Since 2004, this event has doubled as a national competition to select Albania’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, aligning with Albania’s debut in the ESC. Anjeza Shahini’s performance of “The Image of You” earned an admirable 7th place in the Grand Final in Istanbul, signaling a bright start for a nation entering the competition for the first time.

Albanian music, while not widely known outside its borders, finds a significant platform for exposure through the Eurovision Song Contest, reaching approximately 200 million viewers worldwide. Albania’s entries in the ESC typically blend traditional and folk elements, even in modern compositions. Often, songs undergo adaptation and refinement for the competition, with adjustments made to choruses and other elements to maximize impact. Adapting popular Albanian music to cater to European tastes poses a challenge, with songs often exceeding three minutes in the Albanian pre-selection stage, requiring editing and translation into English to resonate with European audiences.