Last month Emma Muscat won the Malta Song Contest with the ballad “Out of Sight”. But the Maltese songstress will perform a different song in Turin. TVM confirmed today that Emma’s song for Eurovision 2022 will be the gospel-infused “I AM WHAT I AM”.
The Maltese broadcaster confirmed the song swap today with posts on social media, writing “I AM WHAT I AM” by Emma Muscat is the official song which will be representing Malta in the Eurovision next May in Turin.”
Emma’s new song “I AM WHAT I AM” is a mid-tempo anthem of resilience and being true to yourself. Emma is joined by gospel-style backing vocals, as she asserts “Take it or leave it, I am what I am”.
The song was written by Emma along with the Scandi songwriters Dino Medanhodzic (Dotter’s “Bulletproof”), Julie Aagaard (Klara Hammerstöm’s “Run to the Hills”) and Stine Kinck.
Malta changes its mind
The song switch follows Emma winning the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with her emotional ballad “Out of Sight”. Her national final performance impressed both the expert jury and Maltese televoters. Emma picked up 12 points from each jury member and a maximum televote score, ensuring that she would be Malta’s representative in Turin.
But she won’t be going to Italy with “Out of Sight”. A close reading of the MESC 2022 rules confirms that “The winning Artist will be eligible to represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.” The rules make no mention of the MESC winning song automatically being selected for Eurovision — meaning that it is above board for a new song to be internally selected for Eurovision.
While the winner of MESC has usually also been the Eurovision entry, this hasn’t always been the case. In 2015, Amber’s “Warrior” was substantially revamped from an edgy electronic song into a sweeping orchestral ballad. The following year, Ira Losco won MESC with “Chameleon” but after a song search, went to Stockholm with “Walk on Water”.
Listen to Emma Muscat’s Eurovision 2022 song “I AM WHAT I AM”
Which of Emma’s songs do you like the best?
Are you a fan of “Out of Sight”? Or are you happier with Emma’s new song? Which song do you think would be the better choice for Malta at Eurovision 2022? Have your say in our poll — and remember, you can only vote once, so vote carefully!
What do you think of “I AM WHAT I AM”? Did Malta make the right choice by switching songs? Have your say in the comments section below!
Why Malta is only 21 in the odds when it should be number 1 ? Oh right someone is telling me I am a year too late lol.
Pretty sure that the flock of sheep who bought last year rigged betting odds would do the same again if Malta was again the number one in the odds and we would see many polls, top having this song as their top favorite like last year lol.
Don’t tell me you’re still on this… Destiny’s song was good. Perhaps not your taste but a lot of people think otherwise. When it comes to the bad result she got with the public in the final, 3 factors can explain it. 1) The performance was quite underwhelming for such a song. 2) The running order. 3) The fact that the public hasn’t been nice with Malta for a long time now. Why? I don’t know. Of course it doesn’t change the fact that they rigged the betting odds last year. Still it doesn’t allow you to talk in the… Read more »
Oh wow Malta. You swapped a bland ballad for… another bland ballad that we’ve heard a million times before from you. What a joke. Ritmu was right there, you could of sent something fresh and exciting. Well done on not qualifying this year.
yes her father is a businessman, director and shareholder in family company Muscat Universal Limited, and her mother is a musical theatre actress, musician who has been in quite a few musical stage productions in Malta
Keith Muscat is her uncle, who is also her manager
well yes wanting a artist who has wealthy family is all in all very cheap for TVM if the artist can fund everything themselves
Agree with you all here, this swap was pointless, and is not an upgrade for Emma. The lyrics on the new song IAWIA are worse and feel very inauthentic. You obviously changed the song so it was a poor decision to come back with a message song as a “backup song”. The interviews will be so fake now, since inevitably the delegation will be asked the usual questions like “What is the meaning/message of your song?” or “What does the song mean to you?”….. The honest answer is sadly, “I’m not sure, the broadcaster didn’t like the negative reception to… Read more »
Also the fake piano playing in the music video is so annoying. Like, why even do that if you can’t play it?
She can play the piano and how!! Why do you make such statements when you did not even bother to check first? Just go on YouTube, search for her audition on Amici and you’ll get your answer or just go on her Instagram. She posted a cover of Out of Sight.
Here, I’ll make it easier for you and save yourself the embarrassment:
SUPER SFIDA! Audjah Vs Emma Muscat da Malta. AMICI – YouTube
Emma Muscat-Halo- – YouTube
This goes to show how many of you are ready to jump on the bandwagon as long as it has to do against someone whose song you may dislike.
