The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — continues to rank and review the 43 songs competing in Eurovision 2018. Next we head to San Marino where Maltese singer Jessika is joined by German rapper Jenifer Brening for the song “Who We Are”. Did we appreciate their message? Read on to find out!
Jessika feat. Jenifer Brening with “Who We Are”
“Who We Are” reviews
Robyn: “Who We Are” — with its message of strength in the face of adversity presented with an early 2010s EDM-pop sound — wouldn’t be out of place at the Maltese national final. But it switches things up with a rap break that sounds like it was inspired by Mel B’s rhymes in the Spice Girl’s decades-old “Wannabe”. Jessika is a good singer, but Jeni B ain’t no Cardi B. But there’s still something really enjoyable about “Who We Are”. Jess ‘n’ Jen are obviously putting everything into the performance and that should be appreciated.
Score: 5/10
Angus: “Who We Are” sounds like it was written for an anonymous MESC finalist. It’s a piece of optimistic happy-clappy Europop and Jessika knows how to sell that garment well. Jenifer Brening’s rap is a less welcome addition to proceedings, dragging the whole thing back by a decade or so, but then San Marino hasn’t been overly concerned with having a contemporary sound previously. In the hands of a country with big televoting diaspora this might be a contender, but for San Marino, another year in the semi-finals looms.
Score: 3.5/10
Anthony: Credit to San Marino on their first ever national final despite its flaws. And Jessika at Eurovision finally becomes a reality whilst reigniting her rivalry with Christabelle in the process. “Who We Are” sounds like a complete mishmash of “Heroes”, Adam Kafe’s “Wolverine” and a rap serving attitude from Jenifer. Just don’t go complaining again when they had a chance with Sara de Blue.
Score: 5.5/10
Bernardo: This is too bad for Jessika. For someone who has been watching her several Maltese attempts to get to Eurovision, “Who We Are” is not remotely close to them. She didn’t deserve this. Jenifer’s rap part is cringe and the only thing that actually saves this entry is Jessika’s vocals and stage presence.
Score: 2/10
Chris: Is it a good or bad thing to know Jenny B’s rap by heart already? Regardless of that, it does feel like any enjoyment you can get from this song revolves around it being a guilty pleasure. Whilst both ladies give it their all, the track feels like it’s playing at being a pop song more than actually being one.
Score: 5/10
Jovana: How can you not love San Marino in Eurovision? They do not achieve great results, but they always seem like they are there to have fun. However, “Who We Are” is not that much of a fun. It is not that bad, but it is not great either – it is just okay and quite bland. That is just not enough for small countries like San Marino, who have to go with something really extraordinary if they want to do well – which is a pressure certain other countries never feel, unfortunately.
Score: 5/10
In the Wiwi Jury we have 20 jurors but only have room for six reviews. The remaining scores are below:
Antranig: 6/10
Bogdan: 2/10
Cinan: 2/10
Deban: 4/10
Jonathan: 6.5/10
Jordi: 4/10
Kristin: 5/10
Luis: 4/10
Padraig: 1.5/10
Renske: 2/10
Ron: 6.5/10
Sebastian: 8/10
Steinunn: 4/10
William: 2/10
We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 1.5 and a high of 8.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 4.11/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
When ever I hear this song, there are many elements which remind me of “heroes” by Mans (sweden 2015)
I’m surprised it’s ranked so low, but then again, the performances are bland to watch
When I hear this I always forget why I rate it so low… until the rap section. I like the pop bits well enough, even if they’re generic. However, “Jenni B.” is cearly not a rapper. I hope. For her sake. Jenifer sounded good singing in the clip from Israel (better than Jessika to be honest)… but the rap part is so uncomfortable and cringe. I’m not a rap lover but if I were, I suspect I’d be offended. And it just feels so shoehorned in there. Seeing live clips of this made me feel bad for them which is… Read more »
If the crowdfunding points were awarded in the order of reaching their funding goals, this is what the 1in360 final results would have looked like: Crowdfunding Score 1. Sara de Blue: 12 points 2. Giovanni Montalbano: 10 points 3. Jenifer Brening: 8 points 4. Camilla North: 7 points 5. Jessika ft. Jenifer: 6 points 6. Franklin Calleja: 5 points 7. Basti: 4 points 8. Tinashe Makura: 3 points 9. Emma Sandstrom: 2 points 10. Judah Gavra: 1 point 11. Irol ft. Basti: 0 points Jury Score 1. Franklin Calleja: 12 points 2. Jessika ft. Jenifer: 10 points 3. Sara de… Read more »
1/10 for the robots. I hate blatant rip-offs, especially when done this poorly and when it’s clearly more of a habit than an accidental one time thing.
