Spain was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Do It for Your Lover", written by Manel Navarro and Antonio Rayo "Rayito", and performed by Manel Navarro himself. The Spanish participating broadcaster, (RTVE), organised the national final in order to select its entry for the contest. Six artists and songs, one of which was selected through the wildcard round Eurocasting, competed in the televised show where an in-studio jury and a public vote selected "Do It for Your Lover" performed by Manel Navarro as the winner.
As a member of the "Big Five", Spain automatically qualified to compete in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Performing in position 16, Spain placed twenty-sixth (last) out of the 26 participating countries with 5 points.
Background
Prior to the 2017 contest, (TVE) until 2006, and (RTVE) since 2007, had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Spain fifty-six times since TVE's first entry in . They have won the contest on two occasions: in with the song "La, la, la" performed by Massiel and in with the song "" performed by Salomé, the latter having won in a four-way tie with , the , and the . They have also finished second four times, with "" by Karina in , "" by Mocedades in , "" by Betty Missiego in , and "" by Anabel Conde in . In , RTVE placed twenty-second with the song "Say Yay!" performed by Barei.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, RTVE organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. RTVE confirmed its intentions to participate at the 2017 contest on 14 September 2016. In 2016, RTVE organised the national final featuring a competition among several artists and songs to select both the artist and song that would represent Spain, a procedure which was continued for its 2017 entry.
Before Eurovision Eurocasting Eurocasting was the wildcard round of the national final organised by RTVE that selected its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. A submission period was open from 27 October 2016 until 27 November 2016, and 392 entries were received at the conclusion of the submission period. Professionals at RTVE Digital, the digital branch of the broadcaster, evaluated the entries received and selected thirty entries. The selected entries were revealed via RTVE's official website on 1 December 2016 and among the competing artists was Javi Soleil who represented as part of D'Nash. ArtistSongSongwriter(s)Alicia Nurho Band"Under the Light"Alicia García GarcésAnder and Rossi"Ahora soy yo"Brequette"No Enemy"Carmel"Waiting for a Better End"Dani J"Sin ti"Detergente Líquido"131 bpm"Alberto Rodway ChamorroE-Twins"Chica del vestido rojo"Ektor Pan"Perfect Storm"Fruela"Live It Up"Gio"Vuelve a mí"Sergio Bermejo RomeroÍñigo"Hoy es por mí"Iranzo Iranzinix"Bye te digo"Iranzo IranzinixIvet Vidal"Do You Want Me"Javi Soleil"Alas mojadas"Javián"No somos héroes"Jon Josdi"Dónde estabas tú"Jon JosdiLeKlein"Ouch!!"Lem Baquero"Hard to Love You"Jake BoncuitiuMilena Brody"Momento"Milena BrodyNicky Triphook"Daddy's Little Girl"Nicolás González TriphookNieves Hidalgo"Esclava"Rafael ArteseroNito"Luna"Padre Damián"Thousand Suns"Paradise Phantoms"Madrifornia"Marcos MirandaPedro Elipe"Del dolor"Pedro ElipeRebeca Moss"Volveré por ti"Romy Low"In Love"Shannel"Bailando"David VillasStvrkid feat. Silence of the Wolves"Sparkling Lights"Wildback"Noches de verano"
