It’s gone down as the best Spanish national selection in forever. And on Saturday Benidorm Fest 2022 reached its grand climax. Rayden opened the show with his telegenic smile and infectious handicapping, while Blanca Paloma closed it with her soaring ballad.
But in the end the winner emerged — and indeed danced and booty dropped — from the middle of the running order. Her name is Chanel and she’ll see you at Eurovision 2022!
Chanel’s song “SloMo” is a Latin influenced club banger with a message of empowerment and self-confidence. Life is a dance floor and you can be the star. Chanel knows her powers well and sings that she is always ready “to break hips, break hearts” and she knows that her “boom boom” can get him going “zoom zoom” for her “yummy.” Don’t believe her? Then watch her move and “take a video – watch it slo mo, mo, mo…”
And, when you’re done, read the complete lyrics to her song here.
Chanel wins Benidorm Fest 2022 in Spain with “SloMo”
- Chanel – “SloMo” (96 points)
- Rigoberta Bandini – “Ay mamá” (91 points)
- Tanxugueiras – “Terra” (90 points)
- Rayden – “Calle de la llorería” ( 67 points)
- Blanca Paloma – “Secreto de agua” ( 61 points)
- Varry Brava – “Raffaella” (55 points)
- Xeinn – “Eco” ( 45 points)
- Gonzalo Hermida – “Quién lo diría” (35 points)
Benidorm Fest 2022 Results
The voting consisted of three components…
Expert Jury (50%)
The first, an expert jury, accounted for the half of the score. This is how they voted.
- Chanel 51
- Rigoberta Bandini 46
- Blanca Paloma 39
- Rayden 37
- Tanxugueiras 30
- Xeinn 30
- Varry Brava 25
- Gonzalo Hermida 12
The jury included:
🇮🇸 Felix Bergsson (Iceland’s Head of Delegation)
🇦🇹 Marvin Dietmann (Artistic director)
🇪🇸 Natália Calderon (vocal coach)
🇪🇸 Estefanía García Nieto (inspector-coordinator of RTVE’s choir)
🇪🇸 Miryam Benedited (choreographer)
Demoscopic (25%)
The demoscopic jury is a panel of judges made up of a sample of the Spanish population. They were selected by statistical and demoscopic criteria to be representative of the country at large. One of the most basic questions was “Do you watch television?”
- Tanxugueiras 30
- Chanel 25
- Rigoberta Bandini 20
- Gonzalo Hermida 18
- Rayden 15
- Varry Brava 12
- Blanca Paloma 10
- Xeinn 5
Public voting (25%)
- Tanxugueiras 30
- Rigoberta Bandini 25
- Chanel 20
- Varry Brava 18
- Rayden 15
- Blanca Paloma 12
- Xeinn 10
- Gonzalo Hermida 5
What do you think of the results? Let us know in the comments box down below!
RT if @rigobandini is your #BenidormFest winner! pic.twitter.com/Ha9joPO9l8
— wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) January 29, 2022
Did Tanxugueiras improve enough to top your #BenidormFest rankings? pic.twitter.com/O2l3MwPFnV
— wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) January 29, 2022
Fantastic performance !00% professional, but wasn’t Jennifer Lopez doing this sort of think 25 years ago ? Greece before, Cyprus.with fuego ? Eurovision asks for originality and innovation…not copycats.
While I like “SloMo”, I think “Terra” was robbed and it’s all because juries still don’t seem to “get it” when it comes to modern/electronica versions of ethnic songs. Similar to “Shum” last year, “Terra” clearly did well with the demoscopic and tele votes, but lost thanks to the dolts in the jury.
I know eurovision has become flooded with “Latin” pop but it’s nice to an actual Latina singing it for once lol. Idk it feels more authentic.
I’m late to the party. UK calling. I am LOVING Slomo.
I’ve not seen any of the others that took part in the selection but this song is the full package.
This is going to slay on the stage in Turin.
