She’s the Maltese singer who has been traveling Europe to promote her Eurovision song “I Am What I Am”. And on Saturday – ahead of her live performance at Eurovision in Concert in Amsterdam — Emma Muscat caught up with me in the press room to discuss her song, its themes, the Maltese language and more.

The star, who was born in St. Julian’s, Malta, was thrilled by the reaction she received in Spain a few weeks ago. 

“The most amazing experience was the first pre-Eurovision party in Barcelona,” she says. “I didn’t except the crowd to sing along so much…It was an amazing, amazing feeling to receive so much love.”

The love continued at Israel Calling, where, seated at a piano, she delivered a magical performance.: “I was really, really glad to be on that stage and have the audience sing along.”

Emma may have experience as a model and all-around glamour-puss, but she has faced her struggles too — beauty does not shield one from life’s hurdles. 

“It’s been an up and down journey. However, the song does talk about self-love and I feel it’s something that lacks in the world. I know that I personally struggled with accepting myself when I was growing up and being accepted by others.”

“People tend to judge a book by it’s cover and say like, you know, ‘It can’t be that this person struggled with self-acceptance and self love.’ But I think that everyone has their story. As soon as I heard this song I felt it was so personal to me and I felt it could help others too. That’s the main reason I wanted to bring this song on such a big platform with so many millions of people watching.”

Raising awareness that everyone feels pain, and that we should be empathetic to all, is helping push our girl forward. 

“That’s a comment I received from people. I’ve suffered a lot with people blocking at aesthetics and not looking deeper at the person. This is something I wanted to relate as a message to the public. Don’t let anyone else tell you you can’t be who you want to be. Be who you want to be. We are all individually unique and beautiful. That’s basically it. It’s a very positive song with a positive message.”

Emma really shines at the piano, and it seems like we may be getting more of that in Turin.

“I am a pianist and the piano has always defined me…I will definitely be at the piano, but I will also be interacting with the public and making sure everyone feels loved.”

Are you feeling Emma’s love? Do you agree that she’s been getting stronger with each performance? Let us know in the comments box below.

46 Comments
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Colin
Colin
1 year ago

Reading another interview with Emma, I started appreciating Out of Sight even more. She said that it’s a personal song, and that she wrote it to her younger self. It might not be that immediate, but it’s well composed, and has a story behind it. I am sure it would be somewhere in my personal top 25. I Am What I Am, on the other hand, feels too nondescript and Emma said that’s not her usual style of song. Even if she clearly stated that she personally rearranged it after hearing it, so there’s your answer on her songwriting credit.… Read more »

Jonas
Jonas
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

Rearranging a song does not make you a songwriter. Orchestrators do not go on the credits, like all of the conductors up to 1998 did not go on the credits.

P99
P99
1 year ago

Feel like everyone is way too harsh on her. Yes she didn’t write the song. But so didn’t Netta with Toy. That doesn’t mean both can relate to their (in my opinion empty) songs.

Im so fab
Im so fab
1 year ago
Reply to  P99

So, ehm, you agree with us?

Pineaple
Pineaple
1 year ago

Honestly the wiwibloggs comment sections are becoming worse than twitter at this point. So many hateful comments… just because this girl is “attractive” doesn’t mean she’s immune to struggles with self image…

Eurovision promotes an ethos of togetherness and unity, but its fans promote the exact opposite and its getting worse and worse with every year that passes, its got to stop.

Sometimes
Sometimes
1 year ago
Reply to  Pineaple

I agree wholeheartedly,
Beautiful girls can have self esteem issues just like everybody else,
that’s why you can see many beautiful celebrities do many unnecessary plastic surgery and having eating disorders….

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
1 year ago

Sorry. Don’t try to make this something it’s not.
You have no connection to this song. Your country bought a Melfest-reject song because they were worried about the reaction to the song that you originally intended to compete with.
I hope this entry gets the result it deserves tbh.

Yush
Yush
1 year ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

Same. Out Of Sight was my winner. Shame they change the song. I really like Malta but hopefully they won’t qualify this year cause this song is unacceptable & unforgivable

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

it isn’t a reject, it was intended for Melfest yes but they weren’t able to find the right performer so in the end it was not submitted to this years Melfest yes i also hope her entry gets the result she deserves, a decent mid table position in the final, and hopefully doing better in televotes than some expect her to i fully believe in Emma, she is such a star, and her live performing qualities really elevate this song to a another level, whereas other artists would’ve just been certain nq’s with this song, so yes she is the… Read more »

Netta's Pikachu
Netta's Pikachu
1 year ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

don’t judge her. We all have struggles. Some more then others but i think loving ones self can be hard just because of society’s judgment. We have to be perfect in the eyes of the world. Thats not easy

Jo.
Jo.
1 year ago

read some comments below and we can see she’s right

esc1234
esc1234
1 year ago

It feels unauthentic, the literally just bought a melfest reject with a message and added her name in the credits.

Im so fab
Im so fab
1 year ago

Jokes aside, can the Maltese negotiation stop feeding us with cr*p and plastic songs every single year? It’s not even funny any more.

Im so fab
Im so fab
1 year ago
Reply to  Im so fab

*team

Billion
Billion
1 year ago

Reading the comments here makes me sad for most of you. If you did a modicum of research instead of spewing vitriol you would understand that the song was adapted after Emma heard it. A) It was originally for guitar, but adapted for piano as Emma is a pianist. B) She changed the lyrics so she could relate to it C) If you look into her past she suffered from serious self-confidence issues D) She is a pianist and a very good one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaIpuaa4G0c this video was posted when she was just 15. Just saying

monica
monica
1 year ago
Reply to  Billion

Wow…you could not have said it better!I’m so disgusted the way ppl react.They don’t know how this can effect someone.They need to STOP!!!If you don’t agree or like,say nothing.
These are ppl who have no life,they just sit behind their phones and write hate speech.

monica
monica
1 year ago

who says she’s faking it??? Stop spreading hate!!!Pfffff….get a life

Theo
Theo
1 year ago

Was it difficult to accept herself when she was a teen? Oh dear the struggles of a wealthy pretty girl trying to decide to wear Prada or Channel.

