Romania: Aussievision's Selecția Națională 2023 rankings

Two weeks ago, Romanian broadcaster TVR released the 12 songs in the running for their Eurovision national selection, Selecția Națională 2023. All entries can be found in a playlist on the Official TVR YouTube page.

17 Aussievision team members have ranked the Romanian songs from first to tenth place with points awarded in the usual Eurovision system (ie. 1st = 12 points, 2nd = 8 points, etc.). Rankings are made on personal taste, not a prediction on how the songs will place on the night.

The full results, including comments from the contributors, are below:

=11. Deiona – 'Call On Me' (43 points)

Highs: 4 points Cooper, John, Samuel, Josh, Steven & Hayley

Lows: 0 points Kyriakos, Mike, Dale & Tim

=11. Andrada Popa – 'No Time For Me' (43 points)

Highs: 6 points Mike & Hayley

Lows: 0 points Ted

10. Theodor Andrei – 'D.G.T. (Off and On)' (47 points)

Highs: 10 points Mike & Ted

Lows: 0 points Fleur, John, Stef, Samuel, Emma, Steven, Laura & Hayley

9. Maryliss – 'Hai vino' (49 points)

Highs: 8 points John & Colleen

Lows: 0 points Cooper, Kyriakos, Emma, Josh & Liv

8. Ocean Drive – 'Take You Home' (66 points)

Highs: 12 points Hayley. 10 points John & Tim.

Lows: 0 points Cooper, Stef, Mike, Colleen & Laura

"This funky little number reminds me Guy Sebastian’s ‘Tonight Again’’, yet with slightly cringeworthy lyrics." ~Hayley

7. JaxMan – 'Bad & Cool' (78 points)

Highs: 12 points Liv. 10 points Samuel & Emma.

Lows: 0 points Colleen, Steven & Tim

"If the opening lyric to a song is going to be "I can't start my day without a cigarette, one cup of coffee, it's as simple as it gets" the vibes better be immaculate with the stage performance. I want some self awareness and steezey-cheesey-ness. Honestly the production value of this is really good and it gets me pumped up every time I listen to it. Unironically. This is an unsponsored promo." ~Liv

"Musically I like the song. It should be in my Top 3. However, those lyrics are unforgivable. Keep the song, throw out ALL of the lyrics and start again." ~Mike

6. Adriana Moraru – 'Faralaes' (80 points)

Highs: 10 points Hayley. 8 points Samuel & Steven.

Lows: 0 points Dale & Ted

"Another Romanian song in Spanish, what is the world coming to!" ~Hayley

"This song makes me feel like having a margarita by a pool. Simple, basic, easily palatable and summery. I can't help but notice there is a music break (even a possible dance break?), give us something girl. ANYTHING. I could definitely get behind another 'Llámame' moment with this snatching the National Final from under the noses of everyone." ~Liv

5. AMIA – 'Puppet' (83 points)

Highs: 12 points Stef & Ted. 10 points Steven.

Lows: 0 points Fleur, John, Josh & Liv

"My one rule for Eurovision entries is that you've got to have a strong concept (be that visual or musical) to stand out at the contest. 'Puppet' has that in spades: the chorus is catchy, the electro swing elements are fun and lend themselves to memorable staging, and Amia appears to know how to perform live. The only thing that could make me enjoy this more: please, please, please can we get a dance break featuring a trumpet and some scatting for the live version? That would be the cherry on the cake for a great national final entry." ~Ted

"I don't know what it is about this song, but I absolutely love it. I think it screams Eurovision, and with the right staging it could be something super special. She sold the heck out of a blank room, I can't wait to see what she does on stage in the NF!" ~Stef

"A quirky entry - in a good way! Successfully combining modern and retro elements musically and paired with lyrics of freedom, “cut strings” and doing your own thing, 'Puppet' just works. And hey, songs about puppets and dolls have done well in past ESCs!" ~Steven

4. Andrei Duţu – 'Statues' (115 points)

Highs: 12 points Kyriakos, Dale & Steven. 10 points Cooper, Colleen, Josh & Liv.

