After missing out on the Eurovision grand final for two years running, Romania opted for a radical change in strategy and internally selected Roxen. Now, the star has revealed the five songs that she will perform at Selecția Națională 2020.
Shortly after selecting Roxen internally, TVR unveiled the new plan for Selecția Națională 2020. A songwriting camp was organized in January 2020 as a result of a collaboration with renowned label Global Records. Five songs were shortlisted by a jury of music experts to proceed to the revamped national final.
Roxen will sing the five potential Eurovision entries on 1 March. The winning song will be selected by a combination of jury and televote, in an even 50/50 split. In the case of a tie, the public vote will indicate the winning song.
And now, you can listen to the five songs that Romania will have at disposition to select from and send to Rotterdam this May.
Selecția Națională 2020: Competing Songs
Song 1 – “Alcohol You”
Composers: Ionut Armas, Viky Red
Lyricists: Ionut Armas, Breyan Isaac
Song 2 – “Storm”
Composers: Minelli, Vicky Red
Lyricists: Minelli
Song 3 – “Colors”
Composers: Julie Frost, Breyan Isaac, Alex Cotoi
Lyricists: Julie Frost, Breyan Isaac
Song 4 – “Cherry Red”
Composers: Theea Miculescu, Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, Costel Dominteanu
Lyricists: Theea Miculescu
Song 5 – “Beautiful Disaster”
Composers: Breyan Isaac, Alex Coti
Lyricists: Breyan Isaac, Julie Frost
About Roxen
Deep House singer and performer Larisa Roxana “Roxen” Giurgiu has been involved with music from a young age and is currently one of the most played artists on Romanian radio. Her music and style has seen her compared to artists like Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa.
In September, she was featured vocalist on SICKOTOY’s “You Don’t Love Me”. The song was playlisted internationally and so far has clocked up over 4.5 million YouTube views.
In November, Roxen released her solo debut single “Ce-ti Canta Dragostea”. The electronic track has a folk-pop tinge with Romanian lyrics. To date, it has enjoyed more than 8.7 million views on YouTube.
The Romanian popstress was selected from the roster of Global Records, after being part of a shortlist that included two other artists.
What do you think? Which is the Romanian candidate song that you are most excited for? Let us know in the comments below!
‘Storm’ is the only one I’ve kinda enjoyed. I think there is no winning material, most probably not ‘grand final material’ either. Just making it commercial won’t help, I think that in the end the idea with the internal selection was just a waste.
Will someone explain me what “Alcohol you“ actually means?
“Alcohol you” is actually
“I’ll ca (ho) ll you”
I will call you hoe when I’m drunk ?
I will call you a hoe when I’m drunk ?
If Romania sends Alcohol You they will win
I finally listened to the 5 songs, and I’m definitely on the ‘Alcohol you’ team. Well done Romania!
Popcorn is not allowed here?
If you concatenate all 5 songs to one song you probably wouldn’t even recognize that the outcome is made of 5 different songs. Absolutely replaceable. Not a fan of any of these and if I had to make a choice it would be “Beautiful Desaster”.
What the hell is this “Ey eyeyehehe” in the refrain of “Storm”? Never heard something more nasty than that.
Totally agree with you, they all sound the same, not bad and final might be possible but no “Winner” song amongst them…
I just wonder what was your impression when you heard Fuego at the very first time ….. ?? However anyone can share he’s point of view ?….
You need to enjoy more the music and not to analyse every word of the lyrics. It’s speld colors because is written by an american the song that’s why …
I’m affraid to ask you what kind of songs do you like …
GO ROXEN … CHERRY RED ???
Cherry red is ok
I am waiting for Poland song
Good luck Romania
It is extremly produced but sounds nice. It is hard to know if she really connects to the songs. It has to be seen live to know if it is really good.
Cherry Red and Alcohol you tbh
ALCOHOL YOU for the win!!
All these are indedd decent songs…BUT i really can’t understand the hype around them since yesterday?They are nothing special at all!
Cherry Red the best far away and because is very latin power,love when say in spanish : vente paca racata .:) 12 points from Spain sure.
Lol downtown Málaga is… Downtown Málaga. Málaga is a big city and has a downtown, the historical centre, if you prefer it.
PS: I’m from Malaga and I love Cherry Red.
All of these sound like non-qualifiers tbh
YOU HAVE BAD TASTE. PERIOD.
no he doesn’t, it is all nq material
ester on a sunday was much better than all this
I agree. I don’t like any of these. Beautiful Desaster is ok, but not more. And that “Ey yeheeheheheh” in Storm is super nasty…
I totally agree.
I don’t know why my comment got deleted, no idea really, but
personally I like beautiful disaster the most, cherry red would be close second
I’m impressed! This is one of the best selections of the year
The production on these is good, but i wished for more Romanian ethnic sounds. All these are decent, but i dont love any of them and they all have parts i like and dislike. I can only say that Storm is probably my least favorite. Im waiting to see them performed live with stagings. Good luck to Romania.
