More than 3.9 billion people, or half of the world’s population, have now been asked or ordered to stay at home by their governments to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. The unknown of the pandemic – how long it will last, who it will affect, and how it could change our lives forever – it’s so anxiety-provoking. This is also the case for Blas Cantó.

The artist who was due to represent Spain in Eurovision 2020 recently published a statement through his Instagram profile, referring to his family, in which he explains that he suffers from anxiety. The cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, his dream since he was a little child, due to coronavirus pandemic has affected his health.

View this post on Instagram

Gracias ✨

A post shared by Blas Cantó (@blascanto_es) on Apr 18, 2020 at 11:11am PDT

Blas Cantó details some of these symptoms, such as insomnia, bad mood, sadness, hoarseness, respiratory difficulties, dizziness.

I begged my managers to cancel everything. Even so, I kept on fulfilling all the commitments that, with pleasure, I always attend, but as time went by my anxiety grew, until one day I begged my managers to cancel everything I had to do. This situation was killing me. It needed to stop.

He also remembers that he suffered a similar situation in 2015 when he was part of the Auryn band:

I remember in 2015 that we had had a record signing, at night I woke up at 5 in the morning, trembling and with 38.5 fever. We called the doctor and after talking to him for a long time, he made me understand that my mind was at the limit. And my body warned me.

Blas Cantó mentions that what hurts him most now is the suffering he causes to his family, friends, fans, and co-workers. At the end of his statement, Blas declares positivity and willingness to face new personal and professional goals:

I know that we are going to get out of this and that those who, like me, that suffer the same, will be free and will breathe again. Very little left. And I will sing… I will sing.

Blas Cantó in Eurovision

On 5 October 2019, the Spanish national broadcaster RTVE announced Blas Cantó as the Spanish entrant at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. His song Universo was released on 30 January together with its official music video. However, due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the contest got cancelled.

On 18 March, RTVE confirmed Blas Cantó once again as their representative in the upcoming Eurovision 2021, which will most likely be held in Rotterdam.

Source: RTVE