The song was described by the band as an attempt of reclaiming the word "zorra", which is widely used in Spain as a derogatory slang term for women, analogous to "bitch" or "slut". It was met with a heavily divided reaction amongst Spanish society. "Zorra" received some praise from both Spanish and international outlets on its attempt to reclaim the word as an empowering term for women. However, it was met with harsh criticism from multiple members and groups of the Spanish feminist community, with the idea of reclaiming a word via repetition in an "empowering" song being challenged. "Zorra" enjoyed commercial success, peaking at number five in its native country of Spain.
"Zorra" was written and produced by the members of Nebulossa:Mery Bas andMark Dasousa.[2] The title of the song, repeated multiple times in the lyrics, literally means "vixen" (i.e. a female fox) but also has vulgar connotations, as it is more often used to mean "bitch" or "slut" in Spanish slang.[3] It was therefore brought into question as potential infringement of Eurovision regulations. However, theEuropean Broadcasting Union, in charge of organising and supervising the contest, stated in a public statement toEl País that the use of the word did not constitute a breach of the rules.[4]
The wordzorra was explained byWiwibloggs as "one of the most blatant cases of built-in sexism within the Spanish language"; the euphemistic meaning of the male equivalentzorro has positive connotations, whilezorra is most often used as a misogynistic insult.[5] The song – with its theme ofwomen's empowerment – uses this and attempts toreappropriate the insult, with the lyrics criticising a society that views women in a misogynistic light "just for being women" and embracing female independence.[6][5] In addition, the term "black sheep" is also mentioned within "Zorra" to connect and sympathise with men who have also felt ostracised from society in similar ways.[7]
Manuela Trasobares (pictured in 2023) was mentioned in the music video for "Zorra".
An accompanyingmusic video for "Zorra" was released on the same day as the song's release.[8] The music video features references to transgender singer and politicianManuela Trasobares, who has been tagged with the negative stereotypes of azorra, and the recreation of a moment from the 1990s where Trasobares threw a drinking glass on the floor during a talk show while calling for women's liberation.[5][9] Nebulossa also referenced this moment after their performance in the final of Benidorm Fest.[9]
To further promote the song, the duo performed their song on numerous occasions in the months heading into Eurovision 2024, including at the Eurovision pre-parties:Pre-Party ES on 30 March,[10] the Barcelona Eurovision Party on 6 April,[11] the London Eurovision Party on 7 April,[12] Eurovision in Concert on 13 April,[13] and the Nordic Eurovision Party on 14 April.[14] They also performed the song at theSwedish embassy in Madrid on 10 April[15] and at a Rome nightclub 26 April.[16]
On 7 February 2024,Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) announced that the official English title of the song would be "Vixen", with Nebulossa releasing a music video of the song with official English lyrics that translateszorra as "vixen" throughout the video.[9] Official translations of the song were also released in French, German, Italian and Swedish.[17] Additionally, a remixed version of the song featuring a collaboration between Nebulossa andGloria Trevi was released on 5 April.[18]
Reception amongst Spanish society was heavily divisive. Upon learning about the song, Trasobares praised it for attempting to reclaim "zorra",[19] stating inEurovision Fam, "it is an empowerment of women after so many years... Now we take the reins of our lives and anticipate the patriarchy, we ourselves are the ones who empower that word."[20]Rigoberta Bandini, a previous competitor inBenidorm Fest, gave positive remarks toward the song, stating that she thought it was "a very brave proposal [and] very funny.... I hope it works at Eurovision and that they understand the bitches that we are."[21]Pedro Sánchez, the current prime minister of Spain, admitted that while the "fachosphere" would have preferred another competing song to winBenidorm Fest 2024, he personally preferred "Zorra".[22] Regarding the song's performance, Carlos Marcos ofEl País proclaimed, "Nebulossa is among the best... they have managed to get the audience... to shout: 'I'm even sluttier'. Good for Nebulossa."[23]
Criticism was levied against "Zorra" by feminist personalities. Najat El Hachimi, a columnist writer forEl País, wrote a heavily negative review on the song, writing that she found the song's attempt at reclaiming "zorra" useless, calling it a "banal deformation of feminist demands".[24] Another reporter forEl País, Laura Freixas, stated that she thought the idea of reclaiming a slur was "delulu, not [the] solulu".[25]Carmen Calvo, a formerDeputy Prime Minister of Spain, stated that the song was "a song to win money and votes".[26]Ángeles Álvarez andLaura Berja [es], two Spanish politicians known for their advocacy of feminism, stated the opinion that the repetitive usage of "zorra" within the song did not empower women.[27] RTVE's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion delegate,Montserrat Boix, resigned in the wake of Nebulossa's victory, proclaiming onTwitter, "'Zorra' is neither empowerment for women, nor feminism".[28] In a February 2024 survey conducted byEl Mundo containing 1,866 people, the majority in both men and women surveyed did not think that "Zorra" empower women.[29] In response to criticism, Nebulossa stated that "we did not intend to make an anthem, the surprise has been that people have appropriated the message".[30]
