Twin Melody and Euskera at Benidorm Fest: Language or Gimmick?

The Euskera of Eurovision that fits into a 'bat, bi, hiru'

Bringing Euskera to Eurovision fits into four syllables. Paula and Aitana Etxeberria, twins from Ordizia born in 1998, will compete in late January at Benidorm Fest with a proposal that boasts incorporating four languages, with Basque reduced to a ‘bat, bi, hiru, bat, bi, hiru, lau’ before the chorus. The public promise is historic; the lyrics, a cameo. That distance between the headline and the score is what has been discussed since their candidacy was announced.

Who are Twin Melody?

At 24 years old, the Etxeberria sisters have accumulated about 18 million trinc on the Chinese social network and 2 million on YouTube. Their digital muscle is enormous and explains why their name is heard everywhere. The musical resume, on the other hand, admits more nuances: some argue they sing for the love of art and others respond that no one gets on stage for free here. The asset, in any case, is not the repertoire. It's the showcase.

Euskera reduced to three numbers

Four numbers, actually. It’s the complete trace of Basque in a song presented as multilingual: the language appears before the chorus begins and that’s where it ends. Some see it as a betrayal of the identity gesture and others see it as what it is, a three-second hook for headlines. The language functions more as a flag than as a vehicle. And the claim, when reviewing the lyrics, deflates on its own.

Aesthetics as a selling point

A good part of the public conversation stopped, in fact, at the candidates' appearance and not at the music. More judgment about their looks circulated on social media than about the score. That is the uncomfortable diagnosis of the phenomenon: when the product is young and photogenic, the discussion shifts from merit to showcase. It’s nothing new in a festival that has been selling image for decades, but it always leaves the same aftertaste.

Eurovision and language: what peine before

Spain won the festival in 1968 and 1969. In '69 the triumph was multiple, with Salomé and her 'Vivo cantando' among the winners. Language was never an obstacle: neither Spanish nor English alone guaranteed anything. Nor did marketing. Incidentally, the terminology continues to cause trouble: some defend 'vascuence' and others correct that the used and recognized form is 'euskera'. A mess of labels that says more about who is arguing than about the language.

The business behind the showcase

With those audience figures, the candidacy is more a content creator’s move than a musical bet. The attention economy rewards exactly this: a known name, an emotional flag, and a controversy measurable in clicks. The festival, meanwhile, is delighted. The more discussion, the more screen minutes.

With these numbers, the strange thing wouldn’t be if they won Benidorm Fest, but if anyone remembered the lyrics a week later. Prediction with reservations: if the Basque in the song fits into three numbers, the headline most likely will too.

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Voices of the debate:

Euskera is only present before the chorus begins and will be limited to a brief: ‘Bat, Bi, hiru, bat, Bi, hiru, lau’.

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Spain won in 1968 and 1969. In 1969 it was a multiple triumph, but it’s true that Salomé gave her all and it was a great song.

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