YouTube hits hint at huge chance for unheralded Eurovision 2019 entrant

Eurovision Song Contest betting odds tend to be an excellent guide to results and last year’s event was no different, with winner Israel and runner-up Cyprus having spent much of the week before the event duelling for favouritism in the market.

In the run-up to the 2019 contest, the Netherlands are the bookmakers’ favourites at 7/4, with their place atop the reckoning backed up by that other great rubber stamp, YouTube views.

At the time of writing, the promo for Duncan Laurence’s ‘Arcade’ has landed a commanding 8,331,422 views on the site’s official Eurovision channel.

However, despite viewing figures that put the Dutch effort someway clear of a chasing pack headed by the likes of Armenia in the low five millions, the land that gave us 2 Unlimited and the Vengaboys don’t lead the way for plays on the video sharing platform.

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Malta the unlikely YouTube frontrunners ahead of Eurovision 2019

Instead, the views-of-the-official-video-on-the Eurovision-channel barometer points to a concerted spell of high pressure from a small island 80km off the toe of the boot of Italy.

‘Chameleon’ by Maltese X Factor winner Michela Pace heads the current race for views ahead of the final.

Its mix of reggaeton and upbeat contemporary pop has accumulated an unsurpassed 8,331,422 views at the time of writing.

That puts it a shade over 200,000 ahead of the Netherlands’ number and around 3,000,000 ahead of a chasing pack headed by 150/1 shots Armenia.

Despite this, the song, which has already taken out number one in the Maltese hit parade, can be backed at odds of 25/1 to win in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest betting.

With four places available to each-way players, the sheer popularity of ‘Chameleon’ among YouTube users suggests the bookies have underrated its chances.

Due to contest semi-final two to cement its place in the main event, a strong showing could see such substantial odds disappear, especially if the audience take to the low-key, zeitgeist-riding staging.

While Eurovision tropes such as dancers appearing from underneath enormous dresses, or writhing in cages are absent, flashing fluorescent backgrounds and bold background animations that interact with and mirror the song’s lyrics take the performance in a more contemporary direction.

Having already bagged the X Factor honours in her homeland, Michela’s live chops should already be assured.

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