Eurovision is all about reaching through the TV screen and grabbing a global audience. But being crowned the winner doesn’t always indicate chart success. Jamala, who won the 2016 contest, didn’t manage to dent the European market and Salvador Sobral, who won the most recent edition in May, hasn’t managed to leverage his win into long-lasting chart success either.

But looking further down the scoreboard from Kyiv, our readers have identified a talent they think has what it takes to hit the radio waves and earn some cold hard cash. After counting 6,028 votes, we can now reveal that Belgium’s Blanche has won the Vision Music Award 2017 for Most Likely To Succeed Commercially.

With her dreamy, radio-friendly track “City Lights”, the teen singer climbed the charts in sixteen different territories, and even reached No. 1 in Belgium and Lithuania. Her on-trend track also reached the Top Ten in Iceland and Finland, and peaked inside the Top 40 in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden and Spain.

Her on-point production and mainstream sound clearly serve her well even off the Eurovision stage. With her debut album in the pipeline, the future seems bright for this starlet who spent her summer courting gigs in Belgium and Germany. It’s no wonder legendary Hunger Games composer James Newton Howard recently performed alongside her on Belgian TV, singing her praises loud and clear afterwards.

Besides promoting her original Eurovision song on TV, she also dropped an acoustic version to mix it up and keep the headlines rolling.

That Blanche has what it takes to sustain a career post-Eurovision should come as no surprise.

Earlier this summer, we ran a poll revealing that “City Lights” is the most frequently played Eurovision 2017 song among our readers. That built on Blanche’s earlier success. Immediately after the first semi-final she climbed the iTunes charts in several countries, and she also won our poll for best video of the 2017 competition, ahead of Italy’s Francesco and Kristian Kostov from Bulgaria.

Blanche, who earned the second highest score with the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of musical unprofessionals — manages to appeal to the masses despite her highly independent sound. As we wrote ahead of Eurovision:

“A purveyor of dark pop, Blanche puts her rich and melodic vocals to stellar use on ‘City Lights’, which is easily the best studio cut of the year. Deliberately ignoring massive peaks and valleys, the song progresses in a linear fashion, adding dynamism through highly contemporary production that includes digital beats, electro-drumming and evolving rhythms. Such polished tracks can come off cold and sterile. But Blanche adds warmth through her vulnerability and overt longing. Regardless of the outcome at Eurovision, this deserves to be a radio hit.”

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED COMMERCIALLY

1. Belgium — Blanche 1,752 votes, 29.06%
2. Bulgaria — Kristian Kostov 1,502 votes, 24.92%
3. Italy — Francesco Gabbani 995 votes, 16.51%
4. Moldova — Sunstroke Project 680 votes, 11.28%
5. France — Alma 578 votes, 9.59%
6. Norway — JOWST 521 votes, 8.64%

Total Votes: 6,028

Blanche joins an esteemed list of former VMA winners, who have gone on to top the charts at home and abroad. These artists include Australia’s Dami Im in 2016, Belgium’s Loïc Nottet in 2015 and The Netherlands’ Common Linnets in 2014.

VISION MUSIC AWARDS 2017: THE NOMINEES

This award is just one of a dozen awards we have launched as part of the Vision Music Awards 2017 (VMAs).

Our 13 categories — from best dressed to most wronged at ESC — identify the contestants who left the biggest impression on Eurovision fans, regardless of whether they won the contest or not.

You can watch the nominations video and read more about the awards here.

VOTE IN MORE OF OUR EUROVISION POLLS

26 Comments
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Poison
Poison
6 years ago

Am I the only one who found Blanche’s song to be dull and her performance flat?

Kristian Kostov is the only one on that list I can realistically see as a big-time international star but might have trouble transitioning from ‘teen act’ to adult act.

escphbelgium
escphbelgium
6 years ago
Reply to  Poison

You don’t have to have a particular image to be a high-selling musician, you need just need to be yourself. That’s why Blanche won, she isn’t afraid to convert her fears into strengths, her vulnerability into emotions.

Also, artist like Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Birdy, London Grammar, Ansel Elgort, Alice on the roof, Adele, Hailee Steinfeld, Alison Wonderland, etc. don’t have a particular image and yet they still have successful music careers

AngieP
AngieP
6 years ago

In general, don’t take the results too seriously. It’s just a wiwibloggs poll.

