Despite a nervous start, Chiara's voice commanded attention in the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest but there will be plenty of other singers in Saturday's final determined to serenade the votes out of viewers.
After years of pushing the envelope with entries such as the heavy metal band Lordi and Ireland's comic Dustin the Turkey, many countries have this year opted for the trustworthy ballad sung by solo female artistes.
Malta's 32-year-old ballad queen Chiara has set her sights on winning - she has returned to the Eurovision for the third time after placing third in 1998 and runner-up in 2005 - and she is not disheartened by what lies ahead.
"There was a lot of pressure to qualify from the first round. I'm used to what's coming now; I'm ready," she said.
One challenge comes from the UK's Jade Ewen, who sings It's My Time composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Many of the composer's fans view this move as a low ebb in his career but the UK is pulling out all the stops, even roping in the support of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Other potential rivals come in the form of Iceland's Yohanna who has a gentle song titled Is It True?; and Cyprus's Christina Metaxa, 17, whose entry Firefly was penned by her brother.
France's Patricia Kaas will be a hard act to follow. With millions of record sales under her belt, the experienced singer has wooed fans around Europe with her smoky mixture of jazz and chanson.
Chiara is still uncertain who poses the greatest challenge: "It's still too early to say. I'll be able to get a better idea from the rehearsals."
After qualifying from the semi-final, she has two relatively free days before rehearsals start again tomorrow. It will give her time to catch her breath and regain her energy to face the final hurdle.
Critics believe she will need to sharpen her vocal performance to achieve victory after a shaky start during Tuesday's semi-final but few doubt she will rise to the challenge.
British bookmaker William Hill is not banking on any of the ballads - the top three favourites are Norway, Greece and Bosnia Herzegovina.
Malta's rating has inched up two positions and its entry now lies in eighth place, jointly with France and Ukraine, with odds of 25:1.
During the press conference, held straight after the semi-final, the 10 qualifying countries drew their running order for Saturday's final - Chiara will be singing 14th from 24 countries.
Singing closer towards the end is usually considered an advantage because it is said to leave a greater imprint on people's minds but Chiara was indifferent.
"When I came second in 2005, I was the third to sing. For me singing in 14th makes no difference," she said.