All opinions expressed in this article are those of the person quoted and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the other team members or ESC United as a whole.
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, sipping on mulled wine while staggering around a snowy German Christmas Market, Auld St. Nick… no, the true meaning of Christmas for the Eurovision fan is the multiday festival of song that is Albania’s Festivali i Këngës.
Beginning on Thursday and now in its 63rd edition, like Italy’s Sanremo it has become a fan favorite national selection on top of being a smorgasbord of pop delights showcasing the country’s music industry.
30 acts are battling it out to either win the festival and/or represent Albania at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, and five ESC United writers and editors have given us their thoughts.
From Belgium, we have Boris Meersman. From Croatia, we has Jasmin Prišć. Rebecca Green, hailing from Perth, Australia, makes her debut as an ESC United reviewer. Seasoned Dutch veteran Roy Postema returns from the wilderness, and our new resident curmudgeon Sam Siegal joins the panel again.
And here are their thoughts on the second 15 batch of Albanian entrants from FiK 63 Semi-Final 2!
Mal Retkoceri – “Antihero”
Boris – 8 – “This is a very good attempt at defending one’s winner title while disproving the haters. While I thought (and still think) “Çmendur” was a deeply underrated composition, Mal’s vocal style matched it poorly. A catchy, spunky, uptempo Halloween rock song with Damiano David vocals like “Antihero” should suit him better. I doubt Mal will win this time around, but I will note that “Antihero” has the capability to survive the Eurovision semi after being revamped into English, and that is a distinction only a handful of FiK songs possess.”
Jasmin – 7 – “Him winning last year was hysterical in a way. I prefer this song over his previous golden entry tho. Standard pop song with little to no Albanian influences aside the language which will make it stand out from the rest of the same-ish that we have in the competition.”
Rebecca – 7 – “Definitely wasn’t expecting something like this from Albania, but I’m totally here for it. The BPM sounds like the fastest I’ve heard of what I’ve listened to so far, so already it has a slightly frantic pace about it that makes it stand out amongst the slow ballads. Also, the chord progression in the background vocals of the chorus sounds unresolved, which catches my ear every time I hear it—gives the whole song a level of tension that works very well for the vibe it’s trying to give. Not bad at all! Very solid rock entry!”
Roy – 8.5 – “He’s baaaaack! Our big boy who surprisingly won last year. Well this songtitle says it all, antihero! It is basically how everyone, especially in the fandom, saw him last year. This song sounds like it was made with Eurovision in mind and it works very well. Is it the best produced? No. But it is incredibly catchy, has a fast pace and keeps the listener on it’s toes and excited to hear what will be next. I could definitely see a lot of people in Europe vote for this. It’s incredibly stagable too. The guitarbreakdown is incredibly extra, but soo perfectly fitting of the song. He’s the antihero, not supposed to be likable, but then delivers us this catchy banger. He already won the juryvote with a way inferior song last year, with this more televote-friendly song, I feel like Mal is the one to beat in Festival I Këngës this year. And arguably one of their best picks too!”
Sam – 5.5 – “I found this one somehow off-putting on my first listen, although it’s grown on me a bit. I could see it becoming grating after a while, but it definitely stands out as one of the few songs in the competition I could genuinely imagine as a Eurovision entry.”
Total: 36 points (Average = 7.2)
Klea Dina – “Dashuri ndiej”
Boris – 5.5 – “A decently composed ballad, that leaves room for an intense live. It’s a bit too slow for my personal tastes, though.”
Jasmin – 6.5 – “Dark and mysterious beginning caught my interest. Half way through the song it sadly lost me. With a magnificient staging this could elevate but we know that there is no much stage production (if any) in FiK so it’s gonna just turn out flat in my opinion. Nice whistle notes in the end.”
Rebecca – 5 – “Starts off incredibly slow; it was well over a minute into the song before I started hearing anything that interested me. The chorus is far more engaging than the verses, which sound painfully generic for a ballad. I think it’s also really suffering from a lack of a climactic moment towards the end. Klea’s vocals are without a doubt the highlight of the song, and the studio version does very little to highlight them. I anticipate that this will be one of the songs that has far more impact in a live setting. Overall I’m not terribly impressed, but given Albania’s propensity to show us magnificent vocalists I wouldn’t be surprised to see my opinion change once the live shows start.”
