The Roop are a Lithuanian pop rock band from Vilnius. Formed in 2014, the group consists of Vaidotas Valiukevičius, Robertas Baranauskas, and Mantas Banišauskas.
They are famous for being chosen to represent the Baltic nation of Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2020 with their song "On Fire". The catchy entry was warmly welcomed by the public and the bookies alike, breaking streaming records and becoming one of the favourites to win the trophy.
Alas, this was not meant to be as the 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. While several countries immediately confirmed their 2020 representative for 2021 as well, Lithuanian broadcaster LRT decided to renew their selection show Pabandom iš naujo! with a new cohort of potential entries, though offering The Roop a wildcard place directly in the grand final. The band accepted the offer and, with the equally catchy song "Discoteque", won the chance to represent their nation a second time. They ended up finishing eighth.
Discography:
- To Whom It May Concern (2015)
- Ghosts (2017)
- ''Yes, I Do (EP, 2018)
- "On Fire" (Single, 2020)
- "Discoteque" (Single, 2021)
The Roop provide examples of the following tropes:
- Curb-Stomp Battle: They won the grand final of Pabandom iš naujo! 2021 with full points from both the jury and the public. While the points were given according to the standard Eurovision spread,note they received a staggering 74,125 votes from the public, or more than 85% of the total votes cast. For comparison, the runner-up Gebrasy received only 6413.
- Color Motif: In contrast to the monochrome "On Fire", "Discoteque" features a vibrant yellow motif in the band's outfits.
- Deliberately Monochrome: The video for "On Fire" is entirely in black-and-white.
- Early-Bird Cameo: 2020 wasn't the first time they attempted to represent their country at the Eurovision Song Contest. They first participated in the Lithuanian national final in 2018, reaching the final where they received 16,491 votes (the second-highest ranking) from the public and came third overall.
- Rule of Three: They attempted to represent Lithuania three times. The first time, in 2018, they ended up in third place in the national selection. The second time, in 2020, they won the ticket but the contest was cancelled. In 2021, they won again and will represent Lithuania for good.
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Spiritual Successor: "Discoteque" to "On Fire". The video for "Discoteque" begins right after the band concludes a performance of "On Fire". - Stock Rhymes: "On Fire" features the infamous trifecta "fire/desire/higher".