This might not be the worst song this year, but I would be extremely happy with this ending up dead last in its semifinal, just to teach those 1in360 judges a lesson.
Discount Gwen Stefani and Eve
Jesus Christ, all the fuss with 1in360 to end up with *this*?? NOTHING works here. The instrumentation is horrendous, the tempo is awkward– especially in the rap parts– the two of them have no chemistry, and at times it seems like they’re fighting for the stage instead of sharing it, the lyrics are incredibly impersonal and you can tell neither of them are feeling them whatsoever… I honestly don’t know what else to say, I really thought that this new process would be a change in the right direction, but I think this just confirms that ESC is just not… Read more »
I actaully apreciate San Marinos effort, I like these two performers and the song is all right, even the rap part. But San Marino made a BIG mistake not choosing Sara De Blue, but maybe next year. This is just super feel good, but really nothing special, and has zero percent chance of qualifying. When I first listened to this I thought it was just silly, but it has grown on me.
6.5/10
I DIDN’T KNOW what to make of this
So bring bang Sevak ASAP
Can’t talk about this without mentioning Sara Del Blue. It is almost as if San Marino looked into the costs of another couple of nights in a Lisbon hotel and thought, “Nah.” Obviously they did not want to succeed because there is no possible explanation why they would go for this. There is nothing remotely positive to say about this.
…I like it… like, unironically like it… Jessika deserves to go to ESC, and this one is of her strongest entries counting everything in Malta, so kudos to her. This falls in generic and may not invent anything new, but the personality pull can make something happen. The beat is decent, she can sing and even so the rap part is not as disruptive as many say. Maybe it’s my SMR soft spot talking, but still, it’s of their better tries. This is nice to listen to, to be honest, regardless of corniness. Anyhow, truly happy for them, and they… Read more »
2.5/10
(Jeez, Padraig). This song is not terrible but it is very lacking. It’s like something I would write at the age of ten. The rap part is awful and cringey. The live performance isn’t too shabby and I like both Jessika and Jenifer’s stage presence. Jessika’s voice is quite good. It goes without saying that this won’t qualify. It’s a shame because Jessika’s a really talented artist who has been done dirty.
Lol, why do you always zone in on my score? Four others gave it a 2, just 0.5 more than me.
Not bad at all. I like San Marino’s song.
7/10.
A Guilty Plesaure! 😀
(and a song i’d rather see winning than some ‘favorites’)
Semi-2 Wiwi jury Qualified 1)UKR 7.47 2) NET 7.28 3)SLO 6.58 4)SRB 6.50 5)LAT 6.47 6 )POL 6.36 Not qualified: 7)MLT 6.31 8)DEN 6.17 9)MDA 6.08 10)NOR 5. 44 11)MNE 5.19 12)ROM 4.94 13)GEO 4.86 14)SMN 4.11 Modified Score Qualified 1)NET 8.88 2)UKR 8.38 3)MLT 8.13 4)DEN 8.00 5)SRB 8.00 6)SLO 8.00 Not qualified: 7)LAT 7.81 8)MDA 7.75 9)POL 7.63 10)NOR 7.38 11)ROM 6.69 12)GEO 6.44 13)MNE 6.31 14)SMN 5.94 Total: Qualified 1)NET 16.16 2)UKR 15.85 3)SLO 14.58 4)SRB 14.50 5)MLT14.44 6)LAT 14.28 Not qualified: 7)DEN 14.17 8)POL 13.99 9)MDA 13.83 10)NOR 12.82 11)ROM 11.63 12)MNE 11.50 13)GEO 11.30 14)SMN… Read more »
I have to give props to the Sammarinese delegation for being one of the most negligent ever!
They had gems in their national selection and even then they managed to turn a gem into a turd. Who we are was not half as bad with Irol in it… But they had to put in Jennifer with that pathetic rap part. I like jessika’s vocals and the parts she sings though and all my points are for her part of the song.
A 6/10
This is annoyingly catchy and gets stuck in my head, but it is also so bad. Jessika is a great singer but the song is so generic and the rap is bad too. No chance of it qualifying for the final. Score 4/10
Honestly, I’m also American and I prefer Eurovision music (even if some of it is dated) because I honestly can’t f***ing stand the modern music that’s been playing on the radio here these days.
