Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020

Albania was scheduled to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with the song "Fall from the Sky" performed by Arilena Ara. Its selected entry was chosen through the national selection competition Festivali i Këngës organised by Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) in December 2019. However, in March 2020, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), announced the contest's cancellation due to the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its rapid spread across Europe.

Eurovision Song Contest 2020
Country Albania
National selection
Selection processFestivali i Këngës 58
Selection date(s)Semi-finals:
19 December 2019
20 December 2019
Final:
22 December 2019
Selected entrantArilena Ara
Selected song"Fall from the Sky"
Selected songwriter(s)
Finals performance
Semi-final resultContest cancelled
Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2019 • 2020

Background
Main article: Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest

Prior to the 2020 contest, Albania had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest sixteen times since its first entry in 2004. Its highest placing in the contest, to this point, had been the fifth place, which the nation achieved in 2012 with the song "Suus" performed by Rona Nishliu. The country's first entry was performed by Anjeza Shahini with the song "The Image of You" and finished in the seventh place simultaneously constituting Albania's second-highest placing to date. Since 2018, Albania qualified for the grand final in both 2018 and 2019, with Eugent Bushpepa finishing in eleventh place with "Mall" and Jonida Maliqi placing in seventeenth place with "Ktheju tokës".[1]

Before Eurovision

Festivali i Këngës
Main article: Festivali i Këngës 58

The national broadcaster of Albania, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH), organised the 58th edition of Festivali i Këngës to select their participant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. The event consisted of two semi-finals on 19 and 20 December, and the grand final on 22 December 2019. Previously, the broadcaster opened a submission period between May and September for artists and composers to participate in the competition.[2] In October 2019, it published a provisory list of 20 songs shortlisted to compete in the two semi-finals of the contest.[3][4] After the semi-finals, the votes of an expert jury panel selected twelve songs to advance to the grand final.[5]

Competing entries
Artist(s) Song Composer(s) Lyricist
Albërie Hadërgjonaj "Ku ta gjej dikë ta dua" Adrian Hila Timo Flloko
Aldo Bardhi "Melodi" Antoni Polimeni, Richy Sebastian Aldo Bardhi
Arilena Ara "Shaj" Darko Dimitrov, Lazar Cvetkovski Lindon Berisha
Bojken Lako "Malaseen" Bojken Lako
Devis Xherahu "Bisedoj me serenatën" Devis Xherahu Jorgo Papingji
Eli Fara and Stresi "Bohem" Eli Fara Rozana Radi
Elvana Gjata "Me tana" Elvana Gjata
Era Rusi "Eja merre" Darko Dimitrov Era Rusi
Gena "Shqiponja e lirë" Gena Endrit Mumajesi
Genc Tukiçi and Nadia Tukiçi "Ju flet Tirana" Genc Tukiçi Agim Xheka
Kamela Islamaj "Më ngjyros" Kamela Islamaj Megi Hasani
Kanita Suma "Ankth" Boban Apostolov Lindon Berisha
Kastro Zizo "Asaj" Gramoz Kozeli, Klevis Bega
Olta Boka "Botë për dy" Florent Boshnjaku Genc Salihu
Renis Gjoka "Loja" Renis Gjoka Ilir Krasniqi
Robert Berisha "Ajo nuk është unë" Filloreta Raci
Sara Bajraktari "Ajër" Adrian Hila
Tiri Gjoci "Me gotën bosh" Everest Ndreca Pandi Laço
Valon Shehu "Kutia e Pandorës" Eugent Bushpepa Elvis Preni
Wendi Mancaku "Ende" Wendi Mancaku Endrit Mumajesi

