Belgium in need of better songs

After two internal selections in a row, Flemish broadcaster VRT decided to go for a big national final instead this time. A great idea. If you can organise a good selection show where you invite the audience to take part, it is always better than just making a choice and keep the viewers out of the game.

But then there are better and worse ways of doing the open final thing.

VRT decided to have hopeful talents audition in front of a panel of judges by singing cover versions of famous eurovision entries in order to qualify and only then find themselves a song to compete with. Very much in the vein of The Voice or X-Factor, you start with the talent and focus on voices and performing skills.

This isn't a talent show, though. This is Eurovision. Different game, different rules.

One of the main rules of Eurovision is that great talent very seldom makes up for a lack of songs. It doesn't matter how good you can sing if you don't have a meaningful entry to wrap your vocal chords around. And in Belgium you can really tell that the songs have not been a priority this year.

Out of the six finalists there is only one that has a song I believe in. That is pretty meagre for a national final. Most probably, the winner will be a pompous over-blown ballad with pathetic lyrics about how attached grown up men can be to their mothers.

So be it. Tastes differ. If the Belgians love that song, it is their choice. But I think VRT would be better off next time if they started by finding six really terrific songs and then went looking for suitable talent to perform them well.

By the way, this is the song I'd select. Classy and emotional, performed by a Flemish Jeane Manson.

I bet the Belgians won't vote for it.



Sil - What's The Time In Tokyo? (Belgium NF 2014)