‘Operación Triunfo’ has experienced a resurrection again this year with its transfer to Prime Video, as those of you who follow Chenoa, Buika and Masi every Monday, and Juan Sanguino every Tuesday will know. The program has already chosen its first three finalists, and one of them, Paul Thin (Pablo Suárez Delgado, hence the stage name) is the protagonist of this article. Paul is a 20-year-old from Granada who had already won the Canal Sur program ‘Tierra de Talento’ (it was priceless to sing ‘Yo soy esa’ at 17 years old in front of Raphael), and who put his Audiovisual Communication career on hold to enter the Academy, thus sharing two experiences with Rosa López (she is from Armilla) and with Lola Índigo (she studied at the same institute).
He names as references Rosalía (she declares herself a fan of ‘CUUUuuuuuuuute’), Bo Burnham and Childish Gambino. And, although he has been left out singing Tyler, the Creator and Kali Uchis’ ‘See You Again’ like he wanted, he has had other great performances in the contest. Some examples could be his defense at Gala 0 of ‘Way Down We Go’, ‘when the party’s over’ or ‘Poppies‘, this one with his friend Álvaro Mayo, with whom he has starred in the invented shipping “polvorón”, intense-but-very healthy and which leaves the warmi thing as child’s play (luckily for Warmi).
‘Amapolas’ was, perhaps, the cutest number between two boys in the entire history of ‘OT’ (Paul and Álvaro are openly bi and gay), and Paul has given great moments as a contestant, but we do not dedicate an article to each one no matter how good a contestant he is. Why yes to him? Because being a great ‘OT’ contestant is not the same as being a great artist, and in that sense he has something that has not been seen, at least not so clearly, since Amaia (imho, the most interesting thing about Natalia Lacunza came once outside).
His attitude on stage and his movements have something that seems magnetic to some of us and repels others; In fact, the energy of him performing ‘La Vida Moderna’ by Veintiuno & Santi Balmes cost him the nomination (Balmes in fact awakens similar feelings live). “Paul borders the grima without fear, crosses it and comes out the other side a superstar,” said my partner Juan in the last chronicle of him, and perhaps that is where the shots go. For example, his defense of the Bizarrap & Ptazeta song with Ruslana (the complete performances from Gala 7 onwards are available only on Prime Video, but this it’s an example). What is clear is that we do not usually see many male artists in the Spanish pop scene who have that expressiveness on stage, and also who make an effort to dance as female artists usually do.
the jury has proposed Paul Thin for nomination after THIS #OTGala9 pic.twitter.com/USlRV4A9Vc
— manu (@quiralio) January 29, 2024
Because that’s another: Paul has made the public fall in love with his moments to the piano at the Academy, but the comparison with Amaia does not come so much from that, but from how she makes the song her own, from interpreting moving away from the idea of ’OT’ as “karaoke” and getting involved in aspects such as the scenography, the choreo, or even the production. That’s what he did with the Bizarrap & Milo J session, resulting in something never seen in ‘OT’ in its almost 25 years (“Lorca rap”, Abril Zamora defined it), receiving congratulations from Bizarrap and Milo themselves, and also attracting to the program to a target that, except for the phenomenon of 2001, has always been distant, that of the young straight boy.
He was proclaimed a finalist by taking ‘Paenamorar’ by Paula Cendejas to his home field, and this week he can make or break it by daring to play ‘Fiebre’ by Bad Gyal. Risky, as risky it is that she has chosen ‘BABY HELLO’ for the final gala. But, although I am the first to have doubts upon seeing Bizarrap’s name again (with Rauw, too), it is true that we have never seen this style in an ‘OT’ final. And above all, taking into account everything Paul has done, we will have doubts, but we can certainly give him the benefit of the doubt.
In any case, he is not going to win (Naiara is going to win, and I totally agree with that), but it would be curious if he finished second. On the one hand, because in his presentation he said that “Manuel Carrasco seems to live well.” On the other hand, because #2 seems to be the amulet when it comes to having a successful career. Paul already had several songs out before entering ‘OT’ (‘Lola’ and ‘La Brisa’ have been floating around Spotify’s Top Viral for weeks), and now we are waiting for what he adds because, every time you see him perform in the program, what you want is for it to come out as soon as possible so you can go to one of his concerts. Which is, I think, a very good sign.
