"Antes muerta que sencilla" (English: "I'd rather be dead than plain") is a song composed and written by Spanish singer María Isabel in 2004, when she was nine years old. It represented Spain in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Lillehammer, winning the competition with a then record total of 171 points. It became a huge hit in Spain, Latin America, Japan, and it was also a top ten hit in France, and a top twenty in Switzerland. It was the first single of her first album ¡No me toques las palmas que me conozco! released on 2 November 2004.
| "Antes muerta que sencilla" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by María Isabel | ||||
| from the album ¡No me toques las palmas que me conozco! | ||||
| Released | 2004 | |||
| Label | Universal Music Group | |||
| Songwriter(s) | María Isabel | |||
| María Isabel singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004 entry | ||||
| Country | ||||
| Artist(s) | ||||
| Language | ||||
| Composer(s) | María Isabel | |||
| Lyricist(s) | María Isabel | |||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Final result | 1st | |||
| Final points | 171 | |||
| Entry chronology | ||||
| ◄ "Desde el cielo" (2003) | ||||
| "Te traigo flores" (2005) ► | ||||
| Official performance video | ||||
| "Antes muerta que sencilla" on YouTube | ||||
A cover version titled "Antes muertas que sencillas" was recorded by Regional Mexican band Los Horóscopos de Durango and became popular among the Duranguense scene, gaining huge success in the United States and Mexico. The same title was used for their 2006 album.
Background
editNational selection
editBetween 7 and 21 September 2004, "Antes muerta que sencilla" performed by María Isabel competed in Eurojunior 2004, the national selection organised by Televisión Española (TVE) to select its song and performer for the 2nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The song won the competition becoming the Spanish entrant, and María Isabel the performer, for Junior Eurovision.[1] On 2 November 2004, she released her first album ¡No me toques las palmas que me conozco! of which "Antes muerta que sencilla" was the first single.
Junior Eurovision
editOn 20 November 2004, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Håkons Hall in Lillehammer hosted by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), and broadcast live throughout the continent. María Isabel performed "Antes muerta que sencilla" fifteenth on the evening.[2] At the close of voting, the song had received 171 points, winning the competition.[3]
Aftermath
editOn 26 November 2005, the 3rd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Ethias Arena in Hasselt hosted by Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF) and Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep (VRT). María Isabel performed a medley of "Antes muerta que sencilla" and her new single "Pues va a ser que no" from her second album Número 2 as part of the interval act. She also presented the prize to the winner of the competition.[4]
On 20 November 2010, the 8th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Minsk-Arena in Minsk hosted by the Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC). María Isabel performed "Antes muerta que sencilla" in a medley with all the previous winners of the contest as part of the interval act. They also presented the trophy to the new winner at the end of the show.[5] On 11 December 2022, the song was also performed at the 20th edition's interval act as part of the 20th anniversary winners medley, in this case by the Tavush Diocese Children’s Choir.[6]
Charts
edit"Antes muerta que sencilla" became a huge hit in Spain, Latin America, Japan, and it was also a top ten hit in France, and a top twenty in Switzerland.
Weekly charts
edit| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Wallonia Singles Chart)[7] | 36 |
| France (SNEP Singles Chart)[8] | 6 |
| Germany (German Singles Chart)[9] | 89 |
| Italy (FIMI)[10] | 34 |
| Switzerland (Swiss Singles Chart)[11] | 18 |
Legacy
editLos Horóscopos de Durango cover
editA cover version titled "Antes muertas que sencillas" was recorded by Regional Mexican band Los Horóscopos de Durango and became popular among the Duranguense scene, gaining huge success in the United States and Mexico. [citation needed] The same title was used for their 2006 album.
References
edit- ^ "TVE-1 ofrece la fase final de "Eurojunior 2"". elDiario.es (in Spanish). 7 September 2004. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004". Junior Eurovision Song Contest. 20 November 2004. NRK / EBU.
- ^ "Official Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004 scoreboard". Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
- ^ "Remember the 2005 Junior Eurovision Song Contest?". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ All previous winners together on YouTube at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010
- ^ "Junior Eurovision 2022: 11 Champions will perform in Yerevan!". junioreurovision.tv. 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
- ^ ""Antes Muerta que Sencilla", Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
- ^ ""Antes Muerta que Sencilla", French Singles Chart" (in French). Lescharts. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
- ^ ""Antes Muerta que Sencilla", in various singles charts". Acharts. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- ^ ""Antes Muerta que Sencilla", Italian Singles Chart". Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- ^ ""Antes Muerta que Sencilla", Swiss Singles Chart". Hitparade. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2010.