The second semi final of Romania's selection for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest is about to take place. You can watch the webcast by following the link below.
This article will be constantly updated.
The show has started. There is a recap of the six songs that made it to the final last week.
1. Monique – Vânt de vara
Be careful, this performance could make you snow-blind! Monique and her backing singers are all dressed in white frocks that look more than slightly over-the-top, but fit the hint of a chant the song has. Towards the end, the ballad gets a bit more lively and is in a similar style as Hungary's entry in the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest.
2. Lucia Dumitrescu – Dragostea mea
The second song tonight is an up-tempo song that is catchy while you listen to but also one that you easily forget once it is over. The performance is classy and very nice, Lucia is a charismatic performer, but the stage show is probably much toosimple.
3. Nico – Fight for life
Yellow and balck are the colours of the outfits. The song is up-tempo and catchy but it is hard to tell if it has a high recognitition value when competing in the Eurovision Song Contest. The performance is strong, a bit too cold, and the choreography is as simple as it can be.
4. Nicola – Fairytale story
Have you recognised her? It's time for Nicola who had already taken part in the Romanian national final about 300 times before she got the chance to represent her country in Riga with Don't break my heart. Back then she finished 10th. Her performance could be called the exact opposite of her performance in Riga, it's rather static and very classy – almost classical actually. The song is a high-flown ballad that could be in the soundtrack of any Disney movie. Catchy!
5. Zero – Come this way
Another very cathcy entry, this could stand out in the Eurovision Song Contest. The traffic signs on stage look a bit out-of-place and should be either included in the stage performance or removed. Nevertheless, a professional performance that suits the song very well. The hip-hop bridge part is not really necessary even if predictable.
6. Renex feat. Ro-Mania – Railroad, railroad
It's the kind of party country music that seems to be a bit dated since the middle of the 1990s. The performance is very chaotic and we have expected something more professional from the experienced performers. The lyrics are horrid, but that is no surprise.
7. VH2 – Follow me
A more mature act that pretends to by a rock band while performing the pop song. The vocals are surprisingly weak and don't really suit the song. Nevertheless, this song seems to be very popular with the audience. Modest lyrics.
8. Viper – Mas conmigo
A one-man boygroup with five female dancers. Not only the green and yellow outfits seem to try to leave a Brazilian impression. Hard to tell if this is a favourite.
10. Imba – Yeke yeke
A rather crazy entry. Reminds of some summer hits in the 1990s but is less catchy. Funny to watch but this is probably not a favourite to win the Romanian national final.
11. Biondo – Shine
Bionda look like three tenors about to sing in the opera but surprisingly the voices are pretty flat. The song – another Swedish product – would probably appear more remarkable if it was performed by a soloist.
12. Paula Seling & Provincialii – Seven days
When you see the two lead singers, you might expect a classy ballad. Nevertheless, this is a hip-hop inspired song with an ethinc touch. It might be catchy but not really sticky and would probably fail in the Eurovision Song Contest.
RESULTSHERE
