When it comes to the Big Five in Eurovision (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom) they usually don’t get much attention. It may be due to the automatic entry into the grand finale, or the fact that only one country has won Eurovision since the implementation of the Big Five (formerly four). This year, we might need to change our way of thinking because a member of the Big Five has a big entry to take a good look at. Spain’s Eurovision entry Barei has dropped a track that will have you finally ‘Say Yay!’ to a Big Five entry.

Barei has been doing her thing and doing it well for almost twenty years. Since covering Christina Aguilera songs at the age of 16, Barei has cut her teeth the old fashioned way in the industry. In 2001, she participated in the Benidorm International Song Festival together with Gonzalo Nuche as part of the duo Dos Puntos. After the winner of the festival was eventually disqualified, Dos Puntos would then take the top spot. Shortly after the festival, Barei would move to Miami where she would record demos that she decided to keep unpublished. It took her 10 years to finally come out of her shell. In 2011, she released her first studio album and standalone English singles to great success. Since then, she has penned music for other artist as well as continuing to grow in her own craft.

‘Say Yay’ is probably the most uplifting single of the Big Five artists. Barei takes on the emotions of what it takes to fight your way to the top. As she sings with clean pop vocals in the chorus “You keep on climbing over hills, Right now you’re following your dreams.” The song begins to turn from just a basic pop song to a pure anthem.  Not all anthems have to be slow and boring. This time, with those uplifting lyrics comes a dance floor melody that will not only make you feel amazing from the inside out, it will soon tear up the Stockholm stage!

It’s clear that Barei wants you to feel something extremely special when you catch a hint of the piano driven disco-like melody of ‘Say Yay.’ Her accompanying video to her Eurovision entry even shows you what exactly what you’ll feel when you overcome those dark moments in life. You’ll be free enough to dance anywhere and everywhere! With the way the video was shot, there is a nice little personal touch to it by not making it just about Barei herself but humanity as a whole. When you feel down, remember it takes hills to climb to reach your dreams. When you reach the top. Let go and dance.

Will we ‘Say Yay’ when Barei hits the stage on 14 May?

Stay tuned for more Eurovision coverage on EQ Music Blog!