I Am What I Am – a straight white cis woman? What’s so exceptional about her to warrant this title and message? I think she’s gorgeous a a great singer and live performer but this bland song simply doesn’t suit her. Only someone with an interesting life story could elevate it a but and that brings me to Alesia Michelle’s comment – this sounds like a song written for The Mammas they said ‘Nah, thanks, we’re fine’ to. And knowing the writers I’m now convinced that’s actually what happened. She really hit the nail on the head!
I quite dislike your point that someone’s sexuality, race and gender defines what song they are best at singing? I would much rather focus on the fact that the song itself is very bland rather than segregating society into what types of songs they should sing.
Did you just assume her gender??? JK 😉
Self acceptance isn’t just for LGBTQ, people of color, people of size etc. Normative people also have difficulties and struggles and can use an empowering message.
Other than that, I totally agree with you. If you’re going to make the questionable move of internally replacing a song that was chosen by the public in a national final, at least do it for a killer song, and IAWIA is not that. Bland as it gets.
And being gay somehow makes you more interesting? Why do some people base their personality out of their sexuality or gender. Oh right, cuz they don’t have a personality.
There’s nothing wrong with someone being normal, you know?
Embracing who you are is not only limited to sexuality!
It’s not all about the labels Billy! You see a “straight white cis woman” but I see a dreamer, a philosopher and Pocahontas in Gary’s vision…
Out of Sight was not my favourite, but it is better than this new song. Mediocre, generic and too Swedish pop. It will die in the semis. I do not U destiny, if they did not liked the song, why not send no. 2? Aidan Cassar would have done a good job at Eurovision. Ritmu is a great song and at least it is 100% maltese!
I like both songs but let’s be honest : the flaws in the first are present in the second. This was a usuless song swap…
i would love to see a poll where you can vote if qami qami would the nr 1 esc song in 2022 if it competed because so far it still takes the cake. esc 2022 ist soo bad
I AM WATER!
Malta seem very self-conscious and desperate to appeal to the juries or well..to someone lol. We all know a forced effort won’t get recognised or supported because it’s so obvious it’s manufactured in the worst self-conscious way possible. Why can’t Malta just send a Maltese bop? Why cater so much to the Western audience? They had Aidan who was singing in THEIR language AND had a bop of a song with a lot of effort into his staging…But they chose the familiar popular face of Emma and exploited her by giving her bad songs even though she has the voice… Read more »
Aidan may have had a good song, but his vocals are mediocre. He does not sing, he simply talks in Ritmu. Emma had the strongest vocals live, but her song was not appealing really. I had this dilemma too, but I still prefer Emma to Aidan. I’d rather have a cheesy, basic song than someone who cannot sing live. I think you have to look at it from a small island perspective. Being a small island, any artist who makes the tiniest of success internationally would be favored over others. There are only a few in Malta. I believe that’s… Read more »
It’s true that his vocals weren’t the best. I was only looking at it song-wise. At the end of the day I actually had other songs from the national selection as my favorites… Plus, considering we now have WRS with a similar vibe song in the contest, it’s actually not so bad that Aidan didn’t win. Anyway, I agree with you. That’s why I think it’s sad, because she clearly has the potential and she has the connections to be given a stronger song. Of course, her song isn’t bad it’s just generic. It won’t do too well with the… Read more »
Right. I listened to her songs in Italian. Emma’s a great artist and rightly so. Placing 4th in an Italian show watched by many is a great achievement for someone who resides in Malta. I’m slightly pissed she didn’t pick a better song. She’s able to do much better. I still like ‘I am what I am’ though.
I read from some Maltese fans in a YT video that most people didn’t vote for Aidan for being known for being a “plagiarist” or something like that :/
Still, I’m sad for Emma because I think like both of you, she’s capable and deserving of something better.
Call me basic as much as you want, but this is one of my favorites for this year’s contest. Is it groundbreaking? No. Have we seen this before? Definitely. Great song, great vocals, and a great artist. Not every song has to be a winning song.
Sounds like a Mello entry!
Yikes
Everything about Malta has felt so cynical this year and this wishy-washy half-ballad doesn’t help. Aidan had something with ‘Ritmu’ that couldn’t be bought.
Not sure why some fans suddently support Out of Sight which was a song that was flopping hard on everyone’s lists but also betting odds. Out of Sight was not memorable at all and it was a certain NQ for Malta. The new song is better but it’s very uninspiring and full of cliches that we’ve seen before in Eurovision. Yet, it gives Malta more chances to qualify if the juries support Malta. My problem is that Emma cowrote this song (or rather got it) with a Swedish team. She should have worked with an italian team and sing a… Read more »
Because betting odds is what all that matters, right?
