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Spain chooses 'Voy a quedarme' for Blas Cantó

21 February 2021 at 00:12 CET
Blas Cantó performs Voy a quedarme at Destino Eurovisión Photo: TVE / Raul Tejedor
España has spoken! Blas Cantó will take 'Voy a quedarme' ('I Am Going To Stay') to the 65th Eurovision Song Contest in The Netherlands.

During a star-studded Destino Eurovisión featuring former Spanish Eurovision icons Pastora Soler (2012) and Edurne (2015), viewers were tasked with choosing Cantó's song for Rotterdam.

It was a straight fight between Voy a quedarme and Memoria. The former (a modern ballad which showcases the Spaniard’s impressive vocal registers) won with 58% of the public vote and will be performed by Blas at the Grand Final on Saturday 22 May.

In an emotional interview after the show, Blas revealed the personal losses he’s faced in 2020, as well as how Voy a quedarme contains a message of hope:

"It’s not a sad ballad, it talks about hope; I want you to stay with me one more time, one more minute. I’m so happy to sing this song on the greatest stage in the world."

Cantó's conquest

Blas Cantó is no stranger to the Eurovision Song Contest. Not only was he due to represent his country with the song Universo at the cancelled 2020 competition, he also competed at Destino Eurovisión as part of the boyband Auryn in 2011 - missing out to winner Lucía Pérez.

Blas Cantó performs 'Voy a quedarme' at Destino Eurovisión TVE / Raul Tejedor

His history with Eurovision stretches back even further, having competed in EuroJunior, the Spanish selection show for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2004. With so many near misses, the vocalist from Murcia will be relieved that his time to shine on the biggest stage of all, inches ever closer.

"It's a longtime dream of mine," Blas confessed during a short interview following the announcement of his participation: "I dreamt of participating in the Eurovision Song Contest since I was a child."

To date, Blas has released five albums. His first four albums were released with the boyband Auryn, who won the Best Spanish Act award at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2013. His first solo album Complicado, which featured his biggest hit Él No Soy Yo, was released in 2018.

Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest

Spain debuted at the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest and has returned to compete at every show since.

The Spanish have won the Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 1968 with Massiel's La, La, La and again the following year in Madrid, thanks to Salomé's Vivo Cantando. This made them the first competing country to win twice in a row.

We’ll drink to that!

Un Bloody Mary, por favor.