In the weeks since Destiny revealed her Eurovision 2021 song “Je me casse”, she’s climbed the odds table and watched her official music video approach 2 million views on YouTube. And on Sunday the 18-year-old star made it clear this train is only just starting to roll as she publicly confirmed Sacha Jean-Baptiste as her Eurovision 2021 stage director.
As any and all Eurofans should know, Sacha is the choreographer and creative behind JEANBAPTISTEGROUP — the creative production company that dreams up performances across live concerts and video content. Eleni’s “Fuego”, Kristian Kostov’s “Beautiful Mess” and Nina Sublatti’s “Warrior” are just three of the many stand-out performances she has helped conceive at previous editions of Eurovision. But she works well beyond this sphere, collaborating on the live tours of artists like Zara Larsson, Seinabo Sey, Darin and Hov1. She slays across all genres.
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Earlier on Sunday Destiny had teased the news with an ebullient selfie from a rehearsal room. It captured her excitement to be getting down to work as she gets ready for Rotterdam.
She wrote: “Another weekend away from Malta! This time round I am in Sweden! Really happy with my Eurovision journey so far and I can’t wait to go on that stage and give it my all!”
Destiny has chosen safe hands. In addition to her Eurovision work, Sacha has worked on top TV programmes including Swedens Got Talent, P3 Guld, Sommarkrysset and X- Factor.
So what does Sacha have to say about this creative collaboration?
“Destiny is such a gem and an amazing artist to work with. She has that magic charisma that really hits you. We love that ‘Je Me Casse’ gives her the ability to show not only her big voice but also her performance from warmth and joy to a sassy confident woman! Me and my team are so excited to be designing and choreographing for Destiny and this playful song.”
Are you loving Destiny’s choice of creative director? Do you think this is a match made in heaven? Let us know down below!
I’m quite surprised with some comments and all the backlash for not having local songwriters. Let’s keep in mind that a call for song submissions for Destiny’s song was open to both local and foreign songwriters/composers. So local talent had their chance to submit songs too. But I wouldn’t criticize the broadcaster for choosing foreign songwriters if they felt that this was the best song for Destiny and if it was better than any other song submitted. This is Malta’s best chance in years and they’re doing their best not to ruin their chances. And I wouldn’t blame the Maltese… Read more »
I like the Maltese song to start with then get slightly irritated when the brass section jumps in. I think it’s top 5 but not sure it will win.
I just found out this weird pattern with Sacha Jean Baptiste.
Georgia
2016: Elevates
2017: Tanks
Bulgaria
2017: Elevates
2018: Tanks
Cyprus
2018: Elevates
2019: Tanks
Switzerland
2019: Elevates
2021: ?
Well, Malta has so many thousands of young Swedish people working in online casinos that it’s not a stretch that Malta would work with Swedes. Besides, Malta is cosmopolitan. As is Sweden. Or did none if you realise that Sacha is Swedish AND black? It’s how the world is, get over it.
For starters, the singer is Maltese, unlike in Cyprus’s case with Fuego.
We reject Malta for becoming Sweden 2.0. We reject Tout l’Univers because we see it as another Arcade. Who do we root and vote for, then? Italy and San Marino?
ITALY for sure. At least they’re unique.
Unique does not necessarily mean good. Italy’s entry is very predictable for its genre. Lyrics are in fact quite boring.
So are Malta’s tbh, it’s nothing that we haven’t heard before. But the melody elevates it.
Maneskin? Isn’t that Swedish too? Chuckle.
Denmark.
Some weird griping in the comments. Destiny and Malta are playing to win, y’all. That’s basically the tea here.
Same people every year for every bloody country.
Anything Maltese about this besides the singer? Most of the stuff done by Swedish. How it’s one of favs beyond me.
It’s more local than Cyprus or San Marino…
Galasy ZMesta were free as stage directors. Missed opportunity.
I don’t think Sasha is really a bad stage director, but I believe it would have been better if she stayed in one country every time. Like this is creating some kind of conflict of interest. In 2018 the Fuego/Foureira was an act which could be more easily be adapted in stage compare to the Bulgaria’s perfomance. But she didn’t do anything with them. But if Bulgaria was her only act I think she would have tried far more, for the best possible result.
