Rejected in the final round last October. The same role just reopened. Does reapplying look desperate?

It was close. The recruiter actually called instead of emailing and said it came down to two people. She told me to stay in touch, which I assumed was the polite version of go away.

Role's back up, near identical description. Ten months of experience later I'd be a genuinely better candidate than the one they turned down.

Is there an etiquette to this? Apply cold and let the system sort it out, or email the recruiter first and reference the old process?