Selection In the first stage, Internet users had between 2 and 12 December 2016 to vote for their favourite song on RTVE's official website. Votes from 55,264 users were received at the conclusion of the voting, and the top ten entries that qualified for the next stage were announced on 15 December 2016 on the special webcast show Spain Calling, presented by Irene Mahía and Paloma G. Quirós and broadcast on RTVE's official website. In the second stage, a seven-member jury evaluated the ten entries and selected three entries for the final stage which were announced on 20 December 2016 on Spain Calling. The members of the jury were Juan Magán (jury chairperson, singer-songwriter and music producer), (singer-songwriter and vocal coach), Sebas E. Alonso (journalist and co-director of Jenesaispop), David Feito (singer-songwriter and musician, represented as part of El Sueño de Morfeo), Pepe Herrero (composer and conductor), (singer-songwriter and producer, creator and frontman of La Casa Azul) and (composer and conductor). + Artist Song Percentage Place Result Alicia Nurho Band "Under the Light" 3.25% 15 Brequette "No Enemy" 4.59% 3 Advanced Dani J "Sin ti" 3.37% 13 E-Twins "Chica del vestido rojo" 2.86% 25 Fruela "Live It Up" 3.72% 6 Advanced Íñigo "Hoy es por mí" 2.91% 23 Ivet Vidal "Do You Want Me" 3.07% 20 Javián "No somos héroes" 4.67% 2 Advanced LeKlein "Ouch!!" 4.11% 4 Advanced Milena Brody "Momento" 2.89% 24 Nieves Hidalgo "Esclava" 3.66% 8 Advanced Padre Damián "Thousand Suns" 2.66% 26 Pedro Elipe "Del dolor" 3.87% 5 Advanced Romy Low "In Love" 3.72% 7 Advanced Stvrkid feat. Silence of the Wolves "Sparkling Lights" 3.42% 12 Ander and Rossi "Ahora soy yo" 2.98% 22 Carmel "Waiting for a Better End" 3.19% 18 Detergente Líquido "131 bpm" 2.53% 28 Ektor Pan "Perfect Storm" 3.01% 21 Gio "Vuelve a mí" 3.37% 14 Iranzo Iranzinix "Bye te digo" 2.32% 30 Javi Soleil "Alas mojadas" 3.43% 11 Jon Josdi "Dónde estabas tú" 2.41% 29 Lem Baquero "Hard to Love You" 3.10% 19 Nicky Triphook "Daddy's Little Girl" 3.59% 9 Advanced Nito "Luna" 4.81% 1 Advanced Paradise Phantoms "Madrifornia" 3.20% 17 Rebeca Moss "Volveré por ti" 3.46% 10 Advanced Shannel "Bailando" 3.24% 16 Wildback "Noches de verano" 2.62% 27
+ Second stage – 20 December 2016ArtistSongJurorsTotalPlaceResult 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Brequette "No Enemy" 2 1 1 2 6 4 Fruela "Live It Up" 3 2 3 8 2 Advanced Javián "No somos héroes" 3 1 3 7 3 Advanced LeKlein "Ouch!!" 1 3 2 3 9 1 Advanced Nieves Hidalgo "Esclava" 2 2 6 Pedro Elipe "Del dolor" 2 2 6 Romy Low "In Love" 1 1 8 Nicky Triphook "Daddy's Little Girl" 3 2 1 6 4 Nito "Luna" 0 10 Rebeca Moss "Volveré por ti" 1 1 8
Concert show The final stage took place in the form of a webcast concert show on 12 January 2017 at the Ciudad de la Imagen in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), hosted by Irene Mahía and Paloma G. Quirós and broadcast on RTVE's official website. The three entries that qualified from the second stage competed and "Ouch!!" performed by LeKlein qualified for the national final exclusively through a public vote via RTVE's official website and Eurovision app. More than 7,000 votes were received, with a majority coming from the app. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, guest performers included David Rees and former Eurovision contestant Azúcar Moreno which represented . The concert show was watched by more than 20,000 unique users, with the hashtag #Eurocastingfinal becoming the #1 worldwide trending topic on social media.
+ Concert show – 12 January 2017 Artist Song Percentage Place Result 1 Javián "No somos héroes" 21.7% 2 2 Fruela "Live It Up" 15.0% 3 3 LeKlein "Ouch!!" 63.3% 1 Qualified
was the national final organised by RTVE that took place on 11 February 2017 at the VAV studios in Leganés (Madrid), hosted by Jaime Cantizano. The show was broadcast on La 1 as well as online via RTVE's official website rtve.es. Six artists and songs competed with the winner being decided upon through a combination of public televoting and an in-studio expert jury. The national final was watched by 1.449 million viewers in Spain with a market share of 8.9%.
