Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020

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Eurovision Song Contest 2020
CountryFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
National selection
Selection processInternal selection
Selection date(s)Artist: 1 October 2019
Song: 17 February 2020
Selected entrant Hooverphonic
Selected song"Release Me"
Selected songwriter(s)
Finals performance
Final resultContest cancelled
Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2019 •2020• 2021►

Belgium originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "Release Me" written by Alex Callier and Luca Chiaravalli. The song was performed by the band Hooverphonic, which was internally selected by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) in October 2019 to represent the nation at the 2020 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The song, "Release Me", was presented to the public on 17 February 2020.

Contents

Belgium was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which would have taken place on 12 May 2020. However, the contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

Prior to the 2020 contest, Belgium had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest sixty-one times since its debut as one of seven countries to take part in 1956. [1] Since then, the country has won the contest on one occasion in 1986 with the song "J'aime la vie" performed by Sandra Kim. Following the introduction of semi-finals for 2004, Belgium had been featured in only six finals. In 2019, Eliot represented the country with the song "Wake Up", placing thirteenth in the first semi-final and failing to advance to the final.

The Belgian broadcaster for the 2020 contest, who broadcasts the event in Belgium and organises the selection process for its entry, was Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). The Belgian participation in the contest alternates between two broadcasters: the Flemish VRT and the Walloon Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF). Both broadcasters have selected the Belgian entry using national finals and internal selections in the past. In 2018 and 2019, both VRT and RTBF internally selected the Belgian entry. On 24 May 2019, VRT confirmed Belgium's participation in the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest and continued the internal selection procedure. [2]

Before Eurovision

Internal selection

The Belgian entry for the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest was selected via an internal selection by VRT. On 7 September 2019, the broadcaster's general music coordinator Gerrit Kerremans revealed that the artist would be selected by an A&R Team (Arts and Repertoire) consisting of music experts and that several acts were being considered. [3] [4] On 1 October 2019, the broadcaster announced that the band Hooverphonic would represent Belgium in Rotterdam. [5] The song the band would perform at the contest, "Release Me", was presented to the public on 17 February 2020 during the radio MNM programme De Grote Peter Van de Veire Ochtendshow. [6] [7] The song was written by member of Hooverphonic, Alex Callier, along with Luca Chiaravalli. [8] The music video for the song, directed by Matthias Lebeer, was released on the same day of the presentation. [9]

At Eurovision

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 28 January 2020, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Belgium was placed into the first semi-final, to be held on 12 May 2020, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show. [10] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the contest was cancelled.

Prior to the Eurovision Song Celebration YouTube broadcast in place of the semi-finals, it was revealed that Belgium was set to perform in position 9, before the entry from Russia and after the entry from Malta. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest</span>

Belgium has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 64 times since making its debut as one of seven countries at the first contest in 1956. The only countries with the same number or more appearances are Germany (66), France (65) and the United Kingdom (65). Belgium have been absent only three times in total, in 1994, 1997 and 2001, due to low scores in the previous contests that relegated them from the contest. Belgium has won the contest once, in 1986.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with the song "Je t'adore" written by Kate Ryan, Niklas Bergwall, Niclas Kings and Lisa Greene. The song was performed by Kate Ryan. The Belgian entry for the 2006 contest in Athens, Greece was selected through the national final Eurosong '06, organised by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). The competition featured twenty-eight competing entries and consisted of seven shows. In the final on 19 February 2006, "Je t'adore" performed by Kate Ryan was selected as the winner via the votes of seven jury groups and a public televote.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "1 Life" written by Dirk Paelinck and Marc Paelinck. The song was performed by Xandee. The Belgian entry for the 2004 contest in Istanbul, Turkey was selected through the national final Eurosong '04, organised by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). The competition featured twenty-eight competing entries and consisted of five shows. In the final on 15 February 2004, "1 Life" performed by Xandee was selected as the winner via the votes of five voting groups.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song "Love Power" written by Paul Curtiz and Wakas Ashiq. The song was performed by the band The KMG's, which was internally selected by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) in February 2007 to represent the nation at the 2007 contest in Helsinki, Finland. The song, "Love Power", was released on 23 February 2007 and officially presented to the public on 26 February 2007. This was the first time that a Walloon entry was performed in English at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999 with the song "Like the Wind" written by Ilia Beyers, John Terra, Emma Philippa-Hjälmås and Wim Claes. The song was performed by Vanessa Chinitor. The Belgian entry for the 1999 contest in Jerusalem, Israel was selected through the national final Eurosong '99, organised by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). The competition featured twenty-five competing entries and consisted of three shows. In the final on 28 February 1999, "Je t'adore" performed by Kate Ryan was selected as the winner via the votes of three televoting groups and two jury groups.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 with the song "Sanomi" written by Yves Barbieux. The song was performed by the group Urban Trad, which was internally selected by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) in December 2002 to represent the nation at the 2003 contest in Riga, Latvia. The song, "Sanomi", was presented to the public on 31 March 2003.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 with the song "Sister" written by Dirk Paelinck and Marc Paelinck. The song was performed by the group Sergio and the Ladies. The Belgian entry for the 2002 contest in Tallinn, Estonia was selected through the national final Eurosong 2002, organised by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). VRT returned to the Eurovision Song Contest after a one-year absence following their relegation from 2001 as one of the bottom six countries in the 2000 contest. The competition featured twenty-eight competing entries and consisted of five shows. In the final on 17 February 2002, "Sister" performed by Sergio @ the Ladies was selected as the winner via the votes of five voting groups. The group was renamed as Sergio and the Ladies for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "O Julissi" written by Michel Vangheluwe. The song was performed by the band Ishtar. The Belgian entry for the 2008 contest in Belgrade, Serbia was selected through the national final Eurosong '08, organised by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). The competition featured twenty competing entries and consisted of seven shows. In the final on 9 March 2008, "O Julissi Na Jalini" performed by Ishtar was selected as the winner via a public televote. The song was later retitled as "O Julissi".

