After weeks of listening to good and (often) bad ESC-covers, the Belgian audience finally got to hear the first four Belgian ESC songs. After the jury and audience had awarded their points, we had to say goodbye to DayOne and Petra. Udo was saved by the audience and Eva Jacobs receive the highest overall scores.

Short recap. For Eurosong 2014, both songwriters and singers were invited to respond to a call from the broadcaster. VRT decided which artist would sing which song. This was bad news for Eva and Petra, who had already written and submitted songs, but were told they would have to perform songs by other songwriters. Udo was the only contestant who got to keep his song, though he was asked to re-work it with co-writers. The result of all this effort was presented tonight.

Reviewing the Belgian Semi-Finalists

Nothing is impossible – Eva Jacobs

Jury: 90 points/ Audience: 1st place

Songwriters: Mick Lee, Pernille Georgi and Chris Robinson.

Eva brought an old-fashioned song that only deserves attention because of her unique voice. Belgium tries to pull a Russia 2013 here, which is fine, if you are Russia. If you are Belgium, you are looking for something that is either a little bit more extraordinary (like Day One) or something has a high cuteness-factor. This is the type of song we have heard like a 1000 times in Eurovision. Nothing is impossible…except winning ESC with this song. The ballet act on stage is interesting and will keep the audience’s attention (even if the song doesn’t). Side-note: we would like to send our love to the desinger of her dress. Amazing!

Hero (In Flanders fields) – Udo

Jury: 75 points / Audience: 2nd place

This song was partly written by Udo himself. Co-writers are ‘Nadge’ (Björn Nagander) and ‘Pokka Jr’. (Martin Larsson)

Udo stated on his website that he wants to bring a song with a message for Europe and he managed to do that. Not many people in Europe will get this, but this song commemorates the First World War and more specificly the battles in West-Flanders. Udo was not pleased with the songs that were presented to him by the jury/broadcaster. So he traveled to Berlin to write this with some other writers. But the jury and broadcaster rejected that one too, so he went to Sweden, to write another song. Finally a winner! Together with Nadge and Pokka Jr., Udo’s voice can make about every song nice to hear, but the fact is the jury wasn’t all that excited.

Jury comment: ‘If I look at the full package, this stays a little bit behind for me’.

Eliminated songs

Killer touch – Petra

Jury: 75 points/Audience: 4th place

Songwriters: Georgie Dennis, Christopher Wortley, Paul Drew, Greig Watts, en Pete Barringer.

It’s really sad how this went down. Petra got only one song to work with from the jury/broadcaster. Keep in mind that she wrote a song herself but that it got rejected by the broadcaster. She doubted this would work from the very beginning and even said so on tonight’s show. The jury based its choice on her music from the recent years. But Petra said this wasn’t a good argument. She managed to convice the broadcaster she could work out her own stage-act. And her stage act was quite nice with its touch of the Moulin Rouge. Unfortanatly that could not lift a weak song. What a missed opportunity: Petra breathes, lives and IS Eurovision.

Jury comment: ‘Petra, you shined so bright tonight, it was even visible on other planets’.

Who ever you are – Day One

Songwriter: Yves Jongen/Yves Gaillard

Jury: 90 points / Audience: 3rd place

Let us all wave goodbye to Belgium’s rare (and only) chance to send something extraordinary for a change. For some reason this one was strangled by the tele-voting. Perhaps the Belgian audience wasn’t ready for Day One, but Europe surely would have been. The song was slick and smooth and the staging made the picture complete. Presentator Peter van de Veire tried to convince the leadsinger to take off her mask, but even after being elimnated she refused. On Twitter the group stated that no names will be released, so perhaps we will never know. (This is unlikely, knowing that secrets and Eurovision Belgium don’t mix).

Jury comment:  ‘Those TV’s are great, try to project more European faces, make the people believe Angela Merkel is in Day One’.

The first two finalists are known now. What are your thoughts? Did the Belgian audience make the right call? Could Day One have stood a chance in Copenhagen? Is Udo’s song maybe not a bit to ‘heavy-loaded’ for something like ESC? Why did Petra fail for the fith time?

On the 2nd of March we will know who Udo and Eva are up against, as we go down to the second semifinal. The acts competing there are:

2Fabiola ft. Loredana

SIL

Axeela

Yass

Daphne Dee contributed this report from Belgium. Follow her on Twitter @JacinthaD1. You can also keep up-to-date with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page

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Day One
Day One
10 years ago

Day one should have gone through their song is unique and you can’t help but listen to it. Udo’s song bored me to tears Eva decent song and sadly Petra was ruined. I thought they was supposed to sing their own songs after the auditions and selection process. Day one are the best and Belgium knows that its a missed opportunity

Arianna
10 years ago

Their voices were so promising in the casting shows and it was really underwhelming when listening to the competing songs. Hopefully the next shows have more promise. BTW hilarious GIF of Ruslana when she was watching Petra http://31.media.tumblr.com/c2d224d183e81ab6d5f889cb028e1415/tumblr_n1gvbwDWak1sfyfseo1_400.gif Pretty much sums up that disaster of a performance 😛

Marcus
Marcus
10 years ago

Day one was so good I mean when you listen to it you think well this isn’t that good, but you find yourself singing who who whooooo. And I must have listened to it 20 times. It was actually a very good song but the Flemish seem to think Udo was better. I mean come on Day one had everything going for them a great singer, a cool image and a great song. The song might have came around 10th-15th at Eurovision. I hope they announce a random wildcard (They won’t but lets hope anyway) and Day one win it.

sing
sing
10 years ago

Go home udo u suck, Day one was best

Vladimir
Vladimir
10 years ago

If this was 2002, this would’ve been an amazing selection. But, it’s 2014 and I’d say that all songs are seem old-fashioned. None of them have a wow factor and it is sort of humiliating for established singers to be judged like they’re in an X-Factor or a similar show.

VRT rarely makes right decisions. Yes, it happened before (with Tom Dice), but every other entry selected by VRT ended at the bottom.

John
John
10 years ago

Eva and Day one was the best! Do not like Udo and the song was not special!

John
John
10 years ago

Eva and Day one was the best! Do not like Udo and the song was bot special!

D
D
10 years ago

Day One’s song was amazing, and it’d really add a special edge to this contest that’s seemingly full of alternative-sounding songs. Anyways, Eva and Day One deserved to qualify, they were both great while Udo and Petra were both trainwrecks. Day One was the only possible winner this semi, but since they were eliminated I hope we haven’t heard Belgium’s representative yet.

Francel
Francel
10 years ago

Eva is great.

Mikko from Finland
Mikko from Finland
10 years ago

Eva <3

Thomas
Thomas
10 years ago

Extraordinary, DayOne? Come on, this is anything but extraordinary. We have seen this formula hundred times better -wink-Daft Punk-wink-

Tiggeh
Tiggeh
10 years ago

Shame, I was hoping for Day One!

AnesBosna
AnesBosna
10 years ago

yay, Eva ftw.
Petra 🙁