Lows: 1 point John, Stef & Tim

"I just connected with this song straight away and have not stopped listening to it. It is radio friendly and there is so much staging potential for this track. It reminds me of 'Heroes' or 'Hope'. I believe 'Statutes' will give Romania their best result at Eurovision!" ~Kyriakos

"Ok.... I know lyrically it's a little clunky and the song style is a little dated.... but I LOVE IT. That chorus is so damn good and catchy, I was singing along with it half way through the song on my first listen. It sounds like a song a broadcaster would put over a football tournament's closing montage which means it's basically a poor man's 'Sky Full of Stars' and I am here for it!" ~Dale

"A beautifully rich voice + “we can do it” positive lyrics + a catchy bop of a melody = an anthem with the potential to garner mass appeal. Easily my favourite of this year’s Selecția Națională." ~Steven

3. Andreea D Folclor Orchestra – 'Periniţa mea' (120 points)

Highs: 12 points Fleur, Colleen, Laura. 10 points Kyriakos & Stef.

Lows: 1 point Mike. 2 points Samuel.

"This is so fun and folky, Romania needs to take a leaf out of Moldova's book and send a folk song to Eurovision! Andreea D Folclor Orchestra would definitely get the crowd up and dancing in the arena in Liverpool; I love it! Douze points!" ~Laura

"It’s a hot mess and I need to see this on the Eurovision stage. Just send it already." ~Fleur

"It's a standout with the folk elements and joyful aura. If you enjoyed 'Trenulețul' last year, but thought it could do with more folklore and a little less rock 'n' roll, this song is for you." ~Colleen

2. Aledaida – 'Bla Bla Bla' (122 points)

Highs: 12 points Cooper, John & Josh. 8 points Fleur, Kyriakos, Mike, Ted & Laura.

Lows: 0 points Hayley. 4 points Stef.

"This is a standout in this final! It has a contemporary sounding production and a really fun chorus. I can't wait to here this song polished up because it could be something special." ~ Cooper

"This song has a very realistic chance of placing on the left side of the scoreboard in the Grand Final because it is very catchy, to say the least." ~John

"What a cute throwaway pop song. While Bla Bla Bla has little depth, it gives you a quick hit of catchy, innocent fun. Could see this song being the ‘That’s Rich’ of 2023. Just like that song, if this wins the selection I think it needs a bit of a revamp to keep competitive at Eurovision. Vocals are also on point." ~Josh

1. Steven Roho, Gabriella & Formaţia Albatros – 'Lele' (140 points)

Highs: 12 points Mike, Samuel, Emma & Tim. 10 points Fleur & Laura.

Lows: 1 point Hayley. 2 points Josh.

"This song has something that the others in this selection don't. The mix of traditional and modern elements work & Gabriella sounds like she has a good voice. The pre-chorus builds nicely, however the overly simple chorus is a bit of a letdown. Looking forward to live performance." ~Mike

"In a sea of up-tempo, folky tunes I believe this is the strongest. It is catchy, beautifully blends traditional Romanian instruments to a dance track, and it is clear in the preview video the singer can deliver this live. If 'La La La' can win for a Romance-speaking country, why not 'Lele'?" ~Samuel

"Lots of potential here despite the poor sound quality of the YouTube video. We saw how well a catchy chorus worked for Romania last year and 'Lele' continues this tradition. The pan pipe intro and bridge contrast nicely with the thumping bass and Gabriella's vocals sound great even in this limited capacity. Should be much stronger as a live performance." ~Emma

"I think this is receiving the 12 points because it’s the most memorable and the one song that I think has the potential to do well outside of Eurovision. I don’t know how it would be staged and I’m interested to see how the structure of the song is different in a live setting but it’s still pretty good." ~Tim

Grand Final Details

The final of Selecția Națională will take place on 11 February 2023. Unlike previous editions of the contest, there won't be any heats, semi finals or audition rounds.

This year the Romanian broadcaster received just 85 submissions for the contest. An expert committee scored the songs between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) based on criteria such as the melodic harmony, structure and lyrics of the song, the orchestral arrangement, originality and stylistic diversity of the composition, sound and voice quality as well as the overall interpretative, visual and artistic quality. The twelve entries that scored the highest were invited to the national final.

For continued updates on all the Eurovision Song Contest news follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. All links at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet