Spain's Eurovision song contest hopeful selected at Benidorm Fest 2025 and she lives on the Costa del Sol

Melody is the name of the moment in Spanish pop music after winning Saturday's Benidorm Fest 2025 and becoming Spain's next representative at the Eurovision song contest. The singer became popular as a child with her album 'De Pata Negra', which included the famous 'El Baile del Gorila'. She was only ten years old at that time and, since then, her career and her personal life have moved on a lot. As part of that progress Malaga province has played an important role as the main residence for this artist for the most recent stretch of her adult life, somewhere to form a family and give a new boost to her career.

Melodía Ruiz Gutiérrez, known in the music industry as Melody, was born in Dos Hermanas (Seville) in 1990. From a musical family, she started singing and dancing at a very young age. She also studied guitar, piano and acting and success came soon after, sponsored by El Fary, who was captivated by the talent of the young girl from Seville. Melody didn't want to stay in the role of 'child star', though, and her music was number one in over 15 countries and sold over one million copies. She has also managed to carve out a career with six studio albums, overseas tours, appearances on Spanish TV shows like 'Tu cara me suena' and even making her debut as an actress in a TV series and a film.

Still, few people know that the artist, who jealously guards her personal life, has lived on the Costa del Sol for several years, although she has also had periods of residence in Mexico and Miami. In fact, she has raised her family in Malaga province. In 2024, Melody gave birth to Cairo, her first child, the result of her relationship with Ignacio Batallán, an Argentinian model and volleyball player. The couple settled in Fuengirola and from there they have made a life together. Ignacio Batallán is a personal trainer at a gym he owns in Fuengirola - that is where he met the woman who is now his partner - and he is also the head of Fuengirola's volleyball club. After his time as a professional volleyball player, he has also been linked to the world of basketball, as he was the physical trainer of the Ivory Coast national team in the last Fiba basketball world cup.

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Melody and Ignacio live in an impressive two-storey villa in the heart of the Costa del Sol. Little is known about the house, although in some social media posts the singer has revealed some details of her home. It is a family home, with high walls and lots of privacy. It has a large outdoor area with gardens and pool, with Balinese beds and an interior with minimalist decor and spacious rooms.

Melody likes Malaga so much that last year she even volunteered to take part in the spectacle of the famous Christmas lights in Calle Larios, commenting in front of the cameras of Canal Malaga, the city's municipal television channel. There she confessed that she has been living in the province for years: "Malaga is a place that is already in my heart, I have my family here, I feel so good here." Interestingly, Melody collaborated in 2023 with María Peláe from Malaga, also a previous Eurovision hopeful. Together they released the song 'La Putukita'. María Peláe came second in 2024 at the Benidorm Fest.