This week the Spanish broadcaster RTVE revealed the two potential songs for Blas Cantó to perform at Eurovision.
The Aussievision team have listened to both entries, 'Voy a quedarme' and 'Memoria' and we have our winner with comments from the team...
1st place: 'Voy a quedarme' - 8 votes
Mike: "Of the two choices presented 'Voy a quedarme' sounds like the best option for Blas to take to Rotterdam. It's a modern, radio-friendly ballad that allows Canto's vocals to be the centrepoint of the package. If this does the ticket it could appeal to some Eurovison Jury members, especially if Blas brings standout vocals to this. Overall I really couldn't see either of these songs doing that well in the Grand Final."
Laura: "Both songs were quite middling for me, but I chose 'Voy a querdame' because it has strong production, a lot of dynamic variation, lovely orchestral instrumentation, and it gives Blas a better opportunity to show off his vocals. Although the Spanish language lyrics feel less wordy and more accessible for non-native speakers, he will need to really deliver a fantastic live performance and nail the power notes at the end for the song to do well at Eurovision."
Guy: " I think the melody in the songs works better than Memoria and I think it will be a popular ballad in the contest. We’ve seen that Blas can hit those high notes, so this should pack a real punch live. I would say it will also be more appealing to the masses than Universo, so it could deliver Spain a really strong result. "
Fleur: "Honestly, I'm not impressed by either song. This is just the one I prefer. Neither song is bad, they're just rather middling. It is a pleasant radio friendly ballad but it just does not have that something extra needed to win Eurovision."
Steve: "This song appeals due to my love of musical theatre. It’s a beautifully constructed piano ballad that I’d imagine being sung by the leading man at a key point in the musical. I do, however, feel that - as a result - it could well suffer the same fan reaction as encountered by France’s Tom Leeb last year, even though ‘Voy a quedarme’ is less of a Disney, “paint-by-numbers” track than ‘Mon allié (The Best in Me)’.
Dale: 'This is a well produced, well put together song that showcases Blas's vocal and works well with the Spanish language for a non-native speaker. It has more instant 'oh this is pretty good' appeal than 'Memoria' but will definitely rely on an incredible live performance to elevate it. Not one I am going to listen to on repeat, but one I'm looking forward to see what he does with it live."
Hugo: "Neither of these are bad songs, but neither really set the world on fire for me either. I chose this one because I feel it gives Blas a better chance to show off his vocals which may garner some jury votes, and the big finish is more memorable than the whole of the other song. Bit flat with these two songs - missed a real chance with a good artist."
Josh: "I’m normally not one to choose a ballad over a a more upbeat song, but I think this is the clear winner. It has strong production and vocals. The live performance will have to be a show stopper for it do well though... reminds me a little too much of 'Bigger Than Us' from the UK in 2019."
2nd: 'Memoria' - 4 votes
Kyriakos: "'Memoria' does it for me. It is the more radio friendly song out of the two. I actually love the falsetto lines in the chorus which gives the song uniqueness and makes it more memorable. I do think the build up to the mini moment near the end is nice. I know I will be listening to this one on repeat."
Emma: "It's 'Memoria' for me although I don't think either of these songs are as good as last year's 'Universo'. I prefer it as it's more contemporary and got my toes tapping in the chorus where it definitely elevates. I can imagine it would be popular on radio in Spanish speaking countries."
Ruby: "Whilst neither of these are likely to crack my top 10, I am definitely more drawn to the radio friendliness of ‘Memoria’. It’s more memorable than its competitor, and gives some opportunities for Blas to showcase his vocals"
Wade: "The song is more vocally challenging, and has a more obvious chorus than Viy a Quedarme. Unfortunately I don't find either song particularly memorable, so in this case I prefer the more repetitive option."
The two songs will be performed by Blas at the gala show 'Destino Eurovision' on 20 February but voting is open already to fans worldwide.
You can vote via the RTVE website.