Wiwi Jury: Malta’s Christabelle, Franklin, Lyndsay Pace & Domenique!

Earlier today, five members of the Wiwi Jury – our in-house panel of music unprofessionals – continued on their quick trip around Malta. We’ve all decided to take a trip to the small city of Senglea, where we’ve taken in the sights of the Senglea Basilica. Following that, we gathered to discuss the next batch of hopefuls in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2015: Christabelle, Franklin, Lyndsay Pace and Domenique. Who caught our eye this time? Keep reading to find out…

Please be aware that due to the smaller number of jurors, the highest and lowest scores have been included in the average scores, unlike other Wiwi Juries.

Franklin – Still Here

Chris: Well…it’s not exactly Fairytale, is it? The issue with having a Eurovision megastar behind your song means that it’s naturally going to have to stand up to their former work. Franklin is an engaging singer and stays on top of a fairly big song, but “Still Here” takes far too long to get going. The only people who will be voting for him will probably be the ones still there after the first minute – but at Eurovision, that’s too long. 6/10

Sami: If I like a ballad, in most cases it’s from the Balkan countries. “Still Here” is quite boring and nothing makes me want to play it once again after the first listen. I’m sure this will do well with the juries and those who love ballads will vote for this, but it’s not my cup of tea. 2/10

Patrick: This song is really beautiful! Alexander Rybak did a good job with composing it! Franklin can blast out amazing vocals (he has proven it last year) and that’s why I think it could do really well! It’s touching, lovely and melodic, maybe there is the special touch missing but I like it! 7/10

Anthony: Out of all the 20 semi-finalists, I wouldn’t have believed that Alexander Rybak has ended up composing a rather lacklustre ballad entry, which sounds very Disney-esque to me. If Franklin can deliver it live, then it might increase his chances, but it’s looking slim at the moment. 3/10

Deban: I was sceptical at first with all the pretty birds, flowers in her hair, white-washed winters and the endless cycle of you and me, again and again. However, there is no denying a few solid facts here. This composition tells a beautiful story. Also, Franklin delivers an expansive vocal range to a song that bears the most engaging arrangement in this year’s national selection. 9.5/10

Wiwi Jury Score: 5.5/10

Dominique – Take Me As I Am

Sami: It’s a bit like “Still Alive” by TWiiNS, ballad with an up-tempo beat. The chorus is great, but the verses let me underwhelmed. If she has good live vocals, I’m sure she will be high on the scoreboard but I don’t think this would be the best choice for them. 6/10

Deban: Clearly an accomplished singer, with a heartfelt number. Although boring in parts, the storyboard of this composition is a well-crafted one. Needs good staging to dampen the boredom that seeps through. 7/10

Anthony: A solid, decent effort from Domenique, and a great vocalist as well. The chorus has a slight hint of Safura’s “Drip Drop”, which stands out well, although certain areas of the song could do with a bit of tweaking should Domenique emerge triumphant. 7/10

Chris: This is a song that is crying out for a proper key change! Domenique sells the song well but it always feels like it’s just getting ready to shift in to another gear…and then it never happens. I’m quite surprised it’s performing relatively poorly in our poll though, as I’d still put it in my top half… 6.5/10

Patrick: Domenique is a beautiful woman with a great voice – that is for sure! Her song is really wonderful. The chorus is powerful, the whole song is great and I really adore it! I remember her being robbed in the NF of 2013 and now she is back with an way much better song! I love it! 8/10

Wiwi Jury Score: 6.9/10

Christabelle – Rush

Patrick: Woho there is Christabelle! This song is really catchy, up-beat and a total dance-number! I really like the fact that the chorus is already at the beginning at the song – it makes the song special! I’m not sure about her live-vocals cause I remember her last year with some weak vocals but maybe this time she will prove what she can! Well done! 7/10

Anthony: After 2 years of feel-good entries, I’d say it’s time for Malta to go for something different in Vienna. And Christabelle is back with a bang with this floor stomper of a pop song gem. Lovely. 8.5/10

Sami: This is my jam! I love how the song grows and grows and for me, it’s the best of them all. It would be very different from Malta’s previous entries and I’m sure it would be good for them to do something totally different. “Rush” is international, catchy and just makes you want to dance. 10/10

Deban: “Rush” kicks in at the very first beat, and courts the listener for the next three minutes. Yes, the subject matter may be shallow, but when rocking it out on the danceflooor, no lofty philosophical ideas required. 8.5/10

Chris: Unashamed fun for three minutes. That’s all that “Rush” really is and there’s absolutely no way that this would ever make it out of the semi final at Eurovision for that same reason. But if you take it just on face value, then this is one of the best songs in the field. Let’s hope Christabelle can pull this one off live too. 8.5/10

Wiwi Jury Score: 8.5/10

Lyndsay Pace – Home

Deban: The “Ayo” refrain is mildly irritating, and subtracts sophistication from the seriousness of the message embedded in the song. Putting that aside, Lyndsay soars after the bridge, and throws down a compelling performance. 6/10

Sami: The song is just boring and all you can remember from it is that “eo-eo-eo”. I don’t think people would remember this after 16 songs in the semifinal and it wouldn’t do any better tha Iris back in 2012. She has beautiful voice though, just wish she would have a better song. 2/10

Patrick: Okay, okay… I have to admit… I’m in love with this song and with Lyndsay! This is a really lovely, touching song. It’s simple but simple is sometimes more than everything else! Lyndsay is probably one of the most down-to-earth-artists I have ever met and I really would love to see her in Vienna! Thank you for this stunning song! 8.5/10

Chris: First things first: how stunning is Lyndsay in this video! I actually really like this one too; unlike Franklin earlier, even though the song takes a while to build, the “ayo” hook is memorable enough to keep you involved. When Lyndsay hits that note at the end, I’m sold. I hope this makes it through to the final on her debut! 7.5/10

Anthony: It’s a sweet song but unfortunately, it’ll definitely struggle to make an impact with the televoters. The “e-oh e-oh” parts just adds to the awkwardness of this entry. It’s a shame Lyndsay wasn’t given a song that unleashes her full potential. 2/10

Wiwi Jury Score: 5.2/10

YOU CAN ALSO REVIEW THE LATEST WIWI JURY RANKINGS AND REVIEWS.