Romania’s Eurovision 2026 representative, Alexandra Căpitănescu, is dominating social media as her entry, “Choke Me”, goes viral on TikTok with millions of views and streams.
Less than a month before the Eurovision 2026, with delegations soon departing for Vienna, every participant is working hard to win the audience’s hearts and votes. It seems that Alexandra Căpitănescu, Romania’s representative, has cracked the code for online success by leveraging the power of social media to promote her entry “Choke Me”.
In recent weeks, Alexandra has gone viral, especially on TikTok, where her song has already gained over 20 million views and more than two million streams on Spotify.
Romania’s Unexpected Comeback
Romania returns to Eurovision this year after a two-year absence; its last participation was in 2023. Due to financial difficulties leading to withdrawal and disappointing past results, expectations for Romania’s comeback were initially modest.
In early March, the Romanian national selection took place, where Căpitănescu won with her song “Choke Me”. However, even back in January, when she released the track and announced her Eurovision intentions, Alexandra began building online momentum. Through consistent promotion – mostly on TikTok – she steadily grew an audience. By the time of the national final, the song had already become a social media sensation, and after her victory, its online popularity exploded further.
A Song Surrounded by Drama
While her constant online activity significantly boosted the song’s visibility, part of its viral appeal likely stems from the controversy it sparked. In March, shortly after Alexandra’s win, social networks flooded with criticism from activists and experts who called for the song’s disqualification for allegedly “normalizing dangerous practices.”
In response, the singer decided not to stay silent and clarified her artistic intent, saying “The Song Was Never Intended to Represent Anything Sexual”. Her explanation helped refocus the discussion on the song’s artistic and emotional meaning rather than its title.
Keeping the Momentum Going
Last weekend, the “Eurovision in Concert 2026” event in Amsterdam – the season’s largest Eurovision pre-party – hosted 27 participants, including Romania’s representative. Căpitănescu received an enthusiastic welcome from the audience while maintaining her strong social media activity, sharing clips with her team and fellow contestants.
After the event’s performances were uploaded online, her act became the most viewed performance from the Dutch concert on the Eurovision fansite WiwiBloggs. Alexandra is now set to appear at the upcoming Eurovision pre-parties in Bucharest on April 18 and London on April 19. In addition to her live appearances, she is currently working on an acoustic piano version of “Choke Me”.
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 at Eurovision 2026
“Choke Me” is the title of the song that will be performed by Alexandra Căpitănescu, who will represent Romania at the first half of Semi-Final 2 at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria, on May 14. 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. Romania is ranked 8th in the betting odds these days.
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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Ido Na’aman is a journalist, content creator, and commentator specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. His extensive knowledge and in-depth familiarity with the Eurovision world are reflected in every article, ensuring reliable, professional, and up-to-date content.
