Romania: Cezar Ouatu among 45 competing acts announced for Selectia Nationala 2022

From 94 entries, Romanian broadcaster TVR has whittled that down to the lucky 45 who will compete in the semi-finals of Selecţia Naţională 2022. Among the competing acts is Romania’s Eurovision 2013 star, the countertenor Cezar Ouatu.

The 45 semi-finalists were selected by the Selecţia Naţională expert jury. The jury, made up of Alexandra Ungureanu, Ozana Barabancea, Randi, Cristian Faur and Adrian Romcescu, assessed all the entries that picked the 45 entries that will move onto the two-part semi-final stage.

And this season’s line-up has an international flavour. As well as composers and performers from Romania, there will be songs written by creatives from Moldova, the UK, Slovenia, Ireland, Iceland, Belgium, Sweden, Ukraine, Spain, Canada and the United States, and performers from from Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia and Germany.

One of the biggest names of the list is Romania’s Eurovision 2013 star Cezar Ouatu. The countertenor thrilled the audience in Malmö with his vamp-tastic performance of “It’s My Life”. This time he’ll be trying his luck again with the song “For everyone”.

There are also familiar faces from previous editions of Selecţia Naţională, including artists such as Alexa, Romeo Zaharia and Aldo Blaga. Aldo will be performing a song titled “Embers” — the same name as the UK’s nil points Eurovision entry earlier this year.

Romania’s Eurovision 2006 star — and Selecţia Naţională regular — Mihai Trăistariu is not on the list. In a Facebook post, the singer explained that while he had been looking for a song to enter, he was unable to find the right one before the entry deadline.

The format of Selecția Națională 2022

The 45 acts will compete in the semi-final stage, due to be held in February. In the first stage of the semi-finals, the music videos of the semi-finalist songs will be posted online. The expert jury will vote to select the first 15 acts to pass to the next stage. A public vote on the Romanian Eurovision Facebook page will be used to select five more acts, making a total of 20.

The second stage of the semi-finals will involve a live show held on 12 February 2022. The 20 semi-finalists will perform their songs live. The performances will be voted on by the jury alone with no televote. The top ten placed acts will then progress to the grand final.

The grand final of Selecția Națională 2022 will be held on 5 March 2022. The ten finalists will perform their songs live and the winner will be decided by a combination of jury vote and public SMS votes. Viewers are only able to vote for each entry once per phone number.

And then Romania will have decided who’ll be travelling to Turin in May for Eurovision 2022.

Selecţia Naţională 2022 – Competing acts

• Alex Parker & Erik Frank & Bastien – “Best of me”
• Aldo Blaga – “Embers”
• Alexa – “Hoodies and cold nights”
• Alina Amon – “Without you”
• Ana Lazăr – “Youngster”
• Andra Oproiu – “Younique”
• Andrea Stocchino – “Avere paura”
• Andrei Petruş – “Take me”
• ARIS – “Do Svidaniya”
• Ayona Iordănescu – “Let me come to you”
• Barbara – “Hypnotized”
• Bogdan Dumitraş – “Sign”
• Carmen Trandafir – “Măşti”
• Cezar Ouatu – “For everyone”
• Ciro De Luca – “Imperdonabile”
• Claudia, Minodora, Diana – “România mea”
• Dan Helciug – “241”
• Dora Gaitanovici – “Ana”
• Eliza G – “The other half of me”
• Eugenia Nicolae – “Doina”
• Fabian Ferrara – “That way”
• Forţele de muncă – “Hai afară, frate!””
• Gabriel Basco – “One night”
• Giulia-Georgia Beiliciu – “Find your way”
• Ivelin Trakiyski – “Neverending”
• Jessie – “Regret”
• Kyrie Mendél – “Hurricane”
• Letiţia Moisescu – “Mirunica”
• Leyah – “I’ll be fine”
• Mălina – “Prisoner”
• Miryam – “Top of the rainbow”
• MOISE – “Guilty”
• Oana Tabultoc – “Utopia”
• Olivia Miheţ – “Fragile”
• Othello – “You’re worthy”
• Outflow – “Running in circles”
• Petra – “Ireligios”
• Popa Roberta-Maria – “Indigo”
• Romeo Zaharia – “Until the fight is over”
• Silvia Costache – “Save me”
• Sophia – “Beautiful lies”
• Stelian – “Remember”
• VANU – “Never give up”
• Vizi Imre – “Sparrow”
• WRS – “Llamame”

What do you think? Who are you excited to see compete in the national final? Which act should Romania send to Eurovision 2022? Tell us your thoughts below.