Don’t know if this is an unpopular take but, staging-wise Sacha didn’t do anything extraordinary with fuego.. I liked the lasers i guess but those smokes were ..whatever. Also, a greek choreographer was involved in making the choreography.
So yeah.. Sacha is just overrated
I think keeping things fairly basic with a darker colour scheme (SJB’s usual staging) worked really well with Fuego because it subverted the expectations of a bright and tacky colour scheme (which probably helped with juries), and allowed the choreography to shine.
I don’t like the fake hype around Malta, so glad they chose Baptiste as stage director. She’s gonna ruin them. Like she always does.
Sasha and Martin are the perfect examples of the power of PR. They have destroyed many countries, but they keep promoting fuego and rise like a Phoenix, entries that would have do well regardless of them doing the choreography.
I can’t wait for someone winning with new and local talent involved
Malta’s team is completely foreign, well at least the singer is from Malta…
Sacha’s involvement means Malta is not going to win, when was the last time Sacha’s work has worked? She came 2nd in 2017 and 2018 and 4th in 2019. Always close but never a winner, let’s see if this year will be different. One is for sure, Malta will do exceptionally well with both juries and public.
3 words for all the countries next year who just think that there are no more than 3 art directors. HIRE.LOCAL.TALENT
Just 2 years ago Malta sent a song in Maltese from start to finish for JESC which wasn’t half bad – and it ended up dead last.
Song: Made in Sweden
Stage show: Made in Sweden
Singer: From Malta
Now it’s time to shop clothes from H&M
Set pieces from IKEA too?
Absolut Vodka for backstage at the green room?
Not going to lie, Swedish food is actually one of my favorites….so I would ADORE some köttbullar and some cake. Marabou chocolate and a plopp bar lol ? exciting times
Of course! Let’s shop that 1kg bag of Köttbullar from IKEA too!
“Time to shop clothes at H&M” Joe Black is having war flashbacks right now.
Now seriously, I know Malta is small, but still think they could really have found someone in there.
Exactly!
I did see that, I have to say China is shooting themselves on the foot since H&M has some amazing clothes!
I get the critique but I also see the other side. Malta is a really small country, they don’t have that big vibrant industry as Sweden or Germany. If they feel they need to outsource let them. That’s how the industry works today, it’s a global business. Outsourcing worked for Switzerland and Cyprus and would probably worked for Malta last year!
They had staging, just that it was simple!
Same for Milanow who I wouldn’t even known about without Wiiwbloggs. Yet he writes like 4 entries every year which I only know about thanks to this site..
Destiny herself?
theirs only about 460,000 people in Malta. give them a break its not like Russia or The UK is hiring her
Sasha is relatively good, but extremely overrated (by delegations), and let’s be honest, for every Euphoria and Fuego, there’s three other songs she messed up with.
Isn’t really any good stage directors on Malta? Destiny is young, with an uptempo song, maybe they could have an open call with young designers or theatre direction students.
This means that Malta will either win or not win.
I think EBU should add a new rule that a stage director cannot have more than 1 countries in a single Eurovision Contest, because: 1) In this way, they will not work hard for every entry, and as a result some songs will be underrated, especially if he/she is from a country which takes part in Eurovision and also is responsible for the saging of that country also 2) There is not given a chance to other directors to take part representing a country’s staging 3) Jury votes are many times a result of collaboration (ex. Greece giving 10 jury… Read more »
This is pretty much a monopoly. To the point is vry lazy for a country to pick SJB. It’s not like she is synonym of victory.
What about the staging of the Big 5+1 countries??????
Another SJB choreo?
I love Destiny so much, she’s such a talented artist but Malta is throwing soo much at their entry this year that it seems slightly over done. They want to win, and I completely understand that, but there also comes a tipping point where it can then become too “try hard”.
I find SJB slightly overrated as a choreographer too, considering she does about 5-8 countries a year, and they all tend to be very similar.
Destined for Greatness is a pretty on the nose declaration of Malta’s ambition to win. I don’t blame Malta for wanting to do everything they can to win the contest, but it could backfire if the ambition is too blatantly naked.
