“Choke Me” by Alexandra Căpitănescu is Romania’s Eurovision entry that has been turning heads, and for good reason. The song blends rock, metal, and EDM in a way that feels both bold and deeply intentional, and Alexandra’s vocal technique is a masterclass in how to navigate extreme contrast within a single performance. Whether you are a casual listener or an aspiring singer, there is a lot to unpack in how she pulls this off.
Starting Soft to Hit Hard
One of the first things to notice in “Choke Me” is how Alexandra opens the song in a much quieter, more restrained place. She uses a slightly lower larynx and brings in a breath quality that softens the tone. This is not an accident. By starting in a controlled, quieter register, Alexandra creates dynamic contrast that makes the louder sections feel even more powerful.
The volume at the end of the song lands harder precisely because of the stillness at the beginning. This is a technique that applies to any style of singing: the song should move in waves, not maintain a constant wall of sound. It protects your stamina as a singer and keeps the listener engaged.
The Endings of Phrases Matter
A detail that gets overlooked by many singers is what happens at the very end of a note or phrase. In Alexandra’s performance, you can hear how she allows a slight release of breath at the end, almost like a sigh. That small detail carries enormous emotional weight.
It communicates exhaustion, frustration, or longing without a single word doing the work. The end of a phrase is not a throwaway moment. It is often where the most emotion lives.
Chest Voice, Thinning, and Twang
Much of “Choke Me” lives in the chest voice register, and Alexandra uses a few specific tools to navigate it across a wide range. Some of the key techniques she uses include:
- Thinning the vocal folds to allow the sound to move higher without flipping into full falsetto
- Adding twang to help keep the vocal folds closed as she ascends in pitch
- Rounding the lips forward to darken the timbre without lowering the larynx
- Using a high tongue position in the back of the mouth to support her higher notes
The twang in particular is worth understanding. It is one of the most efficient ways to maintain volume and vocal fold closure as you move up the range, and you can hear it clearly in the bigger moments of the song.
The Yodel Flip and Falsetto
At certain points in “Choke Me,” Alexandra moves from a thick, pressured chest voice into a stiff, thin falsetto. Technically, this is a yodel. It is a stylistic decision, and it works here because the contrast between the two textures mirrors the emotional tension in the song.
This kind of transition takes precise coordination. Too much pressure beneath the vocal folds and the flip becomes uncontrolled. Too little and the chest voice loses its power before the switch.
Screaming with and without Pitch
One of the most distinctive elements of Alexandra’s performance is her use of screaming. There is an important distinction between screaming on pitch and screaming off pitch, and she uses both. Screaming off pitch involves an asymmetrical movement of the vocal folds and requires very low breath pressure.
It is a completely different technique from pitched singing. Attempting to approach it the same way as regular singing can put serious strain on the voice. It is a specialist skill that benefits greatly from guided instruction.
Cross-Training: Classical Meets Rock
Perhaps the most surprising element of “Choke Me” is the way Alexandra moves between a full rocky chest voice and a genuinely classical sound. This is what vocal coaches call cross-training. Some of the benefits of training across styles include:
- Developing the ability to stretch and thin the vocal folds with precision
- Strengthening multiple muscle groups through varied demands
- Building a wider expressive range as a performer
- Improving overall vocal fold coordination and control
Metal and classical singing actually complement each other more than most people expect. Both require excellent vocal fold control and the ability to manage breath pressure precisely.
High Notes and How She Gets There
Alexandra reaches a reported E flat 6 in this performance, which is extraordinarily high. At that point in the range, belting is not an option. What she does instead is take all of the weight out of the vocal folds, add in significant twang, and allow the sound to remain clean and supported.
The volume at that height comes from the twang closing the vocal folds efficiently, not from pushing air through them. It is a reminder that high notes are rarely about force.
VAT (Vibrato) and Warmth of Sound
Throughout “Choke Me,” Alexandra’s vibrato adds a warmth and a sense of “sung” quality to the sound that separates it from speech. Vibrato is one of the most noticeable differences between a trained singer and an untrained one. It adds depth, sustain, and emotional resonance to a note in a way that is difficult to fake. Developing it takes time but is one of the most rewarding things you can work toward as a singer.
If you want to learn more about how you can learn to implement these singing techniques into your own voice, let’s sit down for a chat and discuss if the vocal academy is the right fit for you. You can join us here.