Barei

Ya está aquí… Over the past week, the team at wiwibloggs has been reviewing Spain’s contenders for Objetivo Eurovisión, its national selection show, which will take place tonight at 22:15 CET. The team has been delighted with Spain’s National Final, making it only the second selection after Belgium in which none of the acts have received an average score lower than 5/10 from our exacting and demanding jury. But in this strong field one act has slayed the pack and emerged as our favourite to sing at Eurovision 2016. It’s Barei with the song “Say Yay”.

Our jury for this edition consisted of 22 jurors who come from Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Each juror assessed each song independently, and awarded them a score from 0 to 10. Before calculating the Wiwi Jury verdict, we dropped the highest and lowest scores to reduce potential bias and outliers.

We’re screaming yaaaaaaaaay! as Barei is our favourite to win Objetivo Eurovisión. You can read our full reviews by clicking on the scores below. Do you agree with us? Let us know in the comments section!

1. BAREI – “SAY YAY!” (8.08)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aCTdNHCTAk

The best: (Josh, 10/10) How good is this, though? “Say Yay” makes me want to say YAAASSSS, hunty! Barei has a powerful vocal that has that Sia-esque crackly-ness that is just sublime. The song is catchy, memorable and danceable. Perhaps the best song that Spain has put out in a national final in years. SO. GOOD.

The worst: (Angus, 4/10) Say yay? Imma pass and say nay. This is like a Hi-NRG aerobics song – great to work out to, but you’d never listen to it outside the studio and once the music is over you hit the deck exhausted. This is just a little overboard. Knowing when to cut back can be a virtue.

2. MARÍA ISABEL – LA VIDA SOLO ES UNA (7.2)

The best: (Bernardo, 10/10) Maria Isabel already has me dancing to “La Vida Solo Es Una”. As an Iberian, it’s impossible not to be conquered by the Latin flavour. Maria, you slay that choreography and you will go to Stockholm, because this is pop-dance-Latin magic. I do want to be “but a millimetre away from you” as the lyrics say. Give me life and vocal acrobatics and you have this in the bag.

The worst: (Luis, 4/10) I’m not impressed. I like that María Isabel has kept her freshness and spontaneity, but her song is not strong enough to move to the big leagues of Eurovision. “La vida solo es una” is a summer hit attempt that would have little to do with Stockholm, even if María Isabel could elevate it with the performance. The “nananana” hook is decent, still I’m disappointed. Not that I’m a big fan of hers anyway, but one expects a big banger from a Junior Eurovision winner. This is not it.

3. XUSO JONES – VICTORIOUS (7.15)

The best: (Sinan, 10/10) Someone said that this song is similar to ‘Heroes’, are you serious?! I mean I don’t see anything similar. It’s just an amazing song for me! The beat, lyrics, voice – love, love, love everything, and that part where he sings in Spanish is just great. Spain really needs “Victorious” in Eurovision this year!

The worst: (Rezo, 5/10) Yes, this song is an excellent choice for the national final but not for Eurovision. By the way, it’s similar to “Glorious” by Cascada. We’ve already heard it. But I really liked the combination of English and Spanish.

4. MAVERICK – UN MUNDO MÁS FELIZ (5.9)

The best: (Angus, 9.5/10) “Un Mundo Más Feliz” is to me the best song in the competition — it has shades of the calypso styling that made “Bailando” and “El Perdon” such megahits and Maverick’s vocal has a soft tone that has seen real success at the contest itself. It may be a less obvious smash but that might be exactly what Spain needs this year.

The worst (William, 3/10) A stereotypical take on “Spanish” music, this reminds me of the trash they play at dive bars on the Costa del Sol, where you can get two margaritas for free if you buy one. Decidedly predictable and vanilla for an artist called “Maverick,” it’s easily my least favourite song in Spain’s selection.

5. ELECTRIC NANA – “NOW” (5.73)

The best: (Diego, 9/10) Here she comes: the sexy alternative rocker girl to turn the contest upside down. No country for dated songs, y’all! I wasn’t sure whether I wanted Electric Nana’s indie-rock style to wipe out every single trace of old-fashioned Spanish acts from years past, but … I kinda like it now. Sadly, being forced to have part of the lyrics in Spanish sounds really cringy to me.

The worst (Sami, 2/10) She sounds like a real rock chick, but the song is such a let down. The chorus is extremely annoying, even though it’s easy to sing along with and therefore makes the song at least a bit memorable. However, the whole song feels a bit lazy and being only a bit over two minutes, it feels like they didn’t bother to actually even finish the track but sent a demo version to the contest and hoped for the best.

6. SALVADOR BELTRÁN – DÍAS DE ALEGRÍA (5.35)

The best: (Robyn, 6.5/10) The first verse of this song is quite meandering and old-fashioned sounding (despite the modern folk-pop flourishes). It’s not until the chorus hits that the heat arrives. The songs gets better as it goes on, and does indeed bring the sunshine. Salvador seems like a great performer, so this should be even better live.

The worst: (Angus, 2/10) It’s a bad sign that I keep forgetting this song is even competing in the competition. When the harmonising and backing vocals actually kick in from a minute in it picks up, but at the end of the day this is just filler that will get overlooked on the night by its flashier rivals.

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22 Comments
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Ñu
Ñu
8 years ago

Really waiting for the Show tonight: My top 6: 1° Barei: Catchy and modern song that can be used for a great staging, and seems that she has a great live. 2° María Isabel: Maybe it’s a little dated, but I think it’s catchy and I’m not against my language but since Lucía In 2011 our entries haven’t got that latin flavour, not winning material (more In the middle of the score). 3° Xuso Jones: I quite Like the song but my issue is that this won’t score high (Donny, Sergei, Nicky and the list will increase). Also I’d love… Read more »

Grifit
Grifit
8 years ago

I like Say Yay and Now, but Dias de Alegria is actually good, I like the lyrics but definetly need a little change in the music at the end

EF0912
EF0912
8 years ago

Barei of Maria Isabel are leagues ahead from the others and I really hope they manage to win instead of the most likely candidate Xuso (who is better than the other 3). It’s wierd that 2 of the jurors have a connection to his songwriting team but I have faith in Spain to make the right decision and send Barei!

