The procedure has been completed. The third edition of Benidorm Fest raised the curtain last night with the first of its semi-finals. The prediction has come true and the main favorites are already waiting for the other four finalists to emerge in the second semi-final on Thursday.
Amid a forest of criticism about the program, it did not start until a few minutes after 10:50 p.m. We had to wait a little longer until the music started, but when the first chord sounded, the rhythm became unstoppable and different performances followed each other without interruption.
However, the latest shows left the audience breathless. Angy’s uncontrollable praise was the first highlight, followed by Nebulossa’s unforgettable – and sung by a dedicated audience – performance of “Zorra”, which won over the judges and captivated the audience enough to cement first place at half-time. -Finals that leave great moments.
Lyrics – “Astronaut”
The electro-Latin glow that is as much for livening up a festival as it is for the occasional music radio listener on the first day of festivities in town served to bring out the essence of Benidorm Fest’s third edition. His performance may not go down in history, but it’s fair to admit that it served to warm up the atmosphere and whet the appetite for the long-awaited performances waiting on the horizon.
In any case, its colorful staging with a DJ table simulating the cabin of a spaceship brightened the atmosphere and at the same time saved the most impatient audience from sleep, until they were completely immersed in an interstellar journey created for special effects. He showed off all his muscles on the screen.
Noan – “I miss you -“
His raspy voice captivated those present with a live performance that was nothing more than punk rock; Noan also mentioned this in his t-shirt, where he thanked God for this genre of music he tried to pay homage to. It is true that there are traces of this style in his song, but since he was trying to please the ears, the result was a performance as devoid of tension as the finale.
Sofia Coll – “Here to stay”
At around 23.20, it was the turn of one of the big favorites. Bookmakers have placed him among the main contenders with a 20% chance of winning the Bronze Microphone and a ticket to Malmö to represent Spain at Eurovision. And it didn’t disappoint. In fact, his performance would certainly have given that percentage a good boost (this might have been more noticeable if the sound quality on television had been on par with the event; a detail that would have gone unnoticed by many viewers). Hide their criticism on social networks).
Whatever happens, it is 100% certain that the audience a few meters away from the stage was excited, because the performance of the Barcelona artist was unforgettable. Or at least it could have been, had the sound quality been in complete harmony with the extremely challenging choreography, which was the indisputable ace of the artist’s performance at the Palau l’Illa, where he pocketed the audience and sealed the pass. We are going to the grand final on Saturday. Their presence was sung, but perhaps it was their talents more connected to singing that kept them away from Malmö.
Mantra – “You will see me”
Excitement, dedication, enthusiasm… All this was expected from this young trio who showed all their energy on stage, a stage filled with a kindness that was beyond contagious. But this verse was too large for the strict musical content of an acceptable televised performance. In fact, their 40 points in the final vote left them specifically 7 points behind the fourth place held by Ms. Caffeina.
Miss Caffeina – “Blah, blah, blah”
A song tailor-made for the thousands of people who go to his concerts that tour most of the national territories, but adapted with a strong and catchy chorus for such events. Members of the Madrid band displayed their boards on stage, spreading their energy to the audience who turned their backs on them in the desmocopic vote.
The band showed their most pop side (but without giving up their indie nature) and shook the Palau l’Illa with their last few minutes of performance that unlocked the final level. Their performance felt like a concert from the moment the band members approached the edge of the stage, delivering several minutes of high-quality live music that must have been a real privilege for those present at the event. first lines.
Quique Niza – “Prisoner”
Elegant staging is marred by the countless dicks of a singer full of power but perhaps betrayed by understandable nerves. Gambling with your future in three minutes is an example of how cruel and heartless the music industry can be. In any case, Quique Niza defended his song, which he dedicated to an emotion that is one of his strongest aspects, but this was not enough and the artist was penalized with the lowest score in the final count and was the last to be classified.
Angy Fernández – “I Know Who I Am”
There is a generation of Spaniards whose adolescence will always be associated with Angy Fernández. The Majorcan artist received a Bisbal score in the first edition of Factor X, with her figure outshining the winner of the reality show. There will always be a place in the memory of those who watched that competition for that girl who, in the last days of her childhood, had impossible explosions and an exuberant torrent of voices, and which she performed again last night.
It was seen coming. The song invited this and the singer showed her full strength, giving a performance that can fearlessly be considered the best performance of the first semi-final. It was true that there was one question before going on stage: Which Angy would we see? Minutes earlier, the singer had admitted to the RTVE microphones that she wanted to cry and that the vocal enthusiasm added to the powerful meaning of the song might turn into a lack of control, but nothing could be further from the truth. Or yes, but what difference does it make?
Because there was chaos, but Angy didn’t hesitate in front of it and instead immersed herself in that vocal vortex that so characterized her because she was a part of it. Because he knew who he was, he included a rock-filled few seconds of the competition’s best moments in the museum and a general booing from the audience when the judges announced it. 62 points were awarded.
Nebulossa – “Vitch”
The first semi-final couldn’t have had a better ending. Jordi Cruz had warned about this in an interview with Charlas XXI a few hours before the competition: “When we bring this to Eurovision we will be in the news all over Europe. The incident with Rigoberta’s breast is still an anecdote.” Some statements had to be set aside, as everything surrounding Benidorm Fest suffers from a certain over-exaggeration; This buzzword is replacing a word that is less and less ours: expectation.
However, Ondara’s marriage met the surprises envisaged by the coveted participants in the rehearsals, and they presented a performance that is already the history of the festival and aims to become the history of Eurovision. Communication with the public was complete, there was not a single person who did not know the lyrics from beginning to end (not for nothing, the song is taking Spotify by storm and its direction is unstoppable) and this detail was just a narcotic effect. is capable of producing good live music.
The band showed that they aspired to be much more than just being the anthem of this issue, and in the finale they showed that they were ready for anything, or at least ready to slay more.