Malta's Second Chiara Entry Almost Wins

MAY 15 2005 · 12:05

Chiara · "Angel" · Malta · 2005 Placement: 2 · Score: 192 · Language: English · Composers: Chiara Siracusa · Venue: Palace of Sports · Host: Kyiv, Ukraine · Type: upset · Broadcast: digital hd Chiara Siracusa — Maltese torch singer, returning to Eurovision seven years after her 1998 3rd-place debut — takes the Kyiv Palace of Sports stage in a flowing cream gown and delivers 'Angel', an adult-contemporary power ballad she composed herself. 192 points for 2nd place. Helena Paparizou wins for Greece with 'My Number One'. Chiara had placed 3rd in 1998, now 2nd in 2005; she would return again in 2009 finishing 22nd. Context Chiara was Malta's most internationally respected vocalist. Self-composing her Eurovision entries was unusual at that level. The 2005 Kyiv contest was the first post-Orange Revolution Eurovision. Malta's three-appearance arc with Chiara across 1998-2005-2009 is a rare pattern of same-artist returns. Legacy Chiara continued as Malta's leading adult-contemporary vocalist through the 2020s. Her 2005 'Angel' is routinely cited in Eurovision best-ever-vocal lists. The Chiara career arc is a case study in how established vocalists can remain competitive across multiple Eurovision generations. Malta's continued participation has been partly shaped by her success.