I repeat myself but this mess we are experiencing now is in most part due to the fact of pre-recorded vocals now allowed. This will now even more increase Swedish or english pop radio lazy songs without soul. Would Malta even choose such a song if they were forced to sing it 100% live knowing they should bring gospel backsingers + another classic ones and then limiting the staging possibilities ? Or at the best they would try another approach different from the studio version. This was also part of Eurovision excitement when we were sometimes wondering how certain songs… Read more »
It’s a generic pop song that replaced a generic pop song. They added a choir to try and cater to the juries but the song just stays completely flat all throughout the song. No climax, no crazy vocal moments. It’s just meh compared to the other unique entries this year. Disappointed in Malta because if they’re going to change a song, they need to make it better, not the same…
can she still get back to the previous song?! ^^
I also feel sorry for those who spent 500 hours watching the song breaks during the ad show.
…i do not think malta has moved in my ranking at all. Sorry but they replaced a boring song with a boring song.
Off topic but it was confirmed that Ukraine will take part in Eurovision in spite of the situation. They will probably send a video of their perfomance
Does Malta have a cupboard full of middle of the road, cliche-ridden pop songs? I’m not sure what the point was of one replacing one forgettable pop song with another one?
Is there time to have another go? I wonder how many are in there?
It’s all very underwhelming this year
another very ordinary song. Not worth the studio time. Too bland.
You know, when I got into Eurovision in 2016, it was At the tail end of the national final season and I never knew that Malta had switched the song out. I thought walk on water was Ira losco’s song for the start but he wasn’t until I saw a video about songs That never made it to Eurovision that I discovered it wasn’t her original song. History repeats here
How are you gonna release a song just as underwhelming as the last?
I feel really sorry for Aidan. It’s clear Emma Muscat won MESC solely for her name and not the song.
I would prefer if Emma did a duet to ‘Ritmu’ with Aidan for Eurovision, it’s her only other option to achieve a decent result.
What is the point of voting for a song that the nation wanted to just change it? Why bother doing a national selection to just swap? Disappointed Malta
I wonder when this song was actually written. Probably only in the last few weeks.
Probably last summer for a Melfest submission.
Maybe, but Emma is a songwriter on it too.
I spat out my biscuit when I read this comment!
It could be one song mashed into another song, like Senhit did last year. You could be right, though, just to avoid people complaining about no Maltese songwriters.
That is just crap. What about Azerbaijan, I mean they are late? I guess I will put them in my bottom pile
And Armenia…! Why both so late?
If Malta could have voted based on the song and not a popularity contest then we could have avoided both of her bland songs.
This comment is spot on! Ritmu was obviously the better song, but Emma only won because she is more popular. Can’t imagine Malta qualifying or making it very far with either song really…
in the semi this will probably be top 5 with the juries (cause its malta) and bottom 5 in the televote. predictable, uninspired, and just like out of sight i cannot remember a single line from the song. i do not want to see malta in the final this year honestly
I am what i am is everything you might remember
I prefer this more than out of sight
So they changed a generic song to an even more generic song?
All I am waiting for to hear with this is “Next on Disney Channel”!
This song is nice and safe. And nice. It won’t unduly bother the juries or televoters and will probably not make the finals as safe and nice doesn’t make for a memorable entry. To improve their chances Malta could have selected Aiden but I guess they are too conservative to do that.
About the rules… does “the winning artist” not also include the songwriters?
Antonio Caputo, Gabriel Rossi, Lorenzo Santarelli and Marco Salvaderi also won MESC.
Now they’re out.
Seeing this compared to Australia and Israel’s more authentic songs of self-expression in the same semi half makes it ring all the more hollow. I’m disappointed Malta switched to a much more generic song and unless the staging is brilliant I’m worried they may have just ended their chances of qualifying.
You can change the song, but you can’t change who you are. This is still outdated and not qualifying.
Israel: I.M.
Malta: I am what I am
probably Armenia or Azerbaijan I suppose now: I am what I am because I am
Rosa’s Snap has leaked, so I have an idea what the song is. I just need some visuals. The only song not revealed yet is Azerbaijan. I low-key hope that it’s about Julius Caesar, Leonardo da Vinci or Lord Byron. 😉
I really want a “Just like Mata Hari” line in the Azerbaijani entry.
Noooo… Calpurnia the woman of Julius Cesat and her story after Cleopatra taken her husband 😉
Mad bad and dangerous to know
snap isnt confirmed.
Snap isn’t confirmed, it could be another song as it was hinted two songs from Rosa Linn were being considered by ARMPTV
As long as they don’t rig the bets again, they can do whatever they want.
