In 2006, Frederik Ndoci was announced as one of the contestants selected to compete in the 45th edition of Festivali i Këngës, a competition to determine Albania's entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. For following the competition's rules, the lyrics of the participating entries had to be in the Albanian language. Ndoci took part with the song "Balada e Gurit", composed by Adrian Hila and written by Pandi Laço. For the purpose of the singer's Eurovision Song Contest participation, "Balada e Gurit" was remastered and translated to "Hear My Plea". Musically, the latter is an English-language baroque-inspired dramatic pop song, which lyrically calls for pleading with an unnamed power to bring his love back to him.
Release and promotion
The song was initially released on 20 April 2007 as part of the Eurovision Song Contest: Helsinki 2007compilation album on CD through CMC Records. On 14 February 2018, it was released for digital download through Broken AL Audio and Radio Televizioni Shqiptar. For promotional purposes, an accompanying music video for "Hear My Plea" premiered on the official YouTube channel of the Eurovision Song Contest on 5 April 2007.
At Eurovision
Festivali i Këngës
The national broadcaster, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar, organised the 45th edition of Festivali i Këngës to determine the Albania's participant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki, Finland. It consisted of two semi-finals on 21 and 22 December 2006, and the grand final on 23 December of that year, which included Ndoci being chosen to represent the country in the contest, after the votes of an expert jury were combined, resulting in 55 points.
Helsinki
The 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Helsinki, Finland, and consisted of a semi-final on 10 May, and the grand final two days later on 12 May 2007. According to the Eurovision rules at the time, selected participating countries, apart from the host country and the "Big 4", consisting of,,, and the, were required to qualify from the semi-final to compete for the grand final. However, the top ten countries from the semi-final progressed to the grand final. Albania came 11th in the semi-final, following and preceding, and failed to qualify for the grand final in 17th place with 49 points. During his dark blue-themed performance of the song, Ndoci was accompanied on stage by a violin player and four backing vocalists, including his wife, Aida Ndoci.
