Romania’s Eurovision 2026: Alexandra Căpitănescu will perform “Choke me” on the Eurovision 2026 stage. Listen to the song.
“Choke Me” is the title of the song that will be performed by Alexandra Căpitănescu, who will represent Romania at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria, on 12, 14 and 16 May. The song was written by Alexandra Căpitănescu and Elvis‑Claudiu Silitră, and composed by Căpitănescu, Silitră, Călin‑Alexandru Grăjdan and Ștefan Condrea. This is the first Eurovision entry for both the performer and the songwriting team.
The grand final of the national selection “Selecția Națională 2026” was broadcast live this evening from Studio 3 of the Romanian national broadcaster TVR in Bucharest. The winner was chosen by a 100% jury vote. The show was hosted by Daniel Nuță and Giulia Nahmany, joined by Alexandra Gavrilă, Iulian Selea and Răzvan Petre, who reported from backstage, and Laura Fronoiu and Marius Popa, who reported from among the audience.
Performance concept and staging of “Choke Me”
The performance begins with Alexandra standing at the centre of the stage, dressed in black shorts and a black top with high pointed straps and long sleeves from which black threads extend, accessorised with many chains and metal elements. A spotlight focuses on her as the camera pulls back to reveal the entire stage. On both the right and left sides of the stage are cages, each containing a keyboard player and a drummer. At the front of the stage stand two guitarists; all the musicians wear black outfits adorned with studs and metal chains. Throughout the performance, the lights flash in white, orange and blue, while the LED screens display changing video art, shifting between an image of a woman with horns, glittering sparks and a black screen.
In the second verse she lies down on the floor and interacts with the band, before getting up ahead of the chorus and moving around the stage with them. Later in the song she delivers a precise high note in falsetto, and at various moments she shifts between rock and metal vocals and quite an impressive operatic style. The performance ends with a powerful scream of “Choke me.”
Dark pop anthem exploring control and desire
The song “Choke Me” is a provocative, intense dark‑pop anthem that explores the thin lines between destructive desire, control and total surrender within a turbulent relationship.
The lyrics move between a demand for submission and a longing for external control: the performer addresses a “Phantom” figure and lays down strict rules of loyalty and obedience, “Do what I say / And don’t you ever betray me.” The song graphically, almost violently, describes a craving for love that is not just an emotion but a suffocating, overwhelming physical force. The recurring imagery of choking – “Choke me” – and the line “Make my lungs explode” serve as metaphors for a passion so strong it threatens the very ability to breathe, expressing a wish to be completely consumed by the other person.
The chorus underlines the central paradox of the song: on the one hand, the narrator claims she was “Born for you to control,” yet on the other hand she is the one who sets the rules and demands this intensity. The word “Choke” becomes a rough, rhythmic mantra that creates an atmosphere of heightened sexual and emotional tension. The track concludes with a plea for rescue and calm – “Save me / I want you to calm me” – suggesting that the desired “choking” is the only way for the narrator to feel alive or to find peace within her inner turmoil.
Alexandra Căpitănescu – Who Are You?
Alexandra Căpitănescu is a young singer who won the 11th season of the Romanian version of The Voice, “Vocea României.” In previous years, she also took part in the Romanian versions of The X Factor and Romania’s Got Talent.
Immediately after her victory on the show, she began releasing her debut single “Căpitanu,” and in 2024 she released her first EP, also titled “Căpitanu,” which includes the lead single along with four additional tracks. She has now been selected through Romania’s national selection “2026 Selecția Națională” to represent Romania at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria, with her song “Choke Me.”
Romania’s “Selecția Națională 2026” results
- Alexandra Capitanescu – “Choke Me“
2/3. Alejandro Zandes & Emil Range – “Bailando Solo”
2/3. HVNDS – “DOR“
- Edward MAYA x LavBbe x COSTI – “Everybody Needs Somebody“
- Emy Alupei – “Tili Bom“
- Monica Odgiu – “Fereastra Pentru Un Orb“
- Olivia Addams – “Croco“
- Robert Lukian – “Fire to the lies“
- Vanu – “Therapy Enemy“
- Yguana – “Happy Birthday”
- WRS – “All the Way“
- Antonio Pican – Humans
Click on the song title to listen!
Lyrics – “Choke Me”
Phantom
You feel like a phantom
Why do you wanna tame me?
It’s hard to breathe in
Do you feel me?
Do what I say
And don’t you ever betray me
You are here to obey me
Are you not?
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me, choke me, choke me
Born for you to control
I want you to choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Love me, make my lungs explode
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Choke me
Choke me
Choke me
Save me
Inside I’m blazin’
I want you to calm me, calm me, calm me
Calm, my body is begging
Do what I say
And don’t you ever betray me
You are here to obey me
Are you not?
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me, choke me, choke me
Born for you to control
I want you to choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Love me, make my lungs explode
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me, choke me, choke me
Born for you to control
I want you to choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Love me, make my lungs explode
All I need iѕ your love
I wаnt it to choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Ch- ch- ch- choke me
Eurovision 2026: This will be Romania’s 25th participation in Eurovision. Romania joined the contest in 1994 and achieved its best result both in Eurovision 2005 and Eurovision 2010 when Romania finished in third place.
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Noy Yehoyada is an Israeli journalist and content creator at the EuroMix team since 2024, bringing a personal, feminine, and LGBTQ+ voice into the Eurovision sphere. A devoted Eurovision fan since the age of 16, she plays an active role in covering the contest—including on-site reporting at Eurovision 2025 in Basel and across European pre-party events. Alongside her writing and commentary, Noy plans the editorial schedule for the website, closely tracks national selections and song reveals, participates in live broadcasts, and creates digital content focusing on representation, musical diversity, and emotional connections.
Beyond her work at EuroMix, Noy has over six years of experience in the cosmetics and pharma industries, with a background in sales, personal consulting, and managing beauty departments. She enjoys pop, rap, contemporary art, and traveling in Europe—and especially loves songs that make her want to dance, as well as those that tell a story.