The three members of the in-studio jury that evaluated the entries during the final were:
– Radio program director and presenter at Los 40 Javier Cárdenas – Radio program director and presenter at Europa FM, television program director and host at La 1 – Radio program director and presenter at Radio 3, television program director and presenter at La 2
Competing entries The six competing acts were announced on 12 January 2017 during the concert show of Eurocasting. One of the artists, LeKlein, was selected through Eurocasting, while the remaining five artists were professional and established acts invited by RTVE for the national final. ArtistSongSongwriter(s)LeKlein"Ouch!!"David Ascanio, Vanesa Cortés, Albert Neve, Abel RamosMaika"Momento crítico"Rafael Artesero, José Juan SantanaManel Navarro"Do It for Your Lover"Manel Navarro, Antonio Rayo "Rayito"Mario Jefferson"Spin My Head"Chris WahleMirela"Contigo"Tony Sánchez-Ohlsson, Isaac Luke, Ander PérezPaula Rojo"Lo que nunca fue"Paula Rojo, Álvaro Bárcena
Final The televised final took place on 11 February 2017. The running order for the six participating entries was announced on 2 February 2017. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, guest performers included Roko, Edu Soto and former Eurovision contestants Karina, David Civera, and Barei which represented , , and , respectively. The winner, "Do It for Your Lover" performed by Manel Navarro, was selected through the combination of the votes of an in-studio jury (50%) and a public vote via telephone, SMS and RTVE's official Eurovision app (50%). Since Manel Navarro and Mirela were tied at 58 points, a jury tie-break was held which declared Navarro as the winner.
+ Final – 11 February 2017 Artist Song Jury Televote Total Place Phone SMS App Total Points 1 Manel Navarro "Do It for Your Lover" 348901,095124 2,109 24 58 1 2 LeKlein "Ouch!!" 221,4711,105136 2,712 30 52 3 3 Paula Rojo "Lo que nunca fue" 2165326220 935 18 39 6 4 Mario Jefferson "Spin My Head" 252912404 535 15 40 5 5 Maika "Momento crítico" 2093284441 1,817 21 41 4 6 Mirela "Contigo" 222,5231,731225 4,479 36 58 2
+ Song Total 1 "Do It for Your Lover" 12 10 12 34 2 "Ouch!!" 7 7 8 22 3 "Lo que nunca fue" 8 6 7 21 4 "Spin My Head" 10 5 10 25 5 "Momento crítico" 6 8 6 20 6 "Contigo" 5 12 5 22
+ Song Total "Contigo" X 1 "Do It for Your Lover" X X 2
Controversy During the tie-break voting round of , when the jury selected Manel Navarro over the public vote's favourite Mirela, and before his reprise performance, loud boos and accusations of rigging could be heard, which resulted in uneasy moments: Manel Navarro responded with a bras d'honneur as he was being booed while on stage. He would apologise for the gesture two days later during a RTVE press conference. The selection of Xavi Martínez as a jury member, who voted for Navarro during the tie-break voting round, was later challenged over potential conflict of interest since he had promoted Navarro and his song on his radio program on Los 40. In February 2017, members of the Spanish Parliament José Miguel Camacho and Ricardo Sixto placed motions to request RTVE for clarification on the details of the selection process for Eurovision and on the possibility of nullifying the results of the national final. On 22 February 2017, TVE's Head of Entertainment and organiser of the national final Toñi Prieto was summoned to appear before RTVE's Audit Committee to clarify allegations of mishandling.
RTVE issued a statement on 26 February 2017, stating that the selection process had been conducted following the regulations set by the European Broadcasting Union and that all candidates had accepted the rules at every stage of the process. The statement also defended the criteria of the jury members, stating that, as music radio hosts from the three main media groups in the country, it is "evident" that they "usually have contact with artists, singers and music producers for professional reasons".
Preparation The official video of the song, directed by Mauri D. Galiano, was filmed in February 2017 on the north coast of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The video premiered on 9 March 2017, which served as the official preview video for the Spanish entry.
Promotion