Selecting Romania's 2021 Eurovision song is starting today, with singer Roxen expected to record several songs in the days ahead.

Demo versions of the acts will be sent to a jury that chooses the winning song, according to a press statement released by the TVR national public television corporation.

Roxen is the artist chosen in 2020 to represent Romania at the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and she will go to Rotterdam with a new song to be unveiled at the end of the national selection stage.

"I really think the national Eurovision slogan fits perfectly into the whole context: #ealtceva (it's something else). We had a completely atypical year, a lot of challenges and a competition that lasted for almost two years. But, in the end, what matters most is for us to be healthy and to be able to see each other again. I'm myself looking forward to finding out what song I get to represent Romania with at Eurovision this year. Whatever that will be, I hope you will like it and enjoy it," Roxen is quoted as saying in the TVR statement.

Last year's edition of the competition was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TVR, in agreement with its partner Global Records, decided to endorse Roxen as Romania's representative at the 2021 edition, once the event resumed.

"The Eurovision Song Contest will probably be the first music event on the planet after a year in which the music industry suffered and live music on stage was silenced. Musicians from 41 countries will be in Rotterdam more united than ever and more eager than ever to demonstrate what a miraculous and healing power music can have," says Liana Stanciu, head of the Romanian Eurovision team.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 will take place in Rotterdam, under the slogan "Open Up," semifinals on May 18 and 20 and the final on May 22. In the 65th edition of the contest, other 40 countries are participating along with Romania.

Both the semifinals and the final will be broadcast live on TVR.

Eurovision is an international music competition organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the largest public television association in Europe. The first edition took place in 1956, in Lugano, Switzerland. Broadcast uninterruptedly for 60 years, the show has become one of the longest-lived and most watched television programmes in the world. Among the contesters on the Eurovision stages over the years were ABBA, Julio Iglesias, Celine Dion, and Johnny Logan.

TVR, a member of EBU, is the organiser of the national selection and it has been participating in the European competition since 1993.

Romania's best performances in the competition were twice the third place (Luminita Anghel & Sistem - Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi - Oslo, 2010) and once the fourth place (Mihai Traistariu - Athens, 2006). AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)

Photo source: (c) tvr.ro