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Romania’s Eurovision song “Choke Me” has been labeled “dangerous” and “reckless” for seemingly glamorizing sexual strangulation, a practice that can cause brain injury or even death, reports The Guardian.

Activists against sexual violence have warned that the track, in which the phrase “choke me” is repeated 30 times in just three minutes, is “playing fast and loose with young women’s lives.”

The song is performed by Alexandra Căpitănescu, a former winner of Romania’s The Voice. Lyrics include lines such as “It’s hard to breathe in,” “I want you to choke me,” and “make my lungs explode.”

Clare McGlynn, a law professor at Durham University and author of Exposed: The Rise of Extreme Porn and How We Fight Back, said the repeated sexualized message demonstrates “alarming disregard for young women’s health and safety.” “The song — along with its selection by Romania and promotion by Eurovision organizations — represents a reckless normalization of a dangerous practice,” McGlynn said. “Medical evidence now shows that frequent sexual strangulation can cause brain damage.”

The track has sparked backlash online, with many Eurovision fans calling for its disqualification or for the lyrics to be changed.

Last year, a BBC complaint about Malta’s entry led the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to block a pun where “kant” (meaning “sing” in Maltese) sounded like a vulgar word. In previous years, the EBU has also prohibited words such as “shit” and “pussy” from song lyrics.

Căpitănescu defended the song, saying the metaphorical imagery reflects the feeling of being overwhelmed by intense emotions and suffocated by self-doubt.

Research last year showed more than half of people under 35 had experienced strangulation, with nearly a third wrongly believing there are safe ways to strangle someone. Studies have also found changes in the brains of women subjected to repeated sexual strangulation, including markers for brain injury and disruptions linked to anxiety and depression.

McGlynn added: “This shows the urgent need for better education and awareness of the harms of these practices. Many young women do not want to engage in strangulation, but normalization makes them feel pressured to participate, putting their health and lives at risk.”

Meanwhile, Eurovision is also facing a partial boycott over Israel’s participation, amid accusations of genocide in Gaza. In 2025, Israel was criticized for allegedly using the contest for propaganda, including paid social media campaigns promoting its entry.

Broadcasters in Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Iceland, and Finland requested an audit of the voting system after the surprising result, amid suspicions that Israeli voters used European credit cards to cast multiple votes. Some fans believe this explains the discrepancy between the UK public vote, which gave Israel the maximum 12 points, and the judges’ panel, which awarded zero.

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