I can very much relate to Skiwalko’s comment further down. It seems like they built a task force to identify current music trends, then bought several tracks from respected producers and songwriters, and then they took an inexperienced singer who sings all these songs in pretty much the same way (and I’m not a fan of her singing style). It feels like a sample catalogue. This is not the way to go, if you want to win Eurovision, but it may be the way to get back on track after missing the finals two years in a row. Nevertheless, all… Read more »
Sorry, Una, you know I respect your opinion, but what you’re describing is exactly what I’m hearing. For me these hyper-professionalized, streamlined selection processes are making Eurovision dull by design. I prefer it the way Portugal or Italy do it, where they are inviting composers and artists who then bring their own distinguishable work to the selection, not something some focus group has identified to be the latest musical trend. As for her voice, of course she can’t change it, yet I didn’t say anything about her voice, but about her singing style. I know that this kind of choked… Read more »
Yes but that simply hasn’t been working recently (inviting composers and artists to submit their stuff). And that may be because the artists (and I’m not trying to criticise them) didn’t put enough effort into their Selec?ia Na?ional? entries. Or maybe it was the jury’s fault, or bad luck, I don’t know. Mixing things up a bit, even if not in an organic manner, seems to have worked, at least up to a point, and they managed to put out much higher quality songs than what we’ve had in the past two years at Selec?ia Na?ional?, at least in my… Read more »
If by “work” you mean the placings in the contest were sometimes better, I agree (see above). And, yes, if we’re only looking at results, Portugal wasn’t very succesful with its approach, but I personally always look forward to Portugal’s selection, because I know I will get very diverse stuff, some of it I like, some of it I don’t, but I will never get the impression that I’m being baited.
No, you’re right, not everyone can be satisfied, that can never be the objective. And I don’t say that Roxen is doomed to failure – if we only talk about results. The same approach has worked for Switzerland last year. But I feel like a broken record, when I always repeat: For me it’s not only about results, it’s primarily about the music, the art, the process. I want the artists to have a connection to their song, even if they “fail” in Eurovision. I’ll always prefer the “failure” of Conan Osiris to the “success” of Luca Hänni. I tend… Read more »
If only there were the rule that the composers must be from the sending country. And that composer and artist have been working together for at least two years or so. But unfortunately that wish is against the trend 🙁
Excuse me, but why point that singer is inexpierenced? If she is inexpierenced that doesn’t mean automatically she is bad singer. Mihai has bashed before that she is “kid”. We didn’t see her yet how she perform to judge her based on that. I think she has beautiful voice and personally I like this singing style.
That’s not what this was about. I say she’s inexperiened, because I suppose a more seasoned performer would be less malleable, you couldn’t just make them sing five songs they have no connection to.
Yeah, now I see your point, sorry for misunderstanding 🙂 You mean she will be “faking” it? Idk, I immediately felt conected to “Alcohol you” song even though I didn’t write it. We’ll see the way how she perform and if she is capable to share emotions of the song to the audience..
No reason to apologize. And I wouldn’t say it’s impossible to have a connection to a song you haven’t written, that would be nonsense. But this whole process seems so clinical: First you identify the trends, then you get the songwriters who write the song according to those and then you get a performer who you think matches these songs. To me this seems more like a marketing scheme than a creative process.
“[I]t may be the way to get back on track after missing the finals two years in a row.” I think that exactly is Romania’s short-term goal this year. I guess let’s see if they succeed with this goal, and then maybe they’ll try what you suggested in the future. Besides, there’s no one way to win ESC. And there’s no one way to satisfy any (or all) Eurovision fan(s), so I understand your frustration of this selection process. You value self-penned, probably singer-songwriter, songs. I value songs with great production/sound design. It would be great for a song to… Read more »
Cherry Red. I don’t see other choice. This song isn’t something special and good, but at least isn’t another boring song which you forget after few seconds and Cherry Red is good background for making some nice show.
All the 5 songs are amazing, but Alcohol You is something else. A lot of you would say that is just a ballad, but no, it’s just pure MAGIC! About Cherry Red, we all know that the Eurovision fans always get hyped about this type of songs and when it’s come to the vote, well, the things are changing.
I liked the snippets and now I’m not disappointed – my favourites are Alcohol You and Beautiful Disaster and hope they’ll pick one of them (or Cherry Red), but all five have a space safe for them on my iPod playlist.
The songs are cute, but i’m not sure how she will sound live.
okay this is definitely unpopular opinion, but somehow “beautiful disaster” stand out the most for me, second in the list would be “cherry red”
For some reason on my country’s itunes (US), all of the songs are on there except for colors. Idk why that one would be the only one missing but it is…
Same thing with Spotify in the US! That is weird, maybe we should wait a little longer for “Colors”…
I think my expectations were too high. No hate on Roxen but I didn’t like any song at all. I really wanted to like at least one of them but I didn’t. Maybe the winning song will grow on me by May but for now, Romania isn’t on my radar. It doesn’t help that I’m not into this kind of style of music. Wasn’t a fan Billie Eilish’s music style either so that probably explains why I don’t like any of the 5 songs. But I still wish Roxen luck though and it would be nice to see Romania in… Read more »
I’ll choose “Beautiful Disaster” is something mysterious
Alcohol you is my winner among these. It’s a bit unexpected song and then I don’t know many songs entirely on the theme “drunk calls”.. It’s also a bit crazy song and much more giving than several decided acts for this years esc. I hope this song will be picked. The production overall is really smooth. Sadly, several lyricists seem to want to rhyme more than making sense. Now I want a nice staging. I imagine a gala dress and kayal that is messy clearly because she’s been crying. So a bit polished but messy. Maybe we get the same… Read more »
“Colors” has the least awkward English lyrics because its primary songwriter is an English speaker. :))
“Alcohol You” seems to be a play on words for “I’ll call you” (“call” being sung as two syllables).
