Titan (Besa song)
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}{{Short description|2023 song by Besa}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Titan
| cover = Besa - Titan.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Besa
| released = {{Start date|2023|12|19|df=yes}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 2:56
| label = Self-released
| writer = * Besa Kokëdhima
- Fabrice "Alias Lj." Grandjean
- Kledi Bahiti
- Gia Koka
| producer =
| prev_title = Plastic Heart
| prev_year = 2024
| year = 2024
| next_title = {{lang|sq|Aman|i=no}}
| next_year = 2024
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = Alternative covers
| type = single
| cover = Zemrën n'dorë.jpeg
| border =
| alt =
| caption = Cover of "{{Lang|sq|i=no|Zemrën n'dorë}}"
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|wkoaCaxYGtA|"Titan"}}}}
{{Infobox song contest entry | embed=yes
| song = {{flagicon|Albania}} "Titan"
| image =
| caption =
| year = 2024
| country = Albania
| artist = Besa
| as =
| with =
| language = English
| languages =
| composer = {{ubl|Besa Kokëdhima|Fabrice "Alias Lj." Grandjean|Kledi Bahiti}}
| lyricist = {{ubl|Gia Koka}}
| place =
| points =
| place_semi = 15th
| points_semi = 14
| clip =
| prev = Duje
| prev_link = Duje (song)
| next = Zjerm
| next_link = Zjerm (song)
}}
{{External music video|header=Official performance video|{{YouTube|aQG22XJIdWw|"Titan" (Second Semi-Final)}}}}
}}
"Titan" (stylised as "TiTAN") is a song by Albanian singer-songwriter Besa. It was composed by Besa, Kledi Bahiti and Fabrice Grandjean, with lyrics by Gia Koka. Self-described as a ballad "with a lot of contrast", it represented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, following the selection of the song's Albanian-language version "{{Lang|sq|i=no|Zemrën n'dorë}}" ({{IPA|sq|ˈzɛmɾən nˈdɔɾ(ə)|pron}}; {{Translation|"Heart in hand"}}) at the 62nd edition of the music competition {{Lang|sq|Festivali i Këngës}}. At Eurovision, it finished in 15th place with 14 points at semi final two.
Background and composition
After a previous bid to enter the Eurovision Song Contest for Romania in 2009, Kokëdhima was announced as one of the contestants selected to compete in the Albanian pre-selection {{Lang|sq|Festivali i Këngës}} in 2023.{{Cite web |last=Helgeson |first=Justina |date=23 December 2023 |title=Besa to represent Albania at Eurovision 2024 |url=https://eurovisionworld.com/esc/albania-besa-kokedhima-to-represent-albania-at-eurovision-2024 |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=Eurovision World |language=en-gb}} According to the competition's rules, the lyrics of the participating entries had to be in the Albanian language. Kokëdhima took part with the song "{{Lang|sq|i=no|Zemrën n'dorë}}" written by Rozana Radi and Petrit Sefaj, and composed by Kokëdhima and Kledi Bahiti.{{Cite web |date=22 December 2023 |title=Besa me "Zemrën n'dorë" synon Eurovisionin |trans-title=Besa with "Heart in hand" aims for Eurovision |url=https://telegrafi.com/besa-zemren-ndore-synon-eurovisionin/ |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=Telegrafi |language=sq}}
In an interview with Eurovision fan site Wiwibloggs, Kokëdhima stated that the song to her was a ballad "with a lot of contrast", further stating that the song "was a genuine emotion. We wrote the song with so much love and we just wanted to express a lot of contrast within a ballad because when you say a ballad, I don't think it's exactly one could imagine... it just goes through waves of tough emotion... like a stormy journey".{{cite podcast |title=Besa Kokëdhima - Zemrën n'dorë INTERVIEW {{!}} Eurovision Albania 2024 |website=Wiwibloggs: The Eurovision Podcast |publisher=PodBean |date=December 29, 2023 |url=https://wiwibloggs.podbean.com/e/besa-kokedhima-zemren-n-dore-interview-eurovision-albania-2024/ |time=1:24 |access-date=January 25, 2024 |last=Tejeci |first=Erdi}}
On 2 January 2024, Kokëdhima announced that the song would be going through a revamp in order for it to comply with the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest.{{Cite web |last=Washak |first=James |date=2 January 2024 |title=Albania: Besa Kokëdhima Confirms Revamp of Eurovision 2024 Entry |url=https://eurovoix.com/2024/01/02/albania-besa-kokedhima-revamp-eurovision-2024-entry/ |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=Eurovoix |language=en-GB}} The English-language revamp "Titan", with lyrics by Gia Koka, was released on 11 March 2024.{{cite web |title=Albania: Besa's revamped song for Eurovision 2024 released: "Titan" |url=https://eurovisionworld.com/esc/albania-besas-revamped-song-for-eurovision-2024-released-titan |website=Eurovisionworld |access-date=15 March 2024 |language=en-gb |date=11 March 2024}}
Eurovision Song Contest
= Festivali i Këngës 62 =
{{main|Festivali i Këngës 62}}
