While Sweden is kick-starting their season with the first of six weeks of Melodifestivalen mania, Malta is about to select their 25th entry for Eurovision.
It has to be said: for a country their size, Malta has been mindblowingly successful at the ESC. Twice runner-up, twice heartbreakingly close to winning the whole shebang.
Lately, perhaps, the Maltese have not been quite up to standard. Since Chiara's second place in Kyiv 2005, the island nation has only twice been present in the final, on both occasions ending among the last.
There is a reason to this, however. Maltese composers have not been really careful about their craft and often settled for unpolished and under-developed song constructions, relying on simple hooks or gimmicks.
In the 90's, when Malta often belonged to the group of favourites, they often entered strong songs with insufficient performances. Lately it has been the reverse: good performers have been sent to the European stage with dismal songs and weak choruses.
So far, I am yet to hear a single entry in this year's Maltese line-up, but I hope they will run with a quality song rather than a cheerful performance or a fun gimmick.
We'd all love to spend a week in the sun in May 2013, so gives us your best shot. Fingers crossed.
Helen & Joseph - L-Imhabba (Malta 1972)
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