All the songs that American musicians have been making lately sound exactly the same and each year they just get worse and worse. Ever since we hit the 2010s US music has just been going dooooowwwwnnnnhill
That being said, San Marino’s song is still a piece of garbage though lol.
But all the other songs this year are better
It’s kinda disturbing how this is considered almost at the same quality as georgia.
Maybe, but there aren’t any like him in this year’s Esc. And really, are you comparing LA with Albania? Albania is a very poor and mostly unknown country, where artists have very limitied opportunities to explore and reach their full potential. So yes, this artist needs all the recognition he deserves.
I didn’t fully understand this entry until I saw it at the London Eurovision Party. The anti-bullying message is a very powerful one, in any format. It reaches a lot of people. I too have been treated unfairly in my past, and I would be lying if the lyrics to this song had no effect on me. They reach me. At the event, I met Jessika Muscat, and we spoke for a few minutes. She had decided to strike out on her own, and was just standing alone on the balcony after her night was over, watching all the people… Read more »
I’d really wish to meet Jessika too. She seems so nice and definitely is a wonderful singer. She injects life in everything. The Flame was my absolute winner of MESC 2016! I know I gave her Sanmarinese song a poor review (4=meh), but I really want her (if she ever visits this blog) to know that SHE is the reason this isn’t a 2 or something. She has charisma, vocals and stage moves of a true star. I wish if she got a better song, but here we are. If she qualifies anyway, I will still be happy, because I… Read more »
I totally share your feelings. I’m a big admirer of her since the first time I saw her in MSfE and I really do hope for all the best for her…
If it won’t work out this time, I hope she will go for Malta as soon as possible again…
As Anthony said, San Marino had a chance with Sara de Blue. They are participating in the weak semi and could have made it to the final easily, but they chose Jessica and Jennifer instead. They seem to be nice but “Who we are” is awful.
I like this song. I understand that this song is not the best. But I like Jessikas vocals and the song is enjoyable.
I think this somg could be a surprise qualifier
The intentions are good, with a good pop chorus (is it only me who thinks the chorus is similar to Heroes?), but the production is too lightweight. In my bottom three.
I do my best to focus on each selected act without blaming them for what may had happened during the national selection. After all, it’s not the winning artist’s fault when a wrong choice is made. But it’s almost impossible to do that when San Marino managed to ruin everything about their innovative 1 in 360. It’s not just the fact that they hadn’t picked Sara de Blue (who could be a contender for a top 10 in my personal ranking). They had 2 or 3 OK songs to pick. But somehow they picked this one. The song is super… Read more »
Extremely irrelevant. The girl can sing but that’s all. How on Earth do you do the whole 1 and 360 thing and end up chossing this?! And those robots… OMG. San Marina opts for the last place in its SF. San Marino is in my 38th place: 1. Germany (9)| 7. Ukraine (7.5)| 11. Italy (7.25)| 13. Lithuania (7)| 14. Denmark (7)| 15. FYR Macedonia (7)| 16. Switzerland (7)| 18. Poland (7)| 20. Romania (6,75)| 21. Armenia (6.75)| 23. Slovenia (6.5)| 24. Ireland (6.5)| 25. Estonia (6.5)| 26. Croatia (6.25)| 29. The Netherlands (5.5)| 30. Azerbaijan (5.5)| 31. United Kingdom… Read more »
Eurovision 2018 Stage (Animation)
1:28 !
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lL2eCtADSlY
Amm. Thought there would be a new technology, as they said, but it seems really bland just lights. Hope for a surprise
3.5/10 It’s quite catchy I suppose; but it’s very old pop. I think it lacks that modern sound. The rap part is just down right atrocious, and adds nothing to the song. The staging could make this better than what it is. A non qualifier for me. PS…I’m very bitter that Sara De Blue wasn’t selected still.
unrelated*
Finally he solved it. I was getting worried.
Me too! I can’t wait for his live performances 😀
We know that he’ll be awesome as always, but he surely needs the promotion, since people are not paying attention to him like us.
Look, it’s clear that you’re using different usernames to spread your hate over and over, especially in my comments. You’re not outsmarting anyone. Do you wanna tell us what’s bothering you with Albania’s entry? Just say it, don’t keep it inside. Internal psychological conflicts can be pathological, so help yourself.
Eurovision 2018 soundtrack!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ysrlRpC6wgk
Terrible … great time for a break.
