Malta: Brooke and Christabelle among 30-song shortlist revealed for Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2018

Malta will be hoping to bounce back from Claudia Faniello’s early exit, as broadcaster PBS has announced a shortlist of the 30 songs that have made it to the next round of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2018.

A total of 129 hopefuls paid the €150 entry fee but only 30 have made the shortlist. The broadcaster now has the difficult task of whittling that shortlist down to just 16 finalists for the grand final of MESC 2018, due to take place sometime in February next year.

Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2018: 30 shortlisted songs

• Abire Sekkaki – “Casablanca Love”
• Aidan – “Dai Laga”
• Aidan – “See You”
• Avenue Sky – “We Can Run”
• Brooke Borg – “Heart Of Gold”
• Christabelle Borg – “Taboo”
• Dan – “If Only”
• Danica Muscat – “One Step At A Time”
• Deborah C – “Turn It Up”
• Deborah C & Joseph Tabone – “Human”
• Dominic Cini – “Picture I Draw”
• Eleanor Cassar – “Back to Life”
• Ishmael Grech – “Good Times”
• Jasmine Abela – “Supernovas”
• Kelsey Bellante – “Super Woman”
• Kevin Paul Calleja – “Great Adventure”
• Kimberley Cortis – “Monsters”
• Kurt Anthony Cassar – “You Will Find Me”
• Lawrence Gray – “Love Renegade”
• Malcolm Pisani – “Kiss”
• Matthew Caruana – “Call 2morrow”
• Mikhail Attard & Cherylis Camileri – “Breaking Point”
• Miriana Conte – “Rocket”
• Nicole Azzopardi – “Mixed Feelings”
• Petra Whiteford – “Evolution”
• Raquel Galdes – “In My Mind”
• Rhiannon Micallef – “Beyond Blue Horizons”
• Richard Joe Micallef – “Song For Dad”
• Stefan Galea – “Closer”
• Tiziana Calleja – “First Time”

Hoping to make it third time lucky is Brooke Borg with her entry “Heart of Gold”. She placed second in MESC 2016, and was a hot favourite this year but ultimately placed fourth with her anthem “Unstoppable”.

Another MESC favourite to return is 2015 runner-up Christabelle Borg, who will compete with “Taboo”.

Richard Micallef has also made the shortlist. He has previously represented Malta at Eurovision 2014 as part of the sibling folk group Firelight, who placed 23rd in Copenhagen with “Coming Home”.

Malta’s Junior Eurovision 2010 star Nicole Azzopardi is graduating to the big show. She’s on the shortlist with “Mixed Feelings”

A couple of MESC veterans are also competing for a place in the 2018 show. Deborah C, who has competed every year since 2012, is back with her solo entry “Turn It Up”. She is also reunited with 2017 duet partner Joseph Tabone on “Human”.

Lawrence Gray — who has been regular participant in MESC for almost 20 years — is back for another try with the dramatically titled “Love Renegade”.

Newcomer Aidan Cassar — whose Eurovision 2017 mash-up went viral — is also on the 30-song shortlist three times. He’s there as a solo artist with his entries “Dai Laga” and “See You”, and he’s part of the group Avenue Sky with “We Can Run”.

Two acts may be familiar from last year’s shortlist of 60. Avenue Sky‘s song “We Can Run” and Jasmine Abela‘s “Supernovas” — neither of which has been publicly released — are both taking another shot for 2018.

The MESC panel is expected to announce the 16 finalists some time in October, while the grand final is due to take place sometime in January. As with last year’s grand final, the winner will be selected by televote alone.

Are you excited by any of the names involved in this year’s Malta Eurovision Song Contest? Who would you like to see in the final? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

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