I still love Blanche and her song! And she should do more music. She can succeed.

jj
jj
6 years ago

She looked so uncomfortable on stage – I don’t think she could handle being a real star.

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
6 years ago

Don’t see much international appeal but sure, she could definitely have a successful career in Belgium.

Zebb
Zebb
6 years ago

Good start of career, definitely.

Richardinho
Richardinho
6 years ago

This has to be the most stupid award ever. There’s a pretty clear way to judge if someone is commercially successful or not – and it isn’t this.
Would be interested to see how previous ‘winners’ have faired.

Stan
Stan
6 years ago

She’s still growing..

https://www.rtbf.be/auvio/detail_rendez-vous-grand-place-avec-blanche?id=2260497

but i think for Belgians only…

Nickfan
Nickfan
6 years ago

Alma is not (really) famous in France contrary to Amir.
She has not succeeded and is still behind the scenes 🙁

Dario
Dario
6 years ago

She looks like she was caught by a tornado and then thrown on that stage… That greasy hair, OMG….

beccaboo1212
6 years ago
Reply to  Dario

That’s mean! 🙁

Hada
Hada
6 years ago

So Francesco Gabbani, the guy who’s already commercially successful and who has a VEVO certified video with more than 150 million views, is only third in the “most likely to be commercially successful” poll.

Please don’t get into gambling, people.

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
6 years ago

I’m mad she isn’t releasing new music and an album. I’d totally be here for it. Also, she could collaborate with Clean Bandit (the only decent DJ team around lbr).

escphbelgium
escphbelgium
6 years ago

I think her album will be release next year, possibly early months, considering that market strategy always calls for this (I think David Guetta did the same thing). Also, yes, I really hope she’ll release a new song and collaborate with a DJ (money’s on Kygo)

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
6 years ago
Reply to  escphbelgium

Kygo’s productions are horrid and generic, I hope it’s not him. Maybe some French DJ would do since she’s from the area.

escphbelgium
escphbelgium
6 years ago

If French or Belgian DJs is what we’re talking about, my guess it would be Henri PFR, Madeon, David Guetta, or Lost Frequencies. Some of their songs could work well with Blanche’s voice.

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
6 years ago
Reply to  escphbelgium

I can’t see David Guetta’s sound working well with Blanche. He’s been stuck on the same beat since 2013. Lost Frequencies or DJ Snake, though, would do miracles with her.

escphbelgium
escphbelgium
6 years ago

I think Titanium or She Wolf (Falling To Pieces) would’ve work for Blanche if she wouldn’t do the high notes.

escphbelgium
escphbelgium
6 years ago

Also, about Kygo. Some of his song are great. It Ain’t Me and Raging are some of the songs that could have been Blanche’s songs. Also, I think she needs more light compositions to suit her voice.

Zebb
Zebb
6 years ago

With french vivid electronic dance scene I’d say renown producers may come as too picky for non-adult artist who still learns how to squeeze out a lot from vocal capabilities.

But that’s a big room to look for result of good music, maybe people/label behind her could aim for that.

escphbelgium
escphbelgium
6 years ago
Reply to  Zebb

True. David Guetta or LF would be too strong for her but I think PIAS Belgium should be thinking big for her so I think it would be a wise (but risky) desicion to have her collaborate with DJs that could match her dark vocals like Martin Garrix, Todiefor, Kenn Colt, Alan Walker, Kygo, etc.

Danuta
Danuta
6 years ago

She’s the least likely to succeed. Starting with that awful and messy hairstyle, the tragic dress and her zero chemistry….

escphbelgium
escphbelgium
6 years ago
Reply to  Danuta

With a song that charted half-a-month, she’ll definitely be successful with her singing career.

Also, image isn’t everything. Look at musical acts like London Grammar, Ansel Elgort, Alison Wonderland, or Alice on the roof. They don’t have a particular image but at least they are successful in their music careers.

escphbelgium
escphbelgium
6 years ago
Reply to  escphbelgium

*half-a-year

Jo
Jo
6 years ago

Meanwhile, other acts will only have life inside the ESC-bubble.

Jo
Jo
6 years ago
Reply to  Jo

Life is hard.