Roy – 4.5 – “This song takes quite a long while to get going. It is dreamy and with her voice, Klea carries the song nicely. I am a little unsure if there is enough happening throughout the entire song for people to stay invested. The ending notes are insane, but I wish the instrumentation did even more to enhance that aspect.”
Sam – 6 – “It has a strong opening, and I keep waiting for it to pick up. It never quite does, but it’s still one of the better ballads. She has a beautiful voice.”
Total: 27.5 points (Average = 5.5)
Devis Xherahu – “Ka momente”
Boris – 5 – “An old man’s schlager, uninspired and tepid.”
Devis – 4.5 – “A throwback to times before I was born, my parents would like it. It’s somewhat cute and even catchy?? However, far from being a contender.”
Rebecca – 2 – “The epitome of a “man with guitar” song if I’ve ever heard it. Putting aside the fact that I’m kind of sick of guitars in these entries by now, this is incredibly dated and unremarkable. Feels like the kind of B-side track that a one-hit wonder would put out.”
Roy – 6.5 – “The song started and I initially didn’t really give much for it, but I just kept listening to it. It’s just intriguing to me. There is an overall jolly vibe to it that makes you want to sway your legs back and forth on a bench somewhere. Devis’ voice is very suited for it too as a nice guide through the song. Does this song set the world alight? No, but it is very pleasant and a good addition to the lineup.”
Sam – 4 – “I thought this was awful at first, but on my second listen, perhaps in a moment of temporary insanity, I thought: “wait, is this actually good?” Sometimes a song has such low potential as a Eurovision qualifier that it makes one ask why they even bothered. This is one of those. It’s giving wedding singer. It’s giving Albanian Jimmy Buffett. For a while I racked my brain trying to think of which song it reminded me of and the one I came up with is “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. It’s not good, but it is pleasant. Maybe a guilty pleasure, but not Eurovision material.”
Total: 22 points (Average = 4.4)
Vesa Smolica – “Lutem”
Boris – 7.5 – “The Nemo Effect of Drum-&-Bass popping up in every NF, including FiK nowadays ♥ I enjoy “Lutem”. It’s catchy, dramatic uptempo that stands out in FiK’s general ballad-and-midtempo line-up.”
Jasmin – 7 – “The first song on the list that I heard and it’s already drama overdose. The chorus is slightly disappointing as I find it quite repetitive but after some time I see the appeal in it. The instrumental sounds a bit too futuristic for traditional FiK juries and I don’t know how to stage this for FiK show that relies heavily on the orchestra. Vocals are there, drama is there, something “out of the box for Albania” is there so it deserves a solid score but I’m not in love with it.”
Rebecca – 7 – “Takes a minute to build up, but when it did I was pretty impressed. The repetition of the title during the chorus is especially catchy, and will be an earworm whether you speak Albanian or not. The energy is frantic, very up and down and engaging. My biggest complaint is that it doesn’t really take many risks—the chorus repeats twice, the verses don’t do a whole lot different each go-around, and while the package is overall enjoyable it could be leagues better with some more variety thrown in there.”
Roy – 7.5 – “Of course I have a thing for Drum n Bass, so this would be high up there. (It actually is a bit of an edgecase since the beat is breaking up a lot more and has weaker drums, so maybe more breakbeat, idk.) Either way I actually also think the execution is done pretty well. Besides that, Vesa has an incredibly good voice that shows off from early on. Maybe the Lutems are a bit repetitive, but it also makes it a bit more memorable in this lineup I feel. The fade-ins are perhaps a bit cheap and tacky and the song could’ve maybe used a bit of a bigger conclusion, but I think it’s pretty good overall!.”
Sam – 5 – “In a sea of ballads, I appreciate one with a little extra drama.”
Total: 34 points (Average = 6.8)
Algert Sala – “Bosh”
Boris – 5.5 – “One of those ethnic ballads. “Bosh” is fine in that role. It merely lacks a good big moment. This FiK has more exciting things on offer, though.”
Jasmin – 6 – “I don’t know why expected a lot from this when it started. I got disappointed pretty fast. The ethno sounds could have done much more and I just see it as a missed opportunity, especially in the chorus where the vocal sounds rather flat. The instrumental is pretty and if they utilized more of it, maybe we’d be onto something.”