There is a saying here “too many cooks spoil the soup”
Throw too much flavour into it, and it will be ruined.
Same can be said of Malta this year unfortunately. Shame really, but Destiny is destined for some great things, I am sure if that, whatever happens in Rotterdam.
I think you’ll find that Fokas Evangelinos is literally the Kirkorov of stage directors – since you rarely get one without the other.
Also, I hope no one’s told you how many countries Marvin Dietman is overseeing this year!
Ok Fokas has equally destroyed a funny song in the past (Spain 2019- he take his energy and he throwed it in the garbage) but he has also elevated a “considered as bad” song to a very interesting and iconic perfomance (Moldova 2018). Baptiste hasn’t in her bio a song which she improved with her presence…
I’m not a fan of the song, but it’s obvious SJB gets bookie favorites year after year but somebody else always sweeps the victory away. I’m not so sure about victory on Malta’s part this year at all.
There’s too many “favorites” this year for an outright winner.
I guess we’ll know more when rehearsals start, some favorites will drop and some underdogs will rise, but I fully expect the winner to come out of nowhere this year, much like 2011.
I don’t think it will be a televote or jury vote winner…it’ll be quite random I suspect.
Even though Switzerland is my personal winner and I wouldn’t mind Malta winning, I’m not actually getting that instinctive “winner” vibe in my gut with either entry. Ironically, the only song that I felt that winner gut feeling this year was Keiino’s Monument, and it didn’t even win its national final. I think this is an open field this year and the winner could be anyone, which makes it exciting in a way. We’ll see what happens in May.
Does anyone have the total list of songs she staged at ESC? It seems folks just reference all those that do well and don’t mention those that don’t. I know the go to is Fuego but didn’t she also do Replay? That was a bit of a mess with that plastic outfit and those hats on the guys. I wonder how much it costs to employ her for those 3 minutes. Not judging—-just genuinely interested in what a county’s investment is of someone of her caliber. I wonder if Malta or Switzerland will feel burned if they thing SJB outdelivered… Read more »
here you go my friend
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacha_Jean-Baptiste
OMG, Russia 2011. What a shame
Much thanks…somehow I thought it was more than this…she seems to do sexy really really well…Love Wave was EPIC…I think we sometimes think of staging as what happens on stage but I do think she is able to have shorthand with the producers/director and actually lays out camera work, cuts and lighting…so that helps…but, yeah, in 2018 she slayed with Eleni but Jessica Mauboy was a bit of a hot mess (no shade to JM who seems like a sweetheart
First the swedish songwriters and now this collab, it’s clear that they’re just pushing her to the victory at this point… I love Malta’s entry dont get me wrong but all the hype about the music video, then the media making her seem like a superstar, her being #1 on the odds and now this, it gives her so much visibility compared to the other artists. I mean we get it she has a good song but what about the other favourites ? They are completely overshadowed by this whole hype about Destiny which i can’t understand. Italy, Switzerland, France,… Read more »
I am not just commenting on your post, but on all the posts criticizing Malta for outsourcing. Although I tend on the whole to agree that a country should use local talent, I don’t get all the criticism. Malta is not the only country which is doing this. Other countries are doing it as well and have been doing it for years. Last year’s UK entry was also written by a Swede, and no one batted an eyelid. Now I am sure that the UK, with its massive music industry, could have used British talent, while Malta, with a very… Read more »
Interesting how so many people are complaining about Sacha staging multiple acts but have no problem with Martin Dietmann staging 7. Is it because she’s a woman? And save the ,,all her stagings are dark”. I don’t remember Martin’s stagings to be blindingly colorful and he has as many flops as her. It’s not all their fault. They are essentially employees in these situations. They don’t reach out to delegations because they fell in love with their songs and dreamed about the perfect stagings. The broadcasters come to them, almost always with at least an idea. The process is collaborative… Read more »
Meh, in my case it’s not about her being a woman or that her stagings are rather dark, other when it’s blatantly obvious that the entries would need more light and colors. The problem, at least for me, is the fact that she does so many entries every year and then she always flops with one/two/three while giving one entry blatant favoritism – then she goes out in interviews and claims that she does equal work on all entries and that she will decline a broadcaster’s wish to work for her if she doesn’t feel like she’s the right match… Read more »
It seems to mostly be about Destiny and Efendi for the wiwibloggs this year, yes
And Montaigne
I simply can’t believe that there are no experienced choreographers or directors in Malta that they could of used. Very disappointing!
