ENTM 2018: Spain’s Amaia

In 2018, Spanish sweethearts Amaia and Alfred melted hearts with their performance of “Tu canción”. Now, over a year later, Amaia Romero has opened up about her Eurovision experience and the regret she now holds.

Speaking to S Moda magazine, the Operación Triunfo 2017 winner bluntly said, “I would rather not have gone to Eurovision.”

But she’s not just saying it to be provocative. Amaia went on to explain: “I had a bad time because we did not stop giving interviews, doing a lot of things and I just wanted to sing.”

Her comments echo recent comments from Eurovision fans who have started to worry that the increased media requirements are starting to take their toll on Eurovision acts and have called for a less full-on schedule.

But Eurovision is becoming a distant memory for Amaia. She recently released her second solo single “El Relámpago” (“The Lightning”) and on Friday will release the follow-up “Nadie Podría Hacerlo” (“No-one Could Do It”).

In the interview, Amaia also spoke about how she likes to keep a natural look, with minimal make-up and natural hair colour. In her quest to keep it real, Amaia has also turned down most of the commercial opportunities that come her way. Her focus is now on music and singing. Amaia’s debut album is expected later this year.

Meanwhile, Amaia’s Eurovision singing partner (and now ex-boyfriend) Alfred Garcia has released a new music video.

“Wonder” is the second track off his debut album 1016 and his first English-language solo release. The song seems to be a break-up anthem, as he muses “And I wonder if you wonder about me”.

The video is full of striking imagery. Alfred is an astronaut on a strange planet. He comes across himself as a Christ-like character on a cross, then finds Alfred the slick entertainer standing in front of a stack of his debut LP, burning in the alien landscape. ¡Qué simbólico!

The song also has vocals by Spanish singer Pavvla, who brings a more subdued presence to the video. The single takes Alfred in a bold new direction, far removed from the sweet love ballad singer of Lisbon.

What do you think? Should Eurovision acts do fewer interviews in the run-up to Eurovision? Tell us your thoughts below!

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36 Comments
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Kvix
Kvix
4 years ago

Franka released a new song too with a music video
https://youtu.be/uIFJrC2mF3o

INAMOO
INAMOO
4 years ago

The ride never ends, Amaia

Jo.
Jo.
4 years ago

His new song is actually good

Héctor
Héctor
4 years ago

I don’t like Alfred as a person or a contestant but “Wonder” sounds really good. The riff is very catchy. I’m glad he is bringing this style to Spain. People here doesn’t listen to music like this. The video has a lot of quality and meaning behind, the photography is stunning and it also served as a sequel of his previous single “De la Tierra hasta Marte”.

LookingAway
LookingAway
4 years ago

The song is good… until he starts singing.

Fatima
Fatima
4 years ago

It is an interesting point. I am surprised that all the individual rehearsals are followed by official press conferences. But acts can just say no after that, can’t they? Even so, I can’t imagine we’d ever get an experienced, established act agreeing to meet that schedule.

Mark
Mark
4 years ago

Amaia sounds boring and ungrateful.

Fast Food Music Lover
Fast Food Music Lover
4 years ago

And here she is, giving another interview…

Jonas
Jonas
4 years ago

She never said she would never give another interview again. There is a difference between giving the occasional print interview and being expected to be available to every fan with an iPhone during an already relentless week of rehearsals.

Katariina
Katariina
4 years ago

There is always going to be a problem when you’re selecting a Eurovision representative through a group of contestants who never had plans to go to Eurovision and just wanted to further their music careers. This is the problem with Operación Triunfo; Eurovision is not a prize for the winner, it’s just the winner of a special week gets forced to go, even though no one signed up for that. With the X Factor Malta and Georgian Idol, the participants knew from the beginning that if they won, they’d go to Eurovision. If Operación Triunfo will continue to be used,… Read more »

Justice
Justice
4 years ago

Real stars are bold enough to just not handle interview requests by annoying fan sites nobody reads. There’s like a hundred fan pages besides this blog with the exception that nobody cares for them, why give all of them interviews? It didn’t hurt Anouk to ignore everybody. Did she give an interview to anyone in 2013?

Sabrina
Sabrina
4 years ago

Depending on the personality and level of professional experience of the artist, Eurovision can be an exhaustive emotional experience, so the delegations should be not just careful about who they pick, but also about protecting them from overexposure. Amaia’s case was even more complicated, since she was just leaving a reality where she was confined and scrutinized for months. And this included a relationship that became a huge thing to her fans. To make it worst, the Spanish entry was sold like a love story and not an artistic performance. No wonder she feels this way about the whole thing.

w22n
w22n
4 years ago
Reply to  Sabrina

I’m totally against reality shows as a country’s selection for ESC. They are teenagers that have been isolated sometimes, look at Michela. Michela from Malta had no connection with her song. She is too young and innocent to sing that song.

Sabrina
Sabrina
4 years ago
Reply to  w22n

I’m also not a fan of using realities as country’s selections. But I don’t see any problem in Michela singing “Chameleon”. The song fits her. I think the lyrics are quite innocent, carrying a basic self-empowerment message that any girl of her age could relate to. Though she would definitely benefit from more stage experience. Nobody becomes an accomplished pop performer after a few weeks of X-Factor, especially when you’re just 18.