Rebecca – 7.5 – “Immediately love his voice. Reminds me of Alfie Arcuri (Australia Decides 2019). The song has a great sense of rising tension, and each verse and chorus amps up the vocals and orchestration in preparation for something big that has you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately I don’t think it quite sticks the landing as well as it could have, but as I’ve said for a handful of other entries, a live performance with some high notes and things could really push this over into phenomenal territory.”
Roy – 5 – “The build-up to the chorus promises a whole lot. Then the chorus itself is really quite weak, the little beat after is nice though! I don’t think the trapbeat does it a lot of justice. After the first chorus the plethora of hihats make me zone out quite a bit. Not a bad song, not a bad singer, just feels a bit flat in execution.”
Sam – 3 – “This is just straight filler. Boring. Absolutely nothing about it stands out. It might be more compelling with stronger vocals, but alas.”
Total: 27 points (Average = 5.4)
Gresa Gjocera – “E vërteta”
Boris – 9 – “Hahaha, I LOVE female-fronted anthems were the leading lady mounts an aggressive no-nonsense assault during the first seconds. FIERCE! Luckily Gresa maintains the vibe in a chorus that simultaneously comes across as introspective and vulnerable and bad-ass. There is always a chance songs like these fall flat if the performance is brought with the Boss Bitch energy it deserves, but that’s a risk I got to take – I know in my heart that I’m excited for Gresa’s offering, and have no qualms giving her the high score she DESERVES.”
Jasmin – 7.5 – “Is that… a banger in sight? I am surely intrigued something like this is at least competing (not expecting it do win obviously). The chorus left me wanting for more but it is breaking the cycle of the usual Fik sound. Can she server the attitude and everything that goes with this? Bold move Gresa, let’s see what you can do live, just please, don’t bring friends to be your dancers like some previous FiK pop girlies (gi-hi!)”
Rebecca – 4.5 – “I appreciate the heavy brass emphasising the beats in this one, but that’s about it to be honest. The dated “hey” in the background of the verse is cringy. It feels like its trying too hard to be edgy, and I don’t feel like Gresa’s voice have enough power behind it to keep up with the heavy instrumentals. It’s inoffensive for the most part, but definitely not a winner.”
Roy – 4 – “Starts in this kind of heavy trap girlboss way, but doesn’t fully live up to it come the chorus. It has something catchy about it, but it gets a bit lost in the shuffle regardless. I think it once again might be because of the overuse of the trap and the hi-hats…”
Sam – 4.5 – “There’s a little too much going on. The instrumentals feel too busy, and the vocals get a little lost as a result. I get a slight Carrie Underwood-style country vibe from the verses which I appreciate.”
Total: 29.5 points (Average = 5.9)
Frensi Revania – “Rreziko”
Boris – 8.5 – “OMG? How did a Japanese City Pop style song make its way into FiK? It’s like when Perpétua showed up in FdC and slayed their way into the final. I obviously approve. Hope Frensi does well. PROTECT FROM DAVID AT ALL COSTS!!!”
Jasmin – 7 – “I don’t mind hearing this throwback in the mix. The only issue I have with it is the vocal which I find a bit too weak and flat for a song like this. It stands out in the ocean of typical Albanian NF entries. I’m just not ready for this to sink live because I don’t have faith it will come to life on stage.”
Rebecca – 8 – “I have a soft spot for disco, so this one is groovy as hell. There is a smoky sort of quality to Frensi’s voice that evokes a late-night bar, one that’s tucked away in the corner of the big city and gives you a little bubble of time to just relax and vibe with the tunes. Maybe that’s a bit too abstract of a metaphor, but hey, I’m an English major. Regardless, this song is just easy and fun and I can’t get enough of it.”
Roy – 3.5 – “A powerful female with good vocals. The verses are pretty nice, but I find the chorus to be incredibly messy and hard to focus on something. In this case I feel like they overly tried to make it catchy that it achieves the opposite. Also the old cliché fade-in for the chorus doesn’t make a good addition either.”
Sam – 5 – “I want to like this song more than I do. I always appreciate a 70s disco vibe, but this song isn’t as strong as it could be. It feels a little sterile.”
