Pyro showers, holograms, lasers and lights — Switzerland’s Die Entscheidungsshow 2017 sped by in a flash of fabulous! Six acts sang with the hope of making it to Eurovision, but in the end Timebelle came out on top with their song “Apollo”. Next stop? Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv!

Looking stunning in red, lead singer Miruna Manescu was vocally on point, mixing smooth vocals with sleek staging. You could see roses in bloom — and a singer blossoming!

During her on-stage interview shortly after winning, Romanian-born Miruna thanked her production team, her mother and her father, who she said was watching her “somewhere up in the sky”.

Ahead of the final, Timebelle placed first in our readers’ poll and with the Wiwi Jury. Wiwiblogger Bernardo wrote:

 “Apollo” is by far my favourite entry in the Swiss national selection — maybe because it works with the usual Eurovision formula, but still sounds fresh. After Switzerland’s questionable I need to pee performance from last year, this would be a safe and competitive bet. Timebelle’s vocalist has a sweet and engaging voice, supported by three good backing vocals that lift the chorus to another level.

Generally speaking, the show featured contemporary staging with plenty of wow factor.

Nadya’s “Fire In The Sky” looked truly Apocalyptic with its fiery reds. And Ginta Biku took Eurovision holograms to another level, creating a truly arresting performance in front of a largely black backdrop.

Switzerland’s Die Entscheidungsshow 2017 final results

Unlike previous years, the results were based exclusively on the public televote.

  1. Timebelle “Apollo” 47.88%
  2. Nadya “The Fire in the Sky” 18.02%
  3. Michèle “Two Faces” 11.44%
  4. Ginta Biku “Cet air là” (That tune) 8.31%
  5. Shana Pearson “Exodus” 7.56%
  6. Freschta “Gold” 6.79%

Tonight’s win is the first under the Switzerland’s revamped national final. Broadcaster SRF scrapped its infamous open web platform and instead — like most broadcasters — selected the finalists using a closed system.

The Swiss broadcasters also dropped the open entry policy and now require a Swiss connection, they ended the system of regional quotas, and also removed the cover version component from tonight’s show.Switzerland 2014 act Sebalter returns

Sebalter who took Bern back to the Grand Final in 2014, returned to the SRF stage to perform his new single “Weeping Willow”. Sebalter delivered the nation’s best result since 2005, qualifying fourth in his semi-final and finishing 13th in the Grand Final with 64 points.

Can Timebelle make the final in 2017?

SRF will be hoping so. The past two years Switzerland has placed dead last in its semi-final. Rykka placed 18th in Stockholm, winning just 3 points from Albania in televoting and a total of 25 points from international juries in Georgia, Slovenia, Ireland, Denmark, Australia, Belgium, Germany and Israel. Melanie René fared even worse in 2015, amassing just 4 points in Vienna.

Timebelle is already off to a running start, owing to the Romanian heritage of lead singer Miruna. This year Romania is also singing in and voting in the second semi-final.

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4li3n
4li3n
7 years ago

hmm this song reminds me a mix of Ghost – Jamie Lee with Miracle – Samra , don’t ask me why

Leo Sigh
7 years ago

It won’t qualify. Sad, because I always want Switzerland to at least make it through to the final. Yet, in so many years, they choose a bland, dull, average song like this and then seem surprised when they don’t. I like Timebelle, but will be very surprised if they make it through.

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

I hope that Timebelle will not change the staging. I don’t want to see them in Kiev jumping and trying to make this song more energetic than it should be.
That classic dress brought them many votes, I’m sure, and the same for Lucie Jones from UK. The similar color might be a problem, but the girl from Timebell can go back to yellow if their song is about sun.

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

@Adam

Well said!

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

OMG, I can’t believe it, the top 3 is exactly the way I wanted it to be!

Calum Macleod
Calum Macleod
7 years ago

Although I am very pleased that Timebelle won, I was VERY surprised that Nadya and Michelé scored higher than Ginta. Her performance would have been certain to secure it second place.

Alex
Alex
7 years ago

The obvious and deserving winner. She needs to work on hitting that high D note – seems to be a transition spot between vocal ranges for her and it sounds very awkward. Better than the songs from Finland, Georgia and UK. Albania I sadly can’t remember – hopefully the English version is better than the original, which was uninspiring to me when I heard it.

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

@ AurelianTamisan : ”How would this look like: Timebelle for Switzerland and ‘Yodel It’ for Romania?”

Cultural exchange.

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

@ D : ”It was rejected in Azerbaijan for a reason.”

