BELGIUM: Elliot reviews Eurosong 2016

On Sunday, after three long Sundays of “Eurosong” Belgium finally selected their representative for Stockholm 2016. Miss Laura Tesoro emerged victorious, edging out favourite (going by social media buzz) Tom Franztis, and now I am here to dissect the good, the bad and the downright bizzare of this year’s Eurosong.

Firstly let’s discussion the selection night itself, I felt the show moved at an equal, smooth pace for the most part, the critique after each song wasn’t too long winded or invalid and it totally had the Eurovision feel to it. Secondly all the artists raised their game, not just in the sense that full staging was allowed, but you could see this was their last chance to impress and went full out to win those all important points for victory.

One point I got somewhat confused by was the following; after each act finished we saw them leave the stage and sit back on the sofa for them, however after the final act – Amaryllis performed, a flurry of streamers and confetti fell down onto and around her, looking like she had won almost and not just simply finished her and going back for a sit down.

Negatives have to be firstly the superfinal – there were so many holes in it and it almost was pointless having it. After the initially voting, the top two – Tom and Laura were brought on stage for the “Super Final” we knew the phone lines would reopen, what we (or more so I) didn’t know it that it would be for literally sixty seconds and the acts did not perform again.

I felt this gave no time for any fair result to reached, if they were solely going to use the votes from the Super Final, or any chance for the originally televote result to be overturned if they were still a factor, also the speed of it, again a literally minute had passed since the lines closed again and they had the result in their hand – does Belgium have a worlds fastest super computer to tally and verify the votes and we don’t know it?

Now to go down one by one of each finalist and their performance.

I felt Adil for opening the show did a good job, he sang well, the smoke on the floor and the dark lighting gave it a nice atmosphere and the camera angles were nice, I did however feel a little bored by the end of it and I was more distracted by the dancers, covered head to toe in bright neon coloured aluminous paint, it stood out but also became distracting which made the song itself forgettable.

Laura was the clear winner on the night

Up next was Laura – who I think has been watching the British X Factor and here’s why; take 2014 X Factor runner up Fleur East’s performance of Uptown Funk, lower the budget on staging, the sex appeal and power in the vocals and hey look! Laura’s song “What’s The Pressure” is left. She performed her best and could see tried every trick and dance move she had, but too me it came off at times desperate and too much. 

Tom followed Laura, my personal favourite heading into the night and I believe he still did a stellar job, he calmed down from the week before, no big grinning or laughing this week and delivered a serious performance, simplistic staging with just himself under a spotlight, a guitarist and drummer, which after the bravado of the first two songs was welcomed.

Astrid was fourth on the night, and like Tom she sang very well in my opinion, didn’t seem to miss any notes or have any trouble, however the whole stage and performance seemed boring! Her dancers were on something else with some of their dancing and she received the harshest comment of the night when Christopher Bjorkmann referred it to an “Interval Act” and “being missed in a contest of 43 songs” which I agree with, and judging by Astrid’s face when the comments were made, she was not too pleased about that.

Finally Amaryllis closed the show, and boy, did they leave the strangest to last! Her staging looked like she had decided it after watching a Bates Motel marathon, from the old patterned styled dressed to the old authentic looking chairs and lampsahdes surrounding, followed by a giant spider web rising behind her, then the web dropping and lampshades swinging around her! Yeah picture all that in three minutes. For me it was all too distracting form a poor song actually sang incredibly well by a very good singer. I hope Amaryllis does return next year with someone suited as a ballad to showcase how amazing her voice is.

Overall I think Laura is a not a bad choice for Belgium, she’s young and her youthful look and energy could do Belgium some good but I do see this as a borderline qualifier in the semi-finals, but Belgium have spoken and decided and now they, like us will have to wait and see what happens in May.

Elliot