Total: 32 points (Average = 6.4)
Endrik Beba – “Ishe ti”
Boris – 5.5 – “Ah, it wouldn’t be FiK if it weren’t for the dad rock ft. riffy guitar solo. Endrik’s got a nice voice and beard line. That’s about it, though.”
Jasmin – 6 – “While we’ve heard a song like this many times before, at least his vocal is giving me something I’ve been craving for. Until the chorus hit me and my enthusiasm disappeared. The song as a whole seems a bit dated as well. Eh, another filler I guess.”
Rebecca – 5 – “Another generic pop-rock song that feels like it’s straight out of the mid-2000’s. I like Endrik’s gravelly vocals, but I feel like they need a little more punch to them. Hopefully we get that when we hear it live. Without even looking up a translation of the lyrics I’m 90% sure this is a breakup song, or something to that effect—immediately this puts me out of the target demographic, but here we are. My final verdict is: Meh.”
Roy – 5 – “I feel like this song was decently close in creating a pretty radio friendly chorus. Instead they chose guitar riffs. And you know what? I’m not even mad about it. Of course this song is not going to be good enough at Eurovision, but it’s a decent addition to the FiK roster. Endrik has a very suitable voice as well.”
Sam – 4.5 – “I like the guitar solo a lot, but that’s the only interesting thing about this song, which has NQ written all over it.”
Total: 26 points (Average = 5.2)
Epos – “Kurajo dhe Zjarr”
Boris – 5 – “The instrumentation goes VERY hard in “kurajo dhe zjarr”, and I want to appreciate it. Unfortunately, it’s brought down a bit by a weird, accordion-like rhythmic progression that makes it sound dissonant.”
Jasmin – 6 – “Too processed for my taste, I’d love it more if the sound was less distorted. If nothing else, it breaks the cycle of FiK ballads. I don’t see it as a contender in any way, Albania wouldn’t send something like this. At the end it reminded me of some anime music. I know that reference might be a bit weird but that was the vibe I got.”
Rebecca – 6.5 – “My notebook from my first impressions of this song starts with the words “whoa I’m scared”, which I think highlights my relationship what I expect from Albania quite well. In spite of my fear, I’m into it! While not the most out-there metal song you’ve ever heard, it hits a lot of those beats and hits them very well. Given the track record at Eurovision that songs of this genre seem to have on average, I doubt it’s the best or safest choice for Albania to send to the Contest if they’re looking for a good placing, but by no means is this a bad song.”
Roy – 7 – “No, the production and mixing of this song isn’t good. It’s pretty bad even. In Festival I Këngës, with the orchestra, you sometimes have to listen around that a little bit. Once we get to the first bridge, the song really gets going. The chorus has a nice flow and is pretty catchy. The leadsinger has a good voice as well and instrumentally, if you listen around the bad mixing, there is a lot of intriguing details happening. A nice guitar breakdown too. Just a catchy rock song that, with a good performance, could really stand out and even be a good addition for Eurovision. (desperately needs to be rerecorded/mastered tho)”
Sam – 2 – “Rock is tricky to pull off at Eurovision, but it can be done. Måneskin did it. Baby Lasagna did it. Käärijä did it. Lordi did it. Epos isn’t going to do it with this droning, plodding rock song that goes nowhere.”
Total: 26.5 points (Average = 5.3)
Laorjan Ejlli and Adelina Corraj – “A thu”
Boris – 4.5 – “I’ve heard this exact sort of 90s-style duet ballad an uncountable amount of times. It excites me not.”
Jasmin – 5 – “What to say about this one… it just goes nowhere and I can’t really say how I feel about it other than it feels dated. Maybe with the context I’d understand it better. I can’t say it’s bad, it is just bland and lacks character.”
Rebecca – 3 – “I’ll be frank, I’m not a duet person at the best of times, so it takes a special kind of duet to really get me interested. This is definitely not it. The song itself doesn’t really go anywhere exciting, so I spent the whole three minutes waiting for something to happen. I also don’t really think that their voices blend together particularly well, so the parts where they were singing together sounded unpleasant to me.”
Roy – 2.5 – “It’s a duet and that’s about the most interesting thing you can say about it. It doesn’t really stand out in the selection song-wise and the voices get overshadowed by a lot of other stronger ones in the selection. Just an okay older composition written performed by 2 people.”
