Senhit has covered ‘Roi’! The San Marino entrant for this year’s Eurovision has chosen the latest release in her #FreakyTriptoRotterdam project, this covering the French Eurovision entry by Bilal Hassani from 2019.
#FreakyTripToRotterdam
The #FreakyTripToRotterdam project is part of Senhit’s ongoing objective to cover a different Eurovision classic every month. Previous recent covers have included a cover of the Greek entry ******* is Free (Alcohol Is Free, 2013) and a mashup of the Israeli entries Golden Boy & Toy (2015 & 2018), as well as a number of Eurovision classics from previous months. She began this journey with a cover of TEO’s Cheesecake in July.
The chosen song this month was ‘Roi’, the French entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. Bilal Hassani performed the song originally, and finished 16th with 105 points with it. Listen to it below:
The cover of ‘Roi’ is Senhit’s 10th cover and the cover song for April. In it, she has reinterpreted ‘Roi’, removing the piano line for synth-heavy production, creating a more otherworldly feeling than in the original. It’s a big departure from how Eurovision fans will imagine ‘Roi’, instead providing a way to appreciate it that will appeal more to fans of alt and electronic pop. As with her other covers, she continues to show off her creativity and fun she’s having in reinventing classics.
The French style is kept to in this music video, with Senhit dressed in a manner evocative of early modern European courts, particularly French queen Marie Antoinette. The music video was directed by Luca Tommassini.
This is what Senhit said about the cover:
“This tenth chapter is dedicated to France and it has multiple homages to the most iconographic Queens of history, from Elizabeth I of England to Marie-Antoinette, set in a dreamlike atmosphere”
Senhit
Senhit at the Eurovision Song Contest
In 2011, Senhit represented San Marino in Düsseldorf (as Senit), with the song ‘Stand By‘. Unfortunately, she failed to qualify for the Grand Final when she placed 16th in the semi-final.
Nearly ten years on, Senhit announced her return to the Eurovision Song Contest. She submitted ‘Freaky’ to the cancelled Eurovision Song Contest in 2020. For 2021, she returned for San Marino and will be singing Adrenalina. Recently, she released a new version of that song with Flo Rida.
What do you think of Senhit’s cover of Bilal Hassani’s ‘Roi’? How about Senhit’s #FreakyTripToRotterdam project to cover Eurovision classics as a whole? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see our reactions to the news in the upcoming months.
