All songs for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 have been selected. During the weeks between the national final season and the actual Eurovision Song Contest, we will introduce all 43 entries in random order. We are half way through and part twenty-eight of the series is dedicated to the Maltese entry.

Basic information

The song

One life is an up-tempo dance pop song. The lyrics bear a Seize the day message as they tell the listeners to live their lives and be what they are:

I am who I am
And I’m here for you

One life
Show what’s in your heart
Love me like I love you
One life
Is all we get to live
Time to set your heart free

The performer

Glen Vella has been part of the Maltese music scene for some years. Among other things, he starred in various musicals and he frequently performs on television shows. Furthermore, he is part of the Animae Gospel Choir, which is considered one of the most famous choirs in Malta.

In 2005, Glen Vella competed in the Maltese national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. With the song Appreciate he finished fifth. In 2008, he competed a second time but his song Loved by you, which was a duet with Pamela, did not make it past the semi final. The year after he competed as a part of the group Q finishing third with Before you walk away. In 2010, he returned as a soloist and came second with Just a little more love. In 2011, he took part one more time and could win with the song One life.

The songwriters

One life was written by Paul Giordimaina (music) and Fleur Balzan (lyrics). Paul Giordimaina represented Malta as a singer in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991 in a duo with Georgina finishing sixth. He also competed as a singer in the national finals of 1993, 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2006. Many songs written by him and Fleur Balzan haven been competing in the national finals in recent years. Among them are the runner-up entries in 2009 (Someday, Before you walk away) and 2010 (Just a little more love).

The national selection

Unlike in 2009 and 2010, the Maltese national selection only consisted of two televised shows this year. 16 out of 24 songs were chosen in the semi final to move forward to the grand final. The winner was decided by a mixture of jury voting and televoting.

Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest

Malta took part in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1971 and immediately finished last. After another last place in 1972, the country waited until 1975 for the next participation but only achieved a 12th place among 19 contestants with their first song in English. In would take until 1991 that Malta returned to the competition, but this timewith more success finishing in the top ten every year until 1999. The last four years however, Malta was eliminated in the semi finals three times.

Statistics

This will be Malta's 24th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. For the seventh time the country is represented by a male solo performer. It is also the 22nd Maltese entry in a row that is performed mainly in English. Malta therefore remains one of the countries that had all of their entries performed in a national language.

One life is the eleventh song to be performed in the first semi final. It is preceeded by the guitar pop ballad from Finland and it is followed by the pop ballad from San Marino. An advantage might therefore be the fact that the Maltese entry is performed in the middle of two very different songs.

Nixtiequ lil Malta kif ukoll lil Glen Vella l-isbah xewqat ghal riżultat tajjeb Ä¡ewwa Düsseldorf!
We wish Malta and Glen Vella the best of luck and a good result in Düsseldorf!

Videos

Live performance in the national final:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqesy3DSd2E

The preview video:

Loved by you in the Maltese national semi final 2008:

Before you walk away in 2009:

Just a little more love – second place in 2010:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRW1FBMjpgk

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the German entry.

Previous parts of the series:

1. Estonia
2. Italy
3. Croatia
4. Slovakia
5. Lithuania
6. Finland
7. Switzerland
   
8. Ukraine
9. Norway
10. Moldova
11. Belgium
12. Azerbaijan
13. Ireland
14. Portugal
    
15. Austria
16. Latvia
17. France
18. Bosnia & Herzegovina
19. Romania
20. Sweden
21. Bulgaria
22. Armenia
23. Denmark
24. Cyprus
25. Spain
    
26. Belarus
27. San Marino