It’s up there with “Fuego” and “She got me” as a eurovision epic banger.
Way to go Spain!!!
I honestly didn’t expect Chanel to be the winner even having seen her winning her SF with a lot of advantage over her rivals a couple of days before the finals. And maybe SloMo was not definetely the song that everyone wanted to send to Torino; maybe Spain wanted to send something different, something special, something unique, something representative about what we spanish people feel, want and think. But nothing of that implies that Chanel didn’t deserve the win, and even less to blame, insult or harass her. It’s completely embarrassing to see how a (bigger than it should be)… Read more »
Ridiculous how some people are behaving towards her. What was the big thing that Chanel did wrong? She performed her song BETTER than anyone was expecting.
That’s something that deserves hate? Seriously, Eurovision fans are the worst at times.
This is first time for me when I see an entry from
Spain before the Grand Final and this is already so good, bravo Spain!!!
Unfortunately for me this is just an anthem for female sexualization and objectification. According to the lyrics her maximum aspiration is to always be “ready” and to get all the “daddies”. At least el diablo talked about the struggle of a toxic relationship and fuego talked about the sensation of falling for someone. this one has no redeeming qualities. Just my opinion.
I listened to this for the first time today and think it’s pretty good. A solid entry. But after all the comments I went and listened to some of the other songs that could have won, and a couple of those were quite special and would stand out. But this is still a decent entry so Spain can be proud.
Just found out the person who choreographed SloMo is Kyle Hanagami, the prestigious KPOP choreographer who worked with KPOP megastars like BLACKPINK, GIRLS GENERATION, TWICE, and etc.
The team of Chanel really ain’t playing with the live performance.
Chanel was driven to shut down her Twitter after getting so much hate from the Spanish fans. Are you proud of that, Spanish fans?
I love Spain and every year I hope for their victory but this isn’t my cup of tea. Anyway, I hope they’ll reach a good place in Turin.
Enhorabuena TVE, for producing such an excellent show! I can’t remember ever getting this excited about Spain’s national final. Well, beforehand I had not thought that Chanel could win, but the performances she gave were truly on fire. She has charisma, she’s likable, and that choreography was really something. She’ll face other slick stage acts in Turin, but she looks as if she’ll be able to come up with good stuff again. I don’t think Spain will win with this song, or even get a top 5, but a result on the left hand side of the scoreboard doesn’t seem… Read more »
Top 10 result for Spain this year. This is a banger and Chanel is going to do very well in May. About time Spain sends a song like this , instant appeal.
So basically Eleni and her team copied the choreographies from JLo and Beyonce. The guy behind Chanel’s staging is the choreographer of JLo…..
OMG that sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
666 comments on this post? Not any more… 🙂
I’m spanish and I can tell you that I’m not agree with that people who is attacking Chanel like this, because is unpolite and disrespectful. But even when she has done an incredible performance, her song is mediocre, it has nothing special and the only cool thing about it is her choreography. Moreover, her relation with Miryam who worked with her in a famous programme called Tu cara me suena (actually, one of her dancers is working in that programme too), and that suspicious punctuation the jury gave to Tanxugueiras, it has made things more difficult for her because we… Read more »
LIzzie..you are so right !! But as the saying goes, Spain is different !! corrupt to the heart.
Where did the common sense gone? Actions taken by a large community of pro-Mama and pro-Terra are terrible and, honestly, I think – discouraging for the artists to take part in any other national selection in Spain. Chanel was not my first choice (from a studio alone – Sara Deop was who got eliminated in the SF) and even though she may be just another Foureira, she does not deserve to feel unsafe or not to celebrate her victory openly in joy. From the comments below, I see that it is a common practice in Spain to crucify somebody in… Read more »
What was discouraging for artists to take part is to see the public will being ignored and giving a jury that much power, especially when we all have seen what has happened
I agree that televoting should have had a bigger impact on the outcome, maybe 50% instead of 25%, where in a tie situation, jury vote is decisive just like it’s in the real Eurovision. But I do believe that receiving death threatenings and being portrayed like a garbage in public won’t do a favor mama-ists and terra-ists are hoping for. After all, she came 3rd in televote so she must be doing something right. Now blaming Chanel for rules BF installed is plain stupid.
