It was an emotional National Final in Spain on Saturday, as five singers went to bat in Barcelona for the chance to represent the country in Copenhagen.  After each performance, interviews with the artists and their families brought most contestants to tears, especially after each one opened a sentimental gift from home.  A picture, a necklace, a vinyl of the Little Mermaid…it was “The X-Factor” meets “This Is Your Life”.

But, let’s face it, we were really there for the music.

Following the disappointing finish of El Sueño de Morfeo in Malmö, we shall see Ruth Lorenzo take the trip to Copenhagen with her bilingual entry “Dancing in the Rain“, which she co-wrote with British songwriters Jim Irvin and Julian Emery, who have written works for Lissie, David Cook, Lana Del Ray, and McFly, among others.

After the performances concluded and the votes from the juries and Spanish public were counted up, it was La Voz alum Brequette and X Factor UK contestant Ruth tied at the top with 66 points to each.  However, it was the voice of the public who took precedence, giving the ticket to Denmark to Ruth, inciting this adorable delayed reaction from the winner:

Ruth’s vocal strength is impressive; she really leaves everything out on the table in her performance.  Many fans still tear up over Pastora Soler’s masterful three minutes in Baku with “Quédate conmigo“, and there are definitely a few comparisons to be made between these two highly-charged pieces.  However, while Pastora’s vocals seemed to build slowly throughout her song, culminating in that stunning key-change, Ruth appears to jump more suddenly from subtle to forceful, and maintains her power-belting for over half of the song’s duration. Powerful vocals like Ruth’s often run the risk of going overboard if not reined in properly, but her performances on the X Factor show that she knows how to control what she’s got.  It’ll be interesting to see what she does in Copenhagen…will she keep the sustained belt or make her interpretation more subtle?