Pound the alarm and gather the family round the computer: Albania’s Eurovision 2021 star Anxhela Peristeri has revealed the “Karma” revamp and her official music video. In short, it’s a vast improvement. This is how you elevate!
As Albania knows better than most, revamps can squeeze the life and soul out of a Eurovision song and leave it looking like a shadow of its former self. With “Karma”, however, Anxhela has preserved the meaning and feeling of the original, but enhanced it through production that makes it feel more contemporary, more Albanian and more in-your-face. As she pulls the train into 2021, she’s blown off any and all dust. This “Karma” is sending out some very good vibes — and now it’s in position to receive the same from the universe.
The instrumentation feels more rich and layered throughout, replacing throwaway electric guitar sounds with stirring strings. Instrumental bridges capture the mystery and turmoil Anxhela faces in her three-minute journey, and she plays to the camera in a series of stunning looks.
Albania: Anxhela Peristeri shares “Karma” revamp and music video
The video is lavish. Never has a woman walking down the road in all white conjured so many feels. But most importantly, the video stays true to the lyrics, which capture a woman in crisis. In the dramatic ballad, Anxhela portrays someone who blames herself for her world falling apart.
The opening verse sees her describing herself as selfish and somewhat spoiled: “Life, as if a fairy tale, had spoiled me, High in the sky like a star I lived, Laughing like crazy when you groaned, Heartless, I only loved myself.”
By the time the chorus hits, she’s the star of her own tragedy and she’s left with nothing but dirty tears, apparently the colour of rust. “God does not forgive me, the world fell on me, I fled you, my friends fled, I have no light…tears collect in my hand, they are rusty…”
The video conveys this inner turmoil well with Anxhela appearing in two guises. There’s the Anxhela in white, who regrets her past. And there’s the Anxhela in red — the inner Angela — who remembers the past and all its glories. Every door she opens leads to another memory. In the end, the inner Anxhela meets the real Anxhela, as karma exacts its price.
Are you loving the music video and the story that it conveys? Let us know in the comments box below.
I am very disappointed of her,because she claims in greek and in Greece to have greek rootes, but she denies that in Albania! and in albanian language! Many albanian youtubers were angry to hear about the greek origin of her father and stated that she never claims in Albania her greek ethnicity . In albanina TV she makes always evil comments about the Greeks. She should speak a clear language and say in both languages what is truth or not about her origin. Both Coutries are beautiful…but she plays games with the albanian und greek fans. So I am asking… Read more »
i wasn’t into this song at first, but holy crap this revamp slaps
There’s only one problem with the revamped version of “Karma”…
.
.
.
It’s still not on Spotify :v
If we compare 2020/2021, so far only Albania and France have better songs.
Well done Albania.
thats how you revamp something. Finally a revamp that works
I usually like Albania’s entry but this year its leaves me cold.
By the way, walking barefoot with the temperatures we’re having. It’s called commitment. 🙂
Well done, Albania. My voting is 7/10
Yep, well done Albania. It’s still not the most current of song but it’s definitely been elevated. Very Balkan, I like that.
Great revamp!! Love it. Stop sleeping on Albania!
Seems like the response here is quite positive. I like some of the additions that have come with the revamp, particularly instrumentally. I just don’t know if they’ve done enough to make it more competitive though.
I’m still leaning more towards non-qualification than the final…but at least they seem to have gotten as much as they can out of this particular song.
Welcome to the final Albania!
It all looked a bit cheap on the National stage but she looks much more elevated and rich here. Definitely an upgrade. So far it’s been the only true ethnic sounding song—that bodes very well for it to well.
I’m shook, this is like a different song! In a good way. I already liked the song but this revamp has made it very original and different from the past female power ballads we have had with Albania. 9/10
Well it’s better but that’s about it.
Go Albania Go
The song’s ending is quite abrupt, but besides that, it’s a great revamp! Well done, Albania
I’m impressed, the revamp made the song flow together better and improved the sudden, almost jerky, percussion elements. It still has an uphill battle to qualify, but it’s a good step forward.
What a revamp! The song was already good but now it’s gorgeous 🙂
What a surprise! I wasn’t a fan of the original version but this one is amazing! This definitely belongs to the final.
It’s so good! It jumped to my #1! Bravo, Albania!
It has not destroyed the song but for me something is missing. It feels like it lost its climax. I really liked that it ended with a “bang” and now this is gone as well. It’s not that I dislike it, I just expected more. I expected to like it even more after the revamp, but for me it’s still on the same league, a 6/10. Still better than many other songs we already have though.
In any case, good luck Albania!
I am quite surprised, the revamp totally changed the song, but in a very good way. I wasn’t sure about this qualifying but with the revamp, it now has a good chance of making the finals. We all know her vocals are good live, so with the changed production this really might stand out
They did a great job with this revamp. It sounds more professional, the instrumental has an oomph now and the core of the song is still intact. Being picky, there’s a little too much going on between 2:15 and 2:25, but it’s a minor con compared to all the pros. And considering this is for now the only openly ethnic entry in the 2nd semi, Albania is pretty much alive.
I agree about the small 8-10 second part. Hopefully that bit sounds less noisy live
Quite a nice revamp but still not the best option for Albania – there were others that would have done better in my opinion.
Mirud, Sardi, Xhesika, Giliola.
Now Albania is a Qualifier!???
For me yes, but we have to wait for more songs to be released. In Semi 2 only Finland, Albania and Czech Republic have released their entries
I loved the first version already but this revamp is very beautiful. Good job Albania !! Good luck in Rotterdam.
Albanian revamps can be very hit and miss, but this is definitely One of the better ones. It’s still an Albanian obviously, but what I wanted for that song with a stronger orchestration and that is exactly what I got out of this revamp. Well done. Albania Might’ve saved itself from elimination, But it’s still early and there’s only three semi final two songs out. I just realize that three of the four finals on Saturday will be for semi final two so let’s see if those songs can stack up.
I like the revamp a lot. Some local touch away from the globalised pop entries in the contest. I had it in my 6th place, now it jumps to my 4th after France, Spain and Ireland.
under the circumstances, they make a good revamp…
But in semi-final, don’t put dancers with her, she can sing it better alone! (like Kruna, Serbia 2019)
The fewer, the better
This sounds more like a remix than a revamp, but i still like it.
Great to see Albania making a good revamp, after the disasters in 2016 and 2017.
I personally already liked the original Karma, but this is an amazing revamp. If this was the version in FiK, majority would’ve had it in their FiK top 3 (I think, correct me if I am wrong).
A really good revamp. Even it still not one of my favorite songs, i love the ethnic instrumentation. It really climbs many steps on my top
To everyone that was putting Albania on their last positions:
That’s KARMA 🙂
?Occidentali’s Karma.? *Monkey starts dancing*
Edit: The question marks were supposed to be music notes, apparently Wiwibloggs doesn’t have that emoji in their database or something.
P.s. Me mentioning Occidentali’s Karma is a joke towards West Europeans (I am Western as well), because majority of people who disliked it were Western (I think)(there were of course Westerns we did like it). No harm intended.
She said Oh y’all wanna sleep on Albania? Bet.
no like seriously, no one puts them high in odds or rankings and it really upsets me. let’s just see what happens in may 😉
And that’s how you do the revamp, ladies and gentlemen. Mic drop. Elvis has left the building.
Straight to the upper part of the leader board for me.
Likewise this is one of the BEST (if not the best) revamps I’ve ever heard at Eurovision. She’s gone from basically last to the top half of my favourite 2021 eurovision songs (so far).