OMSC 20

Online Music Song Contest 20, often referred to as OMSC 20 or OMSC XX, was the twentieth edition of Online Music Song Contest, held in Kuala Lumpur, after Malaysia won the previous edition of the contest. This was a special edition of the contest, which allowed only non-English songs to be performed. It was permissible for a song to contain only repeated words or short verses in English.

The Pre-Qualification Round of OMSC 20 occured on the 7ᵗʰ November 2021, the Semi-Finals on the 14ᵗʰ November 2021 while the Final occured on the 21ˢᵗ November 2021. Fifty countries participated in the twentieth contest, under the slogan “Jadi Diri Sendiri (Be Yourself)!”.

Armenia won the contest with the song "Jengyal (Ձենգյալ)", sung in Armenian, receving a total of 139 points. Russia finished in second place with a margin of just nine points from the winner, while Finland finished in third place. They were followed by Lithuania, which reached the fourth place and Kazakhstan which reached the fifth place.

Location
After it's victory in the previous edition, the broadcaster RTM chose to host the contest in in the capital and largest city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, which has a population of 1,790,000 inhabitants. The geography of Kuala Lumpur is characterised by the huge Klang Valley. The valley is bordered by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east, several minor ranges in the north and the south and the Strait of Malacca in the west. Kuala Lumpur is a Malay term that translates to "muddy confluence" as it is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers.

The origin of Kuala Lumpur dates to 1857, when a group of Chinese tin miners founded a settlement at what is now the suburb of Ampang. Strategically commanding both river valleys, the community flourished as a tin-collecting centre despite its malaria-infested jungle location. In 1880 Kuala Lumpur superseded Klang as the state capital, and its rapid growth thereafter has been attributed to Sir Frank Swettenham, British resident after 1882. He initiated construction on the Klang–Kuala Lumpur Railway and encouraged the use of brick and tile in buildings as a precaution against fire and as an aid to better health. A consequence was the increased accessibility which resulted in the rapid growth of the town. The population grew from 4,500 in 1884 to 20,000 in 1890. As development intensified in the 1880s, it also put pressure on sanitation, waste disposal and other health issues. In 1896, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States.

The city was occupied by the Japanese in World War II. Its population greatly increased in the postwar years during a long communist-led guerrilla insurgency, and under a resettlement program new villages were established on the city’s outskirts. Kuala Lumpur became the capital of the independent Federation of Malaya in 1957 and of Malaysia in 1963. Growth continued, spurred by industrial development; the population reached a half million in the mid-1960s and passed one million in the early 1980s. Population growth brought increased congestion, however, which, with Malaysian government offices scattered across the city, hampered administration. Consequently, many of the federal offices were moved to the new city of Putrajaya, about 25 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur, about the turn of the 21ˢᵗ century. Putrajaya subsequently became the country’s administrative centre, while Kuala Lumpur remained the capital. Kuala Lumpur achieved city status in 1972, becoming the first settlement in Malaysia to be granted the status after independence. Later, in 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a federal territory. Kuala Lumpur ceased to be the capital of Selangor in 1978 after the city of Shah Alam was declared the new state capital. In 2001, Putrajaya was declared a Federal Territory, as well as the seat of the federal government. The administrative and judicial functions of the government were shifted from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya.

Nowadays Kuala Lumpur is the cultural, financial, and economic centre of Malaysia. It is also home to the Parliament of Malaysia, the official residence and royal capital of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) the Istana Negara. It has undergone rapid development in recent decades and is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Southeast Asia, in both population and economic development. In fact, Kuala Lumpur is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Towers, which have since become an iconic symbol of Malaysian development.

Participants
Fifty countries participated in the twentieth edition of the contest: fifteen European countries (Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Ukraine, Vatican), fifteen Asian countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, North Korea, South Korea, Turkmenistan, Vietnam), thirteen American countries (Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Curaçao, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela), one Oceanian country (Australia) and six African countries (Algeria, Canary Islands, Egypt, Liberia, Senegal, South Africa).

In this edition Jordan and Kuwait participated for the first time.

Returning Artists
This edition featured twelve representatives who had performed previously as lead vocalists for a country in the contest.

Rosalía represented Puerto Rico, together with Bad Bunny, at its second appearence in the tenth edition of the contest with the song "La Noche De Anoche", sung entirely in Spanish, which unfortunately didn't make it to the final, placing 45ᵗʰ out of 46 participating countries with 13 points. In this occasion, she represented the Canary Islands as a soloist with her song "Aute Cuture", again in Spanish, placing 49ᵗʰ with 51 points in the pre-qualification round.

Gloria Groove represented Brazil in the fifteenth edition of the contest with the song "Coisa Boa" sung entirely in Portuguese, which placed 16ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 70 points. In this occasion, he represented Brazil again, with the song "Mil Grau", sung also in Portuguese, placing 11ᵗʰ with 79 points.

