When we first met Gaia Cauchi back in September 2013, we couldn’t get enough of her strong voice and positive attitude. Since then she has dug into our hearts and ears even more by winning Junior Eurovision, singing “The Start” on the big Eurovision stage, and covering “Rise Like a Phoenix” with JESC successor Federica Falzon.
What we missed is more of her own music, as the little lady is famous mostly for doing covers and collaborating with older Maltese singers. Well, no more! We’re glad to say that Miss Cauchi is doin’ it for herself with “Floating on air”, a pop ballad — and one with traces of dubstep! She unveiled it back in July, and somehow wiwibloggs missed it. Let’s right this wrong right now.
The song, written by the same team behind her winning song “The Start”, has an even catchier chorus. It’s also more dynamic, introducing dubstep accents during the verses and a guitar sound that adds some 2000s melancholy realness.
Lyrically it suits Gaia well, as it doesn’t contain the nonsensical lyrics her older peers so frequently deliver. The song doesn’t show off Gaia’s full range but that’s not a criticism. She doesn’t need to go all Mariah Carey all the time.
My only criticism is that the pre-recorded backing vocalists are adult women, which doesn’t fit with a song sung by a 12-year old girl. My opinion is that she should have included her colleagues from La Voix Academy instead. Those kids have unbelievable talent. Is there something in the Maltese water?!
P.S. A few months before the release of her new song, she participated in a Romanian kids singing contest, where she finished as a runner-up. Have a listen to her cover of Jennifer Hudson’s “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” :
Photo: junioreurovision.tv
Cool beans!!!!!!