Shows
Semi-finals

The semi-finals took place on 19 December and 20 December 2020, and were broadcast live at 21:00 (CET), respectively.[6] Ten songs competed in each semi-final with five entries in the first and seven in the second semi-final, each attracting the most points from an expert jury qualifying for the grand final. The qualifying songs were selected by a jury panel consisting of two national and three international members with connections to the Eurovision Song Contest.[7] The jury was composed of Christer Björkman, Dimitris Kontopoulos, Felix Bergsson, Mikaela Minga and Rita Petro.[5] The first semi-final was opened by the country's Eurovision Song Contest 2019 representative Jonida Maliqi performing her song "Ktheju tokës".[8] The interval act included Mahmood performing his songs "Barrio" and "Soldi".[9] The interval act in the second semi-final featured Agim Krajka and Lindita Theodhori with the song "Kafe Flora".[10]

Final

The grand final took place on 22 December and was broadcast live at 21:00 (CET).[6][11] Twelve songs competed and the winner was determined by the combination of the votes from a five-member jury panel.[12] Each member of the jury voted by assigning scores from 1–10, 13 and 18 points to their preferred songs. The final featured guest performances by Eleni Foureira and Giusy Ferreri.[13] Before the end of the show, Arilena Ara emerged as the winner and was simultaneously announced as the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.[14][15][16]

Draw Artist Song C. Björkman D. Kontopoulos F. Bergsson M. Minga R. Petro Total Result
1
 Valon Shehu "Kutia e Pandorës" 1 2 7 7 6 23 8
2
 Sara Bajraktari "Ajër" 13 10 10 8 9 50 3
3
 Robert Berisha "Ajo nuk është unë" 9 3 2 3 1 18 10
4
 Tiri Gjoci "Me gotën bosh" 2 4 8 6 3 23 8
5
 Bojken Lako "Malaseen" 3 8 3 18 13 45 4
6
 Arilena Ara "Shaj" 10 13 13 13 18 67 1
7
 Gena "Shqiponja e lirë" 4 7 1 1 5 18 10
8
 Kamela Islamaj "Më ngjyros" 6 6 4 9 10 35 6
9
 Albërie Hadërgjonaj "Ku ta gjej dikë ta dua" 7 5 6 5 4 27 7
10
 Elvana Gjata "Me tana" 18 18 18 2 8 64 2
11
 Olta Boka "Botë për dy" 5 1 5 4 2 17 12
12
 Era Rusi "Eja merre" 8 9 9 10 7 43 5

Promotion

An accompanying lyric video for "Fall from the Sky" premiered on the official YouTube channel of the Eurovision Song Contest on 10 March 2019.[17][18] For further promotion, Arilena was scheduled to embark on a small tour with live performances at various Eurovision Song Contest-related events, including in Amsterdam, London and Madrid, before the tour was canceled due to the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).[19][20][21] The first live performance of the song was broadcast during Arilena's Sounds of Silence concert at the Mother Teresa Square in Tirana on 2 May 2020 as well as the European Broadcasting Union's Eurovision Home Concerts series on 8 May 2020.[22][23]

At Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was initially scheduled to take place at Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and consist of two semi-finals on 12 and 14 May, and the grand final on 16 May 2020.[24] According to the Eurovision rules, each participating country, except the host nation and the "Big 5", consisting of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, would have been required to qualify from one of two semi-finals to compete for the final.[25] The top ten countries from each semi-final would have progressed to the grand final.[26][27] In January, it was announced that Albania would be performing in the second half of the second semi-final of the contest.[28] However, in March, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced the contest's cancellation due to the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Europe.[29] With respect to Arilena and her entry "Fall from the Sky" participating in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, the EBU announced soon after that entries intended for 2020 would not be eligible for the following year, though each broadcaster would be able to send either their 2020 representative or a new one.[30]

Alternative song contests

The broadcasters who were planned to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 organised alternative music competitions. Amongst them, Austrian broadcaster, ORF, organised Der kleine Song Contest in April 2020, which saw every entry being assigned to one of three semi-finals. A jury, consisting of ten members that had represented Austria at the contest before, was hired to rank each song, with the highest-placed in each semi-final advancing to the final round.[31] In the third semi-final on 18 April, Albania placed fourth in a field of thirteen participants, achieving a total of 62 points.[32] Swedish broadcaster, Sveriges Television, will additionally organise Sveriges 12:a, in which Albania is scheduled to participate on 9 May 2020.[33]

