified BOP. That high note alone burned my wig.
One of the best Songs that Malta has to offer this year, 6/10