John Christian
John Christian
8 years ago

Sorry, Timselvision, but from the moment they were chosen, I don’t like Douwe Bob, Serhat, or Iveta Mukuchyan. I know that keep saying that those three won’t qualify in EVERY article, and I know I don’t like those three. I hope Maria Isabel wins. If not, Spain doesn’t stand a chance. So, again, my top six are:

My top 6 is:
1. Maria Isabel

2. Salvador
3. Xuso Jones

4. Electric Nana
5. Maverick
6. Barei (nope)

Héctor
Héctor
8 years ago

Hahahaha. Some of you must be soothsayers… You can’t say how any of these song will do in Stockholm if wins the NF, because you just don’t know it, you are biased by your own likes. So stop saying that if Barei is selected, is going to be a Top 10 or a total disaster; or if Maria Isabel doesn’t win, Spain is lost because she is the most profesional; or if Xuso wins is going to get a bottom five because is a “Glorious-Euphoria-Heroes-Popular” copy. Just wait until this night to see who does it better, all of them… Read more »

Timselvision
Timselvision
8 years ago

@John Christian: please, you keep saying that those three won’t qualify in EVERY article. We know you don’t like those three. Let it go. It’s okay. And maybe you will like them more when you heard their songs.

My top 6 is:
1. Barei
2. Maria Isabel (both top 10 potential)

3. Salvador
4. Electric Nana
5. Xuso Jones

6. Maverick (nop)

Any of my top 5 could become my new #1 for now, actually, so yeah. ^^

Alex
Alex
8 years ago

1st (tie) – Barei & Maria Isabel Barei has a great song but I couldn’t make out her English for parts of it. Maria, meanwhile, has a song that is more definitively Spanish and is overall totally solid. France would absolutely give 12 points to that song, but perhaps it might get forgotten about by the voters otherwise, who generally don’t give many points to Spain. The only recent exception I can recall is Algo Pequenito, which wouldn’t have happened had Jimmy Jump not helped them out by inadvertently giving them the last performance of the night. 3rd (tie) –… Read more »

Auggie
Auggie
8 years ago

By fan bases Maverick (La Voz 3 finalist), Xuso (TCMS3 finalist) and Maria (JESC anyone? and also people say that she’s TVE’s favorite) will do good for sure with televoters. Nana and Barei will likely be favored by the jurors, especially the international ones. Salva, I don’t know. And my ranking is: 1- Maria 2- Barei 3- Electric Nana 4- Salvador 5- Xuso 6- Maverick I insist, if Xuso wins this, Spain is doomed yet again for a bad result, and again, it’s not the performer, it’s the song. Spain + Made in Sweden = FAILURE. No, Spain, NO! Sorry.… Read more »

Negra Cabreada
Negra Cabreada
8 years ago

Barei or Electric Nana plz

olivia
olivia
8 years ago

Agree.The best options are Barei (very moderne and unique) and Maria Isabell (funny, sunny, catchy). Xuso sounds too much like melodifestivalen…2010, and the others are just not as memorable as B.and M.I. Good luck Spain!

Hugh
Hugh
8 years ago

Say Yay is the only one that could potentially trouble the top 5, possibly the only one that has a chance at top 10. Pick it Spain!

John Christian
John Christian
8 years ago

From the Philippines, I say NO. Maria Isabel is fit to represent Spain in Stockholm. I am sorry, readers, but I disagree with your ranking. My ranking would be:

1. Maria Isabel
2. Xuso Jones
3. Electric Nana
4. Maverick
5. Barei
6. Salvador Beltran

Of all these, only Maria Isabel is the most qualified entrant. If anything but Maria Isabel, that is Barei going to win, that means disaster and not relief. I hope Spain won’t join Netherlands, Armenia, and San Marino whose entrants are very weak.

EUROFAN MEXICO
8 years ago

DESDE MEXICO I SAY YAH

Nitzan
Nitzan
8 years ago

Barei’s song has great energies and she seems like a good live singer so i’m for it. I also like Maria Isabel’s song so wouldn’t mind her as well.

Ben Rafter
Ben Rafter
8 years ago

1. Braei
2. Maria
3. Xuso
4. Maverick
5. Electric Nana
6. Maverick
We’ve the same top!

oooops
oooops
8 years ago

My top 6
1. Barei
2. Salva Betràn
3. Xuso Jones
4. Maverick
5. Maria Isabel
—————
6. Electric Nana
If anyone in top 5 would win I would vote for Spain in the next “What is the best ESC-act so far. Electric Naña is also good, but compared to the other songs…

Thiefo
Thiefo
8 years ago

Go Salvador and Maria Isabel!

#SayYay
#SayYay
8 years ago

Hurray! Say Yay!

MarioMario
MarioMario
8 years ago

Barei <3

Eurovision & Disney
Eurovision & Disney
8 years ago

Barei <3

Shijie Yu
Shijie Yu
8 years ago

MAVERICK or SALVADOR BELTRÁN please. The lyric is just dose not have taste at all and the song is just another forgettble pop cliche.

Snow
Snow
8 years ago

Really… Electric Nana 5.73 and Maverick 5.9? xD
I think Now and Say yay! are the best songs. When I listen to the other ones I feel I’ve listened to it a million times -.-