Spain has chosen their performer for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest. Will Europe be up for "Dancing in the Rain" with Ruth Lorenzo?
After a few years of internally selecting an artist, Spain has returned voting to the people. In last weekend's national final, they chose Ruth Lorenzo's ballad, "Dancing in the Rain". Since Spain is one of the Big 5, they're automatically guaranteed to make the final - does their choice of song have what it takes to win? Let's take a listen:
This is an okay choice, in my opinion, but I tend to prefer more uptempo songs when it comes to Eurovision. Ruth's singing is nice (although a bit self-serious considering the chorus is the seemingly joyful expression of "dancing in the rain"), and the ballad doesn't overstay its welcome. I question the choice of leaving the verses in Spanish while placing the chorus in English - Europe may have trouble connecting what's being said in the verses with the simple words of the chorus. As I've said, though, ballads don't tend to be my favorite at Eurovision - if Europe is in the mood for something slow and powerful, Spain may end up surprising me with their placement.
As far as the staging goes, I think they've nailed what needs to be done. Were this a more uptempo song, I'd criticize the decision to have the singer stand in one place. With the choice of a ballad, however, they've made sure the focus is on Ruth and her words, not on other stage actions. It'll be interesting to see how this gets translated to the big stage at Copenhagen, and if Spain will elect to take advantage of any screens/effects available to them.