I did not expect the Spanish lyrics for “Cherry Red”. :)) I liked “Alcohol You” and “Cherry Red” more as snippets, but I still prefer these two over the others. Actually, any of the songs except “Storm” are pretty good choices.
I thought “Storm” was the best one!
Okay, relistened to all five songs(y’all people gotta quit releasing songs when a girl is at work lol XD), there’s not a bad one in the bunch. I rather like them all, so still anyone of these can win and I’d be quite happy. Alcohol You – love the word play Storm – Just a good pop-ish song Colors – another good pop song Cherry Red – love the mixed in Spanish Beautiful Disaster – gives me Billie Eilish vibes which isn’t a bad thing My favorite two are now Alcohol You and Storm, but the other three are equally… Read more »
Personal favourite here is “Colors” – I just hope they fix the spelling before May
Why should they change the spelling of “colors”
After all is written by an American
It was supposed to be “Collars”.
I made a big mistake: I read the comments before listening to the songs, which led me to believe I’d actually hear something good.
Cherry Red is the best.
Good luck from israel. I think that romania will compete for the win this year. Top 5 for sure. Shalom
Cherry Red.
Bye.
I can’t be the only one let down? Beautiful Disaster is the only moderate stand out. But I’ll have forgotten these song within the hour.
And it could be a beautiful disaster in the scoreboard too 😀
I actually agree..
Exactly my thought, thank you 😀
I really don’t know if I like more Alcohol you or Cherry Red. Very different but I enjoy both moods.
Such a tough choice
Colors and Beautiful Disaster are co-written by Eurovision winner Julie Frost!
Great songs but my big favorite one is: Alcohol You. I hope that this song will be the entry for Romania
MIHAI come back !
No don’t
No Laura come back
no don’t
No. Cezar come back! (No… wait… I didn’t say that, lol)
Laura comeback
I don’t know…..I like them because they are quality radio songs but I can’t find one to be the contender to win the whole thing. The snippet of Alcohol You is amazing but the whole track is just good but not amazing. Cherry Red is just another pop tune that people would like it but it lacks a big moment…The build-up of Storm is really good but the chorus is kind of okay.
At the very least, romania should get the chance to return the final.
They will.
I’m quite impressed with the quality of the five songs. If I had to choose right now, my favorite would probably be Cherry Red (although this might change).
Sorry to post here (couldn’t find a general forum):
I have a feeling that the BBC / BMG are going to announce Hurts as the entry for UK — what do you guys think?
Well, it’d be better than anyone they’ve sent in a while…
Yeah I think they’d be awesome. I’ve been trying to work out who on BMG’s books would make sense as the entry. Hurts have plenty of touring experience in Europe, haven’t released new music since their 2017 album, and now would be a great time to come back.
Something like Beautiful Ones could be top 5 material? https://youtu.be/LmVAaID4H7w
it would be great but they are in Columbia records
Oh damn, you’re right it might be unlikely then — I missed that Columbia is no longer associated with BMG. That’s a shame.
Beautiful disaster is generic!? Cherry red is generic!? I haven’t heard two less generic songs in a while!
Cherry Red is a Fuego-Siren Song mix
All I can say is, Romania is almost definitely going to be in my Top 10 again. There are 3 very different, yet absolutely wonderful songs here, and even so, the other 2 are still well-produced and good songs. Not a single bad one here. My favorite is probably “Beautiful Disaster”. I love the creepy and dark Billie Eilish vibes. Next would be “Alcohol You”, followed very closely by “Cherry Red”. I think any of these 3 could bring Romania at least to the Top 15, likely higher. Could we be seeing Bucharest 2021? I’d say maybe! All in all,… Read more »
In fact I like all of them, except that culebron-linked so eurovisionfansappreciated “cherry red. The 1st 3 ones, though, they look a bit the same. But” beautiful disaster” is GREAT and different
Congratulations,, Romania. Five great great songs.
The right song can win the whole thing. The standard is very high. These are pretty much half an album of very good material. I think alcohol you, cherry red and colours are all proper vibes so whatever looks the most complete with visuals will probably be the best choice for Rotterdam. It’s cool we are getting some interesting songs this year.
I really love storm! The chorus is so playful and for a song with such a generic name the song itself is actually really creative. The abrubt ending makes it sound like it was intended to go on for another 30 seconds though. All these songs sound good but i think that when the national final is over and Roxen can focus on one song only, she’ll improve even more.