"Vertigo" was the Maltese

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007

Eurovision Song Contest 2007

The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...

, performed in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 by Olivia Lewis

Olivia Lewis

For the comic book character, see Menagerie.Olivia Lewis, born 18 October 1978, is a singer from Qormi, Malta. She has competed 11 consecutive times in the Malta Song For Europe festival, which selects the country's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest...

.

The song is a moderately up-tempo number. Lewis describes the difficulties she faces in her relationship, as her lover apparently spends much of his time doing exactly the opposite of what she expects him to. She likens this feeling to vertigo

Vertigo (medical)

Vertigo is a type of dizziness, where there is a feeling of motion when one is stationary. The symptoms are due to a dysfunction of the vestibular system in the inner ear...

, and wonders if perhaps "solo is the way to go", suggesting that she may choose to end the relationship rather than deal with the problems.
Musically, the song features a tune described as "oriental" and containing elements both of Middle Eastern and Far Eastern music (most notably a gong, struck at various points during the song). Lewis herself performed in a costume made of silk

Silk

Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...

 and giving the appearance of being from China.

As Malta had not finished the previous Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 2006

The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...

 in the top ten, the song was performed in the semi-final. Here, it was performed twentieth (following Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

's Guri Schanke

Guri Schanke

Guri Schanke is a Norwegian actress and singer. She is known in Norway for her acting career, and was part of the 2005 round of the Norwegian version of Dancing with the Stars, where she came in second....

 with "Ven a bailar conmigo

Ven a bailar conmigo

"Ven a bailar conmigo" was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, performed in English and Spanish by Guri Schanke....

" and preceding Andorra

Andorra

Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...

's Anonymous

Anonymous (band)

Anonymous is a band from Andorra that in 2007 represented the country with the song "Salvem el món" in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 after winning the national selection. The song, however, failed to make it through past the semi-final stage....

 with "Salvem el món

Salvem el món

"Salvem el món" was the Andorran entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, performed in Catalan and English by Anonymous...

"). At the close of voting, it had received 15 points, placing 25th in a field of 28 and thus preventing Malta from qualifying for the final. The result represents Malta's first failure to appear in the final since the country relaunched itself at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991.

It is said by Maltese singer Enzo Gusman that the song itself may be derivative of a song in the film Vertigo

Vertigo (film)

Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...

, directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...

.

Official versions and remixes

• Vertigo (Eurovision Version)
• Vertigo (Unplugged)
• Vertigo (DJ Armani Remix)