Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

San Marino failed third year in a row to qualify for the Eurovision song contest final. Between 2008-2017 they have participated eight times and only once made it to the final. Valentina Monetta sung Maybe to the 24th place in final with 14 points. Carlo Romeo , the Director General of San Marino TV commented right after the show according ESC United the following: “We are very happy for and proud of Valentina and Jimmie, but I think we are too small for this event.  I am not sure that next year we will consider participating.  It is very difficult now to think of taking part again.  There is no place for micro-states in the Eurovision Song Contest.” This may have also something to do with the unsolved voting problem where San Marino's televote is generated by EBU in a way only they know.... Despite that Valentina and Jimmie left the Green room after results seemingly happy singing and dancing in the spirit of the night.

Here we go: This season's first plagiation case: YLE published yesterday the #UMK16 entrants and soon enough on internet the comments started flying on Rafaela Truda's Rise up . It is said to be a copy of Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea's Problem . Is it a problem? Listen and judge yourself below.... I can't even.... Rafaela comments: I do understand my song may sound a bit like Grande's song as both use saxophone. However the melody is completely different and my song is more Eurovision like. We (co-writers Olli-Matti Kalliosaari and Kalle Mäkipelto) tried to make it more Balcan sounding with saxophone. While doing the demo we did notice the similarities but we liked it so much we left it like it is. We are not stealing it, we tried different things. Last year Måns Zelmerlöw won Eurovision with a song that sounds like David Guettai! it's a question of inspiration, not stealing!"