At the end of January she won the first ever series of X Factor Malta, earning the right to represent the Mediterranean island at Eurovision 2019. And now, a month and a half later, Michela Pace (now just going by Michela) has finally revealed the song she’ll be singing in Tel Aviv: “Chameleon”.
In a stark contrast to the ballads that Michela predominately sang whilst on X Factor Malta, “Chameleon” is a fully upbeat and contemporary number with pop and R’n’B touches.
Michela – “Chameleon”
The song is written by the Symphonix team of Joacim Perrson, Paula Winger, Borislav Milanov and Johan Alkanas. They’ve been behind a number of recent Eurovision entries, including Poli Genova’s “If Love Was Crime” and Equinox’s “Bones”. Borislav has also penned Azerbaijan’s entry for Tel Aviv, “Truth”.
In the music video we see Michela and her backing dancers becoming one with nature. Full of flowers, parrots, and of course a chameleon, it’s bright and colourful. The lyrics are also included throughout.
Malta will be hoping that this “Chameleon” will gain a better reaction than Ira Losco’s 2016 national final entry. Despite winning Malta Eurovision Song Contest with a similarly named track, the Maltese singer later ditched the song in favour of eventual Eurovision song “Walk On Water”.
Michela will be performing “Chameleon” in the second half of semi-final two in Tel Aviv in May.
About Michela
Michela is 18 years old and comes from from the island of Gozo, just north east of the main island of Malta. She entered X Factor Malta while still a student, but soon became the front runner of the competition.
In her first audition she brought Eurovision 2002 and 2016 contestant Ira Losco to tears with her rendition of “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. Fellow judge and rock legend Ray Mercieca said that Michela was destined to have along career ahead of her.
She sailed through bootcamp and made it to the final 14 of the girls category, who were mentored by music manager Howard Keith Debono. After securing a seat in the six-chair challenge singing Kesha’s emotional ballad “Praying”, Michela then headed to Judge’s Houses. Her rendition of Adele’s “Turning Tables” secured her a spot in the live shows.
Continuing to stun both the judges and audience at home, Michela battled her way to the grand final of the show. There she sung with acclaimed Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja, took on Maltese/Gozitan classic song “Inti Djamant”, before finishing with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s smash hit “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.
In the end, the Maltese public crowned Michela the winner of X Factor Malta.
What do you think of Michela’s song? Do you think she’ll be able to take Malta back to the grand final? Sound off in the comments below!
This will be received good from the judges and not only that, check the odds, Malta is no.11. It hasn’t been there in a looooong time. This song is different, colourful with an edge. It completely captures the Maltese spirit. Well done Malta you will do very well this year xx
Malta’s song has a beat, unlike the usual ballads. People want current music, fresh, which gives a you vibe when you listen to it. Chameleon gave me that feel of Summer from the first listen. I can’t believe I’m saying it but I will definitely vote for Malta this year
So everyone is against Malta when we send a ballad but you never say anything against other countries who send ballads year in year out. Some of the commentators here are hypocrites!!
What the heck? This has nothing to do with Fuego actually it is better!!!
Can we all just take a moment to consider how suspiciously similar this song is to Margaret’s “Cool Me Down”?
Ban the mainstream and commercial songs on Eurovision!!!
Well done Malta. I love how everyone expected a ballad from Michela, but instead, we got Chameleon. Something modern and fresh out of the bag, completely different from previous years. And for those who are complaining about the change of beat in the chorus, I think that is what makes the song special and unpredictable (unlike most EV songs). Now all Malta has to do is work on staging and performance and us viewers vote for the little island. Good luck!
Cyprus, then Switzerland and now Malta. What’s the hell going on this year with this copycats.
what do you mean by copycats? let me guess, you mean a fuego copycat LMAOOO. just because a song is upbeat doesn’t mean it’s a copy of Fuego, and Fuego didn’t invent upbeat songs in the first place. get over it pffff
I had the same feeling listening to this title. I am convinced that I have already heard this structure and especially the part of “Chameleon” in a reggaeton music
You are completely right on all counts. This kind of song takes a certain kind of personality and performer. She’s a young girl with little experience and sang mostly ballads standing still. This will require a complete role reversal from what we’ve seen from here. I’m wondering what the writers , the broadcaster or herself thought in picking this song for her. Let’s see if she rises to the occasion. Best of luck to her. I always get nervous for young performers like a Blanche
Promising start the chorus disappointed me a little!
Not Symphonix finest hour… I have feeling it won’t qualify…
I guess the problem in Malta was always those pesky televoters with their love for the dated? 😉
I like this, pleasent surprise
She needs some slick choreography and attitude to pull this off but I’m afraid she will not do much on the stage in May.
