Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Today the first semi-final ones (except for Malta) had their second rehearsal, this time 20 minutes that allowed them about three run throughs to see the adjustments made after the first rehearsals and try possible further ones as the next rehearsal will be already the first full semi final show rehearsal next Monday.  Photos and videos as always lovingly from  eurovision.tv   Romania has a clear idea what they want to do, but in context of Eurovision it sadly looks rather boring and unoriginal, like it was taken from any random tv-show and apparently Roxen isn't exactly at her best in the rehearsals either . Has she taken a bite of something too big for her shoes to dance that way and sing, too? I was sure Romania would qualify and do well but now I'm leaning towards a possible NQ... Azerbaijan is another act that brings nothing new and exciting, including recycling the last year' song. I do like the colors on stage and the hint of mystical east in it but the song's no...

One of many many artists internally chosen is Roxen, who was internally selected already for 2020 Eurovision. Whereas she had a multi song national final last year now she just released the internally chosen Amnesia. Enjoy!

ISRAEL - EDEN ALENE - FEKER LIBI One of my biggest favorites this year! This song just makes me so happy every time I hear it and makes me wanna sing a long. And it does play quite often in my head radio as well. She's great, all the final songs were Eurovision worthy tbh but this was my favorite. I totally understand those who says it's a mess, too many genres and sounds put together, too many languages and all that but I have always listened this kind of music so for me it's just great hommage to late Ofra Haza and others, and if Idan Rachel is involved I like it already. A very strong 9/10 ROMANIA - ROXEN - ALCOHOL YOU For a long time I didn't get this song at all, but then eventually with further listenings I learned to like it. The melody is pretty, the arrangement and her voice quite nicely rusty. A bit forgettable though I'm afraid despite the word play I didn't get either... Still it's not quite there, especially if compared to Bulga...

Let's continue the series and kill some time having a look at the last decade and see who were the Top-10 best scoring countries in the Eurovision song contest in the past ten years. The ways to calculate are many and here I have used the simple average placement method (and it's not all so serious). Next up is Romania at n.o 6. Romania has had a very steady finish in the contest last decade; only two top-10s but all the rest 12th-17th. Until two close non qualifications to end the decade with. And then there's of course the disqualification in 2016 for TVR for repeated non-payment of debts that made Ovidiu Anton stay home in the last minute with   Moment of silence . Moment of silence indeed that year!  Hotel FM is the one I have completely forgotten over the years.... but Romania has surely provided some unforgettable moments with Cezar, Ilinca and Alex for example 2010 Paula Seling & Ovi - Playing with fire - 3rd *** 2011 Hotel FM - Change - 17th * ...

Larisa Roxana Giurgiu (20) was internally selected for Romania for 2020, and people got to choose the entry out of five songs she performed, not without controvercy. Later it has been confirmed she'll still be the Romanian act for 2021 as well. Roxana started with music as child taking piano and singing  lessons. In 2019 she was signed to a label and featured vocals to Sickotoys's Romanian Top-3 hit You don't love me . The song got airplay also internationally from the United States via France and Spain to Russia. Another collaboration, this time with PAX followed with her first solo singles, all that have had a major radio play in Romania.  Alcohol you is her third solo and fifth single overal. Included here in videos also fan favorite Cherry red. 

Roxen was internally chosen for Romania and her five entries written mostly on a song writing camp were released in due time and last Sunday it was the televised Selecția Națională 2020 time with several guest acts from Eurovision winner Loreen to this year's Norwegian entrant Ulrikke and Cypriot Sandro Nicolas plus freshly the night before elected Natalia Gordienko from Moldova that caused some speculation.  But even more speculation caused Roxen's uninspired performances making it apparently very clear which was her favorite and totally underperforming for example fan favorite Cherry red . The comparation got more fuel and meat under their teeth the nigth after when Israel's Eden Alene with a similar concept gave her all to all her four songs clearly not favoring any of them. Oh well, in the end we have a winner, Alcohol you . Whatever it means. 1. Alcohol you (jury 5 + televoters 5) 10 2. Storm (3 + 3) 6 3. Cherry red (1 + 2) 3 4. Colors (2 + 1) 3 ...

Internally chosen Roxen will perform all five entries in Selecția Națională 2020 on March 1, 2020 and there will be 50-50 televote -jury to determinate the winner and Romania's entry in Rotterdam Eurovision. Five songs written in some fashoionable writing camp and you can hear it. Rather anonymous stuff without real soul, compromises. All written to suit her and therefor all quite similar. The one that stands out a bit is Cherry red but even that maybe needs a revamp and stellar staging and performance and if a far cry from originality. And indeed it has a different writing team (Theea Miculescu, Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, Costel Dominteanu) while the other songs are written in various combos by Ionuț Armas, Viky Red, Breyan Isaac, Alex Cotoi, Julie Frost, and Minelli.  Colors ** Alcohol you ** Cherry red *** Beautiful disaster * Storm *

  Romania has internally chosen 20-year-old Roxen who is at the moment the 3rd most played artist in the Romanian radios with two hit song under her belt. She was chosen over two other artists, Diana V and Cezar Guna who made it to the final stage of a new method for selecting the Romanian entry after disappointing Eurovision experiences the past two years. Destinaţia Eurovision will take on March 1, 2020 where Roxen will sing five songs created in a songwriting camp and people and a jury (50-50) will vote their favorite to Rotterdam. Good luck to her and them, I'm always a bit sceptical about these songwriting camps when the outcome is usually rather unoriginal manufactured radio pop without soul. Like her I don't care below. I can't spot one thing to make it stand out or differ from anything I hear on radio..... Ce-ti canta dragostea is already more original and memorable, and not only because it's in Romanian.....