Tonight is the night: 22 semifinalists will compete for 16 tickets to the final of MESC (Malta Eurovision Song Contest). After a few years of having the X-Factor as the national final, there will be a regular national final again. The show will start at 21.00 CET and you can watch it here.  Here are the contestants: Aidan Cassar, “Ritmu” Baklava feat. Nicole, “Electric indigo” Denise Mercieca, “Boy” Derrick Schembri, “II” Emma Muscat, “Out of sight” Enya Magri, “Shame” Francesca Sciberras, “Rise” Giada, “Revelación” Janice Mangion, “Army” Jessica Grech, “Aphrodisiac” Jessika Muscat, “Kaleidoskope” Malcolm Pisani, “We came for love” Mark Anthony Bartolo, “Serenity” Matt Blxck, “Come around” Miriana Conte, “Look what you’ve done now” Nicole Azzopardi, “Into the fire” Nicole Hammett, “A lover’s heart” Norbert Bondin, “How special you are” Rachel Lowell, “White doves” Raquel Galdes Briffa, “Over you” Richard Micallef, “Hey little” Sarah Bonnici, “Heaven”   Aidan Cassar became 4th in 2018 and took part in X-Factor Malta 2019.Baklava became 18th in 2009, took part in the 2010 semifinal and became 6th in 2011.Denise Mercieca took part in X-Factor Malta 2019.Derrick Schembri took part in the 2009 semifinals and took part in X-Factor Malta 2020.Enya Magri took part in X-Factor Malta 2019.Francesca Sciberra took part in X-Factor Malta 2020.Janice Mangion took part in the 2012 semifinal, became 2nd in 2017 and took part in X-Factor Malta 2019.Jessika Muscat took part in the 2008, 2009, 2010 semifinal, became 15th in 2011, took part in the 2012 semifinal, became 8th in 2014 and represented San Marino in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest.Mark Anthony Bartolo took part in X-Factor Malta 2019.Matt Blxck took part in X-Factor Malta 2020.Miriana Conte became 16th in 2017, 12th in 2018 and took part in X-Factor Malta 2020 as a member of Chord.Nicole Azzopardi took part in X-Factor Malta 2019.Nicole Hammett took part in X-Factor Malta 2019.Norbert Bondin became 6th in X-Factor Malta 2019.Raquel Galdes Briffa took part in X-Factor Malta 2019.Richard Micallef took part in the 2010 semifinals, became 2nd in 2011, 5th in 2012, became 5th in 2013, won in 2014 with the band Firelight and thus represented Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest, and became 13th in 2017.Sarah Bonicci took part in the X-Factor Malta in 2019.

Alina Pash decided to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest. That is what she announced today on instagram. She made the decision after it appeared that one of her team members forged the documents about her travel to Crimea. This is Alina’s full statement: I am a citizen of Ukraine, I follow the laws of Ukraine, I try to bring the traditions and values ​​of Ukraine to the world.What this story turned out to be is not at all what I put into my song. I am an artist, not a politician. I do not have an army of PR people, managers, lawyers to resist all this attack and pressure, the break-in of my social networks; threats. And also absolutely unacceptable words that people allow themselves without understanding the situation and forgetting about the dignity of every citizen of Ukraine I don’t want this virtual war and hatred. The main war now is an external one, which came to my country in 2014. I don’t want to be in this dirty story anymore. With a heavy heart I withdraw my candidacy as the representative of Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest. Unfortunately. I’m really sorry. We will contact the Public and sign all the necessary documents. Apart from this, I want to thank everyone who supported and helped me, who heard my song and important message, not gossip about me. Thanks! We have a story going on with you, and we have to decide what it will be ❤️ Let’s unite! Now it is more important than ever!???????????????? It is not known what will be the next step taken by Ukrainian Television, UNT. We keep you updated!

According to BBC News, the Ukrainian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, “Tini zabutykh predkiv” has been suspended. Again, it has something to do with the fact that she visited Crimea. That is legal in Ukraine, as long as one travels via the Ukrainian border. Every contestant who visited Crimea after Russia annexed it, must provide documents which prove that the visit was legal. And that is where the problem starts for Alina Pash, the winner of the Ukrainian final last Saturday. Alina had the requested documents, but now they seem to be forged. If Alina traveled to Crimea via Russia, her Eurovision participation is in serious danger. NTU, Ukrainian broadcasting corporation, is now waiting for the border control service to investigate Alina’s documents. Until everything is clear, Alina’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest is suspended. Contracts are not signed yet and will only be signed if the documents are proven to be authentic. In 2019, Ukraine withdrew. National final winner Maruv had performed in Crimea after the annexation. NTU decided that therefore, she couldn’t represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest. Other participants in the national final did not want to replace her.

