Benidorm (Alicante) (EFE).- Benidorm Fest 2023 seeks this Thursday in its second semifinal the last four participants who can be measured against applicants such as Agoney, classified in the first round with an outstanding score and thus become the great candidate to beat in the Eurovision race.
Nine will be the artists in contention in this round, who will act in this order: Famous (“La Lola”), José Otero (“Winters on Mars”), Karmento (“I want and duel”), Rakky Ripper (“Traction »), Blanca Paloma (“EaEa”), E’Femme (“Uff!”), Siderland (“Que Esclati Tot”), Alfred (“Since you are here”) and Vicco (“Nighttime”).
RTVE 1 will start the gala at 10:50 p.m., which will once again feature Mónica Naranjo, Inés Hernand and Rodrigo Vázquez as presenters and with Gloria Trevi, Miguel Poveda and Álvaro Soler as guest artists.
exceed the audience
One of its challenges will be to overcome the audience reached by the first semifinal, with a 10% share and just over 1 million viewers, which drops by almost two points and half a million viewers the records achieved in 2022, when this brand is premiered promoted among others by the phenomenon of Tanxugueiras.
One of the possible focuses of attraction of this new round will be Alfred García, well known first as a finalist in “Operación Triunfo 2017”, former representative of Spain in Eurovision 2018 together with Amaia with the song “Tu canción” and with a good volume of followers. consolidated with his two albums in the market.
Along with him, the betting houses consider that the composer and performer Vicco will have an easy classification, who has made her fun “Nochentera” the most played song on Spotify of this edition, as well as the only repeater compared to the first edition, Blanca Paloma, who this time postulates to victory with the experimental «EaEa», «una antinana» that draws from flamenco.
Less clear seems the recipient of the fourth and last place for the final. Among the most repeated names is José Otero from the Canary Islands, still unknown in Spain who began to make a name for himself in Mexico and who presents himself with a bombastic ballad and a deep soulful timbre that could make him the great revelation.
The bookmakers are not losing sight of the “girl band” E’Femme, who are nevertheless dragging the weight of a weak performance months ago in their public presentation as contestants at Benidorm Fest.
Karmento from La Mancha is gaining followers
Karmento from Machega, the “indie” of this round, has been gaining followers little by little with a warm and rooted proposal and could generate many adhesions due to territorial affinity, such as the Siderland trio with which it would be the first song to represent Spain in Eurovision in Catalan.
Finally, the winner of «OT 2018», Famous, who will present a collective celebration song, as well as Rakky Ripper and the unknown of how his accelerated and overproduced «hyperpop» will sound without the voice modulations that give part of his characteristic style.
Her choice will depend 50% on the votes of the 8 members of the professional jury, 5 of them international and closely associated with the world of Eurovision, such as the vocalist of Katrina & The Waves, winners of the 1997 edition, in addition to the Spanish Nina as spokesperson.
The other 50% of the votes will be granted by the public, which will be divided in two: 25% to be distributed in order of preference of the telephone calls and SMS from the viewers and another 25% to be determined by a demoscopic jury of 350 people, selected by criteria of age, population and gender as a representation of all of Spain.
The four chosen will join the aforementioned Agoney (“I want to burn”) in the final on February 4, Alice Wonder (“I would like”), Fusa Nocta (“My family”) and Megara (“Arcadia”).
