Albania – Besa Kokëdhima, who won RTSH’s ticket to represent them during the Festival i Kengës 62, has released the revamp version of her entry, “Titan”!
As usual with Albania, they’re the first national final but the winner is never quite a sure bet: they have already changed songs completely (2015), changed the lyrics to English (2014, 2017) or had some small revamps, like cutting one minute off the song (2012).
For the last two years, they decided that the winner through the jury of the festival wouldn’t get the ticket to the contest, and instead televote’s 100% winner would. This year, the biggest name participating, Besa Kokëdhima, ended up winning Festival i Kengës 62 televote with “Zemrën n’dorë”! But we knew a revamp was coming. Then Besa said she was working on an English version. The song was released on her own social media today:
What do you think of this entry? What are its chances in Malmö?
The Eurovision Times 
Last year, AZE (March 13th), ARM (March 15th) and GEO (March 16th) were the last three countries to present their hopefuls (same as this year) and we all know how it went for AZE and GEO …
#just_saying
Sweden drawn to perform #1 in the Grand Final!
(the same day it is announced they will perform live at SF’s and voting begins at the start) 🧐🧐🧐
Seems they really want to win again at all cost.
Apparently they were shocked they got slot1?
Maybe host getting #1 slot will also become fixture?
Yeah, this is very obvious again. Among my least favorite ESC countries by now.
So this implies the draw for the host country running slot is a setup I suppose. And I also suppose we will see robust proof of that as well as we see them year after year about supposed jury “corruption”…? Jk we never saw that and we will never see anything to support those claims in this case either
I hoped Sweden’s draw would put an end to some conspiracy theories but nah. Anyway definitely a draw that eliminates any possibility of a victory for them. Although M&M do make for a good opening act. I still think they will achieve a good result but not as good as they could with a better draw.
Call the police
’cause you just stole away the only good parts
So effortful, so effortful, so effortful.
Nutsa and her boys:
https://x.com/zg_georgia/status/1767110915692822628?t=A2VHmiDBslkavcGs2ywuXw&s=09
One on the floor for me
I don’t think even gay baiting can save this from NQ at this point.
Guy with the ballcap, obviously.
So,Slimane belongs to your past?
Thx! He’s weirdly smooth for an Arab guy. The singer always comes first ahead of the dancers. Donnie and Dino are cool, too! Yes,I’m predictable. #Bashar
This was the strongest moment of the ceremony:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4W9V55iOPW/?igsh=MWh4ajRiM2xkMThqbg==
Thx. Slava Ukraini. The US needs to stop the circus act.
AND I was expecting you to comment on how hot the sexy otter director is too.
Hahaha indeed! In Ukraine I stay loyal to the presidential Otter. I watch most of his speeches – the sheer number is astonishing. There are clearly 3 different speechwriters and you can tell when he and Olena also write. He has this staccato that’s very effective, like “Our heroes. Our warriors. On the frontline”. I’ve actually adapted that in some work meetings and it works really well. People usually look at you for a second and then they figure it out.
That attack on Zelenskyy and Mitsotakis last week was a disgrace. The Russians have gone completely insane, this could have invoked Article 5.
They completely sucked the life out of it. BTM 5 material.
Quite unexpected. Hmm
Sweden seems to be super grateful to Turkey for lifting its objections regarding NATO? Apart from the kurdish activists they will be shipping to them, they also invite Sertab.
Since Turkey has pulled out of the contest 12 years ago and has turned more authoritarian and war-mongering ever since, the logic of this just escapes me. Not that there is anything wrong with Sertab herself of course.
Yes,it can’t be a random choice based on other criteria. This edition gets more political than EBU can handle(?). It shall be interesting.
About the changes: The Big-5 performing in the semis between the other songs might be a move towards getting them to compete in the semis? This way the final can end up with just 21 songs instead of 26.
Voting throughout the programme was tried in 2010 and 2011 and they discontinued it without explanation. I always thought they suspected foul play, especially after the azeri win. What I understand is they want to do away with the voting interval in the end to make the final shorter. This way voting stops when the songs end and they can proceed immediately to the jury results. However this leaves too much time for co-ordinated mass voting schemes and I think that especially this year it might not be a good idea. They will sell it as being fairer to those coming earlier but the problem with the earlyslots is not that they are forgotten, but that most people haven’t watched them because they don’t tune in from the start.
About the “Rest of the World” scheme and giving them even more time to vote the less said the better. This is just a diaspora scam and they need to get rid of it yesterday.
Sweden getting drawn at #1 might be the official launch of the already much discussed idea that the host should always open the show. If Sweden doesn’t make the start, I don’t see how others will follow.
If I remember correctly, they had mentioned that the majority of voters of the show did vote after all songs had been performed anyway, so they abandoned the idea by 2012. Now, re-adjusting that format AND having Sweden perform 1st, I don’t know, creates conspiracy. And in the ’10-’11 era performance order was decided by draw.
I doubt anyone will be rushing to vote that early or that Sweden will benefit much from this in terms of televote. The problem is, people don’t tune in from the start.
Sweden was not going to win but slot #1 put a nail in the coffin. Losing severe ground in betting odds. Same as Iceland now that Hera got confirmed
Georgia already down by 2 places and March is young 😆
Marina not benefitting though. The UK has even moved ahead of Greece again.
A top 13 status (given Georgia will fall) entering the rehearsals’s period after a flop with Vernikos last year is great.
It also will take some time for all bookies to adjust (see Netherlands who climbed massively after one week of release)
In bubble polls we are currently 7th!!!
We are 6th !!!
Europapa above Norwegian Twins lol
Waiting for the Georgian article.
PS: I read that today is the International Plumber’s Day :P
Cheers! :D
I think my pipes are blocked.
;)
I blinked and there are dozens of news. Nothing to complain about from my side.
I was never a fan of Albania 24, but this version is worse than the original – sanitized and plastified to death. Good luck!
2024 seems to be about being loud and extremely busy stage presentations. It’s tiresome. I haven’t found the will to listen to Georgia 24 yet – the title alone is enough to make me imagine another 3 minutes of shouty vocals and ott choreography…
Albania just needs to get out of its own way. They always end up slicing and dicing their entries after selection.
You know that old saying about too many chefs in the kitchen?
99% of the time, going with your first choice is the correct answer.
Pick something, and stick to it. Any revamps should be done before their National Final.
Unrelated to Albania, we can finally answer the hypothetical questions we all ask in regard to where the big 6 would place had they needed to go through the semi.
As a super added bonus, the tears of the fans when they find out someone placed dead last in the semi and still qualified will be fantastic. One of the things I’m most looking forward under this system.
We also learned today that SVT wants to increase televote revenue so they are opening up voting way before everyone has finished.
I disagree with any comparison of Iru to Georgia 2024. Iru was authentic , and the entry had some charm. Actually I waited for such bombastic wannabe stuff but couldn’t expect such useless rust. Pity… Georgia has much more interesting artists and could offer much better stuff.
I still consider Albanian entry frigid and useless to.
Surprisingly Belgium 2024 is my favorite song so far after 2nd looking through.
yes Belgium is going up my list too ( Switzerland down)
Finally, i got to hear this one as well. Sadly. They sucked any soul it had and made it a super plastic, disposable product. I agree with what Michos wrote about the Albanian lyrics with the cuts in precise points have it an edge and an oomph that is now gone.
And can I say one more thing about this?
It is supercheap. Like, discount bin sale cheap.
I remember seing Besa perform “Ajer” many moons ago, such an ethereal, beautiful song, and this is just desperation in a can, and like processed cheese, I’m not having it.