Last night the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of musical unprofessionals — caught a ferry to Malta and experienced the atmosphere of the Manoel Theatre, the third-oldest working theatre in Europe. Backstage we gathered in a dressing room to review Malta’s Eurovision 2015 act Amber. Did her song “Warrior” leave us in awe of her power? Or was she more like a foot soldier? Read on to find out…
Malta’s Eurovision 2015 song
Reviews: Amber with “Warrior”
William: She placed her faith in ho-oh-ope, and I’m placing my faith in her to take Malta to the final. Amber’s vocals are sexy yet soft and, when she gets past her nerves, they are pure power. The symphonic re-mastering turned a potentially heavy song into one a bit more lively and filled with light, but it still preserves the mystery that I loved in the original. My favourite Maltese entry in years!
Score: 8/10
Padraig: Move over Boadicea and Joan of Arc, we have a new warrior queen… or at least we used to. Because before Christmas Amber oozed ferocity and passion. Wrong her at your peril. But that intensity has been missing since the revamp. I wouldn’t say “Warrior” has been Disney-fied per se, after all, Elsa and Merida are no pushovers. More like it has undergone a Zlata-fication – I still hear her singing about how fierce she is, but now I expect some butterflies to appear and start fluttering around her sword.
Score: 5/10
Patrick: Here it is: My favourite song from this year’s Eurovision! Amber is probably one of my favourite Maltese singers and beauties ever aaaaand she can sing so amazingly well! Her voice, the darkness, the instruments, the shattered glass, the PASSION — it’s all here. The first version was good and a bit more pop, but after hearing the new version, I seriously don’t understand how people can prefer the original. Amber is truly a Warrior (and one with the best vocal coach in Malta — Hey, Gillian!). Mark my words: Malta will slay and rise to the top. Go Malta, go Amber, the one and only Warrior!
Score: 10/10
Mike: The first time I saw Amber in MESC I thought she was the little sister of Helena Paparizou, but when she started singing it seemed less likely. Where Helena has a beautiful strong voice, Amber sounds like she has difficulties reaching the high notes, which makes her singing more like shouting. “Warrior” is an okay song, but Malta will neither win a war with it, nor a song contest.
Score: 6/10
Angus: Something about the first version of “Warrior” felt wounded. The song lacked a certain strength and Amber’s vocal sounded disconnected from the melody. Severe symphonic overhaul has given this the punch it was lacking but Malta have made this all about the voice. If Amber drops any of the big notes she’s going to lose out big time to the other screaming women in her semi-final.
Score: 6/10
Bogdan: I may be in minority, but I did prefer the song before the revamp. The instrumental had a Hooverphonic feel to it, which is completely lost with the new version. The focus shifted from the singer’s voice and delivery to the many instruments that have been added, and the song now sounds inoffensive. Amber will thus get lost in the army of female ‘warriors’ that will populate this year’s contest. Instead of sounding more like a conqueror, she will be a foot soldier. Which is a pity, because I was so happy when she won the national selection!
Score: 6/10
Chris: A tough draw has me slightly worried for Amber in her semi final, but I think “Warrior” has enough strength to see her make it to the final again after her cameo in 2012. There are, of course, the worries about her vocals but you’d be mad to assume that Malta won’t beef her up with some off-camera backing vocalists for good measure. The symphonic notes added in since the revamp have really helped too and I find the chorus particularly memorable – especially that dramatic “break” at the start. I’ve got a good feeling here.
Score: 7.5/10
Robyn: I can’t find much to like about this song. It’s yet another singer shouting about how strong she is (oh really?) with vague evidence to back it up. It’s the least enjoyable of all the strength anthems this year, not helped by the shrieky chorus. This is one of the few songs in the competition that I just don’t enjoy listening to.
Score: 3/10
Deban: Amber brings sex appeal and versatility to her performance of “warrior”. I like the message in her song, and the power of her range. Malta is clearly behind her, as demonstrated by the impressive social media campaign rooting for her. Still, the battle here goes beyond her national waters. The Maltese in Malta can’t vote for the Maltese entry, but they’ve listened and fixed the flaws in the earlier versions of this song. With clever staging, this could emerge as finalist in Vienna.
