Although the title of this chronicle sounds like a novel by Colette, set instead in the Mediterranean orchard in Montigny, it is the summary of this atypical week in the Operación Triunfo. Atypical, because rarely has a nominated candidate received such fiery and diverse support. Chiara, Kiki for her very loud fandom, has been supported by Irene Montero and Risto Mejide, Aldi and AliExpress, Lola Indigo and Mónica Carrillo, among others. Some took to social networks, others like the Marlena duo used their 30 seconds of self-promotion at Benidorm Fest to support her, there was even a crowdfunded initiative that placed Save Chiara among the neon lights of Times Square. A similar impulse and a connection between opposites that united this week those who wanted to take revenge for the honor of the national tomatoes, which were dragged into the mud by the former French minister Ségolène Royal. Pedro Sánchez classified them as “unbeatable”, “spectacular”, added Cuca Gamarra, “the tastiest in the world”, declared José Andrés, in a counter-offensive that recalls the best times of the La Trinca vegetable war. How wonderful it would have been to choose it as a group song while emphasizing the quality of our Nightshade and the origins of Operación Triumph's creators, Josep María Mainat and Toni Cruz. Win win.
Unfortunately, instead of “Where are you allez with this truck, where are you allez grandisim cochon,” the girls sang “We Are Young” by Fun and Janelle Monáe, a generational anthem that celebrates youth and carpe diem but says nothing about Raf Nor by Kumato .
After receiving 💥OVER 8 MILLION VOTES💥📲 between SAVE and FAVORITE NOMAD, you have decided that CHIARA will be the candidate leaving the academy tonight 😔 Thank you for everything you have given us, Kiki! 🫂 Many successes await you abroad and we have… pic.twitter.com/CjtMrJIOUG
— Operación Triunfo (@OT_Oficial) February 5, 2024
To stay at the academy, Lucas turned to Aerosmith's I Don't Want to Miss a Thing, the theme song to Armageddon. The production was characterized by excessive literalism and consisted exclusively of Uruguayan singing around a supposedly sleeping woman and something that was considered romantic and bordered on the uncanny and referred to the Burundanga more than “Sleeping Beauty”, which was the filter of Sara Montiel's Dior- Style complemented They blurred the already young, beautiful and smooth Lucas and were more disturbing than the sequence between Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and the animal-shaped cookies.
Chiara also opted for the rock attitude and resorted to the You Oughta Know that Alanis Morissette dedicated to her ex-boyfriend Dave Coulier, Uncle Joey from Full House. She did what she could, she even played the guitar to score points, but the Canadian anthem is a mane song – the Alanis of the '90s was 50% anger and 50% hair – and the Minorcan song she like Lucas also took advantage of both ingredients throughout her makeover competition. Even Almácor knows that visual effects don't determine whether she wins or loses, but the strange aliens that accompanied her entrance won't have helped her either. Homage to Slender Man? Mr. Burns brings us love?
The reality of Naira
He accompanied Naiara's production, which Rosalías Desphá made her own among the bumper cars, without the wardrobe malfunction that pranked her on the first bus crossing. Although we continue to see Maña on stage, she is no longer competing, she is on tour, alone, on the Naiara World Tour, most of the participants are a project, Naiara is already a reality.
Less energetic was the delicate Ya no te me malo by the Galician Sen Senra, with whom Martin fought for a place among the three direct finalists. It's never easy to impersonate a force of nature like Naira, nor is it easy to stay top of mind when Paul appears behind you, now Paul Thin – what a great name for an adult film actor – someone who appeared in the film yesterday Able to improve any topic He did it with Paula Cendejas' Paenmorar.
And from a current song to an '80s classic, Juanjo went on a vocal tour de force with A-ha's “Take On Me,” one of those songs that are so familiar they seem easy until you hear them at karaoke confronted and discovered that Morten Harket was much more than denim, great hair and a magnum look.
On the way to becoming a classic is “El mundo” by Pablo López, one of the most covered artists in OT and the best example of how little the jury's complaints and your final placement in the competition matter. Ruslana has once again demonstrated her ability to adapt to any style, and this is more than the rest of her colleagues can claim. As for the performances, the gala ended with “It's over” by María Jiménez, which Bea transformed into a Beazo. If only the quality of the voices were measured, it would be the undisputed winner, although patience would be appreciated in the face of the jury's random verdicts and the systematic mistreatment by the costume department, but in OT there is as much or more reality than talent and this part has it never favored them. While his vocal abilities are astounding, former Auryn Dani Fernández's performance showed that you can be successful with a voice more unpleasant than scratching a chalkboard with your nails.
Opposite effects
The first highlight of the evening came when the results of the vote to save one of the nominees were announced, a duel that received eight million votes, “nonsense,” as Chenoa put it. Lucas has no advertising in Midtown New York, but he has a tank top and that was enough to show the lack of reliability of social networks, because what is a scream in X or in Meta is barely a whisper in the three-dimensional world of the Uruguayan. He won with 67% of the vote. “A stupid thing” at this point in the competition, which leaves one question unanswered: has the overwhelming support for Chiara produced an effect contrary to that hoped for?
This week the jury did not have the opportunity to make a nomination, but to save two candidates they valued not the performance of the evening, but their careers. So it was no surprise that after not even being nominated, Naiara and Juanjo became the top two. After Paul wasn't a finalist and the teachers didn't send Paul to the finals, he and Naiara went to the training while the others attended the took part in the singing initiation. Now the audience has to choose between Lucas, Bea, Martin and Ruslana. The Ukrainian's rating was the one that outraged the audience the most: after eleven galas, where she gave performances worthy of both a final of “The Voice” and the entrance tests for Cirque du Soleil, she received from the jury the worst rating. There were Tongo screams, but the blood did not reach the river because Buika knows how to handle beasts. How much it was missed at the Benidorm Fest, how much the seriousness of the OT was missed in general given the chaos that was the TVE format at times. If Amazon Prime Video wants to consolidate its product, it only has to watch the third edition of Benidorm Fest and not repeat any of its mistakes.
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