RTVE is mixing up the selection method for Spain’s entry in Tel Aviv. While keeping Operación Triunfo as the base for it, things have substantially changed from last year: no more performances created in just one week!
Instead, having proven OT was an audience success, but a results fail, RTVE is trying to make a more comprehensive and (apparently) more thoughtful selection process which will begin in November.
On November 1, RTVE will open submissions for songs from any author. Those submitting their entries may also pick their preferred singer between the 16 participants of OT 2018, although it won’t necessarily be binding. Submissions will close on November 15.
Parallel to that, RTVE will also invite established artists and songwriters to create songs for the contestants. From both the open submissions and the invited authors, RTVE will pick 10 songs of each.
Once all 20 songs are selected, the Operación Triunfo contestants will record them, and an online vote will begin on RTVE.es. The three most popular acts will directly qualify to the Eurovision Gala, while a panel composed of music experts and two professors at the Academy will select up to seven other songs.
Finally, RTVE will stage the Eurovision Gala. Just like last year, there won’t be a jury vote. But in a change, there will be only one round of voting.
No dates have been set yet
Unlike last year, no dates have been set in RTVE’s announcement, bar the submissions period. According to RTVE, the 10 selected songs from the open call will have to be selected before December 1, but there’s practially no information.
With OT beginning one month earlier this year, it’s likely that the Eurovision gala will take place once the contest has finished. If last year it began mid-October and finished in early February — including the Eurovision gala — it’s likely that this year the contest should be over around Christmas.
Also, interestingly, there’s no reference to collaboration between acts. Will it be solo acts? Duos again? A supergroup maybe?
From what the broadcaster has announced, it looks like this year’s process has been better planned and thought through than last year’s. However, will it bring Spain a better result? Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, as all 16 performers will be able to be selected for Eurovision, we can start fantasizing. Who’s your favourite? Who would you send to Eurovision? Would you use another duo? How about a supergroup? Let us know in the comment section below!
Last year’s OT proved to be boring af. I got the feeling the voting audience (most of them probably teens) will probably vote for a bland act like Alfred & Amaia with 10/10 chances to end up in the bottom 5 in the final, as usual
the voting audience are 13 year old girls, specifically. 😛
Is it just me that thinks spain is quite good at finding songs(except of course for 2017) but the main issue they should be working on is theyre staging
Off topic, but is it true that there are rumours which say that Italy is going to withdraw next year?
If that’s true, I would wonder why? Their track record is amazing, it would be a big disappointment. I hope it’s just a rumor and it will pass away.
ratings could be a good reason. In italy people pass on Eurovision.
Sike, Italy just confirmed their participation, thank goodness!
Yaaaasss!! Now we can all take a breath!
Some clarificationts, (did you wiwis read the original? XD) : The 20 songs will be announced (just the titles) before december 1st (but annonymously, with no composers announced). Not just the “open to everyone” ones, but also the ones from “invited artists” Operacion Triunfo will end on December 12th, where a winner will be crowned and its €100k given to the winner. On December 13th, the 16 contestants, will enter again (remember that from now on, one of them is leaving the academy week after week) on the academy and they will be assigned the 20 songs among all of… Read more »
Thanks for noticing: the document wasn’t linked yet when I consulted the information this morning. Although the only date I’ve seen there is “probably” January 2 as end of the online voting.
yep, but the other dates are indirectly said as well: if the online voting end on jan 2 and i takes 2 kees, you can learn it start on dec 19th. if it says that they’ll have a week to rehearsal previous to the recording of the songs and the start of the online voting, that means they’ll star rehearsing on dic 12th. It also says that the eurovision rehearsing week will start right after OT ends, wich means that OT will end on 12th (and if you count wednesday after wednesday from now, and take into consideration that only… Read more »
They should do like Israel, Malta and Georgia – the winner of the talent show gets to sing an internally selected song. After last year, I wouldn’t trust the Spanish GP too much!
Well, that’s how we (Israel) came 23rd in 2017…
Really depends on the song and artist as well
I can already hear Tu cancion 2.0
RTVE made some good decisions there. The main one is to start the process months before the actual gala. Last year the artists and the audience had sort of like a week to get familiar with the songs and get to know their strenghts and weaknesses. I agree with Renske that this can become more about the artists than the songs, but I think when you pick an act from a show like OT, it’s nearly impossible to avoid that. And that’s why they have to be more careful if they decide to have duos competing again.
Last year’s selection was kinda messy. They had a very small pool to draw from, but in all honesty, the songs were in fact quite good. The only downside I can see to this new format is that it will be more about the artists than about the songs if they let all 16 contestants take part.
Sounds like a much better timeline for Spain’s selection than in last season’s OT.