"Theje" (Albanian:[ˈθɛjɛ];
transl. "Break it") is a song by Albanian singer and songwriter
Alban Ramosaj. The song was written and composed by Ramosaj himself and produced by Marko Polo. It was
independently released as a
single for
digital download and
streaming on 3 December 2021. The song is an
Albanian-language ethnic
ballad combining traditional Albanian instruments and sounds, with its lyrics focusing on the theme of unconditional love.
Music critics and fans applauded the song, with praise concentrated on its ethnic nature and instrumentation, as well as Ramosaj's vocal delivery. An accompanying
lyric video was premiered to the singer's official
YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release on 3 December.
In late December 2021, Ramosaj competed with "Theje" in the
60th edition of Festivali i Këngës intentionally to
represent Albania in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in
Turin, Italy. During the final, the singer finished in the second place despite being a favourite to win the contest. His performance commenced in
black and white and progressed with colours, while the background
LED screens displayed thunder and dark imagery.
"Theje", which translated means "Break it", was composed and written by Ramosaj himself, with additional mastering and mixing as well as the production done by Albanian composer Marko Polo.[6][7][8] The
Albanian-language song is musically an ethnic
ballad with a blend of traditional Albanian instruments and sounds.[9][10] Lyrically, the song touches on the theme of unconditional love and delves into a past relationship of the singer, in which he forgave and continued to offer love and trust to his love interest.[11] Upon its release, "Theje" was met with generally positive reviews from
music critics. In a review for ESCUnited conducted by several staff members, "Theje" has been described as a "pleasant" and "epic" ethnic ballad with an "emotional vibe" and a traditional Albanian nature, which was praised by multiple writers.[10] Incorporating what writer William saw as building in "unexpected ways", the song begins into a "mystery surrounding" developing from the verse into two following "epic" choruses before ending "out of nowhere".[10] Writer Tom Padraig of Wiwibloggs similarly expressed praise towards the song's structure as well as Ramosaj's vocal delivery.[12]
RTSH organised the 60th edition of Festivali i Këngës to select the Albanian representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in
Turin, Italy.[13][14] The contest consisted of two semi-finals on 27 and 28 December, respectively, and the grand final on 29 December 2021.[15][16] Ramosaj was officially announced as a selected contestant to participate in the contest in November 2021.[2] During his shows, Ramosaj's performance commenced in
black and white with thunder being featured on the
LED walls throughout the performance.[17] While music critics were favorable towards both Ramosaj's vocal delivery and the song's ethnic nature, he was regarded by the media as a strong contender[18][19] and became among the Eurovision fans favourite to win the contest.[20][21][22] During the grand final of Festivali i Këngës, the singer eventually ended up finishing in second place.[23][24] He later expressed his gratitude and thanked his fans for their support through a
social media post, while saying that he counts 2021 as his year.[25][26]
^"Fest 60' nis sonte nata e parë" (in Albanian). Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH). 27 December 2021.
Archived from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
^"Sonte, nata e dytë e Fest'60" (in Albanian). Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH). 29 December 2021.
Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2022.