Let me guess? You dislike Malta’s entry this year. I wouldn’t have noticed ..
Malta was the last country to release their entry, just two weeks ago, so I hope you’re not offended that there are some articles about Malta and Destiny 🙂
Other countries got their coverage in previous weeks.
So there’s nothing Maltese about this entry. Completelyvartificial. Gross…
Am I the only one that had never heard of these ‘superteams’ of music producers and stage designers until they came to wiwibloggs? I’ve never really gotten why it’s a big deal.
People love a song and they make dreams about how they want it to be staged. That creates expectations. The reality is that a Eurovision stage number is extremely hard to put together. There’s concept, logistics, props, costumes, choreo, camera angles, lighting direction, the artist’s personal strengths and weaknesses, the input or interference of the broadcaster, the characteristics of the stage, working and communicating with local technicians on-site, making deadlines and having everything translate good on stage. That’s why you need someone like Sacha. People are always very keen to judge and dismiss and say things like “they should have… Read more »
what is the similarity between Sacha and Kirkorov? I don’t get the comparison
I’m sure they don’t. This is a huge TV production that most local stage directors won’t be able to handle. With all due respect, I think you’re naive.
Ok I’m sorry. You obviously have no idea how things work.
haha. I would love to chat with you personally and maybe you could share some of your experience from the Eurovision delegations you have been part of. Hopefully, I will able to cope with your elevated intelligence.
I’m just saying that I think you’re wrong. You are underestimating my intelligence. I don’t think my comments are that problematic compared to yours.
Have never found Sacha Jean-Baptiste’s stage direction anything special!
Then you have not seen zara larssons live performances…
Noting special my a**
Why does Wiwibloggs and people keep treating her like she’s the goddess of staging? She’s tanked more entries than she’s elevated over the years lol. I watched an interview with her again when she was announced and she says that «she knows how big eurovision is for the artists and how much it means to do well, therefore it’s really important for her to gain their trusts»… yeah people have put their trust and faith in her hands over the years, only for her to do a poor job/neglecting you entry while she works miracles for someone else. Well here… Read more »
Lol. People pay money and buy services. That’s how the world works.You’re not asking the right questions.
she’s not gonna win… it’s tooo “foucs” ariana grande and other songs combine..
i’m sure that with good performance israel will win this again.. the judges will love it..
it’s a mix of ballad, outstanding vocals, pop banger and winner vibes.. eden gave the judges what they are looking for.. and.. i’ve almost forgot… the song itself connect to the time we living in, the covid 19.. so it’s also relevant for this days.. just like “toy” was..
Yeah, right! How is life in Tel-Aviv?
The last time a song which wasn’t written by a single local won was in 2014. I don’t want this to repeat anytime soon. Eurovision should be about showcasing a country’s songwriting capabilities, not about which country can buy the most competitive song from outside.
I want Malta to win, but not with a song which isn’t Maltese in any shape or form. Malta can do it on their own.
Are you Maltese?
No, I’m Austrian. And yes, the last country which won with a song hailing from somewhere else was… Austria. Ironic, right? “Rise like a Phoenix” was written by Germans and a US-American.
Good. Then she’s obviously not winning judging by your estimation. Just don’t assume that a country has a music industry as robust as Austria or even better Germany and Sweden. And definitely don’t blame a public broadcaster that wants to do good. Buying from abroad has brought Malta respectable results so they’re sticking with the formula.
In the early 00s. Again, you have no idea how things work.
and you are hateful and defensive. I guess we must both live with what we are.
Malta, a country with just over half a million inhabitants, finished in the top three in 1992, 1998, 2002 and 2005 without help from outside. Cyprus, a country with just over one million inhabitants, finished in the top five in 1982 and 1997 without help from outside. Obviously, they could excel with their own songwriting talents. Their broadcasters simply take the easy route.
