ESC Etc.

Country: Albania
Artist: Besa Kokëdhima
Title: Zemrën n’dorë
Songwriter(s): Besa Kokëdhima, Kledi Bahiti
Tempo: 164 BPM Mode: Minor Key: E Duration: 3:02

It took four gruesome nights (still one less than Sanremo will inflict on us) marred by poor audio, amateurish hosting, baffling interval acts, questionable judging, and more of the same accusations of vote fixing and corruption that have been plaguing Festivali i Këngës for a number of years now, but we have the Albanian representative for ESC 2024, and…it’s definitely a song! Look…it’s no secret that this contest in particular has received enough criticism over the years from fans and artists alike to cast a credible shadow on the whole thing, results included. It’s also no secret that the actual winner was on nobody’s radar and that…what the hell is it? What is he even doing? Besa was chosen via 100% televote (she didn’t even finish in the Top 3 otherwise which…I’m not a scientist but the math isn’t mathing) much like last year’s Albanian representative, but the response to the announcement in the audience was noticeably and comparatively much more muted.

Which makes sense. There were better choices. Përsëritja by Luan Durmishi in particular could/would have been a total game changer for Albania at ESC, and he couldn’t even make it out of his semifinal the first night. That said, Zemrën n’dorë is not a bad song. There is something to the “Mu’…” hook in the chorus as the backup singers take over, a sort of a melody that lingers, and Besa is a fairly compelling singer whose raspy, full-bodied voice lends gravitas to the lyrics – for a midtempo ballad about an ill-fated relationship, that’s not nothing. The issue is that the track (in its current state at least) sounds incredibly dated. Even with the rap/spoken verse section, this is something any country could have served in 2005 without anyone blinking an eye. It is also somewhat generic – I read it was originally written in English and later translated to Albanian, and I really hope it is kept as such for ESC as to give it a bit more of a unique stamp. Much like most Albanian entries, it is also likely to undergo a revamp which in this case is much needed – it needs a more current production, a bigger orchestration, a moment that makes it really impactful. We’ll likely revisit it when and if that happens.

Jury Potential: Untested but probably mid-table. The selection method at FiK- 100% televote – remains a bit baffling after last year’s result. In its current incatnation, it doesn’t feel distinctive enough to hold its own against more polished, jury-friendly, similar entries.
Televote Potential: This is where this track will have to go looking for points. The fact that it’s in a foreign language helps, but it does not really possess the more local/ethnic flavor that well-performing Albanian entries have historically brought to ESC. It is not a sure-fire qualifier.