They singned up for that when they accepted to participate in a contest with juries. BF has been both a great opportunity for artists for make their work known and for the public to enjoy new talent. It’s sad people’s bitterness is ruinning what overall has been a great experience for everyone.
She slayed in the national final! She absolutely deserved to win! 🙂
There are accusations of rigging given how Miryam Benedited has worked with Chanel in the past.
As a Spaniard, I don’t feel represented by degenerated reggaeton. Stupid latin trends don’t have any place in Europe.
You don’t want your country to be represented by this? I don’t want Europe and Eurovision to be represented by people like you on an international blog.
Can Wiwibloggers do something with this kind of comment please? It’s absolutely disgraceful and disrespectful.
SloMo is not a reggaeton and excuse me please but if you check the Spanish charts, this is the type of music that they play and eventually people listen to. Why do Spanish people want to be so boring in ESC? SloMo offers a different version of Spain in the contest. Yes, as a song it’s not great but it’s different from what we’ve seen before from Spain. Europe loves this type of music. Having said that, i do believe that Tanxu should have won because they came first in both televoting and demoscopic jury but we all knew the… Read more »
I agree in everything but one thing: I think that, if we only have 5 members of the jury, none of them should have any relationship with the contestants. It’s my opinion.
I found funny how people say this kind of things when the most listened spanish NF song in recent years was “Lo Malo”
Ay Mama and Terra have gone FAAAAR beyond Lo Malo.
“Tell me you’re racist without telling me you’re racist” moment here.
Omg that’s awful, I didn’t know that 🙁
Chanel is a great performer. SloMo is just meh.. The whole act and concept démodé and cliche. Stage was tacky. Spain, you need to do a whole lot better if you want to win. And btw, doesn’t Spain have their somgwriters??? That pretty lame having to resort to foreign ones, in such a big country…
We wanted something else, but the jury forced this on us.
I know and that is really really sad
Songwriters include Spanish writers too. The whole act is barely demode, it’s classic and it’s what global pop stars are doing. Of course some obsessed fans will not admit it and want Spain to look like a miserable country stuck in the 70s.
Spanish jury: “I’ve got a very uncomfortable question: Galicia is Spanish or…”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
100%
If Blanca Paloma was the winner, they would talk about her connections with RTVE. Rayden? His scenographer works with the same producer behind the Benidorm Fest. Gonzalo? It was just a videoclip. Varry Brava? They would call them clowns. Rigoberta or Tanxugueiras? The two teams fighting like crazy.
They just need something to hate, always the same.
Even if Tanxu had won, there would be people saying they don’t represent Spain but Galicia. About Rigoberta people were complaining how this is ridiculous and feminazi.
You can’t really win but that also shows how strong the selection is. Spanish fans are alwayys dramatic.
I’d call them trolls, not fans. A true fan supports their favourite artists, does not go around trolling artists they don’t like on their social media.
Really happy for Chanel and hoping SloMo can take Spain out of the 20th-below place! That said, what I’m upset about is that if Tanxugueiras and Rayden switched places in the jury vote, they would have won. I don’t understand why RTVE kept touting “el festival que tú quieres” (the festival you want) when the public doesn’t have much power of choosing who they want in Torino. Still, Chanel doesn’t deserve any of the hate she’s been receiving from what I hear; both juries and televoters ranked her high. The only placing I would agree from the jury was Blanca,… Read more »
while i do think terra should’ve won, chanel’s song is still the best song spain has had in years lol
suprize on the jurry vote. wow
Latest news! RTVE has made an official statement with these two messages:
1) They will do a public consultation to get ideas and opinions to review the whole process of Benidorm Fest.