References
  1. "Albania–Eurovision Song Contest". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  2. Granger, Anthony (28 May 2019). "Albania: Festivali i Këngës 58 Submissions Open". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. "Festivali i 58-të i Këngës në RTSH, juria përzgjedh 20 këngëtarët pjesëmarrës" (in Albanian). RTSH. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  4. Agam, Åri (8 December 2019). "Albania: Festivali i Këngës 2019 song titles and composers revealed". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  5. "Live-Blog Albanien heute 21 Uhr: Finale Festivali i Këngës 2019" (in German). ESC kompakt. 22 December 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  6. "Netët e Festivalit". RTSH. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  7. "Fest' 58, dalin pikët e plota të jurisë" (in Albanian). RTSH. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  8. "Albania: The first ten acts perform at Festivali i Këngës 58 but willl any of them be heading to Eurovision". EuroVisionary. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  9. Gallagher, Robyn (6 December 2019). "Festivali i Këngës 58: Songs to be released on 9 December, Mahmood confirmed as interval act". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  10. Outerson, Michael (20 December 2019). "Albania: Second semi final of Festivali i Këngës 58 takes place and the finalists are still to be announced". EuroVisionary. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  11. Muldoon, Padraig (17 December 2019). "Festivali i Këngës 58: Your ultimate guide to Albania's Eurovision 2020 selection". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  12. Andia (21 December 2019). "Fest '58, dalin finalistët e natës së tretë" (in Albanian). RTSH. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  13. Gallagher, Robyn (22 December 2019). "Albania: Arilena Ara wins Festivali i Këngës 58 with "Shaj"". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  14. "Arilena Ara me "Shaj" fiton Fest 58" (in Albanian). RTSH. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  15. "It's Arilena Ara for Albania! - Eurovision Song Contest". European Broadcasting Union. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  16. "Festivali i 58-të i Këngës, Arilena Ara do të përfaqësojë Shqipërinë në Eurovizion" (in Albanian). Euronews Albania. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  17. "Arilena Ara - Fall From The Sky - Albania 🇦🇱 - Official Lyric Video - Eurovision 2020". European Broadcasting Union. 10 March 2020. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  18. "Arilena Ara - Fall From The Sky - Albania 🇦🇱 - Eurovision 2020 | Official Lyric Video". YouTube. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  19. "Eurovision 2020: Four Acts Confirmed for Eurovision In Concert So Far". Eurovoix. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  20. "Arilena Ara takes to the London Eurovision Party stage!". ESCXtra. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  21. "Albania repite en la PrePartyES por cuarto año consecutivo" (in Spanish). Eurovision Spain. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  22. Smith, David (3 May 2020). "Albania: Arilena Ara gives outdoor lockdown concert, including first live performance of "Fall From the Sky"". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  23. "Eurovision Home Concerts". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  24. "Eurovision Song Contest–Rotterdam 2019". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  25. "Rules–Eurovision Song Contest". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  26. "Eurovision Song Contest 2020–First Semi-Final". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  27. "Eurovision Song Contest 2020–Second Semi-Final". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  28. Groot, Evert (28 January 2020). "Which country performs in which Eurovision 2020 Semi-Final?". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  29. "Eurovision 2020 in Rotterdam is cancelled". European Broadcasting Union. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  30. "Intention to honour Eurovision 2020 songs and artists". European Broadcasting Union. 20 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  31. "Mr. Song Contest proudly presents – Der kleine Song Contest am 14., 16. und 18. April in ORF 1" (in German). ORF. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  32. Wilson, Katie (19 April 2020). "Der kleine Song Contest: Austrian public choose Iceland's Daði & Gagnamagnið as their favourite Eurovision 2020 act". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  33. Dahlander, Gustav (3 April 2020). "Klart för Eurovision-vecka i SVT" (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
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