Festivali i Këngës 56 is a couple of months away but already the potential artist rumours have started. Albanian media has started buzzing with the suggestion that The X Factor winner Arilena Ara will take part in upcoming Albanian national selection. Let’s take a look at her music career.

In 2012, at the age of 14, Arilena competed on the second season of The X Factor Albania. She survived 16 weeks of live shows and showed off her vocal skills with a wide range of songs.

This included performances of Eurovision winners “Satellite” and “Wild Dances”, as well as Sia’s talent show staple “Titanium” and a grand-final duet with Albania’s 2010 Eurovision singer, Juliana Pasha. It was all enough to secure the win, but that was just the beginning of her music career.

Last year Arilena competed in another Albanian song contest, Kenga Magjike — like a hipper version of Festivali i Këngës. She competed with the song “Nëntori” (November).

While it placed third in the festival, the song went on to be a major hit, not just in Albania but in other European countries as “I’m Sorry”. It’s led to Arilena touring Romania, Greece, and Russia and building her international fanbase.

Arilena Ara clearly has the voice, the performance experience and the international exposure to make a great Eurovision candidate for Albania, so it’s been no surprise that she’s strongly rumoured to be on the list for Festivali i Këngës 56.

According to the rumours, Arilena has decided to work with the same producers behind “Nentori” to find the perfect song for Festivali i Kenges. But her creative team includes Macedonian producer Darko Dimitrov alongside Albanian lyricist Lindon Berisha. RTSH doesn’t allow foreign creatives to take part in the festival so this may mean that Dimitrov will have to sit this one out.

But if Arilena does make it to Festivali i Këngës, to get the ticket to Lisbon she will first need to win FiK.

In recent years, the Albanian national final has selected songs that are substantially revamped before Eurovision — and have resulted in much less successful results. But the crossover success of “Nëntori”/”I’m Sorry” has demonstrated, Arilena is able to release an English version of a song without losing the magic of the original.

This year Festivali i Kenges will take part on 21,22 and 23 December, where the show will be hosted by Adi Krasta. The confirmed acts for FiK56 are expected to be confirmed in coming weeks.

What do you think? Would you like to see Arilena Ara at Eurovision? Can she break Albanian’s non-qualification streak? Sound off below!

READ MORE ALBANIA EUROVISION NEWS

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Nico
Nico
6 years ago

Eurovision Is all politics .. I hope she will represent Albania

Rexhep Kameraj
Rexhep Kameraj
6 years ago

Ouh yess that would be awesome. She will make us proud if she goes to Eurovision in Lisbon

Mat
Mat
6 years ago

Nentori is an amazing song so something like that (if kept in Albanian) would do really well.

Erasmus
Erasmus
6 years ago

She’s super beautiful.

beccaboo1212
6 years ago

That’s one option, but I’m also hoping for Mishela Rapo. In fact, both Arilena AND Mishela could be great options! 🙂

Tomás Patrick davitt
Tomás Patrick davitt
6 years ago

Uh if this Kenya Magjike produces a song as good as that that only came third (!), then maybe they should be using that to choose the Eurovision song instead. The staging looks more modern and no orchestra!

D
D
6 years ago

Arilena is one of my favorite Albanian artists of all-time. I’d love to see her participate.

JEFFERSON LAMAS
JEFFERSON LAMAS
6 years ago

in my opinion, FiK 2017 was better than Melodifestivalen. the Albanian final is my favorite.

Monique
Monique
6 years ago

You mean FiK 2016, as it is annually held in late December. This year’s edition will be held on 21, 22, 23 December 2017.

JEFFERSON LAMAS
JEFFERSON LAMAS
6 years ago
Reply to  Monique

Correct Monique, thank you!

Miguel
Miguel
6 years ago

I didnt know her. I like this song a lot.

Geo
Geo
6 years ago

I hope she will participate! She’s got the looks and the voice! This old fashioned contest needs a revamp…. No more dramatic ballads, they need a fresh start with some young, new artists. I also hope Dilan Reka (3rd place in Festivali i Këngës 2016) will also return with some up-tempo song, just like “Mos harro” which I’ve adored….