Yesterday the Times of Malta published a report analysing the song submissions for the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2015.The report states that staging the final in November (rather than February)—along with the earlier submission deadline—has caught many composers, authors and producers off guard. To illustrate the point, they quote one songwriter on condition of anonymity, who says “this is normally a time when many in the industry are preparing for the Independence Festival [organised by the Nationalist Party in September].”
Public Broadcasting Service has not issued an official statement about how many songs it received. Last year a record of 210 entries were submitted. The Times of Malta quotes a source in the industry who believes that submissions this year may have halved.
Anton Attard, PBS Chief Executive, tells the paper that the main difference this year was that there were fewer repeat submissions. In Malta, there is a custom whereby songs are submitted year after year if they don’t make the final selection. “What really matters is the quality of the submissions, rather than the number, and this will be judged during the festival,” he said.
Mr. Attard also explained that the artists had 50 days to prepare for the deadline. The publication of the rules came on 11 July with submissions closing on 29 August. He said that last year the artists had 38 days to prepare with the regulations being published on the 24th of September and the submissions closing at the end of October.
The submission period was actually longer this year and this was done becuase of the change in timing of the festival.
PBS had decided to change the date of the final because of the new clause which formed part of the regulations. Basically this clause states that the winning song could change radically for the Eurovision finals to be held in May. The lead time gave the winning team more chance to prepare for the Eurovision in terms of re-mastering, if required, and video production and marketing.
However, PBS also felt is made “logical and financial sense” to hold the Malta Eurovision Song Contest back to back with the Junior Eurovision to be held on November 15.
When asked for his opinion, Marc Calleja Bayliss, one of the editors of Maltese Eurovision website www.escflashmalta.com, said that interest in the festival from some of the most recognisable faces in the local music industry may have deterred some artists and songwriters from submitting entries.
Well, we do not have long to wait as we all know that Xarabank has been chosen as the platform for the semi finalists to be announced on October 3.
Last year Firelight represented Malta with their song ‘Coming Home’. The song made it through to the Saturday final but failed to impress Europe as it finished outside of the Top 10.
Likewise the Swedish situation as far as song submission is concerned my opinion remains the same: I don’t care how many people want to participate and how many songs are on the table to play the game … just make sure that whatever is being selected, has go to or MUST be really good and worth listening to. You can dance, you can bring the circus into town or be half naked on stage ..whatever … JUST do ourselves a favour and BRING a great song our ears can enjoy and BE good as a VOCAL performer). It shouldn’t be… Read more »