2) RTVE will have a new music program to support and enhace Spanish music, opened, in the first moment, to all Benidorm Fest participants.
Well done!!!! This is what we needed in this very moment. RTVE is listening to us a having self-criticism.
Now, again, all our support to queen Chanel!
I do not think RTVE is thinking on the haters, but rather on getting top artists to take part in Benidorm Fest again next year. They got it this first edition, which has brought them a huge success (the final is the most watched program of TVE this month, therefore this year) and they risked to lose it.
Also, if they want to keep having such good audiences, both for Benidorm Fest and Eurovision, you have to give the audience what they are asking.
There will be huge demand for next year’s edition, RTVE has nothing to fear. Why? Because ALL the artists would like to present their song on one of the most watched TV shows of the year and have this song become a hit on streaming platforms like we’re currently seeing with Benidorm songs. Huge publicity and exposure. Gain in airplay + followers.
Imagine RTP making an official statement when Sobral won under the same conditions, or SVT when the Dotter/Mamas drama. Details like this prove that RTVE and Spain are not ready to hold a competition like this one.
FdC’s and SVT’s rules and systems have been changed through the years. Benidorm Fest sytem will also be changing until it is as fair and perfect as possible.
POrtuguese people were not really obsessed with the festival or the winner.
But it happened in SVT and none of the fans or artists caused drama, eg when that cute guy won in 2017 despite not winning the televoting. Mahmood did not win the televoting in 2019 San Remo but the jury gave him the first place.
Best Spanish entry for years!
Chanel is a sweet bean, incredibly talented and immensely hard working, she does NOT deserve to be attacked or humiliated, I’m sure she’ll do us Spaniards proud, and then again, she was second on the demoscopic and third on the televote, therefore we know she was supported by the public. With that being said, I feel like that anger is being more targeted towards the jury, who intentionally handicapped tanxugueiras by placing them fifth! That completely ruined their chances of winning, that’s why people are furious. Anyhow, there is no point to being upset, Chanel is our representative and she… Read more »
Spanish people attacking Chanel and using Salvador Sobral as an example of good music… when Salvador won his national final thanks to the jury leaving Viva la Diva in 5th place. This is just ridiculous at this point
They asked her about this last night.
honestly any of the songs that made the top 5 could have gone to Eurovision and i’d be fine with it. congrats chanel, she can seriously perform incredibly well
I have read your comments and: I can understand, that the public voters are disappointed. We all know that the Fuego Dance Acts do well at Eurovision, but they haven’t won in the last years. A lot of ESC fans that are not from Spain are satisfied and tell the people from Spain that they can be happy because with that dance banger they can get a top 10 result. I think the point from a lot of disapppinted people from Spain is, that they wanted to send something unique with what they think has the potential to win Eurovision.… Read more »
This whole thing is funny, pathetic and sad. Funny to read the sour comments of Spanish fandom (like always). You are never happy with anything. And your arguments are…I don’t know how to put it. Pathetic attitude, embarrassing every time they do a national final disrespecting judges, booing the winner. No wonder no famous name wants to participate. And sad, because Chanel might not be your choice but she’s a great artist and you can’t deny it. She doesn’t deserve what she might be reading, even racists comments. There are great acts in all national finals that don’t pass the… Read more »
Too many sore losers here in Spain. What’s more pathetic is they fail to see the fact that this was probably a career changing moment for a lot of their favourite artists, a great experience and growth for them as musicians and yet this bunch of trolls and haters can’t feel anything but hate.
I think Chanel was, by far, the best choice for Spain and I think it can do quite well with a top-10 finish absolutely within reach depending on how many song in the same segment. One can of course question the voting format with alot of power to a jury of only five members. But done is done. If the Spanish Eurofans wants another Festival with great artists next year they should stop spreading hate and leave Chanel alone. Who wants to compete next year if this is the main «prize»?
