The video of Warrior, Malta's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, sung by Amber, was unveiled yesterday.  

Malta’s ‘warrior’ has taken one step closer to Vienna with the release of the re-recorded song and music video for this year’s Eurovision entry.

Warrior was written by Matt “Muxu” Mercieca and Elton Zarb.

The accompanying video, released yesterday at PBS and set in a dilapidated palazzo, intercuts shots of the singer with moody, atmospheric visuals meant to evoke, in the words of the creative team, the memories and struggles represented in the song.

“The goal was to create a video that would support and complement the feel of the song, while still leaving it open to interpretation,” Rodney Gauci, one of the creatives, said.

Pledging to do Malta proud in Vienna, Amber described working on the video as an unforgettable experience in which “the song is the star”.

“The mystery and darkness represented in the environment are defeated by the will and the strength of the warrior living inside me,” she said.

Speaking at the launch, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici praised Amber’s song and the professionalism of the PBS production team. He said the video successfully captured the spirit of optimism and perseverance that the song represented.

Initial response to the re-recorded song on social media yesterday was mixed, with some commentators praising the new arrangement and particularly the richness of the orchestration. Others, however, claimed the changes were too drastic and rendered the new version a wholly different song to the one the public voted on last November.

Warrior will take to the stage in the second Eurovision Song Contest semi-final on May 21, with the final on May 23 should Amber progress.

Malta has reached the final stage of the Eurovision on each of the last three attempts, with Gianluca Bezzina’s Tomorrow ranking highest, in eighth place.