Ira Losco departed for Stockholm this morning as she prepares to represent Malta in this year’s edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The singer, who previously obtained the country’s joint-best result in the competition, sets off with the public’s expectations at peak level – but she told the Times of Malta she’s doing her best to keep her feet on the ground.
“I try not to put that pressure on myself because there are a lot of factors that will affect whether we get through (the semi-final) or not,” she said.
“I can understand that people have a lot of expectation: we’ve put a lot of work into this and I think we’ve made that evident to the audience. But putting that pressure on myself would be half the battle lost.”
“I can understand that people have a lot of expectation: we’ve put a lot of work into this and I think we’ve made that evident to the audience. But putting that pressure on myself would be half the battle lost- Ira Losco
Returning to the Eurovision with her highly-rated song “Walk on Water”, 14 years after her second place finish with “Seventh Wonder”, Ms Losco highlighted the importance of the visual element of her performance, and the increased importance of social media since her last effort.
“It’s helped me to be more interactive with my fans and also to connect with international fans,” she said. “The song has done very well internationally; we’ve got a lot of support. So I’m going into this with a lot of positivity – and perhaps a different outlook because I’m a bit more mature.
“Obviously a lot depends on how the voting goes, the nerves on the night, but once you’re prepared and your mind-set is right, you can’t go wrong.”
PBS CEO Anton Attard, speaking during a reception at Malta International Airport ahead of the departure, described the level of the submissions Malta would be competing against in its semi-final as “very challenging”, but expressed optimism as the team prepares for the start of rehearsals in Stockholm this week.
Malta will be competing in the first semi-final on May 10, vying for one of 10 places that will ensure progress to the final on May 14.