Sennek Eurovision 2018 First rehearsal
Thomas Hanses

Lights off and focus on the eyes! It’s how Sennek starts her Eurovision 2018 stage show. A close-up shot shows only her eyes in a narrow band of light before the camera pans out to reveal her outfit — a sleeveless black blouse with sheer panels and illusion cut-outs, paired with black trousers hidden beneath a see-through taffeta skirt. The lighting scheme — lots of black with just a few simple dark blue and white lights — creates a sufficiently mysterious atmosphere. Yes, this has shades of a Bond anthem. But more importantly it pulls that sound into the future with a digital sound that almost seems interstellar. Take me to Jupiter, honey!

There has been much talk about her make-up. Her team is actually using specially created blush and foundation to blanche her skin. It’s an effort to provide contrast with the black setting. For now there are fears it’s coming off a bit too Corpse Bride. It’s not a superficial point either. In a simple stage show — where there’s no LED and just simple lights — the face becomes the vehicle for so much expression, and if she’s too pale people might be put-off.  But we’re sure adjusted camera angles — and make-up that provides contrast but avoids something heroine chic — will strike the right dark arts, avant-garde feel Belgium are masters of.

Sennek — “A Matter of Time”: Reviews and Reactions

Belgium: First rehearsal at Eurovision 2018

Belgium: First press conference 2018

Read all of our Eurovision rehearsal reviews

Read all of our Belgium Eurovision news here

Photo & Footage: Courtesy of EBU & RTP

58 Comments
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Nantia
Nantia
5 years ago

Best song for me…!!!! by far !!!

AngieP
AngieP
5 years ago

A little disappointed here. Too dark. She sounded great though. I’m confident that she will improve. It’s the first rehearsal after all.

Mr Gold
Mr Gold
5 years ago

Stage is much worse than songs, and that’s why all stagings look bad. Very bad work, EBU! You have no chance without my stage!!!

poe-tay-toe-chips
poe-tay-toe-chips
5 years ago

Everything else is good but that dress need to be burned.

FULLY embrace the Bond vibe Sennek and wear a tuxedo.

Please you’d look so good…

Simon
Simon
5 years ago

I can’t listen to the videos right now… what were her vocals like? It doesn’t say in the review…

Jo.
Jo.
5 years ago
Reply to  Simon

She was fine vocally.

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
5 years ago

I’ve seen people saying she might be a surprise non-qualifier and well, this rehearsal further proves their point.

Door
Door
5 years ago

I actually quite agree. Even though it’s one of my favorites I’m just feeling more and more than it could stay in the semi.

Ghhfy
Ghhfy
5 years ago

Wow, her vocals were on point, it sounded just like studio version. Very impressive. And again, this is one of those performances with focus on the music/song/vocals, not props or sob story behind the song or artist

Jamala
Jamala
5 years ago

Belgium three years in a row sending good audio songs with awful live performances.

Marcelo
Marcelo
5 years ago

Belgium just dropped to 10th in the winning odds. No matter how polished the performance becomes, there’s still something missing according to the bookmakers. Hoping Sennek doesn’t find herself “all alone in the danger zone”.

please
please
5 years ago

Girl burn that dress.

ted
ted
5 years ago

Love the song. That dress does nothing though. It’s the whole horizontal lines. Very unflattering.

Sabrina
Sabrina
5 years ago

It looks ellegant and it seems (based on wiwi’s team’s comments) that camera angles will play a big part on it. Compared to Blanche’s first rehearsal, this was a better start. Sennek’s vocals are getting there, it’s a matter of getting comfortable with the whole situation. I don’t like the dress though. And I can’t understand this make up issue, since she’s already pale. But this is so easy to solve, rehearsals are for this after all.

JIm
JIm
5 years ago
Reply to  Sabrina

you mean it’s just a matter of time? 😀

Sabrina
Sabrina
5 years ago
Reply to  JIm

Exactly! 😛

Hopeful Belgian
Hopeful Belgian
5 years ago

Some staging will only come across on television. With the right camera angels and all. Really hope this will be the case for sennek.

M_K
M_K
5 years ago

Great camera work is everything Belgium needs. They have to pick up on the staccato parts to get them across well. The song is like a solo tango so I guess it’s difficult to stage it minimalistically.

Talentina Monetta
Talentina Monetta
5 years ago

The dress looks 2 sizes too big for her. She needs to change it.

DyGh
DyGh
5 years ago

She has said in an interview that the portuguese producers or whatever didn’t totally listen to what they wanted to work out and it would be resolved in the next rehearsals

Darren
Darren
5 years ago

I think the Flemish broadcasters tried to recreate the avent garde vibe that RTBF have given us with Blanche and Loic however, they didn’t quite pull it off. Belgium is a bit of a disappointment for me this year. I think Sennek could end up a shock NQ. It’s a nice song on its own but the staging looks a tad poor and it’s really missing something.

Miguel
Miguel
5 years ago

There is not much to say here. All I could figure out is that she has a beautiful dress that doesn’t fit her. It’s too big for her. About the staging, it looks like she is going for something simplistic and classy.

Her vocals have improved but she is still screaming too much. I hope she can balance it better because this is my 2nd favourite song and I hope she does well.

Denis
Denis
5 years ago

Not sure what to make of it.