Bích Phương represented Vietnam in the twelfth edition of the contest with her song "Đi Đu Đưa Đi", sung entirely in Vietnamese, which unfortunately didn't make it to the final, placing 37ᵗʰ out of 44 participating countries with 46 points. In this occasion, she represented Vietnam again, together with Phúc Du, with the song "Thích Thì Chơi", again in Vietnamese, placing 45ᵗʰ with 156 points in the pre-qualification round.

Alice on the Roof represented Belgium at its second appearence in the thirteenth edition of the contest after the country's return after twelve editions. She performed her song "Malade" sung entirely in French, which placed 11ᵗʰ out of 42 participating countries with 82 points. In this occasion, she represented Belgium again, with her song "T'as Quitté La Planète", sung again in French, placing 30ᵗʰ with 81 points, without unfortunately qualifying for the final.

Mauvais Œil represented Algeria in the fifteenth edition of the contest with their song "Mektoub (مكتوب)", sung in French, which unfortunately didn't make it to the final, placing 29ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 85 points. In this occasion, the duo represented Algeria again, with their song "Crève-Cœur", again in French, placing 36ᵗʰ with 67 points, without unfortunately qualifying for the final.

Arca represented Venezuela at its previous appearence in the contest, in the thirteenth edition. She performed the song "Time", sung in English, which placed last out of 42 participating countries with 19.5 points, in the semi-finals. In this occasion she represented Venezuela again, with her song "Mequetrefe", sung in Spanish, placing 38ᵗʰ with 54 points, without unfortunately qualifying for the final.

Clara Luciani represented France at its previous appearence in the contest, in the eighteenth edition. She performed her song "Le Reste", sung entirely in French, which unfortunately didn't make it to the final, placing 42ⁿᵈ out of 50 participating countries with 43 points. In this occasion, she represented Guadeloupe with her song "La Grenade", again in French, placing 27ᵗʰ with 94 points, without unfortunately qualifying for the final.

Dara Ekimova represented Bulgaria at its fourth appearence, in the seventeenth edition of the contest with her song "Voĭna (Война)". The song, sung entirely in Bulgarian placed 15ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 68 points. In this occasion, she represented Bulgaria again, with her song "Posleden Dŭkh (Последен Дъх)", sung also in Bulgarian, placing 12ᵗʰ with 74 points.

Artem Pivovarov represented Ukraine in the twelfth edition of the contest with his song "Nomer Odin (Номер Один)", sung entirely in Russian, which won the contest with 143 points and brought the contest to Odessa. He was chosen to represent Ukraine again in the following edition, on home soil, with his song "Dezhavyu (Дежавю)", sung entirely in Ukrainian, which placed 15ᵗʰ out of 41 participanting countries with 73 points. In this occasion, he was selected to represent Ukraine one last time, this time with his song "Kislorod (Кислород)", sung in Russian, placing 33ʳᵈ with 69 points, without unfortunately qualifying for the final.

Irina Rimes represented Moldova at its debut in the fifth edition of the contest with her song "Nu Știi Tu Să Fii Bărbat" sung entirely in Romanian, which placed 8ᵗʰ out of 29 participating countries with 52 points. She returned to the contest in the seventeenth edition, again for Moldova, together Cris Cab, with the song "Your Love", which placed 39ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 61 points, without unfortunately qualifying for the final. In this occasion, she was selected one last time, this time to represent Azerbaijan, together with Jah Khalib. The song she performed this time was "Navsegda (Навсегда)", sung in Russian, placing 18ᵗʰ with 64 points.

Ella-Lee represented Israel at its debut in the fourth edition of the contest with her song "Zot Ani (זוט עני)", sung entirely in Hebrew, which unfortunately didn't make it to the final, placing 34ᵗʰ out of 38 participating countries with 44 points. In this occasion, she represented Israel again, with her song "Ma Atah Rotse? (מה אתה רוצה?)", again in Hebrew, placing 9ᵗʰ with 92 points.

SHANGUY represented Luxembourg, together with Mark Neve, at its previous appearence in the contest, in the fifteenth edition. The group performed the song "Kalima Minou", sung entirely in French, which placed 11ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 83 points, achieving Luxembourg's best result in the competition. In this occasion they represented Italy, with the song "Toukassé", sung again in French, placing 10ᵗʰ with 80 points.

Withdrawing Countries
These countries confirmed their non-participation in the twentieth edition of the contest:

• Angola – Televisão Pública de Angola (TPA) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021, that Angola would not participate in the twentieth edition of the contest.

• Cameroon – Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021 that Cameroon's participation in the twentieth edition of the contest would not be possible, citing debts and the ongoing financial issues.

• Denmark – Danish broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR) announced on the 25ᵗʰ October 2021 its withdrawal from the contest, due to a lack of interest from the Danish public.

