Romania has chosen: „Alcohol You” for ESC2020
TVR official press release:
“Sunday night, the public and the Jury agreed on the winner: „Alcohol You” won on both votes
Roxen with “Alcohol You” will represent Romania on the Rotterdam stage of the 2020 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The decision was reached by the public and the Jury with an equal share in the process, at the end of the National Final organised by the Romanian Television (TVR) on March 1st at the „Romeo Iamandi” Sports Hall in Buzău.
As a part of the new selection mechanism, the National Final was developed and broadcast live under this year’s tag #ealtceva (translating to “it’s something different”) and included a number of surprises for the public. This time, the “finalists” were 5 songs competing to represent Romania in the international Eurovision phase. The guiding thread of the shows was Roxen herself, with her talent, her versatility and intense technical preparation for each of the five performances.
„Alcohol You is a song I feel with my whole body and I relive every time I perform it. Its style represents me and I am thrilled the public and jury felt the same way and voted for it. A big thank you, everybody! All this support means the world to me and motivates me, both as a person and as an artist, to work harder, to apply myself even more to my music. I wish „Alcohol You” will reach the top, I wish it will be as appreciated and voted by the Eurovision public during the shows in Rotterdam. My emotions run high but it’s all very positive and I hope this will help me prepare for ESC2020 and reach people’s hearts with my music.”, Roxen stated immediately after the National Final.
Viky Red is responsible for the music and the production of the song, while lyrics are signed by Ionuț Armas and Breyan Isaac. Breyan Isaac is an American singer, songwriter, producer, pianist and Grammy Award winner. „The way Roxen conveys this song is amazing, it surprises me time and time again. She really feels it and I am so pleased her performance has touched both jury and public. We will continue to work together and do all that is necessary in order to go to Rotterdam with the best version of this song as well as with an amazing show. “, declared Viky Red, the author of Alcohol You.
„Alcohol You” is an authentic anthem for universal love. On the stage in Buzău, the show was powerful, dominated by purple and turquoise hues, radiating inner peace, acceptance, astral connections and vibes. The stage was flooded with images of moon, eclipses and stellar shapes, reflecting the emotions and feelings displayed in Roxen’s performance: sadness, dispair and, finally, hope.
At the end of an amazing evening bringing together, along Roxen, Romanian artists Elena Gheorghe, Connect-R and Dora Gaitanovici, as well as special guests Loreen (Sweden), Ulrikke Brandstorp (Norway) Sandro (Cyprus) and Natalia Gordienko (Moldova), the points for each of the 5 participating songs were announced.
Alcohol You was confirmed as the winner with 10 points (5 from the Jury and 5 from the public). In descending order, it was followed by Storm (6 points), than Cherry Red and Colors (on a tie, both with 3 points), and last Beautiful Disaster.
Liana Stanciu, Head of Delegation for Romania at ESC2020, said: “I knew it would be “Alcohol You” from the first moment I listened to it, when it was just a sketch fresh out of songwriting camp. It is a powerful song, about love and how we choose to manage sorrow, about the courage to choose what makes us stronger. The melody is hypnotic, lyrics are complex, the whole concept outlines an initiatory journey. The winning song in the National Finals – in this new format appreciated by fans and Eurovision press alike – has the potential to take us very high in the Rotterdam rankings. A huge thank you to the audience and to our colleagues from the TVR and Global Record teams! We also thank our local partners and the Buzău public for their involvement, for their warmth and for their support in giving everyone a show that was really special. Congratulations, Roxen! We are are all here for you, keep up your fabulous aura, your willpower and excellent work!”
ESC2020 will take place in Rotterdam with “Open UP” as its slogan. The Semifinals are scheduled for May 12 and May 14 and the Final on May 16. The 65th ESC edition will have 41 participating countries, including Romania.
Duncan, representing The Netherlands, with “Arcade” won the previous edition in Tel Aviv.
According to the January 28 draw, Romania will enter the contest in the 2nd half of the first Semifinal on May 12.
The other countries in the first Semifinal, along Romania, are (in alphabetical order): Australia, Belarus, Ireland, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden (1st half), respectively Azerbaijan, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Israel, Malte, Norway, Ukraine (2nd half).
In the 2nd Semifinal (May 14) the following countries will perform: Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Island, Moldova, Poland, San Marino, Serbia (1st half) and Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Georgia, Latvia, Portugal (2nd half).
In the Rotterdam Final on May 16, a total of 26 countries will compete – 10 qualifiers from each Semifnal plus the Big Five and the Host. The Big Five and the Host will ascend directly to the Final and they can vote in the Semifinal as follows: Germany, Italy and The Netherlands in the 1st Semifinal and France, Spain and Great Britain in the 2nd Semifinal.
Both the ESC2020 Semifinals and the Final will be broadcast live on TVR1.
For other information, please contact us on mail at: eurovision.romania@tvr.ro .”
Romania ESC2020 Team
Ionut Demetriad for escromania.com
