Alexandra Căpitănescu’s track, “Choke Me,” a contender for Romania’s Eurovision entry, has ignited a strong backlash and calls for its removal. Campaigners have labelled the song’s lyrics as “dangerous” and “reckless,” arguing that they appear to glamorize sexual strangulation—a highly perilous act known to lead to severe outcomes like brain injury and even death.
Opponents of sexual violence have voiced serious concerns, highlighting that the phrase “choke me” is repeated approximately 30 times throughout the three-minute composition. These activists assert that by including such content, the song is “playing fast and loose with young women’s lives,” trivializing a practice with grave real-world consequences.