Albania's broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) officially announced their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 30 August 2023,{{Cite web |last=Bijuvignesh |first=Darshan |date=30 August 2023 |title=Albania: RTSH Confirms Eurovision 2024 Participation |url=https://eurovoix.com/2023/08/30/%F0%9F%87%A6%F0%9F%87%B1-albania-rtsh-confirms-eurovision-2024-participation/ |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=Eurovoix |language=en-GB}} using its longtime method for choosing the participant, Festivali i Këngës.{{Cite web |last=Ibrayeva |first=Laura |date=1 September 2023 |title=Albania: RTSH Opens Submissions for Festivali i Këngës 62 |url=https://eurovoix.com/2023/09/01/submissions-festivali-kenges-62/ |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=Eurovoix |language=en-GB}} The edition was the 62nd iteration of the national final. The 31-entry competition was organized into two semi-finals that culminated into one grand final.{{Cite web |last=Bijuvignesh |first=Darshan |date=1 November 2023 |title=Albania: More Details of Festivali i Këngës 62 Announced Including Line-up Change |url=https://eurovoix.com/2023/11/01/albania-more-details-on-festivali-i-kenges-62/ |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=Eurovoix |language=en-GB}} For this edition of Festivali i Këngës, to select the country's representative, all 31 entries, no matter if they had qualified or not into the grand final, were eligible for representing the country via a televote. The overall winner of the contest did not represent the country unless they had also won the televote as well.{{cite web |last=Argyropoulos |first=Dimitris |date=2023-11-01 |title=Albania: The public will choose the 2024 Eurovision representative, while the jury the winner of Festivali i Këngës 62! |url=https://eurovisionfun.com/en/2023/11/albania-the-public-will-choose-the-2024-eurovision-representative-while-the-jury-the-winner-of-festivali-i-kenges-62/ |access-date=2023-11-03 |work=Eurovisionfun}}
"Zemrën n'dorë" was officially announced to compete in Festivali i Këngës 62 on 17 October 2023.{{Cite web |last=Juhász |first=Ervin |date=17 October 2023 |title=Meet all the participants of the 62nd Festivali i Këngës! |url=https://escbubble.com/2023/10/meet-all-the-participants-of-the-62nd-festivali-i-kenges/ |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=ESCBubble |language=en-GB}} The song competed in the first semi-final on 19 December despite the song having been announced to have an automatic berth in the grand final.{{Cite web |last=Santos |first=Pedro |date=19 December 2023 |title=Albania: 16 perform at first night of Festivali i Këngës #62 |url=https://eurovisionworld.com/esc/albania-16-perform-at-first-night-of-festivali-i-kenges-62 |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=Eurovision World |language=en-gb}}{{Cite web |last=Vautrey |first=Jonathan |date=21 December 2023 |title=Finalists Of Albania's Festivali i Këngës 62 Revealed |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2023/12/21/albania-festivali-i-kenges-62-night-three/278803/ |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=Wiwibloggs |language=en-US}} In the grand final on 22 December 2023 where all 31 entries were eligible for victory, the song did not win the overall contest, with the victory awarded to Mal Retkoceri, but resulted as the televote winner, gaining the right to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.{{Cite web |last=Vautrey |first=Jonathan |date=22 December 2023 |title=Besa Kokëdhima To Represent Albania At Eurovision 2024 |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2023/12/22/albania-festivali-i-kenges-62-grand-final/278817/ |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=Wiwibloggs |language=en-US}}
= At Eurovision =
{{main|Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024}}
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 took place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consisted of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Albania was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-30 |title=Eurovision 2024: Semi-Final Draw results |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/eurovision-2024-semi-final-draw-results |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Eurovision.tv |publisher=EBU |language=en}} To promote the song, Kokëdhima participated in Eurovision pre-parties across Europe.{{Cite web |last=Granger |first=Anthony |date=30 December 2023 |title=Albania: Besa Confirmed for Eurovision in Concert 2024 |url=https://eurovoix.com/2023/12/30/besa-confirmed-for-eurovision-in-concert-2024/ |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=Eurovoix |language=en-GB}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release history and formats for "Zemrën n'dorë" ! scope="col" |Country ! scope="col" |Date ! scope="col" |Format(s) ! scope="col" |Label ! scope="col" |{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row" | Various
| 19 December 2023 | {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} | Self-released | |
|---|
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest}}
{{Eurovision Song Contest 2024}}
Category:Eurovision songs of Albania