I love the colours in the music video. It really is really nice and pops out nicely. I do like the song too. I think it could do a toward top ten finish 🙂
“Chame-chameleon.” Somewhere, Boy George is saying “WTF?”
No, because he would be saying “KARMA Chameleon”. 😛
Yes, dear. The joke is that the two phrases sound very similar.
I’m so glad Malta is again with an amazing entry. Chameleon is outstanding!
Wish you all the best from Buenos Aires! This is Top 10 material for sure, hope won’t be underrated. Fingers crossed!
Sorry not my cup of tea
This is the summer bop we expect from Eurovision! Guilty pleasure for sure..
Why do people keep saying that every song is a copy of Fuego? It’s getting so annoying. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked Fuego but Eleni didn’t invent the genre. Anyway, I absolutely love this entry, especially since it is not what I was expecting at all. I also love her voice and the chorus, I like that it is unusual. The Caribbean flavour is perfectly used, to create an atmosphere, a feeling, rather than being the main focus. Out of the «bops » of this year, I think this is my favorite for its edginess. Well done Malta, I… Read more »
Cheesy, sorry…. But I sincerely love the country
This was going so well but when it dropped and chameleon came in it kinda lost it for me, just kept thinking of Boy George and how bad this song is in comparison.
Yes, we got another bop for this year. It’s exciting, tropical, fresh for Malta standards. Now I’m worried about the staging–not because Malta can’t bring their A-game, but can they make Michela exude the same level of energy on the stage?
Depends on what the perfo will be about. Her live is amazing, she has a strong voice.
Let’s wait and see.
How the hell can anyone compare this to fuego?? I confirm that there are alot of ESC viewers who envy Malta and no matter what we send to ESC they will criticise our entry. Some of you should really stuff their mouth!!
Never understood the hype for “fuego”…. Really, Eleni is a sweet person but, goshhhh, that “song” was sooo lousy……
Literally ever comment on any upbeat song…. “ITS A BAD COPY OF FUEGO!!!!!!!1!!”
Just quit it. Everything is a copy of something apparently.
So, is it true that this is one of Poli’s intended songs on 2016?
*2018
Interesting. I hope Malta qualify this year.
I don’t like it too much but I still can’t get too far away from being happy about Malta producing something that at least seems it was written in the last five years. This is a great entry for them but I can’t express how much I hate the hook of this song.
Oh ok….this is a BAD COPY OF FUEGO…..i really don’t like it…it sounds very messy like song and they try to immitate fuego……
Man, this year’s the Cypriot’s proposal is such a version of last year…. I don’t understand why you guys still think it’s good….
Overall, this is probably one of Malta’s better entries. I particularly like how the Drop Chorus musically goes where I didn’t expect it to – with old-fashioned latin dance crossed with modern “latino pop”. It’s a risky entry because it doesn’t necessarily showcase the singer’s strengths. However, I applaud Malta for doing something different and for trying to be “relevant” to 2019. Bravo. I’m excited for the live choreo. 🙂
I like it a lot better than Cyprus. It doesn’t really have any chances to win, but I would be really happy if it did. It’s a great bop and Malta deserves a win by now.
Malta not sending a dreadful ballad… are we sure this is Malta? Actually the song is enjoyable and “original” (you can ask mainstream pop to be much original though). The chorus is kind of a let down in terms of melody and musicality, but as it is something different I won’t blame them for trying. I don’t get the lyrics “Chamaleon” in the chorus… Why “Chamaleon”? Did they need a four-syllable-word related to nature?
Malta enters my top 15 and, while the SF2 looks stronger, I think they’ll make it.
Maybe it has something to do with the colours she mentions in the verses. I’m just riffing.
As I see, it’s a song about being adaptive when facing trouble . Since chameleons have the hability to change their colors to avoid predators, they used it as an analogy (and that’s why they started by playing with colors). But in that case, she’s not just hiding from predators, she’s actually resisting them “Give me water, I’m a swimmer / Give me fire, I’m a fighter”. Far for a deep message, but a self-empowerment cute one. It would be silly for a veteran, but fits someone young like Michela.
In the past ten years malta has sent a total of 3 out of 10 songs that were ballads. Russia (which would be about a 100 million times bigger than malta) sent about 6 ballads, 5 of which were about world peace. Cut us some slack about the boring ballad business – such a tacky old argument!
Since Michela won X-Factor singing ballads, it surprised me that they gave her this song. She’s talented, young, and pretty, it was unavoidable that someone in the industry would think about pushing her into doing that, but we’ll need to check how comfortable she’ll feel doing it so early. By now, I like it much more than Switzerland’s and Cyprus’ entries. Her voice’s cracks (love them!) are refreshing for a genre so sanitized by autotune. And the ‘controversial’ chorus sounds current and avoid the track getting repetitive faster.
What I really like here is the Caribbean vibe. It has that repetitive (low-key) chorus issue, like many songs this year, so I have to sort it out among others. Switzerland and Malta at least gave us bops with more individual vibes, unlike Cyprus who is 85% a copy of their previous song.
About the Caribbean vibe, I would say the biggest accomplishment here is that they used it as a spice, not as a main ingredient.
On what Colin says – that “repetitive” style of Chorus is called a “Drop” (or Drop Chorus). It’s very of its time and I must admit I’m not a big fan of that structure either. But Sabrina is right that Malta uses the Drop unexpectedly to help pepper the lyrics with unusual harmony. So harmonically, before the Drop we’re in the relative major key (D-flat) on the dominant chord (A-flat) and then at the Drop we suddenly shift to the minor dominant (F major), before resolving to the minor tonic (B-flat minor). That change is an immediate change of harmonic… Read more »
I haven’t understood a thing after “unusual harmony”, but since you said I’m right, I’ll take it! haha My ears aren’t trained like yours, but I felt the same, that it was a nice touch, a way to postpone the explosion and tease who’s listening. By the way, the whole track left me under the impression that they put a lot of thought on this one. Nothing sounds gratuitous.
I am a dancer and I like it. They have unlimited opportunities for staging this song starting from fusion choreography and ending with transformer (or illuminating) costumes and edgy colorful backgrounds and lighting. With smart staging and smooth performance, this can be in top-5.
This is my fave rn. Everyone is saying that the drop after the build up us disappointing, but the last chorus brings it where it should be. A pleasant suprise, I thought we would get a ballad from Michela, but, OH BOY, I was wrong. I hope they can pull off a great, televote-friendly performance, which is easily possiblE, and they are here to SLAAYYYYY. I DARE TO SAY, WELCOME BACK TO FINAL, MALTA, YOU’VE FINALLY FOUND A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR YOU!
The refrain is so annoying, its no from me btw the good visuals
oh wow the one and only true follow-up to fuego, malta snapped this time (even tho this song is a poli genova rihject)
And apparently it is also a melfest reject as well…
you know, minus + minus = plus
it’s better than what won melfest 😮
Hmmm. I wonder: How long am I going to have to endure you dissing Lundvik? 😛
I choose a pop song like this 7 days a week before a song like Portugals. Stop the talk about generic and original. Those 2 are 100% better then a dancing ballet guy with a gold mask with cowbells.
Wow. Last minute goal. This is top 5 contender.
Not for me, sorry.
Is it just me or is this sounding like a Margaret-song?
OMG! I thought the same!!!!!!
This is way better than ‘Cool me down’, yet people very going gaga over ‘Cool me down’, and bash ‘Chameleon’.
Aaaaand welcome back Malta, good to see you again in the Grand Final *clap clap*
For some reason I feel like this song would be more enjoyable without the “chame-chameleon” parts and the last chorus instead of those. I’m in love with the video clip though, looks fun.
I love it
I like it, I really do. During the first Chameleon-chorus, I was a little annoyed because I actually don’t like the current trend of refusing a proper chorus, but already the second time gave me positive vibes…
Oh and what a great video… just get rid of the lyrics, it’s a music video and not a lyrics video…
Yes I think they should take that last chorus and put it on the 1st and 2nd as well
A lot of comments saying this is unoriginal etc etc. What song this year is completely original? We’ve all heard something similar to all of the songs this year before, and the favourites like Switzerland, Cyprus, Greece, Azerbaijan are the worst offenders! Not saying that’s a bad thing at all, I like all of these songs it just seems a bit hypocritical
Iceland, Portugal or Poland to name. Love or hate but out of the box.
Also Netherlands and Italy feel like something special.
Like 90% of the entries Malta has ever sent to Eurovision, it’s a pastiche of songs we’ve heard somewhere else before. It’s an okay song, I don’t mind listening to it, but I don’t really get an authentic vibe from it that draws me to it.
Malta>>>>>Armenia>>>Israel
Damn, I hoped for some real bop from Armenia that can beat that overrated cheesy Switzerland song. But it’s Malta that surprised me overall.
Israel’s song released here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhNNc7B_rhk
What do you guys think?
We think Israel is lucky to be directly in the final this year.
Very disappointing from Israel :-(( One of the worst entries this year
‘Cause I’m way up and I ain’t comin’ down
Keep taking me higher’
ay yeyeyeyeyeyeyyee yeeheeee
Fuegooo
I hope you commented the same exact comment to Replay, cause if this is similar, Cuprus’s entry is legit an exact copy.
You can add Switzerland to the list I guess…
Is Sasha doing staging for Malta? If so I’m curious if she will put more effort in Malta or Cyprus.
I don’t know who will do the staging for Malta – currently there aren’t any articles about the staging director for Malta this year.
And if Sasha is, she’ll do great staging for both.