It was rejected in Azerbaijan because they already have their favourite writers, and the rest is pretending. They don’t even let Diana, or the three DiHaj, to write their song.

AurelianTamisan
AurelianTamisan
7 years ago

How would this look like: Timebelle for Switzerland and ‘Yodel It’ for Romania?

Colin
Colin
7 years ago

Question of the day – Will Switzerland qualify? I don’t know. While most good songs do, there are some that simply get underrated (Play, Crisalide, Same Heart…). It’s not about the song alone, they also need some luck. Besides, this is too early for me to say wether I would have them among my qualifiers. Not enough songs are out and if the best NF song winning streak continues, who knows? Only thing I can say for sure is that Finland must qualify!

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

@Aaron PR: Aye! The stage art, setup and lighting will play as big a role, in whether Timebelle qualifies or not, as the music video… …But then again, Mélanie René went to Vienna after having presented a new–and lousy–music video, lousy enough that I thought that any chance she had of qualifying went out the window. I thought her stage setup and the performance was well enough that maybe it might save her. Evidently not, and not even close. For Timebelle, their music video is going to have to be spectacular, enough to draw favor with any wayward would-be voters… Read more »

Nickc
Nickc
7 years ago

I predict last place for third year in a row.

Roelof Meesters
Roelof Meesters
7 years ago

This will be a borderline qualifier. This song isn’t mindblowing, but it’s defenitly good. They need to revamp it a little, and I agree with Aaron PR about the staging and lighting

PP
PP
7 years ago

1.Finland
2.Belarus
3.Georgia
4.Albania
5.Switzerland
6.United Kingdom

fikri
fikri
7 years ago

me no likey.

Aaron GR
Aaron GR
7 years ago

A gorgeous song, and a beautiful voice – and yet I agree that “polite” songs don’t get votes. SRF needs to wring all the aching romance out of this song that they can, and that’ll push it over the hump. Darker shadows, and brighter lights, as somebody already noted. I’m rooting for this one!

Chicken Kyiv?
Chicken Kyiv?
7 years ago

Oh look another ballad. 5 out of 6. Maybe Belarus and their shouty number will win by pure virtue of being the only song to go over 5 beats per minute

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

As I said before, when they narrowed their selection down to 6, I believe they eliminated a much better song during the internal judging process when they had over 100 songs to review.

Now, two years in a row, the music videos (or lack thereof) failed to sell the Swiss entries adequately (Mélanie René’s 2nd video and Rykka’s lyric video). Timebelle needs a video that really draws the attention of ESC’s would-be viewers and jury members to sell the song BEFORE they get on stage in May. Otherwise SUI will fail to qualify for the 3rd year in a row.

Rune
Rune
7 years ago

@kris they won with almost 50% of the televote

I think Switzerland made the right choice. It is not a winning song, but for me it is definitely a qualifier, and seeing the big countries in SF1 and Switzerland in SF2 gives me more hopes to see them qualifying

blondboybc
blondboybc
7 years ago

Well, my second favourite won, but I’m not sure Switzerland’s going to qualify or not to the final based on what we’ve heard so far. (Ginta’s staging was the best). “Apollo” needs more punch and a revamp if they hope to survive the second semi. It sits about 3rd on my list of top 6 so far, but here we’ve another ballad….sigh. Let’s hope Spain sends something upbeat! 😀

Paul D.
Paul D.
7 years ago

The romanian diaspora will be more worried voting for Romania than Switzerland, so I don’t see the advantage of picking foreign singers here

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

Is she famous in her native country ? Because she is in the same semifinal with Romania.
Hope will be in the final.

Denis
Denis
7 years ago

Switzerland for the third year in a row chooses a song you forget were competing. It’s nice and all but so forgettable.
How about jury vote next year?

Paul D.
Paul D.
7 years ago

It’s a nice song, but in the end nice songs don’t qualify very easily (and we’re talking about Switzerland)…

Thomas
Thomas
7 years ago

@ Adam
Preach it brother

Steve
7 years ago

I like it but don’t you think it sounds like ‘Impossible’ by James Arthur / Shontelle?

mad-professor
mad-professor
7 years ago

It’s okay – definitely the best on offer – but it probably won’t qualify unless the rest are average or bad. At the moment, it’s above Albania and Georgia, but below the UK, Belarus and Finland.

Darcy
7 years ago

The live performance is the first time I’ve listened to the song and it’s adequate as a mid-tempo ballad but that’s it. There needs to be higher peaks and troughs in the chorus in my opinion. At the moment it comes off very plain and no exciting staging is going to save it from obscurity.

