Belgium: Blog Post 3
Belgium’s Eurovision performances used nation branding to
advertise their country to all of those around the world. Sometimes
advertisements do not correctly portray the product, and that is the case here
with Belgium. Their use of nation branding did not reflect their national identity.
Paul Jordan defines nation banding as
“the
phenomenon by which governments engage in self-conscious activities aimed at
producing a certain image of the nation state (Bolin & Ståhlberg, 2010, p.
82), can be understood as a commercial practice … as a means for a nation state
to redefine and reposition itself within the master narrative of globalization
(Jansen 2008).” (Jordan, 2014, P.16)
Belgium’s Eurovision performances from
2015-2017 participate in nation branding, and in this blog post I will examine
how this compares to the country’s national identity.
In Blog Post One
I highlighted that Belgium is a young country that has seen the worst of two
World Wars. To help protect themselves they became founding members of both the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization “NATO” and the European Union “EU”.
To further this, both of these organizations headquarters are in Brussels, the
capital of Belgium. Clearly Belgium is heavily invested in these two groups to
keep the peace and in turn keep them safe from another war. I also mentioned
that in 2010 and 2011, the Belgian government shut down for a total of eighteen
months. What I failed to mention then and now see is that the country is
completely divided. Belgium is country with two dominant cultural and
linguistic groups being the Flemish, speaking Dutch, and the Walloons, speaking
French. There is a divide in the country culturally, politically, economically,
and many other ways between these two groups. These two sides inability to cooperate
has made legislation hard to pass, only increasing the hate for the other side.
Economically, the Flemish have more wealth than the Walloons. These differences
make it extremely hard to unify these two groups, and this is all the countries
expense.
Blog Post Two analyzed Belgium’s performances
at Eurovision from 2015-2017. In 2015, Belgium’s representative was Loïc Nottet, who
put on a unique performance with the song “Rhythm Inside” (2015). Nottet sings, “And if we die tomorrow
/ What do we have to show / For the wicked ways down below / The rhythm inside is telling us / We can fly tomorrow” (Eurovision.tv). Nottet asks the
question of what we are really doing in our lives. There are bad ways in life,
but if we follow the natural rhythm of our lives, then we will succeed or
“fly”. Nottet sings, “We are put here to discover” (Eurovision.tv). He is
expressing this idea of wanting to be creative, different, and to discover new
things. He also sings “The heart that beats within each other” (Eurovision.tv)
adding this idea that we are all connected. Loïc Nottet’s performance also had this sense of something different or
against the grain. This was in line with the song and lyrics. In 2016, Laura Tesoro performed a song titled
“What’s the Pressure” (2016). The lyrics present a strong message within the
song. 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). 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. Tesoro also sings, “Even though these rules they / Tryna take over me” and “I
see massive walls weighing down the people all around /They don’t seem to mind
at all” (Eurovision.tv). The song presents
this idea that people are being caged in or restricted by rules and are doing
nothing to prevent this. Their lives now are “fiction” or fake and they need to
be themselves instead. And finally, in 2017 Ellie Delvaux, better known as Blanche,
performed “City Lights” (2017 a.). 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. The lyrics “All alone in the danger zone / Are you ready to take my hand”
(Eurovision.tv) could have a deeper theme than just loneliness in them. She is
referring to the two divided sides of the country, the Flemish and Walloon, and
that they need to come together. The lyrics “All alone in the flame of doubt /
Are we going to lose it all” (Eurovision.tv) are trying to highlight the two
sides inability to handle the situation of the country and are risking losing
it all. The song highlights the tension in the county.
To add to Blog Post Two, since the
country is divided, there are also two different broadcasters that take turns
to represent Belgium for Eurovision, a Flemish and a Walloon broadcaster. Prior
to 2015, Belgium did not have very good performances at Eurovision, failing to
qualify for the finals eight or the prior ten years. Then the Walloon
broadcaster in 2015 with Loïc Nottet’s “Rhythm Inside” (2015) finished
fourth in the grand finals. This was a great look for the Walloon broadcaster.
