Recap: OT 2018 Finally Starts Showing Signs of Magic on Stage – Gala 4

Operación Triunfo (OT) 2018 kicked off a month ago, but it took it 4 galas to start proving it has what it takes to spark magic on stage like it did many, many times last year. It’s true: I’ve had a difficult time finding contestants to cheer for this season. Mind you, it hasn’t been for a lack of talent; this cast so far has proven they have talent to spare. And perhaps that’s what I’ve been missing the last three weeks of the show–to see each contestant push themselves to their limits, out of their comfort zone and start stepping their game up. Last week they did. Gala 4 has been OT 2018’s best live show to date, and I wanted to share a few thoughts about each performance from Gala 4 before diving into this week’s Gala 5 performances. Let’s go!

Best of the Night

“Take Me to Church” – Famous

Last week, Famous did the damn thing with his interpretation of “Take Me to Church.” I was a bit on the fence about this song choice because: on one hand, it’s a pretty great song; on the other, I’m kind of sick and tired of it. However, hearing it in such a low register turned me into a fan again. It’s not every day that you hear a bass on a singing competition show, generally because they’re regulated to completing rich harmonies rather than standing on their own. But seeing Famous shine like this finally served him an advantage among very serious competition. Now if the show could just start thumbing through some killer R&B songs for my boy, that’d be great. *upside down smiling emoji*

“Give Me Love” – Damion

Damion has been one of few people struggling throughout their stay in OT. The thing is that Damion is the type of singer who knows their comfort zone and doesn’t like to stray far from it. That lack of grit and openness to experimenting with other genres worked against him a couple weeks ago, when he was nominated to be eliminated from the show. The up side to being up for elimination is that nominated contestants get to choose their own song to perform. And, lo and behold, Damion picked none other than Ed Sheeran’s “Give Me Love.”

By the powers that be, Damion pulled through. He applied every ounce of passion and talent into his performance, making it one of the best ones of the night, and proved why he made it onto the show in the first place. It also saved his ass for another week, so WELL PLAYED, DAMION, WELL PLAYED.

“Toxic” – Natalia and Alba Reche

I mean what else is there to say about Natalia and Alba Reche’s “Toxic” other than yaaaaasssss queeeeeennnssss yaaaaaaas!

Seriously, these two killed it. From the energy, to the attitude, to their looks: Natalia and Alba Reche knocked it out of the park, and they lowkey had me feeling hot an bothered. If neither of these two make it to the end of the show, I’m suing.

Not Bad at All

“Quédate en Madrid” – Miki and María

I might piss some people off for saying it, but I don’t get Miki‘s appeal. I see traces of an “it” factor in his presence on stage (small ones), but I haven’t really heard anything particularly amazing from him yet. Did that stop me from enjoying this performance? Nope.

In fact, even if I don’t think Miki serves the greatest singing in the competition, I think sometimes the pairings that happen in OT make a world of difference in terms of showmanship, and that was the case here. Miki and María (who looked STUNNING) had legit chemistry during their cover of “Quédate en Madrid.” María played really well into her role opposite of Miki, and together sold the song nicely.

“La Tormenta” – Noelia

Asking to cover a Pastora Soler song is like asking for the impossible. There’s just sooo much potency Soler brings to her music that it’s difficult to even come close to her stature. But Noelia sure tried.

I thought this rendition of “La Tormenta” was fine. It could have been amazing, but it never really got there. The intonation was a bit off, which was unfortunate since Noelia seemed to try to be there emotionally.

To me though, it seems like over the course of the show Noelia has been gradually losing her spark. The fact that she ended up nominated for elimination during Gala 4 says a lot about how her performances are sitting with the judges. She was eventually saved by the professors, but still. I hope she gets it together soon because I think she has some of the strongest pipes this season and could honestly bring this home if she focuses.

“Vivir” – Julia and Dave

Was I the only one who thought this was both a weird song choice and a weird pair to have performed it? I think Julia is amazing and she’s way up there in the rankings for me, but I just couldn’t vibe to this odd arrangement at all. It suited Dave a tiny bit better, but it was still nothing particularly thrilling to watch or listen to.

BETTER SONG CHOICES, OT, JEEZ WTF.

Meh..

“Bed I Made” – Joan Garrido

I don’t have a lot to say about Joan’s performance. I think he did fine, but the song was completely forgettable, especially next to Damion who captivated me from start to finish.

“Lo echamos a Suertes” – Marta and Marilia

While I think both of these girls have solid voices, again the song choice here did nothing to help elevate their talent above the likes of Natalia or Alba Reche. I can’t sing back any of this song to you if you asked me right now honestly.

“Estrella Polar” – Carlos and Sabela

And finally, we have … yet another forgettable performance. Only this one is actually not well executed, which makes it even worse. If you’re going to go for the whole rock-n-roll vibe, then really go balls-to-the-wall with it. Anything less is an insult.

What did you think of Gala 4 of OT 2018? Who are your favorites this season? Let me know in the comments section below!