In 2020 Lithuanian Television (LRT) decided to drastically cut the number of weeks for their annual Eurovizijos Atranka, albeit it was still six weeks long. In the end The Roop won the show with the song On Fire.
In January, LRT broadcast the first semi final of Eurovizijos Atranka, featuring 12 acts, of which half went through to a semi final. This was followed by two more shows, ending up with 18 acts in two semi finals.
Nine acts appeared in two semi finals, with four from each one heading to an eight act final, which was held on February 15 2020. The Roop were the winners with the song On Fire.
This was the second year in a row that The Roop had reached the final. In 2019 they had tried with the song Yes I Do, but were ultimately beaten by Jurijus and Run With The Lions.
The Roop are a three piece band and have been together for six years. The members are Vaidotas Valiukevičius, Robertas Baranauskas and Mantas Banišauskas. They have already released two albums, To Whom It May Concern and Ghosts. Their entry from last year, Yes I Do featured on a special extended play release.
Since being chosen as Lithuania’s entry for 2020, the reviews have been very positive, and Lithuania had found themselves on the top of the bookies betting odds, as favourite to win. This has been unthinkable from Lithuania since their first entry in 1994, so the cancellation of the contest would have been a huge disappointment to everyone involved.
As well as the catchy song, the performance also had immediate appeal due to the dance the group would have performed. The accompanying dancers were Migle Praniauskaite and Marijanas Staniulenas.
Here is what our team thought of The Roop and On Fire
Michael I was happy to see Lithuania at the top of the polls this year and so hope that one day they will win. I neither love or hate this song. Sometimes I find it very irritating and then at other times I find myself quite enjoying it depending on my mood. Obviously this would have been a contender in 2020 and I hope Lithuania keep up the good work in future.
Josef In the beginning, people were crazy about The ROOP and On Fire. To me, the song was irritating and the dance moves too unreal. But the more I listened to it and watch it, the more I started to love it. This is definitely a grower. And I do not need to mention that not long after their victory, I already knew all the moves. And going to Lithuania for the first time could have been amazing. Missed chances unfortunately. Who knows if they can bring similar hype in 2021.
William with the current situation there are a few entries/countries you feel sorry for and this is certainly one of them. The momentum was building for Lithuania, they finally found their feet after so many hits and misses. This could have brought them their best ever result and hit the top 5.
Gunec I’m sorry but I find this entry rather annoying. I know it has been a big hit among fans but I’d personally disagree on that. The voice, the dances, the show, the music does not appeal to me at all.
Theo I found the entry fun on first hearing. The song’s characteristic riff was quite infectious to start with but, in my case, it got a bit annoying after repeated hearing. I have the feeling that, in a stronger year, the entry would not have been as high in the betting odds.
