Photo credit: RTVE
For the third year running, Benidorm Fest is back with a brand new lineup of artists all hoping to represent Spain at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.
The contest has seen both highs and lows for Spain: in 2022 Chanel went on to place third at Eurovision with her song ‘SloMo’, while (in what was a shock to many eurofans) last year Blanca Paloma placed 17th with her song ‘Eaea’. Therefore, all eyes will be on Spain this year to see if they can get back on track.
Read on to learn all about the artists competing in the first semi-final.
Lérica – Astronauta
Lérica are a duo consisting of Tony Mateo and Juan Carlos Arauzo hailing from Madrid. Initially operating as a trio alongside former member Rubén Noel, the group initially found success posting covers on social media. In 2014, they began turning their hand at posting original compositions, including ‘Eres Ese Milagro’ (‘You Are That Miracle’), which was written by Tony’s brother, the well-known musician Abraham Mateo. This featured on Lérica’s 2016 debut album ‘Cien Mil Motivos’ (‘One Hundred Thousand Reasons’). The following years have seen even more success for Lérica, including the 2020 hit single ‘Flamenkito’ which has almost 73 million streams on Spotify, and their 2021 follow-up album ‘Cocoterapia’.
The pair’s Benidorm Fest entry ‘Astronauta’ blends pop and dance elements with an anthemic chorus. They’ve already conquered the Spanish music scene so can they go one step further and snatch victory? You can hear their song below:
Noan – Te Echo De –
Iñigo Samaniego chose the stage name Noan as a combination of the first names of his two biggest musical influences: Noel Gallagher from Oasis and Anthony Kiedis from Red Hot Chilli Peppers. He is a 25-year-old musician who was born in Zarautz but is based in Aturias. He has enjoyed success with a number of his songs, including the 2022 duet with Paula Koops ‘Odio que te quiero’ (‘I Hate That I Love You’) which entered Spotify’s Viral 50 and has over 10 million streams on the platform to date. He also released the duet ‘Mejores Momentos’ (‘Best Moments’) in July 2023 with Edurne, who represented Spain in 2015 with her song ‘Amanecer’ (‘Sunrise’).
Noan will be performing his entry ‘Te Echo De -‘ (‘I Miss You -‘), a ballad that starts out with a simple guitar accompaniment before building into a more pop-rock chorus that allows Noan to build up emotion throughout the song. Could this move the juries and televoters? You can listen for yourself below:
Sofia Coll – Here To Stay
Sofia Coll i Benito, best known as Sofia Coll, is a 25-year-old actress, singer and dancer from Barcelona. In 2014, she participated in the Spanish edition of The Voice Kids, where she made it as far as the battle rounds. In 2019, she released her debut single ‘Before I Forget What’s Love’, followed by her 2020 debut album ‘Génesis’. She also worked as an actress during this time with her credits including a starring role in the Spanish TV comedy series ‘Bany Compartit’ (‘Shared Bathroom’). She cites a number of musical influences, from pop stars Beyonce and Christina Aguilera to soul legends Etta James and James Brown.
Sofia Coll’s entry ‘Here To Stay’ features pop, electronic and urban elements and is sung in English, Spanish and Catalan. Speaking to broadcaster RTVE about the song, Sofia said:
This song was born from imagining ‘What if?’ If I imagine that I am really there, on the stage of the Benidorm Fest, at Eurovision: How would I feel? How do I feel? What do I think about? I think about everything I have had to fight to get here, in those who did not believe in me, in those who did, in each of the decisions that I have made throughout my life.
Sofia Coll, RTVE
Will Sofia truly be ‘Here To Stay’ and go on to represent Spain at Eurovision? You can listen to her song below:
Mantra – Me vas a ver
Mantra is a group consisting of Carlos Marco (who has helped pen two Benidorm Fest entries in the past: ‘Eco’ by XEINN and ‘Flamenco’ by Aritz), Paula Pérez and Carlos ‘Charly’ Weinberg. They formed in 2020, releasing their debut single ‘No Te Esperaba’ (‘I Was Not Expecting You’) in the same year followed by their 2021 debut album ‘Prólogo’ (‘Foreword’). Their 2023 follow-up album ‘Epicentro’ (‘Epicentre’) was the #1 best-selling physical album in Spain upon its release and remained in the chart for a further 10 weeks.
The trio will be performing their song ‘Me vas a ver’ (‘You’re Gonna See Me’) which is a feel-good pop number about being so over your ex that you don’t care about running into them at a party and instead dance the night away. It has over a million Spotify streams at the time of writing but will it have people moving on the night? You can listen to the song below:
Miss Caffeina – Bla bla bla
Another group performing tonight are Miss Caffeina whose members are Alberto Jiménez, Antonio Poza and Sergio Sastre. They first formed in 2006 and have become known for combining pop, rock and indie with a characteristically Spanish feel. They have released five LPs, with their 2016 album ‘Detroit’ shooting them to fame: the single ‘Mira cómo vuelo’ (‘See How I Fly’) from this album has over 35 million streams on Spotify. Their 2019 album ‘Oh Long Johnson’ brought them further success, staying in the Spanish album charts for ten weeks and peaking at #1 in March 2019. Finally, their 2022 album ‘El año del tigre’ (‘The Year of the Tiger’) has seen the band’s star continue to rise, reaching #1 in physical album sales and #3 in global sales in the Spanish album charts.
