Blas Cantó was due to represent Spain at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with their song “Universo”.
After two years of using the Operación Triunfo talent show to select its act, Spain reverted back to an internal selection — a method it last used in 2015. At one point, it seemed that every Spanish artist had put their name in the hat to represent the Iberian country. However, Blas Cantó was revealed as the chosen artists in October. His song “Universo” landed in January.
And now we’ve compiled 10 facts you need to know about Blas Cantó. Let’s do this!
Spain at Eurovision 2020: Facts about Blas Cantó
1. He’s a small-town boy
Blas Cantó Moreno was born on 26 October 1991 in the small municipality of Ricote. It’s located in the Murcia region, in the south-east of Spain. The village has a population of just over 1,500. Some scholars believe that it lent its name to the character of Ricote in Don Quixote — one of the most influential works in Spanish literature.
2. He attempted Junior Eurovision
Aged 12, Blas took part in EuroJunior — Spain’s multi-show selection for Junior Eurovision 2004. He competed with two songs “Cantaré” and “Sentir”, the latter of which qualified for the final. The selection was won, however, by María Isabel with “Antes muerta que sencilla”. She went on to victory at Junior Eurovision too, becoming one of the contest’s most iconic winners. Mirela — a fan favourite to represent Spain on multiple occasions — was among the other notable EuroJunior 2004 participants.
3. He was in a boyband
From 2009 to 2016, Blas was a member of the chart-topping boyband Auryn. They were made up of five members, all of whom had previously appeared on various talent shows in Spain. They became popular through their YouTube covers of hits like Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Los Secretos’ “Déjame”. The group’s name was derived from the AURYN talisman which features in the The Neverending Story novel and films. The charm was supposed to grant one the opportunity to fulfil all one’s wishes.
4. He’s a chart-topping award winner
Blas enjoyed much success with Auryn. The group released four albums – three of which reached number one in Spain. They also had seven top ten singles. In 2013, they won “Best Spanish Act” at the MTV Europe Music Awards. Auryn were also chosen to sing “Cuando te volveré a ver” (When Can I See You Again) for the Spanish version of the Disney animated film Wreck-It Ralph.
5. He tried out for Eurovision before
Auryn themselves have some Eurovision pedigree, taking part in Spain’s 2011 national selection. They reached the superfinal of the contest. Each act had to sing three original songs, with the jury picking one original song from each artist. Auryn sang “Evangeline”, “El sol brillará” and “Volver”. However, Auryn ultimately lost out to Lucia Perez and “Que me quiten lo bailao”.
6. He went solo in 2016
Auryn officially split in July 2016. Blas signed with Warner Music Spain soon after. He released his debut album Complicado in 2018. It reached number one and was reissued as Complicados a year later. The record spawned five singles. “Él No Soy Yo” is his biggest hit song. It has over 37 million Spotify streams and a whopping 69 million views on YouTube. It went on to achieve a PROMUSICAE (Spanish Music Producers) platinum certification.
7. He won Your Face Sounds Familiar
Blas is clearly a sucker for TV singing contests. Away from Eurovision and its junior iteration, he also took part in the sixth season of the celebrity talent show Tu cara me suena (Your Face Sounds Familiar) in 2016. Each week, established stars are challenged to perform as different iconic music artists. They are then judged by the panel of famous judges. Blas impressed as Cher, Ricky Martin, Queen and many more. He ultimately won the series, beating Spain’s Eurovision 2002 singer Rosa López into second spot.
8. He’s a film star
There is apparently no end to Blas’ talents. Because he’s also dabbled in acting. He is the voice of the wickedly handsome Lou in the Spanish dub of the animated film Ugly Dolls. The villanous role was played by Nick Jonas in the Hollywood original.
9. He’s collaborated with some big divas
Throughout his career, Blas Cantó has worked with some of the biggest female names in music — both in Spain and beyond. While still with AURYN, he and his bandmates collaborated with US singer Anastacia on “Who’s Loving You?”. More recently, Blas has released singles with Spain’s Eurovision 2012 star Pastora Soler and the original American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson.
10. His dog is insta-famous
Blas is a huge dog lover and owns a Pomeranian that has its own Instagram account! The adorable @leo_y_tirma has over 3,000 followers.
Eurovision 2021 update
Within hours of Eurovision 2020’s cancellation, Blas confirmed that he would once again represent Spain in 2021. Upon accepting the broadcaster’s invitation, he wrote:
“There is a commitment on my part to continue working on our candidacy in 2021 and I am very happy to have the opportunity to do so next year. There are many things to do. We are going to take Eurovision in style, it will be my flag, and we have time to do it and to do a good performance in 2021.”
Are you sorry that we won’t see Blas on stage in May? Are you happy that he’ll be back next year? Let us know in the comments.
He’s one of the most interesting and talented artists this year, isn’t he? And good looking too lol but that’s the least important thing. Only thing I don’t like about him is his zodiac sign but hey, I’ll get over it, no one can be perfect for me (sorry Scorpio’s, no hard feelings). I’m glad that I find him because of ESC, I’ll continue to follow his work because I totally like it. Speaking of that, I hope that he’ll have better song next year and that Spain will compete at least for top 10 spot, such a name like… Read more »
10 facts I didn’t know
1 fact I do know is
He is so damn hot!
I’m still confused about what happened to Blas and his song. I mean, he’s a star in Spain, a great singer with amazing vocals and stage presence. The song is not mind blowing but pretty good; it’s modern, with a great production, catchy chorus, and the video clip is killer… yet this is bottom in all charts and lists this year. How did it happen? Was it because of the high expectations? Honestly, I think it deserved much more love. BUT now, either Blas changes the style of his 2021 song completely, or I can see the same happening next… Read more »