Sam – 2 – “If Devis Xherahu is the wedding singer of FiK, this is the aunt and uncle doing karaoke. Just a very weak entry all around – particularly the vocals.”
Total: 17 points (Average = 3.4)
Santino de Bartolo – “Kur nata vjen si bora”
Boris – 6 – Someday I’ll be bothered to look up whether Santino is a real Italian or merely pretending to be one. “Kur nata vjen si bora” is *very* authentically Italian in terms of composition however, sufficiently so to chuck it on the “Mildly Likeable Also-Ran” pile with a moderate smile.
Jasmin – 4.5 – “Yawn… I’m sorry but this is not doing anything for me. It goes on and on… the melody is nice I guess but that’s about it.”
Rebecca – 3 – “Why is there so much acoustic guitar this year? It’s unfortunately making a lot of these songs blend together. I’m sad to say that this one in particular falls victim, because it just does nothing to keep me engaged. I will say that the guitar solo is pretty sick, but kind of out of place. The key change doesn’t even feel that engaging, and isn’t that kind of the whole point of putting those at the end of a song? We went nowhere and somehow I still fell asleep during the ride.”
Roy – 2 – “An interesting voice, but the song really goes nowhere interesting and stays in the same place throughout the song. Another example of an artist just wanting to showcase himself and be part of the festival than actually wanting to be a serious contender to go to Eurovision.”
Sam – 4 – “This is a perfectly pleasant acoustic song that would come dead last in a Eurovision semi-final. It feels dated but in a way that isn’t devoid of charm. The melody reminds me of something I would have sung as a kid on the last night of summer camp.”
Total: 19.5 points (Average = 3.9)
Rea Nuhu – “Sot”
Boris – 4.5 – “A loungy background tune.”
Jasmin – 5 – “Nope, not impactful at all… is it trying to be seductive, I’m confused over here? The vibe that I’m getting is Persona 3 shopping district type of music… if you know the reference, you’ll know what I mean.”
Rebecca – 5.5 – “I don’t have a lot to say about this one, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I would call this “easy listening”—I have very few complaints about it, it sounds polished and straightforward, but I don’t think I’d seek it out on my own. That’s about it, really. Solid, but not standout.”
Roy – 3.5 – “The beat has a bit of an elevator music feel to it. Rea makes it a lot better with her soft vocals, but the song fails to transcend the listener to anywhere interesting. A gentle swing perhaps in the chorus. She’s clearly go talent, but this song is not quite there yet.”
Sam – 5 – “Overall, this is a nice song with a strong vocal delivery, although it lacks standout features – something that will likely work against it given some of the competition.”
Total: 23.5 points (Average = 4.7)
Elvana Gjata – “Karnaval”
Boris – 7.5 – “A trashbanger that appeals to the lowest common base (uneducated, unemployed gay men). It’s enjoyable and funny, and utterly without pretences. Sadly I don’t have the same faith in Albanian bangers like I used to after Ronela destroyed Sekret, and Elvana’s equally demonstrative queerbaiting doesn’t fill me with hope.”
Jasmin – 7 – “Okay, the hype is real, a bit too real… as much everyone’s pushing this to be spectacular, I think it is … fine? Maybe live will change my mind but as of now, I don’t see the magic in this. It’s catchy and has a memorable chorus but that’s about it.”
Rebecca – 6 – “I can practically see the sexy dance break in my mind’s eye. I’d be lying if I said that this one wasn’t catchy—the thumping bass, the Spanish counting, it all comes together for an incredibly radio-friendly experience. I just can’t really bring myself to rank it particularly highly, for a couple of reasons: firstly I feel that these kinds of songs are more often than not entered purely for easy points, and secondly… no one has ever done or will ever do this kind of entry better than Eleni Foureira. So yeah, solid dance track but that’s all you’re gonna get from me.”