None of the cases you’re mentioning are after 2005, 2006. The contest has changed. It’s just a fact and like you have already said, all of our winners lately have been locally penned so what you are describing is just smaller countries doing their best to keep up with the contest. Nothing wrong with that. My own country, Greece, has been trying to push local talent for the last decade and has been bombing hard while many established greek acts say yes to Cyprus exactly because they can pay for the big names. Its not wrong or right. It is… Read more »
We don’t know for fact that Cyprus and Malta wouldn’t do well in recent years if they didn’t outsource their songwriting processes. Even if that was the case, I would prefer the broadcasters to promote their own musicians rather than relying on people from abroad. They should be given a chance! Broadcasters don’t get more/lose less money when they get good results at the contest.
Eurovision is one of the only platforms where songwriters from smaller countries can present their work hundreds of millions of people.
Agreed. I never said a broadcaster shouldn’t rely on local talent. I’m just not blaming them for wanting to pay for a good and experienced staging director. Back in 2019 I was super excited for Katerine Duska but what she brought to the stage was a trainwreck. I don’t know for a fact that she would do better with a Sacha or any Sacha, but I would like to have the option.
I don’t believe we have what it takes to source a completely local product that can win the ESC (i’m from Malta). Unless it’s something super simplistic and artsy-fartsy like Portugal did in 2017. Our local music scene is extremely limited, and you can count the number of internationally acceptable records produced per year on one hand, produced by artists and bands who will never consider Eurovision. We just had a local festival in Maltese, where all the songs were so outdated you would think you’re watching a festival in the 90s. I am also a firm believer that Malta… Read more »
Let’s call this contest Melodifestival of Europe then
I don’t know if I should laugh or cry. Sasha seems to be a very busy woman! Aren’t there anyone else out there but Sasha? Gjon is working with her too, and who else? And Destiny’s song is written by swedes as well as a bunch of other songs. As a swede I can now officially call this Swedenvision and we definetely deserve to be a part of Big 6. So much dedication to this contest..
Marvin Dietmann is working with 7 delegations this year. I think Sacha is alright.
I look at how it’s been for at least a decade. Songwriters, backing singers, dancers, choreoagraphers, producers, camera men etc. And on top of that the new boss of ESC is swedish.
So Sacha is staging the current top 2 in the betting odds (plus *Sweden*, Albania, Georgia)? Surely we can’t be expecting amazing stagings by both fan faves to win?
I don’t think she personally worked with Tornike. One of her collaborators is staging him so its jeanbaptiste group but not Sacha herself.
FINALLY someone said it
Malta is winning by a landslide, I believe. Televote winner by far + points from the juries. Go Destiny and Malta! Fingers crossed for Valletta 2022 🙂
Hope so, though I also have 2 other favourites besides Malta (Switzerland and France), but I don’t think so. Malta always suffers when it comes to the public vote, especially from Eastern European countries.
I don’t get the hype around SJB. How many of her performers won ESC?
I mean a lot of them did very well, Bulgaria 2017, Cyprus 2018, Switzerland 2019,Sweden 2019. Her staging pretty much always look top notch. Also most of the songs she has done staging for have qualified so essentially, if she is a countries stage director then the song will either be elevated by her staging ideas or it will complement the song.
But only 2 in the Grand Final Top 3
Ok, she will win now, I am even more sure, they are gonna D E L I V E R!
SJB will also have a very hard job this year by the time she will have many many artists like Marvin Dietmann and I think also Fokas Evangelinos. This is like there are only 3 stage directors for Eurovision, while there are also many more who might be much better than the above
Well it’s 5 for Sacha, 7 for Dietmann, and 2 for Evangelinos, so there are 25 more people working on ESC stage numbers at the moment if that makes you feel any better. And Eurovision is a huge TV production of almost American standards. I’d say only the Grammys and the Olympics have been bigger, so no I don’t think that any country has individual people with enough tv experience who can handle it.
Why can’t this be 0 for Sacha, Diietmann and Fokas (or just 1 for each one) and have 39 local stage directors (yeah, I know that Dietmann could handle German entry, SJB for Sweden and Evangelinos for Greece, but damn these countires have many more stage directors who can bring amazing stagings)
Done!!