In reply, the Flemish also produced a top ten finish in 2016 with Laura Tesoro’s “What’s the
Pressure” (2016). And to raise the bar even higher, the Walloons responded with
another fourth place finish in the form of Blanche’s “City Lights” (2017 b.). In my
opinion, the competition and pride form the groups within the country are
driving these broadcasters to take Eurovision a little more seriously. The
Flemish had not had a good performance at Eurovision in recent years until the
Walloons had the year before.
I also believe
that all of the songs I have analyzed have been in English on purpose. If any
of the performances had been sung in French or Dutch, there would be an
immediate hatred for the song within its own country due to people’s own bias.
By singing in English, it helps keep the peace within their own country. But
even still there are differences in music bias between the two sides. For
example, Laura Tesoro’s “What’s the Pressure” peaked on the Flemish Belgian
song charts to number two (Ultratop 50). Now the same song, measured during the
same year by the official record charts of Belgium, within the same country now
measured the Walloon Belgian song chart peaked at number fifteen (Ultratop 50).
Now this could be due to the bias between these two sides or they just do not
have the same taste in music. The year before, Loïc Nottet’s “Rhythm Inside” topped
the charts in both the Walloon’s and Flemish’s charts. So clearly both sides
liked to listen to the song. The Eurovision hype can only take a song so high
on the charts. To reach number one then the people measure must like the song.
The following year Nottet released another song called “Million Eyes” that
reached number two with the Walloons, but number 23 with the Flemish (Ultratop
50). This is a song by the same person that peaked both of their charts the
year before and the following year he releases a top two song for the Walloons,
but it is not even a top twenty song for the Flemish. This shows me that there
is a bias within the country, even in music.
After
analyzing all of Belgium’s performances from 2015-2017, especially their
lyrics, I believe that all of the songs can create the impression of change and
unity. These performers are all young and are looking to have an impact on the
future ahead of them. Loïc Nottet preached about following our hearts and that we are all
connected. Laura Tesoro sung about walls, or borders, that keep people divided.
As of now, people do not seem to mind but we need to change this. And finally, Blanche talked about being
alone in the middle of a conflict, two sides in the middle of battle risking it
all when it is clearly not worth it. Belgium over the past three years has
taken Eurovision much more seriously. This can be seen by their results, but
also by their message of nation branding. They are demonstrating this idea that
they are different from everyone. They are acting like Belgium is a place where
change happens, and unity is being formed. Belgium is portrayed as youthful and
new ways by their performers. When in reality, this is a complete misalignment
with their national identity. Ironically, they are the ones stuck with the old
ways, old grudges with each other. The Flemish and the Walloon’s differences divide
the country and slow any advancements. Their differences are so big that the
government had to shut down for eighteen months. Belgium creates this
impression that they hide behind their nation branding. They host NATO and the
EU, two organizations that are founded upon the idea of peace and bringing
people together, when in reality they cannot even bring their own country
together. Nation branding does not always reflect the national identity of a
country, and especially does not in Belgium’s case.
(Word
Count 1560)
References
Blanche. (2017 a.). City Lights (Belgium). Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Kyiv [DVD].
Baarn, NL: Universal Music Group
Jordan, P. (2015). The Modern Fairy Tale: Nation Branding,
National Identity and the Eurovision Song Contest in Estonia. University of
Tartu Press.
“Laura Tesoro”. (2016). Eurovision.tv. Retrieved from https://eurovision.tv/participant/laura-tesoro/info
“Laura Tesoro - What’s the Pressure”.
(2016). Ultratop 50. Retrieved from http://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/17224c/Laura-Tesoro-What%27s-The-Pressure
“Loïc Nottet”. (2015). Eurovision.tv. Retrieved from https://eurovision.tv/participant/loic-nottet/info
“Loïc Nottet – Rhythm Inside”. (2015). Ultratop 50. Retrieved from http://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/15613a/Loic-Nottet-Rhythm-Inside
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
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