“Once, just once, could we stop taking it so seriously and send in a fun/jokey song?” Hili questioned. “You know, the sort of novelty song that other countries send in? The sort that gets people’s attention?”

With so many songs competing for the attention of European viewers, it often helps Eurovision songs to be as original and memorable as possible.

The ‘jokey song’ route can be hit-and-miss; for example Norway’s song featuring performers dressed as wolves made it through to the final but Latvia’s song about veganism didn’t. 

If it’s a hit, it could also become part of Eurovision folklore regardless of it’s final placing; in fact, last night’s semi-final included a feature with an ode to some of the best gimmick performances over the years. 

Malta has never gone down this route, but after so many years of running into a brick wall, perhaps it’s worth a shot?  

Why do you think Malta didn’t qualify to the Eurovision final?