Radakiel
Radakiel
5 years ago

Belgium seems to stay with simplicity and it’s not bad
The problem is her dress, which looks like blinds
Lea Sirk’s transparent clothes were made the right way, Sennek’s weren’t

Malin
Malin
5 years ago

Belgium was in my top 5 songs from the bigining and my first last year. I always like Belgium and hope the live performance will be great this year.
Good luck from Sweden

TeSa
TeSa
5 years ago

It is the artist that should ‘sell’ the song and not the stage or the LED. I am happy that Portugal chose to put artists on the same level of competing. Who is creative can come up with something, if they want.

Sandre
Sandre
5 years ago

Honestly, she cant sing. No led would save this performance. But i love the song anyways~

jcn
jcn
5 years ago
Reply to  Sandre

Tbh why are people judging it already??? this is just a sneek peek

Nieuwszoekertje
Nieuwszoekertje
5 years ago
Reply to  Sandre

I don’t het it.Clearly she really can sing.Even aclot better than Blanche or even Aisel from Azerbeidzjan.For me the song is the most important.A radio has no staging to show.

Rory
Rory
5 years ago

This is so NOT qualifying.
Shock #1.

losy
losy
5 years ago

I think she will qualify.

losy
losy
5 years ago

No final?

alessio
alessio
5 years ago

1.Albania
2.azerbijan

Jamala
Jamala
5 years ago
Reply to  alessio

Albania is out. 😉

alessio
alessio
5 years ago

next please

Elevation
Elevation
5 years ago

If Belgium doesn’t qualify, it would be Portugal’s fault thanks to its cheap light show. This would have been elevated if there is a LED. Poor Sennek has to deal with poor infrastructure.

Vrede
Vrede
5 years ago
Reply to  Elevation

If you need LED to qualify, you don’t deserve to qualify.
Look, I love a good stage show as the next Wiwi-reader. Without LED, there are multiple ways of creating a memorable stage show. You just have to be creative.

Welcome to 2000
Welcome to 2000
5 years ago
Reply to  Vrede

Great! Portugal just arrive at 2000. Let’s focus on creative staging. By the way, there is something call LED in the future. Hopefully they will catch up soon. What? Need another 50 years?

losy
losy
5 years ago

God hun. Stop using so many different names, it gets boring at some point.

losy
losy
5 years ago

Welcome to 2000…and yet, your grammar is terrible

Jo.
Jo.
5 years ago
Reply to  Elevation

Quite the opposite, my friend. Without the LED, we can see more props, dance moves, singing skills…which means CREATIVITY.

Aaron
Aaron
5 years ago

What a bland performance. The staging needed to be more classy. Frankly it needed to be a music video on stage. So disappointing. Azerbaijan so far has outsold everyone else. Even Albania who I expected more from looks odd.

1) Azerbaijan
2) Lithuania
3) Czech Republic

George Bonev
George Bonev
5 years ago
Reply to  Aaron

But you haven’t even heard yet Lithuania and Czech Republic

fugu
fugu
5 years ago
Reply to  Aaron

Last years was far more bland. Are there no hairbrushes anywhere in Belgium?

Bartosz
Bartosz
5 years ago

I actually like the staging. It makes you focus on the singer and the song. I prefer this performance to the one of Azerbaijan which seems to be way too over-the-top

Jo.
Jo.
5 years ago

Looks a bit boring, but it’s just the first rehearsal.

George Bonev
George Bonev
5 years ago

I don’t know if she will qualify being after Albania and before Czech Republic. But I know for sure she’s gonna be the winner of the Barbara Dex Award this year. :/

Jo.
Jo.
5 years ago
Reply to  George Bonev

Yass, taking tha trophy back home!!

Esgalnor
Esgalnor
5 years ago

My favourite song but the staging just looks dull and empty, nothing mention-worthy, nothing to catch a viewer’s attention. This is a dangerous position for Belgium.

Anya
Anya
5 years ago

Belgium is my 3rd favourite, but I think that with this staging she will struggle a lot, what a pity.

Andi
Andi
5 years ago

Yeah, the stage looks really dull when props aren’t involved. A staging with no coreography or props will have trouble standing out.

Anita
Anita
5 years ago

I don’t like the dress so much – but that’s just a matter of taste. Her vokals are reall back on track and as we know, this is all going to improve! Maybe it is even like with Blanche – she wasn’t wearing the actual dress of the performance or will try different ones.

jim
jim
5 years ago
Reply to  Anita

maybe she should change her songtitle to it’s just a matter of taste ?

Juvia Lockser
Juvia Lockser
5 years ago

What is with that stage!! It looks like from 2001!

Roelof Meesters
Roelof Meesters
5 years ago

Belgium is in danger… Theres nothing really going on except for some pretty lights. Is the actual performance gonna be black and white or not? I really don’t like her dress wich is a shame becuase she sings her song very well, way better than at the pre-parties. Albania might overshadow this but maybe the juries will push her through.

Erasmus
Erasmus
5 years ago

Yeah, but in which performance is there more than lights(except Azerbaijan)? I think their rehearsal was the best one so far.

Anita
Anita
5 years ago
Reply to  Erasmus

How can you say? You have only seen some seconds and not with the right cameras or are you in Lisbon?

Jake
Jake
5 years ago

It’s not like last year’s winner had much going on either… I don’t think the song needs it.