In a Wiwibloggs review containing several reviews from several critics, the song was rated 7.2 out of 10 points,[31] earning 12th out of 37 songs on the site's annual ranking.[32]ESC Beat's Doron Lahav ranked the song 24th overall, writing that while he thought it was "100% enjoyable synth pop", he admitted that "[I think] the vocals towards the end should improve."[33] Erin Adam ofThe Scotsman rated the song seven out of ten points, admitting that while "itt's not going to win", it was "a cult favourite in the making".[34]National Public Radio's (NPR)Glen Weldon included it in his list of 10 overall favourites to win the contest, writing that "Nebulossa does solid work not only reclaiming [zorra], but luxuriating in it."[35]
RTVE organised a 16-entry competition,Benidorm Fest 2024, the third iteration of theBenidorm Fest, in order to select its entry for theEurovision Song Contest 2024. It consisted of two semi-finals consisting of eight songs, with the top four songs in each semi-final qualifying for the grand final. The results of each show were determined through a combination of public televoting, a demoscopic jury, and an expert jury. The categories made up of 25%, 25%, and 50% of the total vote, respectively.[36][37]
"Zorra" was announced as a competing song in the competition on 14 December 2023.[38] It was placed into the first semi-final,[39] where it was drawn to perform eighth.[40] It qualified from the first semi-final, winning with 149 points.[41] It was later drawn to perform fifth in the grand final.[42] "Zorra" proceeded to win the competition with 156 points, earning the top position in both the public televote and the expert jury.[43][44] As a result, the song went to representSpain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.[44]
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 took place at theMalmö Arena inMalmö, Sweden, and consisted of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. As Spain was a member of the "Big Five", "Zorra" automatically qualified for the grand final.[45] It was drawn to be positioned in the running order via the producer's choice;[46] they proceeded to place it eighth in the running order, ahead ofLithuania's "Luktelk" bySilvester Belt and beforeEstonia's(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi by5miinust andPuuluup.[47]
Nebulossa performing "Zorra" at a dress rehearsal before the Eurovision 2024 grand final.
For its Eurovision performance, Israel Reyes and Juan Sebastián Domínguez were appointed as staging directors.[48] Before the contest, the band stated that they would refuse to change the song in any way despite pushback against the song along with looming threats of a potential rewrite request given by theEuropean Broadcasting Union (EBU).[49] The performance featured Mery Bas in aMichael Costello-designed black corset adorned withrhinestones, meant to represent adominatrix.[50][51] Two backing dancers and a backing singer were also appointed to accompany Nebulossa.[48] The usage of red sofas and lamps were applied, which was meant to apply a "cabaret atmosphere" towards the performance.[52][53][54] Visuals ofVenus de Milo, a red lock and a background inspired by the 1927 filmMetropolis were also shown to represent classical feminity, a liberated society, and the city of Benidorm, respectively.[52][53]
After the results were announced, they finished in 22nd with 30 points, with a split score of 19 points from juries and 11 points from public televoting.[55] No countries gave a set of the maximum 12 points in either category for the song. Regarding the former, the most a country gave was a set of seven points, awarded byItaly. In the public televote, the most a country gave was three, awarded byFinland andPortugal.[56] In response to their result, band memberMark Dasousa responded that "[it is not true] that we didn't care about the score... but we are not competitive people and we have learned a lot".[57] The result was met with mixed reception. On Spanish talk showLa Roca, hostNuria Roca, applauded Nebulossa's efforts at the contest, stating, "regardless of the position, which is not good, it is a hit song, it is an anthem... The performance she gave was what was expected." In contrast, Juan del Val, another host on the show, expressed disappointment, proclaiming that "the position is shit... it is a festival where it is about placing first before second and second before third, and we have finished in 22nd."[58]El País' Carlos Marcos stated on 12 May, "[the result was a] little less than expected. But we liked their performance... for better or worse, they control the situation, they are back from everything, [and] they went there to enjoy and no one was going to ruin their moment of exposure and glory".[59]
^Hachmi, Najat El (9 February 2024)."No me llames zorra" [Don't call me a bitch].El País (in Spanish).Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved4 June 2024.
^abSolano, Cristhian (29 April 2024)."Te contamos el día a día de Nebulossa en Malmö" [We recount you Nebulossa's daily schedule in Malmö].ESCplus España (in European Spanish).Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved29 April 2024.
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