The entry winning is the one that might please other Europeans the most (besides Rayden’s, from what I’ve been reading, and I saw innumerable threats of “bottom 5” from foreigners if Ay Mama won + they didn’t really care about Terra) and everyone in Spain is angry… wow. People weren’t looking at lyrics translations before when they kept calling Rigoberta’s act a troll entry and they wouldn’t now, so it doesn’t really matter if SloMo isn’t as deep and empowering as the others (**not that I agree that it shouldn’t!** I think people should look at translations more, but I’m… Read more »
Chanel already saying that she uninstalled some social networks due to the hate she’s receiving. Good job Spain, you destroyed your singer in less than 24 hours.
that is so sad. They dont deserve her hard work and talent….
thankfully the international community has nothing but love for her <3
I think people are using the word hating and loving too easily. And I don’t think you are the spoke-person for the International community. Sei italiano quindi dovresti sapere benissimo che il potere di una giuria di 5 persone (di cui due non spagnole e coinvolte con EBU) con il 50% non ha offerto un risultato equilibrato!
ormai è andata così, frignare non serve a nulla. i partecipanti erano tutti consapevoli del metodo di voto e se non gli fosse andato bene si sarebbero ritirati 🙂
She’s not our singer.
She is. Get over it.
She’s Cuban.
You’re a moron and a big stupid racist.
I’m ashamed of people like you.
Eres el conquistador de la mierda más grande, un ser patético que se esconde detrás de una pantalla para decir barbaridades. Y espero que el tiempo te ponga en tu lugar, si no lo ha hecho ya. Amargado.
What is racist? Just another meaningless word.
Largate con tus amigos sudamericanos, reza para que te acepten y deja a España en paz, que no le aportas nada.
Yo no rezo a nada ni a nadie, ni tampoco me voy a ir de España porque un mindundi como tú reparta carnets de lo que es ser buen español y lo que no. Tú sigue feliz revolcándote en tu ranciedad y mugre cual cochino, que antes o después se va a limpiar a manguerazos, porque muchos estamos hartos de la cancha libre que tienen despojos como tú para soltar esas porquerías. Lo tuyo no es libertad de expresión, lo tuyo es odio disfrazado de opinión.
She is a Spaniard born in Cuba, like Ana de Armas and so many others we are proud of. Most of us are sad because we preferred Tanxugueiras (a sign of the Spanish diversity) or Rigoberta Bandini (a song about feminism). In Spain we love diversity and feminism, and that’s we will support like crazy a foreign-born woman, although her song was not our favourite.
Lorena, you’re absolutly right. Funnily enough, it seems like the song that would have better represented Spain was “Postureo”, because it’s pretty clear that for many Spaniards their support for feminism and diversity are only “postu-postureeeoooo.”
Yes. And your singer.
Go back to your cave.
OMG I knew it would happen. Shame on them, ridiculous trolls with no personal life, they just live to hate. Tanxu should make a statement and clarify their position.
They have already said they support Chanel.
slomo is the first spanish entry international eurofans are praising and seeing some potential in since edurne… perhaps it’s time to stop being salty and accept that she had the best full package last night !
they are busy supporting the feminist act while they call Chanel all kinds of awful names. The double standards are real
great point you’ve made !
Exactly, like…
great point actually. Spanish fans think that they live in a telenovela. sao much drama
calling it now. Benidorm Fest can be the best national final ever but because of the toxicity of spanish eurobullies they will cancel it in a few years due to the reactions. The new HoD are doing a great job but they cant escape the crazy people
Everyone saying Chanel is copying Eleni forgetting 99.99 % of people outside of the esc fandom dont even remember/know who Eleni is, if you asked Chanel about Eleni she propably would have no clue who she is, and lets not forget Eleni basically copied every diva from the 90s and 2000s like Beyonce and Jlo
Greek, Polish and Spanish fans are the most toxic in the ESC Universe. And Spanish are obviously in the leading.
as a greek i confirm that but spanish fans are beyond toxic, greek fans would never scream the names of the acts that came second and third when the winner is announced. Also spanish fans are racists, there are many comments in this website about her cuban roots….