It sounds very Disney Channel to me. It reminds me of the sitcom “Penny on M.A.R.S” which ironically took place in Italy, Emma’s main country
her family is one of Malta’s wealthiest families, she herself isn’t that rich although family money maybe explains how she bought this reject song
she is a big name in both Malta and Italy, signed to Warner Music Italy
No song with this name could ever be as good as Jerry Herman’s anthem.
Slovenia is the one who really would’ve needed a revamp
Unpopular opinion: Slovenia has a nice song and I wish them to be in final.
Preach, Spaghetti!
my no.2
It’s a great entry but it also needs a great staging to become a possible borderline qualifier!
No matter how we feel about the old song or the new one (I personally prefer “Out of Sight”, but it wouldn’t climb more than a couple positions on my ranking), I guess the vast majority of us can agree that was a reckless (or plainly stupid) move. Even if the rules allowed, the Maltese delegation is undermining the level of trust in their selecting process and making angry defeated artists and songwriters, people who voted for the other acts and even some that voted for Emma because they genuinely liked her song in MESC. All to replace a band… Read more »
Exactly because the audience vote for a song not an artist. It is not fair. Plus on this entry not Maltese people involve in music or lyrics
I followed the selection and it was a five member jury which voted. The televote was only reprentetive of one member of the jury. Sad!
I agree. The switch makes the whole selection pointless. It should have been an internal choice. I also don’t care for the new song, as it feels very calculated and by-the-numbers. Of course, the message is nice, but it feels like it’s projecting that message because it’s proven to be successful, not because it has something new to add to the subject. I wish Emma all the best, and I see that she’s a talented young woman, capable of much more.
There’s something as ironic about Malta sending a song about how important it is to be an individual and stand out as it was for Russia to send songs about coming together in peace.
I agree that this song also feels inauthentic, but I wouldn’t go as far as to put it in the same category as A Million Voices and Believe. This feels calculated, but I think that Emma and her writing team still believe in the core message of the song. Russian peace ballads by Bilan and Gagarina don’t only feel calculated, but cynical in the worst way.
Those two peace songs had the same songwriters. From Sweden. I don’t know if that makes it better, or worse.
In these particular cases, I don’t blame the Swedish songwriters (who, as far as I know, are normal people), but the context the songs were put in when performed by dictator apologists in same year aforementioned one attacked Georgia / one year after he attacked Crimea. Same songs with different performers and representing a different ideology could be good, as musically they aren’t lacking. It’s the stench left after how they are used.
Could explain why you think it is ironic?
This is the worst part, right? Just like last year, Malta has a very talented performer with tons of local support and is trying to fit her in a particular box. At least Destiny’s song was radiofriendly and fun, while Emma’s sounds completely out of touch with the charts.
I definitely prefer Je Me Casse. It’s “made to win”, but it’s such a fun entry nonetheless. I Am What I Am feels flavorless in comparison. At least at first. But Emma being as charismatic and as talented as Destiny is true.
I wonder the same, she had the necessary stuff (even the voice) to work on a winning song from the start :/
Wtf is going on with Malta? They could’ve selected her internally instead of running that mess of a NF just to change the song at the end!
I mean, I know Malta has done this before, but at least “Walk on Water” was better than “Chameleon.” The same can’t be said about Emma’s songs xd
And the worst part of all is that the Maltese broadcaster is hurting Emma’s artistic integrity, as she’s capable and deserving of a better entry
This song is gonna do as much as the other one she sang.
Not qualify.
considering that strong line up already of semi final 2, can see this one more being a contender for near last or last place in semi
but we might be surprised, depends on how juries will think about this
I can imagine the other candidates in MESC (especially Aidan) being a bit pissed off now. And to say that it’s an improvement… she’s a good singer but she’s changed one generic song for another to be honest.
why would they be pissed??? she won the right to represent her country. it’s in the rules that she is allowed to change her song.
Ok, so now we have “I.M” and “I know what I am”!
Lmao
An hilarious running order would be
1 “I am what I am” Malta
2 “(I’m) Not the same” Australia
3 “I.M” Israel
Or whatever order since they are all three following each other lol
The funny thing is that all these songs are semi final 2….
Suddenly everyone is praising ‘Out of Sight’ as if it was the best song this year lol. The fact is this song is punchier and more memorable. This is a competition and it is glad to see that some countries take it seriously (always playing within EBU rules ofc). Everyone is annoyed that the televote was ignored, when this was only 16% of the total score to begin with.
It really sounds like they recycled Little Tot in places… it’s weird, but then again it’s Dino behind it soooo… *shrug*
Bit unfair to have people vote for a song and then the song gets changed, though.
I’ve said this elsewhere lol.
This is not a good entry.