Their Benidorm Fest entry ‘Bla bla bla’ was produced with the help of Stefano Macarrone who also had a hand in producing Rigoberta Bandini‘s 2022 Benidorm Fest offering ‘Ay Mama’. Lyrically, it explores the hyper-connected world we live in through our easy access to technology and social media and how this leads everyone to have an opinion about everything, even if it adds nothing to the discussion. As the band themselves said when talking to RTVE: “Everything becomes a giant noise that often has to do with reality and sounds like a very long and loud blah blah blah.” Will it stand out on the night? You can listen to the song below:
Quique Niza – Prisionero
20-year-old Quique Niza is the youngest of the 16 Benidorm Fest contestants this year. However, that doesn’t mean he’s lacking in stage experience. The Madrid native made his stage debut at just ten, playing Kurt Von Trapp in the musical ‘The Sound of Music’. In 2021, he played Danny Zuko in the musical ‘Grease’ and has also acted on television, starring in the TV series ‘UPA Next’ and ‘Días mejores’ (‘When You Least Expect It’). He released his debut single ‘ARDO’ last year.
Quique’s Benidorm Fest entry ‘Prisionero’ (‘Prisoner’) was composed at the contest’s Composition Camp, which is organised by Sony Music Publishing Spain alongside RTVE. According to Quique, the song:
…talks about the idea of being a prisoner of something. About that moment when you can’t scream and an internal war with yourself is created . Textually, the song says ‘how do I win this war with myself’, that conflict with yourself about how to be or how not to be indifferent to any context
Quique Niza, RTVE
Like Chanel in 2022, could this musical theatre star be the one to win it all? You can listen to his song below:
Angy Fernández – Sé quién soy
Ángela María Fernández González, best known as Angy Fernández, is a singer and actress from Palma. She became known to Spanish audiences in 2007 when she participated in the first series of the Spanish X Factor where she placed as a runner-up. Following her appearance on the TV talent show, Angy had a starring role in the TV series ‘Física o Química‘ (‘Physics or Chemistry’) from 2008-2011. The show dealt with a number of hard-hitting themes, including prejudice, mental illness and drug abuse and further cemented Angy’s status as a household name. Following this, she won the first series of the singing competition ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar’, successfully impersonating Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper and Christina Aguilera, among others.
‘Sé quién soy’ (‘I Know Who I Am’) was composed by Angy herself alongside Swedish songwriters, Dino Medanhodzic, Henrik Lundberg and Thomas G:son, the latter of whom helped compose both Loreen‘s Eurovision winning entries ‘Euphoria’ and ‘Tattoo’. After a break from music, the song acts as Angy’s comeback, with the star telling RTVE:
I came to experience stage fright; the anxiety before going out to sing was overwhelming. Now I want to break barriers, overcome the fears that limited me. I want to sing on any stage; it is time to tear down the walls that block my mind. I am here to move forward, because this is what I really am.
Angy Fernández, RTVE
She’s ready to shine but can she win the contest? You can listen to ‘Sé quién soy’ below:
Nebulossa – Zorra
Nebulossa is an Alicante-based electropop duo consisting of María Bas and Mark Dasousa. They released a crop of singles in 2020, starting with their debut ‘La Colmena’ (‘The Hive’) and released their debut album ‘Poliédrica de Mi’ (‘Polyhedral of Me’) in 2021. They have attempted to perform at Eurovision before, trying out for Una Voce Per San Marino in the hopes of representing San Marino in 2023. This accolade of course went to Piqued Jacks and their song ‘Like An Animal’ instead.
Undeterred, Nebulossa are sending their song ‘Zorra’ (which translates as a number of expletives aimed at women, such as ‘bitch’ or ‘slut’) in the hopes of representing Spain at Eurovision. The song has already enjoyed successing, reaching #1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 at the start of January. Speaking to WECB Radio, María hoped ‘Zorra’ would be a song many women would identify with, saying:
Many times I have felt marginalised and discriminated against. The word ‘slut’, that feeling, is carried inside. Many women are going to feel identified because we are not on equal terms.
María Bas, WECB Radio
Historically, songs that have been performing well in the charts prior to Benidorm Fest have gone on to do well in the contest, with Rigoberta Bandini’s ‘Ay Mama’ placing 2nd in 2022 and Vicco‘s ‘Nochentera’ placing 3rd in 2023. Could Nebulossa enjoy similar success? You can listen to ‘Zorra’ below:
So there you have the eight artists hoping performing in the first semi-final of Benidorm Fest! Only four can make it to the final so who will you be rooting for? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to follow us on all our socials.
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