The news that has been circulating in music circles for several months was finally officially confirmed on October 15: Amaia Montero, the ‘golden voice’ and one of the founding members, is returning to La Oreja de Van Gogh. At the same time, it was announced that guitarist Pablo Benegas will temporarily step back from his duties, without leaving the band entirely. These changes come exactly one year after the unexpected departure of Leire Martínez, who had been the face of the group for 17 years.
For decades, the group’s image remained impeccable, but the events of the past year have undoubtedly taken a toll. To understand the scale of the consequences, we reached out to communications and digital marketing experts who analyzed how the band’s recent management decisions have affected its reputation.
Many were surprised by the choice of platform for such an important announcement. Initially, the message appeared on the group’s official website and was later duplicated on social media. One public relations specialist believes this was a deliberate move to maintain control over the situation. Publishing on their own resource gives the statement an official status and helps avoid an immediate wave of uncontrolled comments. It’s a way to convey information without engaging in dialogue, which makes sense if the band is not yet ready to answer uncomfortable questions.
However, another expert sees this as a serious mistake and a lack of consistency. In his view, at such a delicate moment, the message should have been identical and simultaneous across all channels to demonstrate clarity and transparency. As a result, the media quoted the dry text from the website while pairing it with emotional photos and videos from social networks, creating an impression of complete disorganization.
Analyzing the content of the message itself, both experts agree that it was excessively cold. They described the tone as overly neutral and bureaucratic, which does not match the scale of the changes taking place. The public expected warmth and empathy from the musicians, but instead received a text that resembled a corporate report rather than a heartfelt message to loyal listeners.
The timing of the announcement also played a significant role. It came amid numerous rumors, fueled by a careless statement from Amaia Montero’s friend, who inadvertently confirmed her return long before the official release. One analyst believes this leak caught the band off guard, and the lack of a swift response only exacerbated the situation, sparking even more speculation. Another does not rule out the possibility that the rumors were deliberately allowed. According to him, this is a standard strategy used to “test the waters,” gauge audience reaction, and measure nostalgia levels ahead of a major announcement.
Communications specialists point out that the group missed a great opportunity to tell a genuine, heartfelt story. Their band is not a marketing project, but a story of real people who have known each other since their youth, have been through a lot together, and have overcome hardships. Instead, the silence and contradictory statements only bred distrust. One expert suggested a better, two-step approach: first, to say a warm and human farewell to the bygone era, thanking Leire and Pablo, and only then to make a powerful and strategic announcement about Amaia’s return. According to him, such a message should have given people goosebumps, but that never happened.
All these missteps had a direct impact on the La Oreja de Van Gogh brand. Experts agree that the group’s reputation has suffered significantly at this moment. The communication strategy made them look more like calculating businessmen than sincere musicians. For a group whose identity is built on feeling and emotion, such dissonance could cause lasting cracks in their relationship with fans if they do not take steps toward more authentic communication soon.