Ignonito
Ignonito
1 year ago
Reply to  Theo

Dude you know that wealthy people are human right?

monica
monica
1 year ago
Reply to  Theo

Don’t judge and believe what people say about her.If you don’t like the song it’s ok,but dont spread rumours which aren’t true….it’s bullying…and thats the reason she was talking about it…..cos of people like you!!!

Sometimes
Sometimes
1 year ago
Reply to  Theo

So beautiful and wealthy people cannot have self esteem issues? Or any mental disorders?

I hate to break it for you, but money doesn’t equal happiness.

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago
Reply to  Theo

she isn’t wealthy at all, she is from one of malta’s poorest families

always had to work hard herself to get where she is now as the professional singer and pianist what she is

Jonas
Jonas
1 year ago

Emma says that as soon as she heard the song she knew it was for her… but I thought she was one of the songwriters? I wonder what and how much she added to the existing song. I don’t mean to sound judgey, I would genuinely like to know how these things work.

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonas

changed some of the lyrics adding her personal experience and changing the guitar instrumentals to piano instrumentals her own signature basically

Jonas
Jonas
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonas

What I don’t understand is why the other songwriters would accept that. It means splitting the money four ways instead of three. There’s probably not much money to split anyway, of course, so maybe it doesn’t matter too much. Or maybe Emma just bought the rights to the song for an agreed price to start with.

Madhat
Madhat
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonas

It’s pretty obvious that the broadcaster has no say in the final product. Everything is controlled by her Italian music label.

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago
Reply to  Madhat

countries like Georgia and North Macedonia will always stay in the semi with their amateurish music scenes

no one is better than superstar Emma Muscat, she is perfect and she will win esc this year, so suck on that haters

Dope
Dope
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonas

Usually the main songwriter(s) & producer(s) make the final product that will be offered to any artist, this song was offered to Melodifestivalen but wasn’t paired with anyone so they rejected it. Then Maltese broadcaster contacted a Danish person (I don’t remember his name now) who has the connections and asked if some known writers & producers have a song available. Then it’s sent to the Maltese broadcaster and they decided to buy it. After that a recording of the actual singer (the one going to Eurovision) singing the song gets done and as they do it in Melodifestivalen they’ll… Read more »

Jonas
Jonas
1 year ago
Reply to  Dope

Thank you.

Jonas
Jonas
1 year ago

Ihor in the background kinda distracted me from what Emma was saying in this video.

esc_fl
esc_fl
1 year ago

Wishing Emma luck, but I still can’t unhear “Little Tot” all over the song. Especially since it was by the same composer

Polegend Godnova
1 year ago

she has an amazing personality <3

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago

Who knows? The televote could end up sending this through too if her voice is good live!

Escfan
1 year ago

Although I understand what you mean by that, to put Malta’s recent televote form into context, in the years they haven’t qualified (since 2016 split voting system) they have been last in the televote when they haven’t qualified. Apart from destiny last year, their other two entries that qualified came 9th and 10th with the televote. Destiny’s jury and televote point difference in the final was 161 points. I do think (for some reason) there’s a bit of a disconnect with televoters and Maltese entries. Like in 2018, Christabelle was 5th with the jury and still didn’t qualify. So unless… Read more »

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago
Reply to  Escfan

Poland have also struggled with juries honestly, also a disconnect there

think juries will prefer Sweden, Australia over Ochman because you know more friends in the juries

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago

I have been to St Julians and its a lovely place. However, I don’t buy everything she says neccessarily about being ‘oppressed’, though she’d have to ellaborate!

Azan
Azan
1 year ago

Emma has such a sweet and amazing personality! I can totally relate to this song, and I know a lot of people who look fabulous once they grew up, but had tons of issues back in their school days.

This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but many people can relate to this and the fact that she has had some of the best performances at the pre-parties should show that the message resonates with the audience.

conortje
1 year ago

It’s hard not to be cynical about the lyrics and video to this song. Privileged pretty white woman jumps on the being different band wagon. Sorry not convinced there’s a shred of authenticity here.

Alexander Gunnarsson
Alexander Gunnarsson
1 year ago
Reply to  conortje

Agreed, as soon as I heard this song and it’s message I was like “yeah well that’s some bs”

Madhat
Madhat
1 year ago
Reply to  conortje

Oh yes like Maneskin being the white beautiful people singing about their cast-away uniqueness, yet nobody said anything because they looked ‘edgy’ and ‘cool’. Some art is made for others to find themselves in it.

Ellie
Ellie
1 year ago
Reply to  Madhat

Let’s just forget the whole accused of being drug addicts thing that happened because of their looks and genre. Not like that happened at Eurovis–oh.

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago
Reply to  conortje

she isn’t privileged, stop spreading lies

Little Miss Sassy
Little Miss Sassy
1 year ago

Emma must be a very forgiving girl to want to be in a photo with you after you and Deban excessively trashed her song.

Dawid
Dawid
1 year ago

And then she came back with worse one

Ffgsg
Ffgsg
1 year ago

The fact that now she is beautiful
She is the prettiest and sweetest participant this year. She looks amazing

efafaeff
efafaeff
1 year ago
Reply to  Ffgsg

downvotes? people are sying teh same thing but dont get downvoted
well is it bc you think chanel is the prettiest? or that im generally getting hate here on wiwi? prob both