Romania: Xandra – the third participant withdrawing from “Selecția Națională 2019”
Semi-finalist 2 Xandra is the third participant to withdraw from “Selecția Națională 2019”, Romania’s national selection. Mihai, who represented Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens and expressed his lack of trust in the organisers of “Selecția Națională” in one of his Facebook posts, and Dan Bittman previously also withdrew from this year’s national final.
With her song “Independent”, Xandra would have been one of the participants competing in the second semi-final in Arad this weekend. It would have marked her fourth attempt to represent Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest as she participated in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 editions of “Selecția Națională”, her best result being the 5th place in 2015. No statements from the artist herself or the Romanian broadcaster have been made with regard to her withdrawal.
The second semi-final of “Selecția Națională 2019” takes place on February 10. It will be hosted by Aurelian Temişan and Ilinca Avram. 12 acts will be competing to qualify for the Grand Final:
- 2 Gents – “Ielele”
- Georgy – “Tears”
- Olivier Kaye – “Right now”
- Xonia – “Discrete”
- TWM – “Make Me Your Man”
- Johnny Badulescu – “Give Up Now”
- Echoes – “High Heels On”
- Aldo Blaga – “Your Journey”
- Letitia Moisescu & Sensibil Balkan – “DAINA”
- Laura Bretan – “Dear Father”
- Ester Peony – “On a Sunday”
- Linda Teodosiu – “Renegades”
Just as in semi-final 1 a jury of musical experts will select the first five qualifiers while public televoting will determine the sixth qualifier. 6 acts will join the qualifiers of the first semi-final (Trooper, Teodora Dinu, Dya and Lucian Colareza, Claudiu Mirea, Bella Santiago and Vaida) in the final on February 17.
