The 49 shortlisted songs for Malta's Eurovision contest were announced by PBS last night.

The 49 were shortlisted from 153 songs submitted. They have to be further shortlisted to 20 which will be performed in the live semi-final on January 22.

Among the shortlisted songs are two songs featuring Ira Losco, who placed second in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002 with Seventh Wonder.

The 20 songs will then be further reduced to 14 to compete in the national final on January 23.

The 49 songs are:

96 - Francesca Bonnano

Alive - Jasmine Abela

All Around The World - Deborah C

Bare Your Soul - Chaya Fenech

Battle Zone - Kurt Cassar

Beautiful - Lyndsey Pace

Brave - Andre Curmi (Dre)

Breaking Point - Cherylis & Mikhail

Breathe - Cherylis

Can't Let Go - Jessika

Castle - Danica Muscat

Chameleon (Invincible) - Ira Losco

Dancing In The Rain - Francesca Borg

Empty Hearted - Domenique Azzopardi

Exceptional - Jean Claude Azzopardi

Falling Glass - Corazon (Mizzi)

Feeling Alive - Kelly Ann Mintoff

Fire Burn - Dominic

Fireworks - Iona

Flashing Lights - Raquel Galdes

Flawless - Franklin Calleja

Frontline - Danica Muscat

Go Beyond The Shore - Paul Cushieri

Golden - Brooke

Gone - Nazjo Rotin

Higher - Q

Hush Hush - Jessika

I Love You - Dario Mifsud Bonnici

I Won't Surrender - Franklin Calleja

Kingdom - Christabelle Borg

Light Up My Life - Stefan Galea

Lighthouse - Kimberley Cortis

Little Love - Franklin Calleja

MI-MI-MIND - Neville Refalo

Paper Boats - Joseph Portelli

Reaching - Panama Band- Simaria

Right Here With You - Sarah Crystal

Rule The World - Aidan Cassar

Someday - Klinsmann Coleiro

Tell Me What You Wanna Do - Julienne Liberto

That's Why I Love You - Ira Losco

The Flame - Jessika

Tonight - Kyle Mangani & Maxine Pace

Under The Sun - Daniel Testa

Victory - Amy Agius

Without You - Kaya

Young Love - Maxine Pace

Your Kiss - Malcom

You're Beautiful - Laurence Gray