Operación Triunfo has decided to change dynamics in gala 7. Perhaps because there are fewer contestants left and broadcast minutes have to be filled, the jury’s evaluations have been longer; The nominees -María Cruz and Cristina- have given a short interview, during which Cruz has had his birthday, and the program has decided to broadcast the entry of the contestants to the Academy after the contest, which continues as I write this sentence, for some reason.
Gala 7 was the expulsion of Laura Muñoz, who competed against Olivia offering an old-fashioned interpretation of Whitney Houston. For her part, Olivia couldn’t choose a better song: ‘Superestrella’ by Aitana is current, so much so that this Monday it rose to number 1 on Spotify Spain.
‘Superestrella’ competed on Spotify against ‘Berghain’, by Rosalía, Björk and Yves Tumor, which has risen to the official number 1 in singles in Spain. The Operación Triunfo contestants have been able to see the video clip of ‘Berghain’ from the Academy, and their faces have exhibited a mixture of astonishment and bewilderment. Although the best moment occurred when Noemí Galera informed them that “the little bird that sings is Björk.” We will finally stop associating Björk with that parody of ‘La Hora Chanante’… (lie, that will never happen).
It’s not clear to me that the Operación Triunfo 2025 contestants knew who Björk was before ‘Berghain’. They have been lucky not to read a certain 20 Minutes headline that has been circulating on Instagram these days. Crespo, who has offered a not very convincing interpretation of ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ alongside a more convincing Téyou, for example, confessed that he did not know this Oasis classic. The little bird that sings is also Oasis.
María Cruz and Cristina, nominated
Gala 7 has been marked by the drama of the nomination. Saved by Guille Toledano by the teaching staff – who gave a vocally impeccable but not at all challenging performance – the favorite Claudia Arenas – the only one who gave her vote to Cristina – took the lead in breaking the tie for the votes of Tinho and María Cruz. Claudia, who was crying so much that she couldn’t breathe, seemed to be unaware of the mechanics of the contest and which program she has decided to participate in.
Tinho, finally saved, has been proposed for nomination because his body language while interpreting David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’ could have been greatly improved, although vocally he has done justice to the song.
Claudia, by the way, was a direct nominee for her weak interpretation of ‘End of the World’ by Miley Cyrus, but being chosen as a favorite has saved her. It has not been the best night for Cristina, her singing partner, either, although both have embellished the sustained notes. María Cruz’s nomination was also expected, since she has not managed to balance dance and voice in ‘La Reina’ by Lola Indigo.
If the jury has stated that they want, in gala 7, some kind of real “level leap” on the part of the contestants – which, for example, they expect from Lucía Casani -, none of them have given it tonight… except Guillo Rist, who has once again offered the best performance of the gala, to the point that Abraham Mateo has stood up to applaud him during his evaluation. With ‘Catarata’ by Bajocero X, Rist has shown exactly the proposal that can define him as an artist.