Marco
Marco
7 years ago

Nice to see this revamped, much more temporary and more expensive looking format of SRF’s Entscheidungsshow. Great winner!

Adam
Adam
7 years ago

What I fail to see is how people can jump to conclusions about ***37*** other songs just based on the 6 chosen already. This same BS happened in 2015, when people were whining and complaining about “oh boohoo all the songs chosen so far are female ballads i hate eurovision!!!” PEOPLE! We have 37 other acts yet to come, stop complaining about how this year will suck based on the 6 chosen so far because if you all were actually patient you’d wait and realize the majority of the songs that will be chosen aren’t gonna be ballads. Plus, this… Read more »

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
7 years ago

Best of a bad bunch for sure.
On the plus side, the first national final where I think the best song won. Long may it continue?

Avstriya
Avstriya
7 years ago

This is not strong enough to reach the final. It sounds like last place in the semifinal.

Marcus (Day One)
Marcus (Day One)
7 years ago

Finally since 2014 Switzerland finally makes the right decision.
This song rocks and sounds Great live.
Congratulations Timebelle and good luck!

Flynn
Flynn
7 years ago

While I agree this should have won based on what was presented, this just screams last place, Switzerland really need to take risks to be noticed because the songs they submit are really forgettable because they are too polite and unoffensive, they try to play it too safe each year. They also need to mix the staging up before the semis or take notes for next year because it’s pretty much the same as Rykka and Melanie. The songs they do submit are usually pretty good they’re just not well suited for the big stage and are instead nice songs… Read more »

kris
kris
7 years ago

Did they reveal the margin of the win?

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
7 years ago

She won it with her… red dress. 😀

Philip
Philip
7 years ago

I think Switzerland made a great choice with this song. In the moment it’s on the top of my list so far. They could really have a chance to get in the final.

Racal
Racal
7 years ago

The problem with this song is that it’s not engaging. It’s not bad, it’s far from great too… I don’t see who would pick up their phone and vote for that, it’s more of a “Ah ok, not bad. What country is next?”.

And since Switzerland can’t rely on neighbouring or political voting, I’m afraid it’s just not strong enough to qualify.

Colin
Colin
7 years ago

1. Finland (masterpiece)
2. Belarus (great song)
3. UK (great song)
4. Georgia (great song)
5. Switzerland (good song)
6. Albania (good song)

Mario C
Mario C
7 years ago

Mario’s Eurovision 2017
https://eurovision2017blog.wordpress.com/

Mario C
Mario C
7 years ago

Nice song but just not good enough for Switzerland ! Belarus remains my current favourite ????

Leo M
Leo M
7 years ago

Good choice Switzerland It’s number one on my list of the songs selected thus far but I think it will be a borderline qualifier

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

This is just another Shontelle/James Arthur-Impossible-ballad-wannabe-esque … and pretty sure James Arthur must despise Impossible since has nothing to do with his true music style …

AndersP
AndersP
7 years ago

What a dud. And the flat notes, awful. No final for Switzerland again.

Stephanie
7 years ago

The best song won, and the Swiss made the best possible choice. Now I hope they make the most of this opportunity, there’s 3 months to get the song polished and promoted as well as come up with good staging to bring it all together. If the Swiss do it right, this could have a chance in Kiev

Congratulations, Timebelle!

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

@Unofficial Mansters Association: Allow me to quote you “another typical song that everybody hears nowadays” .. which means that if we listen to sort of music nowadays that means it’s current and contemporary right? The only problem here is that YOU don’t like it, right? Because if this was actually old and very 90s or early 2000s then that would be a much logical validation to the argument you present. Now if this was another Rihanna-davidguetta-calvinharris-uptempo-dance-number that we hear so much nowadays … what would be your reaction? Just wondering …

avis
avis
7 years ago

@Alex, regional differences are not such a big deal in Switzerland. As you might remember, the Italian part sent their artist to Eurovision in 2012 and 2014. The Italian part of Switzerland makes less than 8% of the Swiss population though. And as you may have heard: Miruna from Timebelle doesn’t speak German as well – she just learned a few sentences by heart for the show.

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

Another pop ballad? LOL I’m having my afterlife with this LOL … Seeing everybody going nuts with the lack of uptempo rubbish this year LOL But take it easy people, with Lolita Zero bringing the obligatory lack of quality and the urgent gay element to the contest things will get better … for all of you … and pretty sure some golden boy-greek/turkish-uptempo-bs-party-song will join in at some point LOL

Carme
Carme
7 years ago

I love this son! I think this is the right song.