Score: 6.5/10
Ramadan: I’m very disappointed with the revamped version of “Warrior”. It has seriously lost its power. Amber cannot seem to nail those high notes. I preferred the original version, but I feel like this song may be forgotten. Hopefully she’ll improve before the semi-final. After all: Malta has a tendency to surprise!
Score: 5/10
Our jury consists of 29 people, but we only have room for 10 written reviews. Here are the remaining 19 scores.
Anthony: 7.5/10
Denise: 8/10
Francheska: 1/10
Josh: 7/10
Judit: 6/10
Kristin: 3/10
Liam: 7.5/10
Luis: 8.5/10
Marek: 9/10
Mario: 6/10
Max: 4/10
Mikhail: 5.5/10
Renske: 6.5/10
Rezo: 8/10
Sami: 7/10
Sinan: 7/10
Sopon: 6/10
William C: 6.5/10
Zach: 7/10
To reduce potential bias, we drop the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. We removed a low of 1 and a high of 10.
I am regular reader, how are you everybody?
This piece of writing posted at this website is really nice.
It’s funn how people especially the Georgians are attacking this song personally after the SUBLATTI version was chose AFTER the Maltese Warrior had already been selected !!! Malta is singing with passion….Georgia is shrieking in frustration.
Vague sentiments of strength in lyrics, not sure what it’s about. Strong voice in places but also rough on the edges. Having said that , it can grow on you. 6/10
Wow
I love it
The song rises and falls with catchy hooks
Bet they had a “smashing”time making the video!
I really hope this makes it into the final and Amber shines in the final like the Warrior she is!
@Bronson: The revamp of this song pretty much proves that they believe they are being compared to Nina Sublatti’s version, and they probably think they are losing that battle. Nina’s original version had thunder and ferocity; and the new version makes it even more menacing, like a warrior should be. And the video is the cherry on top; not to mention that Nina sings last on Day 1. Amber’s original version reminded me of a Beyoncé song; and I imagine the producers thought it was too pop to be warrior material. So they brought in an orchestra. As problematic as… Read more »
Oh please people! Listen to Nina’s version of Warrior live when she competed to represent your country. She yells and fake designer. See Warrior amber, Amber has so many abilities and what is the best song sounds like it is not live! One more thing: Why are all you people so you look at Georgia and Malta. They are this year associated only with the name of the song! Do not create drama and do not hate each other. ;)It is not true that you do not like a song of Amber! I can only think that everyone your favorite… Read more »
Fatty Amber has no way of qualifying, Rubbish Song. no looks just a screechy annoying voice.
TeamNina
@Darren, sorry for the insult, but you shouldn’t be saying cruel things about such a nice person. i just love her song, if you don’t like it oke. there are more people who like it her video has over 4.500 likes. from Lithuania , Montenegro, portugal, people from Australia like her and ireland. i can see her as a finalist. but you can have your favourites, glad that we’re not the same. what i like is the lyrics of the song , she wants to connect with the audience, her vocal range is unique. my opinion but i like a… Read more »
The original version was okay, but they stabbed the hell out of the revamp and the result was a mellow mess. Nothing special; Amber shouldn’t expect anything more than 18th place.
YES….Her initial first version was my Number 1 too…Big chance missed 4 Amber to have serious chances of winning in Vienna succeeding the first debut victory 4 Malta in our Vision..
With this version i do not think that Amber has many chances of winning though..