Graph
Graph
4 years ago

I don’t think it’s fair to make the singers do most of the media appearances and interviews given that, in most cases, the singers have little or nothing to do with the song that’s competing. I think that the composers and the delegation who organize the act should get to address the media more.

The singers will get their big moment in the spotlight during the actual show. So I think the pre-show media coverage should highlight the rest of the team more. That would also give the singers more time to focus on their performance.

Anita
Anita
4 years ago

I can imagine that such a young girl feels used in some way – she must have realized afterward that she was in a big bubble and maybe not herself. Any experience she has had was connected with this love relationship – that’s why I can understand the bitterness and that she may think it was a waste of emotion and energy.
It is not without problems that such young singers are selected for Eurovision. It can be a big boost, but also something that leaves wounds.

Justin Angelo Alvarez
Justin Angelo Alvarez
4 years ago

It’s funny how half of the article is about Alfred’s new music video, making her less relevant.

Sara
Sara
4 years ago

I actually feel bad for Alfred, since he should have had an article for himself alone and his music. But I guess Amaia’s more clickbait-ish.

ptttti
ptttti
4 years ago

When exactly Amaia and Alfred split up? Was it right after Eurovision?

Kathanya
Kathanya
4 years ago
Reply to  ptttti

I saw it in the spanish news the last December so it was not inmediatly after eurovision.

acp
acp
4 years ago

I understand that what she says. There are some artists which are just not made for the Eurovision experience (with all the interviews, pre-party stuff, etc) which is totally fine, that’s why I hate RTVE’s selection method through Operación Triunfo because the artists are motivated to win the OT or start a career and not to participate in ESC which is absolutely normal, although there are exceptions (Miki or Famous). That’s why I think that Spain should stick to the internal selection or to the national final. That way the artists would be very motivated to take the ESC experience.… Read more »

John
John
4 years ago

Should’ve sent Lo Malo lol

James
James
4 years ago
Reply to  John

But would Aitana and Ana Guerra be into giving scores of interviews for three months straight and not feel exhausted along the way?

ESCFan2009
ESCFan2009
4 years ago

One year later I still don’t get the “AnaWar” or “AitanaWar” name. I mean, the first are their names but was is about “War” in this context?
Note to myself: “r/wooosh” 😀

Lanti
Lanti
4 years ago
Reply to  ESCFan2009

One of their last names was Guerra (war), that’s the only thing I can think of

acp
acp
4 years ago
Reply to  ESCFan2009

Because Ana’s surname in Spanish is Guerra, which means war, that’s why they changed it to english to make it more original I guess. And the thing with Aitana War is that they took one’s name and the surname of the other because they both were singing “Lo malo”, kinda like a duet name.

ESCFan2009
ESCFan2009
4 years ago
Reply to  acp

Ahhh, ofc! Guerra = War, Aitana & Ana Guerra = AitanaWar 😀 Thank you both <3

Osca
Osca
4 years ago
Reply to  ESCFan2009

Ana Guerra’s fans started calling her Ana War during the reality because guerra=war. Aitana + Ana = Aitana.

KESC
KESC
4 years ago

“I would rather not have gone to Eurovision”

Completely agree with you!
Girl, you should be happy that you were chosen with that bland song, while you had competitors like Aitana &Ana Guerra!!

And btw as if she din’t know that she was going to do a lot of interviews, I mean it’s called EUROvision. Did she expect two interviews or what?

Osca
Osca
4 years ago
Reply to  KESC

She’s a very naive girl who entered the reality apparently knowing nothing about real and adult life. So, like I say, welcome to adulthood. Everybody’s jobs have things that are unpleasant and we still have to do it.

Osca
Osca
4 years ago
Reply to  KESC

During the reality they had an interview coach and she couldn’t give a straight answer when she was interviewed , even when she won the reality her interview was a mess. After Eurovision that changed. Eurovision taught her and she learned.

Queenie
Queenie
4 years ago

Her attidude wasn’t good towards Eurovision. Spain should’ve chosen AnaWar!

James
James
4 years ago
Reply to  Queenie

They probably would complain about the same thing about the stressful media engagements associated with Eurovision.

xelx
xelx
4 years ago
Reply to  Queenie

AnaWar did not like their song and were clearly relieved at the NF when “Lo malo” was announced to be out of contention, I doubt their attitude would have been any better. There was no problem with Amaia’s attitude towards Eurovision up until they got a bad result in Lisbon, when she said it was all too much like the Hunger Games.

TheDrMistery
TheDrMistery
4 years ago
Reply to  xelx

I wouldn’t expect her to say anything before ESC because why sabotage herself?

Efebe
Efebe
4 years ago
Reply to  Queenie

They were almost forced to go to Eurovision. Just imagine the pressure for a teenage. One day she’s living in a bubble knowing nothing about all the popularity she’s earning outside and the other day she’s walking through the wolves, and having no private life, being completely exposed and having the extra pressure to show themselves (she and Alfred) as a perfect couple because that’s the idea that Spain voted for in the selection process and for ESC. I can not imagine myself in her shoes at that eige.