Roy – 5.5 – “Okay, listen! This is not the cultural reset everybody makes it out to be. It’s not even the best female bop in the competition. I always hate it when artists feel the need to randomly add Spanish counting to the song, like what is the need? Well that’s basically what we are getting in this song, a counting lesson in Spanish. The beat after the chorus is nice and definitely gives it some nice airiness. Every time we are leading up to the beat part, with the way she sings ‘E mos u ndal!’, it reminds me of Nicki Minaj’s 2012 hit pound the alarm. But with that song we get a very uptempo catchy beat and I feel like Karnaval heavily lacks in that. I can’t help but hear a far more inferior version of ‘pound the alarm’”
Sam – 7 – “This is a fun, competent, well-rounded pop song and objectively one of the strongest songs in the competition. It’s also the one with the most potential for any kind of success at Eurovision – although it’s not a safe qualifier by any means. Put this in a competition with a slew of Balkan ballads and it’s the banger of the century; among multiple similar pop anthems (as would likely be the case at ESC), it may struggle to stand out.”
Total: 33 points (Average = 6.6)
Stine – “E kishim nis”
Boris – 3 – “There is something off-putting about this pop ballad vehicle, and I can’t quite lay my finger on what. Is it the overtly nasal whine of a vocal? It is it the aggressive “piano” which sounds like a synthesizer that has been made to sound like a piano? Is it the lack of flow between lyrics and rhythm? Something is off, and that’s a shame because the melody itself is not too bad.”
Jasmin – 4 – “If something can throw me off then it’s this lazy style of singing… I know sometimes that is fitting to the character of the song and so on, but I just find it boring, bland and uninspiring. Here is not different, it just sounds like it’s never going to finish and the vocal is not getting us closer to the finish line. This is definitely not for me.”
Rebecca – 6.5 – “The male vocalists are really great this year, and Stine is no exception. I really like the tone of his voice, it’s very… gentle, without being soft? Not sure if that makes sense, but it does in my head. That piano riff is also incredibly attention-grabbing. It sounds like a harpsichord or something similar, and gives the song a sort of intriguing and memorable tone. I feel that the end of the song could use some variation, something to differentiate it from the rest of the song, because aside from the piano riff nothing else really happens. Still, an enjoyable track.”
Roy – 2.5 – “The hi-hats trapbeat sap out a lot of the emotion that could have been in this song. In a country like Albania, that is invested by incredibly strong vocalists, Stine’s vocals feel a tad on the weaker side. The song fails to really go places and stays rather stagnant too. The little jingle-like tunes feel a tad more like a ringtone than a serious Eurovision attempt too.”
Sam – 3 – “Another standard male ballad that doesn’t really stand out. I don’t think this will last long in peoples’ minds.”
Total: 19 points (Average = 3.8)
Gjergj Kaçinari – “Larg jetës pa ty”
Boris – 8.5 – “Epic metal rock is something you always hope for in Albania, but not quite often hear. Gjergj delivers on the premise with a melody that suits his gravelly voice well, and brings it to a majestic epic height during the chorus. “Larg jetës pa ty” is a banger, and I fully trust its ability to deliver live.”
Jasmin – 8.5 – “Soft rock songs like this work for me. I used to listen to this type of music in my teens so this feels rather familiar but in Albanian, even better! I know it’s not competitive and most people will overlook it but I’m here for it. Go Gjergj!”
Rebecca – 4.5 – “Immediately has a dated sound, which puts me off. This is also one of the very few songs that I’ve listened to and had concerns about the vocals—specifically that they will be hard to replicate live. The register in the verses is so low that I worry Gjergj will struggle to hit them when projecting in an arena/stadium/concert hall. I hope I’m proven wrong, but that’s what jumps out to me the most.”
Roy – 5.5 – “It has rock instrumentals so I am already biased, but I think Gjergj did a decent job here this time around. The song builds nicely and it has a memorable rock-hook right after the chorus finishes. Gjergj has a mysterious voice capable of carrying the song and giving it an ominous feeling, yet keeping it light at the same time. It is also a bit dated.”
Sam – 2 – “This is just so, so dull – from the production to the melody, to the vocals.”
Total: 29 points (Average = 5.8)
*
After two Semi-Finals, there is only clear favorite – Shkodra Elektronike crushed it with an average of 8.7 (high of 10, low of 7) with “Zjerm”.
What do #YOU think of the Fik63 entrants thus far? Do #YOU agree “Zjerm” should walk away with the victory and be performed in Basel, or do #YOU have another favorite. Let us know in the comments below, on our social media, or in our forum.
