Another year brings Moldova back to the Eurovision race, along with its national selection to choose its next representative for the song contest. The renowned Etapa Națională crowned Moldovan rock singer Natalia Barbu as the winner with her song “In the Middle.”
This latest edition of Etapa Națională posed some challenges, as the jury awarded Natalia a full 12 points, while the televote gave more points to Valeria Pasha, resulting in a tie between the two candidates. To break the tie, they turned to the jury, which ultimately declared Natalia Barbu the winner of Moldova’s national preselection.
Moldova will perform this year in the first Eurovision semifinal, set for May 7 at the Malmö Arena in the Swedish city, the main venue for this new edition of the contest.
Who is Natalia Barbu?
Natalia Barbu is a Moldovan rock singer born in August 1979 in the city of Bălţi. At age seven, she moved to the city of Ribniţa, where her passion for music began to develop. She learned to play the violin when she started school, an instrument that has significantly influenced her musical journey.
Her musical education continued at the Gavriil Muzicescu Academy of Music. Her mother, who was also a folk singer, provided tremendous support for the artist, being an instrumentalist in the band to which she belonged.
At 19, Natalia began to share her music by entering three festivals related to pop music, winning all three. She also received significant recognition for her commitment to music and her dedication. One of the accolades she received was the Press Award at Mamaia ’98. Although her music started gaining traction within small groups, she later decided to pursue a solo music career.
In 2007, she represented Moldova in Eurovision, achieving one of the country’s best scores after years of disappointing results. With her song “Fight,” she secured tenth place with 109 points. In 2013, she tried to represent Romania in Eurovision with the song “Confession,” but did not make it to the preselection final. Now, 17 years later, she returns to the Eurovision scene with a song that talks about change, self-discovery, and the spreading of love.
“In The Middle” the Moldovan entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
“In The Middle” is written entirely in English by Natalia herself, along with Natalia Sota and Rickards Kristopher Hugh. It falls within the pop genre with some epic touches and elements of Moldovan-Romanian folklore, with the violin playing a prominent role. The singer explains that the song is about the love and light between her and her children. It also touches on the need to unite what separates us, that is, what is in the middle between us, by setting aside our differences. Additionally, it emphasizes that strength, courage, and self-confidence are essential to facing life’s challenges.
Lyrics of «In The Middle»
Listen your voice inside your heart
Right in the middle
Open your mind just like a door
Right in the middle
Raise your wings, don’t be afraid of fallin’ down
All around, the world is changing overnight
I want you to be happy all of your life
My beautiful angel, a work of art
You live for sunshine, spread it around
I know your heart is filled with love
Mm, ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh, ah
Ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh, ah
Ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh, ah
Ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah
I feel your love inside my heart
Right in the middle
Open your eyes, it’s like a door
Right in the middle
Raise your wings, don’t be afraid of falling down
All around, the world is changing overnight
I want you to be happy all of your life
My beautiful angel, a work of art
You live for sunshine, spread it around
I know your heart is filled with love
Mm, ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh, ah
Ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh, ah
Ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh, ah
Ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh
Ohh, ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh, ah
Ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh, ah
Ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh, ah
Ta-ra-ra-ra-ta-ra-ra-du, ah, ah, oh, ah
Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest
Moldova’s Eurovision debut began in 2005 with the band Zdob și Zdub, who represented the country with the song “Boonika Bate Toba,” achieving sixth place with 148 points. Out of their 19 participations to date, Moldova has made it to the final 13 times.
Moldova’s best result came in 2017, when SunStroke Project represented the country for the second time. With their song “Hey Mamma,” an uptempo track with catchy choreography and the iconic Epic Sax Guy, they earned 374 points, securing third place.
Moldova’s performances have never gone unnoticed, often standing out for their theatricality, like the group DoReDos in Lisbon 2018 with their song “My Lucky Day.” We’ve also seen a touch of folk and fun with the band Zdob și Zdub and the Advahov Brothers with their song “Trenulețul,” which secured a place in the final in the Italian city of Turin, ultimately finishing in seventh place with 253 points from the jury and televote combined.
In the latest Eurovision edition, their representative was Pasha Parfeny with the song “Soarele Si Luna.” Like Natalia Barbu, he had also previously represented Moldova in Eurovision, specifically in 2012 with his song “Lăutar.” Upon his return to the Eurovision stage in 2023 in Liverpool, he secured a spot in the final, finishing in 18th place with only 96 points.