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Copycat" written by Benjamin Schoos and Jacques Duvall. The song was performed by the group Copycat, which was internally selected by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) in February 2009 to represent the nation at the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. The song, "Copycat", was presented to the public on 10 March 2009.

Belgium participated at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "Me and My Guitar" written by Tom Dice, Jeroen Swinnen and Ashley Hicklin. The song was performed by Tom Dice, who was internally selected by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) in November 2009 to represent the nation at the 2010 contest in Oslo, Norway. The song, "Me and My Guitar", was presented to the public on 7 March 2010 during the television special Eurosong 2010: een song voor Tom Dice!.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 with the song "Envie de vivre" written by Silvio Pezzuto. The song was performed by Nathalie Sorce. The Belgian entry for the 2000 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was selected through the national final Finale Nationale Concours Eurovision de la Chanson 2000, organised by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF). In the final on 18 February 2000 which featured ten competing entries, "Envie de vivre" performed by Nathalie Sorce was selected as the winner solely by public televoting, receiving 21,362 votes.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song "Would You?" written by Nina Sampermans, Jean Bosco Safari and Walter Mannaerts. The song was performed by Iris, who was internally selected by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) in November 2011 to represent the nation at the 2012 contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. The song was selected through the national final Eurosong 2012: Een song voor Iris, which was organised by VRT and featured two songs. In the final on 17 March 2012, "Would You?" was selected as the winning song after gaining 53% of the public televote.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "What's the Pressure" written by Sanne Putseys, Louis Favre, Birsen Uçar and Yannick Werther. The song was performed by Laura Tesoro. The Belgian entry for the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was selected through the national final Eurosong 2016, organised by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). The competition featured five competing acts and consisted of two presentation shows and a final. In the final on 17 January 2016, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first selected the top two via the votes of ten international jury groups and a public televote, while the second selected the winner solely by public televoting. "What's the Pressure" performed by Laura Tesoro was the winner after placing first during both rounds of voting.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "A Matter of Time" written by Laura Groeseneken, Alex Callier and Maxime Tribeche. The song was performed by Sennek, which is the artistic name of singer Laura Groeseneken who was internally selected by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) in September 2017 to represent the nation at the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal. The song, "A Matter of Time", was presented to the public on 5 March 2018.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Wake Up" written by Eliot Vassamillet and Pierre Dumoulin. The song was performed by Eliot, which is the artistic name of singer Eliot Vassamillet who was internally selected by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) in January 2019 to represent the nation at the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel. The song, "Wake Up", was presented to the public on 28 February 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Release Me (Hooverphonic song)</span> 2020 song by Hooverphonic

"Release Me" is a song by the Belgian band Hooverphonic. It would have represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. The song was released as a digital download on 17 February 2020.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "The Wrong Place" written by Alex Callier and Charlotte Foret. The song was performed by the band Hooverphonic, which was internally selected by the Belgian broadcasters Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) and Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) in March 2020 to represent the nation at the 2021 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands, after they were due to compete in the 2020 contest with "Release Me" before the 2020 event's cancellation. The song, "The Wrong Place", was presented to the public on 4 March 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wrong Place</span> 2021 song by Hooverphonic

"The Wrong Place" is a song by Belgian band Hooverphonic. The song represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, after being internally selected by the national broadcasters Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) and Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF).

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy, with "Miss You" performed by Jérémie Makiese. Makiese was internally selected by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) in September 2021 to represent the nation at the 2022 contest, while the song, "Miss You", was presented to the public on 10 March 2022.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, with the song "Because of You" performed by Gustaph. The Belgian entry for the 2023 contest was selected through the national final Eurosong 2023, organised by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). The competition featured seven competing acts and consisted of five songclub shows and a final. In the final on 14 January 2023, "Because of You" performed by Gustaph was selected as the winner via the votes of a fifteen-member jury panel and a public vote.

References

  1. ↑ "Belgium Country Profile". EBU . Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  2. ↑ Jiandani, Sanjay (Sergio) (24 May 2019). "Belgium: VRT confirms participation in Eurovision 2020". Esctoday. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  3. ↑ van Rossem, Aline (2 September 2019). "Belgium: Search for Eurovision 2020 artist in full swing". escXtra. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "'VRT's preferred candidate for Eurovision 2020 considers participation'". songfestival.be. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  5. ↑ Farren, Neil (1 October 2019). "Belgium: Hooverphonic to Eurovision 2020". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "Hooverphonic met 'Release Me' naar Songfestival 2020". songfestival.be (in Dutch). 17 February 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  7. ↑ Farren, Neil (17 February 2020). "Belgium: Hooverphonic to Sing "Release Me" at Eurovision 2020". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Belgium: Hooverphonic premiers official music video for 'Release Me'". eurovision.tv. 17 February 2020.
  9. ↑ "Bekijk hier videoclip 'Release Me' van Hooverphonic". songfestival.be (in Dutch). 17 February 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  10. ↑ Groot, Evert (28 January 2020). "Which country performs in which Eurovision 2020 Semi-Final". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  11. ↑ Eurovision Song Contest (14 May 2020). "Part two of Eurovision Song Celebration" . Retrieved 3 June 2020.
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