• Falkland Islands – Falkland Islands Television (FITV) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021 that the Falkland Islands would withdraw from the contest, without further explanation.

• Fiji – Fijian broadcaster Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) announced the withdrawal on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021, for unknown reasons.

• French Southern Territories – French Southern Territories did not appear on the list of participants published on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021.

• Gambia – Gambia Radio & Television Service (GRTS) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021, that Gambia would not participate in the twentieth edition, because of financial difficulties.

• Ghana – Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021, that Ghana would not participate in the twentieth edition of the contest, despite placing achieving their best result so far in the previous edition.

• Guam – Guam's broadcaster Public Broadcasting Service Guam (PBS GUAM) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021 its withdrawal from the contest, citing low ratings during their time in the contest.

• Hong Kong – Hong Kong's broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) announced on the 24ᵗʰ October 2021 its withdrawal from the contest, because of the broadcaster's intention to focus on news content instead of music and entertainment.

• India – India's broadcaster Doordarshan (दूरदर्शन) announced on the 24ᵗʰ October 2021 its withdrawal from the contest due to a lack of interest from the Indian public.

• Iraq – Iraqi Media Network (IMN) announced the country's withdrawal on the 24ᵗʰ October 2021, for unknown reasons.

• Ireland – Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021, that Ireland would not participate in the twentieth edition, despite placing 2ⁿᵈ in the previous edition and achieving Ireland's best result so far.

• Japan – Japanese broadcaster Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK) announced the country's withdrawal on the 24ᵗʰ October 2021, probably because of the poor results in the previous edition.

• Liechtenstein – Fürstentum Liechtenstein Television (FLTV) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021, that Liechtenstein would not participate in the twentieth edition, without further explanations.

• Macao – Teledifusão de Macau (TDM) announced on the 24ᵗʰ October 2021 its withdrawal from the contest, because of the broadcaster's intention to focus on news content instead of music and entertainment.

• Mali – Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision du Mali (ORTM) announced the withdrawal a few days after the confirmations opened, despite achieving Mali's best result so far.

• Mexico – Mexico's broadcaster Sistema Público de Radiodifusión del Estado Mexicano (SPR) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021 its withdrawal from the contest, citing low ratings during their time in the contest.

• Micronesia – Federated States of Micronesia Broadcasting Association (FSMBA) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021 its withdrawal from the contest, despite achieving a good result in the previous edition.

• New Zealand – Television New Zealand (TVNZ) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021 that New Zealand would not participate in the twentieth edition of the contest, despite achieving a good result in the previous edition.

• North Macedonia – Macedonian Radio-Television (MRT) announced the country's withdrawal on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021.

• Northern Mariana Islands – Northern Mariana Islands did not appear on the list of participants published on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021.

• Norway – While Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK) had provisionally confirmed their participation in the contest on the 24ᵗʰ October 2021 and rumours about a possible representative, Norway later announced a withdrawal on the 25ᵗʰ September 2021.

• Palau – Palau did not appear on the list of participants published on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021.

• Palestine – Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) announced on the 24ᵗʰ October 2021 that Palestine will withdraw from the contest, after the disappointment from the results of their debut.

• Papua New Guinea – National Broadcasting Corporation of Papua New Guinea (NBC/PNG) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021, that Papua New Guinea would not participate in the twentieth edition of the contest, due to financial difficulties.

• Portugal – Portuguese broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) announced on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021 that Portugal's participation in the twentieth edition of the contest would not be possible.

• Republic of the Congo – Republic of the Congo did not appear on the list of participants published on the 31ˢᵗ October 2021.

• Sri Lanka – Sri Lankan broadcaster Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) stated that Sri Lanka would not take part in the twentieth edition of the contest on the 24ᵗʰ October 2021.

• Uzbekistan – Uzbek broadcaster O`zbekiston Milliy Teleradiokompaniyasi (MRTK) announced on the 24ᵗʰ October 2021 that Uzbekistan would withdraw from the contest, despite achieving Uzbekistan's second best result so far.

Other Countries
• Latvia – On the 24ᵗʰ October 2021, Latvia's broadcaster Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) announced that the nation had interest in the competition and was planning a debut in OMSC 20. However, it was later confirmed on the 25ᵗʰ October 2021 that the country would not debut in this edition of the contest.

• Panama – On the 25ᵗʰ October 2021, the Panamanian broadcaster Sistema Estatal de Radio y Televisión (SERT) announced that they were planning a debut in OMSC 20. However, it was later confirmed on the same day that the country would not debut in this edition of the contest.

• Yemen – On the 24ᵗʰ October 2021, the Yemeni broadcaster Yemen Television (YTV) announced that they were planning a debut again in OMSC 20, after their attempt in OMSC 4. However, it was confirmed later on that day that the country would not debut in this edition of the contest either.