Eurovision 2021 I The Roop have been invited to the Lithuanian pre-selection for 2021
After the cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam due to the Corona virus, Lithuania has provided further Information for its participation in Eurovision 2021. In contrast to many other countries, the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT want to stick to Pabandom iš Naujo, the Lithuanian national selection; Therefore, this years winner The Roop will not be the automatic Representatives for Lithuania in Eurovision 2021.
The Roop has been a big favorite for Lithuania's first victory since their debut participation in 1994. The band was leading in the bookings for a long time, and also had a huge fan base. Their song "On Fire" received a mostly positive reception, with many views on YouTube and high rankings within Eurovision fan groups. They won Pabandom iš naujo 2020 with a landslide victory, with Monique finishing second and Monika Marija finishing third.
Apart from Lithuania, only Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Finland & Portugal want to stick to their national selection next year so far. However, LRT invites The Roop back to the show with a guaranteed spot in the final next year, which means a lot since Pabandom iš naujo is known for being one of the longest pre-selections in Eurovision.
The Roop have not accepted the invitation yet. They need time to process and think about it. If they do say no however, they would not be the first act to decline an invitation to the pre-selection; Ulrikke who had won Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix 2020 already declined another participation, despite being offered an automatic spot in the 2021 show.
Lithuania's best Eurovision result until now was 6th place in 2006 with the Group LT United and the song "We Are The Winners". They have reached the final 9 times since the introduction of the semi finals in 2004, whilST failing 7 times. It can be presumed that "On Fire" would have brought their best result ever. The question is: Will The Roop try it again next time and bring the first victory for Lithuania?
