Late on Tuesday producers revealed the Festivali i Këngës 61 finalists. And a few hours later we gave our readers 36 hours to vote for their favourite, who they’d like to see at Eurovision 2023.
After counting 1,824 votes, the results are in. Albina & Famija Kelmendi have topped our poll with 506 votes — or nearly 28% of all those counted.
Their feel-good number “Duje,” which recounts familial breakdown, tugged on heartstrings at the same time that it made our bodies move. With that beat and those rhythms, we were literally shook.
Not far behind with our reader is FiK legend and Sanremo participant Elsa Lila with her song “Evita.”
The moving story about a mother’s love of her daughter is stirring and emotional. She needs only a chair and a microphone to make magic — even as other acts wheel out the entire kitchen sink and dance studio.
Elsa, who has nothing to lose, comes with an X Factor that we simply cannot describe.
And rounding out our readers’ Top 3 is the incredible Fifi with the song “Stop.”
Fifi has a massive following and has established herself as one of the country’s top songwriters. She’s known for her emotional ballads and ability to captivate an audience. Her charms have clearly worked with our readers.
Poll: Who should sing for Albania at Eurovision 2023?
- Albina & Famija Kelmendi: 27.74%, 506 votes
- Elsa Lila: 21.60%, 394 votes
- Fifi: 14.97%, 273 votes
- Vanesa Sono: 5.32%, 97 votes
- Enxhi Nasufi: 5.26%, 96 votes
- Manjola Nallbani: 3.84%, 70 votes
- Erma Mici: 3.67%, 67 votes
- Rezarta Smaja: 3.23%, 59 votes
- 2 Farm: 2.47%, 45 votes
- Rovena Dilo: 1.75%, 32 votes
- Urban Band: 1.64%, 30 votes
- Evi Reci: 1.26%, 23 votes
- Lynx: 1.10%, 20 votes
- Sergio Hajdini: 0.93%, 17 votes
- Melodajn Mancaku: 0.93%, 17 votes
- Alban Kondi & Lore: 0.88%, 16 votes
- Gent Hoxha: 0.77%, 14 votes
- Fabian Basha: 0.77%, 14 votes
- Petrit Çarkaxhiu: 0.66%, 12 votes
- Gjergj Kaçinari: 0.60%, 11 votes
- Franc Koruni: 0.60%, 11 votes
i wanna have 2 farm for germany!
Seriously the first 10 seconds of Albina’s song is fabulous, the remaining 3 minutes is a horrendous mess.
I don’t think it’s shouty, but that’s a matter of taste. Crowded only because the entire orchestra is on stage with them and there isn’t that much space. At Eurovision they would have a bit more room for the 6 of them.
Fifi for the win! Elsa and Albina are terrible
Albina would be a huge mistake. Elsa would sail to the final, Albina would be Ronela 2.0.
I like Albina and family, but I hope for Elsa Lila, her song Evita blow me away, I love it very much