As Sirusho was appointed the Armenian representative in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest already last year, there was enough time to focus on finding the best and most suitable song for her to sing in Belgrade. In an open competition, songwriters, who needed to have the Armenian citizenship, could send in their proposals. An expert jury picked four of them together with Sirusho, which were all presented in a TV show tonight. Apart from the presentation of Sirusho's songs, the show also featured performances of the most famous Armenian singers. Of course, Hayko, the Armenian representative in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest with Anytime You Need, was one of them, too.
The songs
These are the four songs that Sirusho presented in tonight's show in order of appearance:
- Strong
- I Can't Control It
- I Still Breathe
- Qele Qele
The winning composition
After the songs had been presented, the TV viewers were asked for their verdict by SMS voting, as well as an expert jury. In the end, they decided that Sirusho should sing Qele Qele in Belgrade. The song is a mixture of ethnic sounds and contemporary pop music. It starts like a ballad with a verse in Armenian language, building up to an up-tempo pop song with lyrics which are mostly in English. Armenia will compete in the first Semi-Final of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, taking place on 20th May in Belgrade.