I’m still salty that Sara de Blue did not win. I would’ve been ok if they sent her. Jessika is doing ok but Jenny B’s rap ruins it all. Good massage but bad song overall. I also smell plagiarism because it sounds like Heroes. 4/10
Yes, they had a golden opportunity with Sara (I still listen to her song a lot), and they threw it away! Oh well, their loss is potentially Austria’s gain if ORF decides to send her internally next year
The song was ok till the rap part….its just awful,absolutely ruined whole thing with alredy not that strong song… they have vocalist who can sing nice and hits very high notes and they wrote such a cheesy song … shame, but its one of the weakest entry this year
Jessika have tried for so many times, it’s a shame that she’s finally going to Eurovision with such a bland song… The message behind it is good, but it still feels a bit forced. Really generic. And they did a thing that I really hate – the chorus sounds just like the chorus in “Heroes”. Do they really think that people are stupid and won’t notice? Who thinks it’s a good idea to do something like that? What is more – I can’t feel any chemistry between the singers…
Updated Wiwi Jury scoreboard (made from the scores juries give to each song): https://scorewiz.eu/scoreboard/view/212063/wiwi-jury-2018-26-songs-reviewed
Very generic and messy track. Some parts are quite enjoyable but this is still a weak entry overall and it is not likely to qualify. San Marino should continue with this national selection process though, it was interesting. As for Jessika, most of her MESC entries were better, I really liked “The Flame” especially.
4.5/10
The Flame was great, loved it…
And Hey You and Smokescreen are still on my jogging track list…;-)
This entry is SO annoying, I would do ANYTHING for San Marino to NOT be in Eurovision
Sebastian has TASTE wig
I seriously cannot understand why people can’t stand this. For once San Marino did something new or maybe do you prefer Serhat? I think the majority hasn’t still got over the fact that Sara de Blue didn’t win and are biased to dislike this entry. I find it sad though, this song deserves more support. Hope they qualify
SAN MARINO – I am a big fan of Jessika and some of her MESC entries are among my favorite NF songs. Finally she got to be on ESC, representing San Marino and singing a pretty solid anti-bullying song. Sure, this is no Fandango or Flame, it’s bit on the generic side, but it’s not bad and the message is very uplifting… “Yo yo, listen up, it’s me, Jenny B., what you get is what you see”… that is, UNTIL this atrocity comes in! Have you ever heard the expression of being a “fist in the eye”? Cause that is… Read more »
I told you before that I wouldn’t give a rating below 4, but it turns out that I haven’t listened to this one since that tragic night where they gave it the ticket to Lisbon. And when I did that again I remembered how bad it is!
I totally get it. Yeah… giving a 4 now seems like a tiny bit overrating it compared to Romania (great lyrics), Azerbaijan (more cohesive and expensive) and Belarus (decent instrumental). My problem is that every now and then, when a bad song comes, I can feel sorry for giving it a truly low score. Now, I almost wish if I could erase this rating and give it 3.5 or even a 3 instead. 🙁
Don’t feel bad for that. I also would change a couple of my ratings. I guess this is very normal when we do that song by song and not looking at the bigger picture.
Yeah. My other regret is Ireland. It’s quite a grower and I could give it a 7.5 or even an 8 in my ultimate rating before the show. But I wish if my ratings would always reflect the final version, even though it’s hard to do so. Anyway, a 4 is a ‘meh’ from me. And yes… Russia IS lower than that.
I only listened to Russia’s song a couple of times, so maybe this could get lower than 4 also… But I would say it will land on 4 to 4.5. The same would apply to Iceland. Those are two songs I dislike that hasn’t been reviewed.
Worst 2018 entry
In my least favourites. It’s indifferent.
3/10
San Marino would have sent this in 2011 and it maybe could have qualified. Since then, the level has risen. It’s not qualifying.
LOL
Call me crazy, but I feel this will qualify. I think it is nice, old-school, uplifting gurl pop. And surely Malta and Germany will award it some points, and some other juries where SM made some exchange-vote deals. And I will not complain, I will be singing we are who we are, we are shady dealmakers….
8/10.
How I miss Valentina Monetta in that moment… (solo, not with Jimmy Wilson – it was horrible)
I’m afraid I don’t have many positive things to say about this entry. It’s a definiton of a typical bad ESC pop song that should flop in national eliminations (but it didn’t). Plus, the chorus is a rip-off from Heroes.
My last place this year.
2/10
PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE put Padraig in the Wiwi Jury video – I love it when he gets super shady!!!
Great live vocals! As for the song, I don’t see that it is that much different from Malta, Finland and Azerbaijan, except for the rap part, so I kind of don’t understand difference in score between those 4 songs.