I really enjoy listening to this song! <3 😀
It has really magic feeling 4 me! <3
Malta at its finest! <3
One of the best Maltese entries definitely! <3
I might preferred more the first superb version but this remastered version is pretty cool too <3 🙂
I have Amber's song 1st-3rd in the 2nd semifinal & inside my top10 overall! <3
I'm in Gay Love with the Maltese *Warrior*! <3
@nicky1991
Where exactly did I mention Nina or even Georgia? I dont like either of them, there is far better in the contest. Damn she isnt paying you? lucky her getting free work. Calm yourself, you rubbing it into peoples faces or calling them idiots for not liking it is NOT going to make us like it, in fact we will hate it more! I feel for you when this doesnt win, you might end up in an asylum
10/10
This is a masterpiece. The orchestral elements brilliantly compliment the melody, and Amber’s vocals fit the character of the song well. This song will almost certainly qualify, and it could score as high as 2nd place in the final. The only reason I don’t predict it to win is that, the reception on wiwibloggs and Youtube has been somewhat mixed.
best song this year go amber you are a true warrior .. 12 points ..
I think Malta will surprise a LOT of people in May 🙂
@ct Helena Paparizou… Well, nobody saw that coming. Are you sure you didn’t mean Chiara… or anyone more likely… Whatever. I kindy find amusing how people adopt somebody else’s arguments when they want to justify their dislike for a particular song / singer / country, and it becomes a baseless buzz around it. In this case the highlight is: “Amber doesn’t sing, she screams”. Seriously? Is that best you can come up with? I mean, I understand this song may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but if you are going to criticize it, think of something reasonable. This is… Read more »
worst song. my votes 0. amber warriors? hah :DD no. warrior is nina
completely agree with deban in the video and i’m not a fan of this song at all
@Rayman, let’s keep our fingers crossed, @Britney, i’ve got a feeling that Amber will be better Live and it’s not screaming it’s her own voice .
but love your positive comment, Always nice to read positive comments.
Ridiculously high scores from some in the jury, this will struggle to get in the final and will bomb if it does. This kitty ain’t no Helena Paparizou…
Lovely song, lovely singer! I still don’t feel like the song matches her voice completely (would’ve preferred her singing jazz/big band, or a more simple ballad in which she could play around with her voice more) but she does it well. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Malta to make it to the final top 10. Go Amber!
@Mar, she will pull off the high notes i heard it this weekend she sang awesome, search it on YouTube with profile Eurovision Fanatic.
Personally, I prefer Georgia’s Warrior, although none of them are my favorites. I’m sure Malta will qualify because they are one of the most liked countries in Eurovision although they never win. I think live version will be better than studio, Amber is not the strongest vocalist, but at the same time her screaming sounds nice. Good luck Malta!
Lol the Amber defense squad labeling everyone who doesn’t love the song a hater is hilariously predictable.
I used to dislike the song before the revamp, but now it’s in my top 15. Hopefully she will be able to pull off those high notes without shattering our eardrums like in her NF.
The remastered version reminds me of a song I once wrote. I love their entry but I liked the original better. However I do think she has weak vocals. But believe me, Malta is more loved than you think, they will qualify.
I agree with martin about Deban. He was the only one last year who asked what “skinning you out” meant.
and i like more songs on this years contest Lithuania, Albania, Slovenia, Spain, Germany and of course Malta, but i hope everyone competing on this contest has a good time and has a lot of fun.
#TeamAmber
#TeamMaraaya
#TeamEdurne
#TeamLithuania
@Darren, no Amber isn’t paying me, i’m just defensive against this hatred towards a innocent good looking girl.
well i count that as an insult towards me. but go on if you believe she’s overrated you believe it yourself, are you a Nina Sublatti fan
Nina is overrated , Amber is very much underrated .
by the way know the saying what goes around comes around, Nina is not going to win.
@Nicky1991 YES! I said overrated because it is! Just because you like it, does not mean we all have to like it, dont be pathetic!! Amber must be paying you to only talk about Malta, because thats all you ever do on this site, cannot wait until May when you see the real results. And, if you are referring to me as an “idiot” just because I personally dont like to listen to some cat being murdered with a cheese grater, then you obviously dont have good taste in music, so your point is invalid and redundant,, because what would… Read more »
8,3/10
Very adventurous, very cultural, cool video, pretty girl and nice ending.
I wonder how she is going to pull this off live.
