Belgium: The Nation On Stage

Belgium: Blog 2

           For the most part, Eurovision performances tell a story but are portrayed in different ways. These choices are made with a distinct purpose, especially since over 180 million people will be watching a single three-minute performance to be forever associated with the country. Belgium’s choices of Eurovision performers and types of performances can show how they want to be represented as a country and their stance on diversity.

           Belgium’s Loïc Nottet (2015) was only 17 years old when he was on stage for the Eurovision Finals in 2015 but was not afraid to show the world a unique performance. He performed a song called “Rhythm Inside” (2015) in Vienna with over 200 million people watching (Eurovision.tv). Nottet performed with much passion and confidence. Nottet stood out from the other performers on stage due to a contrast in colors of clothing. He was wearing black while the backup performers were wearing all white. The performance was different than traditional Eurovision performances. He was never in the middle of the backup singers, always on the side, creating a very different feel in the performance. Throughout the song, the performers would do a slow march, forward and backward in different directions, and Nottet even put his hand over his face and acted like he was ripping his face away, creating an even more unusual feeling in the performance. Nottet was even laying down and signing during the performance. The performance felt weird, but it was a good weird. Nottet was heavily involved in the creation of this performance by collaborating on the choreography and design of the outfits (Eurovision.tv). Nottet clearly had a vision for this song and wanted it to be expressed in a unique way. This is a lot of pressure on only a 17-year-old, but he was looked confident and passionate in his performance. All of the singers would move with the rhythm of the song, and this is also expressed in the lyrics of the song “The rhythm inside is telling us” and “I‘m gonna get that rhythm back” (Eurovision.tv). Rhythm is universal; you do not need to speak a certain language to feel the rhythm of a song. The song has a positive feeling with the upbeat chorus and the bright lights. This song really stood out compared to most Eurovision performances due to the unique choreography on stage. Nottet’s performance finished fourth in the Grand Finals.

            In Belgium’s 2016 performance, singer Laura Tesoro (2016) was also young at the age of 19. Tesoro sang another upbeat song, “What’s the Pressure” (2016), that was a mixture of pop and funk. The performance starts out with the singers waving around a black, yellow, and red towel, the Belgium national colors. The performance is very upbeat and energizing. Throughout the performance Tesoro shows off her dancing skills, keeping the energy high. Tesoro uses the crowd near the end of the song to help create a feeling that the live audience is engaged and enjoying the performance by walking out to the island stage and talking to the crowd between lines. The background of the stage is yellow and red, which are warm colors but also again Belgium’s national colors. The lyrics present a strong message within the song. In the melody, Tesoro sings “What’s the pressure? - You will grow - You will know in the end - This is fiction - It's in your mind - Live your life instead” (Eurovision.tv). The song presents the idea that there should be no pressure in life. One will grow and learn from events, and that they should go live their lives how they want to. This is a feel-good song. The message of the song is to just do what makes you happy in life and the performance reflected this. All of the performers were smiling the whole time. The song is catchy and cheerful with energetic visuals to look at the entire time. Tesoro looked confident and was just having a good time on stage and with the live audience. She made herself seem young and enthusiastic while having a great time. With a top ten finish in the grand finals, it is a performance to be proud of.

             To continue with the theme of young singers, Belgium also chose a young singer to represent themselves in the 2017 Eurovision Final. Just like Loïc Nottet (2015, Belgium), Ellie Delvaux (2017), better known as Blanche, was also only 17 years old when she performed in Kyiv, Ukraine. But unlike the two performances before Blanche’s by Belgium, she was not filled with confidence. In Delvaux’s song “City Lights” (2017), she looks very nervous, almost petrified on stage not moving one step in any direction the whole time. The lyrics “All alone in the danger zone” (Eurovision.tv) push this theme of loneliness in the performance. Blanche wore a black dress and stood in the center of the stage alone for the whole performance. There were bright lights all around her, could be interpreted as city lights, but they were never with her. In a big city, there can be a sense of being anonymous or unknown because there are so many people around you. This can also express the same idea that the performance expressed of being alone. In the lyrics, Blanche sings, “The storm in your eyes - The storm in your bright eyes” (Eurovision.tv). On stage, Blanche stood in the middle of rings that would pulse around her, to couple with the lights that were always around her. She could be standing in the eye of the storm, and this would play with the scared and petrified look she presented with on stage. Blanche’s performance was loved by Eurovision, finishing fourth in the Grand Finals.

            Belgium’s 2015-2017 performances at Eurovision were something to truly be proud of for all Belgians. Three consecutive top ten finished after failed to even make the Grand Finals the year before. Belgium had expressed some similarities in their last three performances, choosing very young singers to represent them at ages 17 and 19. Bringing this youth has brought a creative and energy to Eurovision for them with some modern but unique music. Belgium believes in their youth has the talent to perform well in front of all of Europe. Belgium’s performances from 2015-2017 have also all been in English, not one of their national languages. This is a very safe choice by Belgium, picking either French or Dutch song could bring controversy within the country with one side liking the song, and the other hating it immediately. Belgium clearly does not want to stir up any controversy domestically or internationally, with no songs with about politics or other nations, conforming to the idea of peace that Belgium intends to express. Belgium was still committed to diversity in the 2015-2017 performances. The young singers all offered different types of music that all have different stories or themes. Nottet’s “Rhythm Inside” was a unique performance with this idea of rhythm that just makes you want to dance. Tesoro’s “What’s the Pressure” (2016) portrayed a strong message to just live your life and do what makes you feel happy in the form of an energetic pop and funk performance, while Delvaux’s song “City Lights” (2017) was about being all alone, even in a city with so many people or things going on around you. Belgium’s versatility and creativeness in their performances that have been supported by votes in the Eurovision Grand Finals.

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Works Referenced

“Blanche”. (2017). Eurovision.tv. Retrieved from https://eurovision.tv/participant/blanche/info

Delvaux, E. (2017). City Lights (Belgium). Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Kyiv [DVD]. Baarn, NL: Universal Music Group

“Laura Tesoro”. (2016). Eurovision.tv. Retrieved from https://eurovision.tv/participant/laura-tesoro/info

“Loïc Nottet”. (2015). Eurovision.tv. Retrieved from https://eurovision.tv/participant/loic-nottet/info

            Nottet, L. (2015). Rhythm Inside (Belgium). Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Vienna. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G48p8eNhnd8

            Tesoro, L. (2016). What’s the Pressure (Belgium). Eurovision Song Contest 2016 Stockholm [DVD]. Baarn, NL: Universal Music Group