Really? that is generalizing and it is toxic… what a great example…
Romanians also, remember 2019
As Spanish Amen to that.
Polish? I am not sure.
I know that southern countries are more dramatic and passionate.
Bulgarian fans made a mess in 2005 and 2009 when the result was questioned in their national finals.
Cypriots made some chaos when el diablo was premiered.
Ok, a sleeping night has passed. I talk here as a Spanish eurofan. There is just one year I did not support my country, because I was ashamed, and it was Manel Navarro’s year. But this is not comparable at all. This situation is unfair, that’s true, obviously this is not the result that most of Spanish people wanted, 5 people had more power than approximately 200,000. Now, please Spanish eurofans (me included): go and set your complaints to RTVE, Benidorm Fest has been such a great experience, we want to repeat it, but they must be aware that this… Read more »
Latest news! RTVE has made an official statement with these two messages:
1) They will do a public consultation to get ideas and opinions to review the whole process of Benidorm Fest.
2) RTVE will have a new music program to support and enhace Spanish music, opened, in the first moment, to all Benidorm Fest participants.
Well done!!!! This is what we needed in this very moment. RTVE is listening to us a having self-criticism.
Now, again, all our support to queen Chanel!
Not really 200.000 a portion of those voted for Chanel.
Yes, she came 3rd in televotes. But, believe me, half Galicia was voting yesterday… and it was not for Chanel.
Okay. Then, you will agree than popular vote is unfair too. If the galician group is voted by Galicia because is galician… that is and unfair vote. It doesn’t deserve to be accounted. The popular vote is a two edges tool. If it would be truly aseptic, only the show , I can understand its validity. But if you by yourself are acknowledging that this group is voted because their origin not for the spectacle or the song….
The toxicity of the Spanish ESC fandom is beyond me.
Chill!
To be fair, this time, it’s more about the casual viewers than just the fandom. You just need to see the comments to see that a lot of them know nothing about Eurovision and the universe around it.
I live in Spain and its sickening the attitude of some,, believe me not all are like that.,, My favorite was Rigoberta but I´m 100% behind Chanel, Diva
It’s more locals than fandom actually this time.
Tanxu and Rigoberta did transcend a lot here.
People just feel disappointed
Don’t sell a NF as “the festival you want” when only 5 people have more power than thousands of viewers.
Top 3 material! She is fire!
Spain is showing a terrible face today. It’s disgusting and pathetic, Chanel doesn’t deserve this hate.
Not all Spain dear, I live here and I´m 100% behind Chanel eventhought she was not my top 1,,, Now I´m on team Chanel so our girl could feel our support.,
Que yo también soy de España, that’s why I said “Spain” and not “the spanish fandom”, because this time the casual viewers are the ones being toxic. Seeing verified accounts from journalists that talk about “feminism” and then destroying Chanel and treating her like a disgusting woman with a disgusting song is… painful. She deserves RESPECT.
Wiwi commenters before the final: OMG SPAIN SEND CHANEL SHE’S AMAZING AND THE OTHERS ARE TERRIBLE TRUST US WE WILL VOTE FOR HERRRRRRRR
Wiwi commenters after the final: It’s a generic song good luck I guess
There will always be something to complain about it does not really matter. I think within Spain maybe Rigoberta and Tanxugueiras are more of a good songs but lets face it in Europe nobody cares about the folk of Galicia which barely noone would understand and think its like a folklore from anywhere else. Latin urban song from Chanel is more what is expected from Spain to bring and which we never did until now actually
Sexy winner, good luck from Azerbaijan! I think the look is good, since the tit woman was a bit too much! Ha ha!
oooo the jury’s pick beat out the public’s favorite …. and with such a vast power imbalance …. yikes. well gl anyways the song is a banger :p