After all those heats and semifinals, there is a winner in Lithuania. It is Monika Liu with the song “Sentimentai”, written and composed by herself with Miles James. Lithuania will perform in the first half of the second semifinal. Here are the full results of tonight: Monika Liu, “Sentimentai”, 24 pts Augustė Vedrickaitė, “Before you’re 6 ft. under”, 18 pts Lolita Zero, “Not your mother”, 18 pts Rūta Loop, “Call me from the cold”, 14 pts Gebrasy, “Into your arms”, 12 pts. Justė Kraujelytė, “How to get my life back”, 10 pts Ieva Zasimauskaitė, “I’ll be there”, 7 pts Queens of Roses, “Washing machine”, 7 pts

STEFAN has won tonight’s Estonian final. He will represent Estonia at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin. His song “Hope” is written and composed by Stefan Airapetjan himself with Karl-Ander Reisman. Estonia will perform in the second half of the second semifinal. Here are the full results: Minimal Wind feat. Elisabeth Tiffany, “What to make of this”, superfinal STEFAN, “Hope” superfinal Elysa, “Fire” superfinal Anna Sahlene, “Champion” Black Velvet, “Sandra”, 12 pts. Ott Lepland, “Aovalguses”, 9 pts Andrei Zevakin feat. Grete Paia, “Mis nüüd saab”, 9 pts Stig Rästa, “Interstellar”, 5 pts Elina Nechayeva, “Remedy”, 5 pts Jaagup Tuisk, “Kui vaad”, 3 pts

Alina Pash has won tonight’s Ukrainian final. She will represent Ukraine at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin. Her song “Tini zabutykh predkiv” is written and composed by herself with Taras Barzeev. Ukraine will perform in the first half of the first semifinal. Here are the full results: Alina Pash, “Tini zabutykh predkiv”, 15 pts Kalush Orchestra, “Stefania”, 14 pts. Wellboy, “Nozzy bossy”, 13 pts Roxolana, “Girlzzzz”, 8 pts. Our Atlantic, “Moia liubov”, 7 pts Barleben, “Hear my words”, 7 pts Cloudless, “All be alright”, 4 pts Michael Soul, “Demons”, 3 pts.

Out of 11 songs, Latvia chose Citi Zēni to represent the country with the song “Eat your salad”, written and composed by Roberts Memmēns, Jānis Pētersons, Dagnis Roziņš and Jānis Jačmenkins. Latvia will perform in the first half of the first semifinal. Here are the full results of the contest: Citi Zēni, “Eat your salad” Aminata, “Letting you go” Bujāns, “He, she, you and me” Miks Galvanovskis, “I’m just a sinner” Elina Gluzunova, “Es pabiju tur” Mēs Jūs Mīlam, “Rich itch” Bermudu Divstūris, “Bad” Inspo, “A happy space” Raum, “Plans” Linda Rušeniece, “Pay my own bills” Miks Dukurs, “First love”

Last week we had a semifinal, this week the final. Eleven songs (Miks Dukurs received a wildcard) will compete, and only one of them will be the Latvian entry. The show starts at 20:05 and you can watch it here. The songs are: 1 Plans Raum 2 Pay my own bills Linda Rušeniece 3 Bad Bermudu Divstūris 4 I’m just a sinner Miks Galvanovskis 5 He, she, you and me Bujāns 6 Es pabiju tur Elīna Gluzunova 7 Eat your salad Citi Zēni 8 A happy place Inspo 9 Rich itch Mēs Jūs Mīlam 10 Letting you go Aminata 11 First love Miks Dukurs   Miks Dukurs took part in 2009 (semifinal), 2012 (semifinal), 2016 (heats), 2017 (semifinal), 2020 (final)Miks Galvanovskis took part in the 2017 semifinal.Aminata took part in 2014 (5th), 2015 (winner). She represented Latvia in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest and wrote the 2016 and 2021 Eurovision entries for her country.

The annual Pabandom iš naujo series have come to an end. You can watch the final here and here at 20.00 CET. Out of eight finalists, Lithuania will select it’s entry. These are the songs to chose from:   Washing machine Queens of Roses   How to get my life back Justė Kraujelytė   Into your arms Gebrasy   Not your mother Lolita Zero   I’ll be there Ieva Zasimauskaitė   Before you’re 6 ft. under Augustė Vedrickaitė   Call me from the cold Rūta Loop   Sentimentai Monika Liu   Ieva Zasimauskaitė was 5th in 2013, reached the 7th heat in 2014, 4th in 2016, reached the semifinal in 2017 and finally won it in 2018. She represented Lithuania in 2018 with “When we’re old” and became 12th.Rūta Loop reached the semifinals in 2018, in 2020 she reached the 4th place.Gebrasy took part in the 2019 semifinal. In 2021 he became 2nd in the final.Lolita Zero was 4th in 2017.Queens of Roses reached the quarterfinal in 2017 and the 4th heat in 2019.