@Darren, Overrated????? , i think you mean Georgia is really overrated. Malta is underrated by the bookmakers, Amber has the complete package, of Looks and great voice, she doesn’t scream but sing with a lot of passion and anyone could be a warrior that’s the message inside a song if you conquer and feel like you’re a warrior then you can win. but don’t listen or react to the haters, that’s my advice. i’m not responding anymore to those pure idiots, i want people who like this song for liveperformance or if you are a fan, but those haters i… Read more »
mee: 9/10
LOVE this song. I preferred it before though. Now, it’s a bit less warrior like and doesn’t stand out as much as before. That being said, the song has impact and the strings are a welcome addition but they shouldn’t be as apparent IMO. One of my faves.
10/10
Its annoying how many shouty songs are in ESC this year, the worst is Latvia, I actually cannot listen to that song, its painful on me ears…Malta, however, is the better of the shouters, but its still not good, its a song contest not a screaming one…but it will probably qualify as it appears to be a total fanwank for some reason, heavily overrated but not bad, probably place somewhere between 15th and 20th in the final. 6/10
@Wozzeck, thank you if you vote for Malta i’d be very happy.
as for the haters here, it’s on each show the same you Always get Haters for no good reason . Amber is i think a pretty girl, and i think she is very nice .
so let the haters hate, #TeamAmber all the haters pick on pretty girls and if they are too good, then haters are jealous. that’s called envy
Possibly the only orchestral arrangement i don’t like this year. Cacophonous and clashing, combined with Amber’s strained and shrieky vocals, this song is an unfortunate mess. It lacks total impact after the revamp, and I struggle to find anything positive to say about it. Sincerely hope it does not qualify. 2.5/10
The instrumental is okay but I don’t like her vocals at all. Non-qualifier for me, same as the old version. Malta really missed the chance to send a killer entry with Chris Grech’s “Closed Doors”…
It was my number one before the revamp…. Now its like 18. I’m not saying it is a bad song now, I still like it but it was much better the first time in my opinion
I refer to this one as “Worrier” so I do not get it mixed up with the far superior Georgian entry. This one is bad on almost every level. The least impressive female vocal this year (well, maybe outside San Marino) put together with a dull, dull, dull song that drones on and on. Thankfully, this will be semi-final fodder and I will not need to listen to it twice.
3/10
People who call ‘Warrior’ shouty but ‘Love Injected’ a masterpiece… *sigh*
Out of top: here’s Inga & Anush’s new video. A heartbreaking song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dtymCdYM5U
That’s pretty low, she’s glam <3
Hate her swollen tongue singing….. 3/10
My favourite song this years. Needs to qualify. Needs to be a top 10. There’s only one warrior this year.
This song is really awful, I cant understand why you guys like it… she sounds like a cat screaming, is really unpleasant to hear this song
@Nicki: Don’t talk to either Tom or Louis they are obvious trolls. Can’t blame them though sometimes one just hates a song so badly they feel the call of the internet to troll. If they weren’t they would give us their opinion on why it sucks ( Amber is ugly, Vocals are bad and screechy and so on…)
@Jonathan UK, i agree it’s underrated, but why people think she would not qualify i question those people. i think Australia and Italy and Lithuania will score her highly with Votes. at least i hope so, don’t let her be a Mei finegold from last year. so vote, and haters gonna hate. but i like the lyrics and the orchestra, it does empower the song so much more, the first version was shouty but now i’m looking at a title contender.
@Louis, why that i think she is the best vocalist this year alongside Latvia and Greece.
@Tom, why do you hate her, she seems a lovely young lady, and she rocked out her concert in Malta along Kurt Calleja and Joe Grech.
#TeamAmber, hope she does very well and people Vote for her.
@martin – second. Deban’s the frickin’ best. If someone can make a gif out of that facial expression he does where he crouches down a little bit and grins with excitement, I will be forever grateful. Oh the song? I like it! I like the revamped version more than the original; it felt like she and the song’s message were both getting a little bit lost in the first version, and I also appreciate that this one feels a little bit more vulnerable. The comparison’s to Georgia’s “Warrior” aren’t quite accurate in my mind. This feels more like a much,… Read more »
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