She’s Belgium’s 17-year old starlet, who, despite missing Eurovision in Concert, has certainly been earning her keep.
And on Tuesday Blanche continued her PR offensive ahead of Eurovision by returning to The Voice Belgique, where she rose to fame under her real name Ellie Delvaux last year.
Performing during the show’s semi-final (performance here — only available in Belgium), she offered a potential hint of her Eurovision staging, as she was backed by two other performers.
Whilst they handled the majority of the choreography, Blanche joined in with some timed arm gestures.
It didn’t look particularly natural. The mix with her backing vocalists also seemed to cause some issues.
However, it’s a sign that Blanche is progressing quickly. Her performance at the London Eurovision Party was critiqued for being too static. By gradually adding layers to the performance, she’s building things up steadily for Eurovision in Kyiv.
Wednesday morning saw Blanche hit the airwaves throughout Belgium. From Radio 2, to Joe, to Q Music and more — she sang it, she served it and she even brought a piano with her along the way!
This stripped back version of “City Lights” is perhaps the clearest vocal we’ve heard yet from Blanche. Just on her voice (and with the right mixing), it’s clear that Blanche is more comfortable in the acoustic setting.
She took the piano accompaniment with her on Van Gils & gasten (Van Gils & guests) on één.
There’s one or two pronunciation issues that creep into the performance, but otherwise it’s much more assured. If Blanche can overcome the nerves and nail her choreography, then that performance we’re all hoping for could happen in Kyiv.
What do you think of Blanche’s performances of “City Lights” here? Do you prefer the piano version of the song to the Eurovision one? Shout out all your thoughts on the wiwibloggs app, or in the comments section below!
Well, I see.
Love is blind.
Didn’t know it was deaf, too…
I’d put all my efforts in smart staging, by now…
To be honest, I don’t think Blanche needs dancers with her on stage in Kyiv. They should look at the atmosphere created in the video and just have her standing on the stage, with one or three large lightballs that glow throughout the song (ala San Marino 2013). The arena should be dark with little of no light, just the light from the lightballs, the camera should just be a close up of Blanche while she remains static, then halfway through the song the lightballs should get brighter and change colours while a lazer display happens over head and the… Read more »
I really like the song and her voice, but I she is still not reaching those last notes… Additionally, I am afraid her shy personality and inexperience can work against her on the arena. I really like this naked version of the song though, it suits her better!
Go Blanche! Go Salvador!
OMG! This is so beautiful. This is one of my absolute favourites (still undecided between Blanche and Salvador) I really would prefer this version and I think it could be such a killer in ESC! She shows so much more depth, maturity and artistic fragility in this life version then in the life performance in the pre-party. I would so happy if Blanche would win it.
I have a feeling if they put her on a treadmill she would fall over awkwardly
It is a great song BUT I still haven’t heard a live performance where the music and singing match smoothly. I like that the singing is kinda flat and sounds great on the recorded version. I also like that the live version begins flat and gets lively in the second part. HOWEVER i think this lively part should begin earlier or the transition should be made more smoother. I like the music a lot, I like her voice, I like the song, but the end result is kinda not good.
Is “rising to fame” mean getting voted off in the second show and goung back to your main activity of making youtube covers. Glad to hear she is now able to move her arms on stage. By the end of the year she may even do a quick shimmy in time to music. Kate Perry hang on to your wig
It’s beyond me how mean and vile some of you can be! For God’s sake she’s a 17y.o. girl….give her a break!! I wonder how most of you would perform !!! Probably flaulace!!!
This is one of my favourites when I listen to it, but watching her live performances, she appears nervous and disengaged which is probably a charming idiosyncrasy, but in an arena against 17 competitors could mean getting lost in the crowd. The more I see the live performances, the more worried I am that the song hasn’t got a chance of making it to the final. I really hope that’s not the case.
Don’t worrie or panic. She will do a great job in kiev and making to the top.
I’m sure everything will be fine in Kyiv.
It’s good to see her grow and improve.
I’m not so sure about the dancers.
Very curious about the real staging.
Good luck Blanche!
It they managed to create atmosphere on stage like in music video, it will be great 🙂
Oh, I just love this beautiful song!
Blanche has great potential, great talent, I’m sure she will slay in Kyev. I’m very curious about staging, can’t wait to see..
Good luck to Blanche and her team <3
RTBF also tried out Loic’s staging and choreographie in the Voice 2 years ago and that was very close to the final version… The lights are actually very nice, that will look amazing. There will be more backings in Kyiv, ao her brother is coming along. That can be fixed in the mixing. I’m quite sure the choreography will stay but it’s clear they didn’t put that much effort in it as Loic or Laura (who were completely absent in the promo circuit if i well remember). But she needs more confidence. I think the reactions to her song came… Read more »
This is the best song this year. I hope Belgium winn
It´s getting pretty obvious that Belgium wont live up to the high expectations (will she even go through to the final?), and I think France and Bulgaria will be just as disappointing…
This opens up even more for a top 3 consisting Italy, Portugal and Sweden, countries we know deliver even when performed live.
Just wait, because blanche will slay in Kiev. mark my words.
Sweden in live is bad and portugal has a weird behavior on stage, your comment is so useless and no credible, game over try again.
Ola, bulgaria and france contempt you
Has she done any interviews in Belgium’s Flanders region? I’d love to hear her speak Dutch (or Flemish to be exact) if she’s bilingual.
She speak’s a little bit Flemish. Just the basis words.
That’s Dutch – Flemish is a Dutch dialect.
We prefer Flemish, Dutch is a weird accent from the Netherlands.
Officially it’s of course Dutch but Dutch is an made up language
As a live version, this is better. But even if this were the version performed live, it would not do well. This is the same for Bulgaria…they are both way to linear and are not exciting performed live. The studio versions are fine and ones I will enjoy on the ESC 2017 album, but they are not pleasing live….or there are others that are reformed better live.
Don’t worry. Blanche will slay in kiev.
They know what have to be fixed. I also think the stage will be good. Not sure about winning but it can be another great result for Belgium.
Getting nervous about this… This is one of my favs this year but the live performances are very so so. The one on The Voice Belgium yesterday was so bad it made me uncomfortable (the dancers, the bad vocals, the awkward stage presence, etc.). If she doesn’t get better and work on a killer staging, she might stay in the semi.
I just rewatched the voice performance and tbh the sound mixing was way off and the backing vocalists sounded atrocious, you cannot push those faults in her shoes, and really?? Do you seriously think these 2 performances above here are ” so so ” ?? what ??
I was talking about the live performances from The Voice Belgium and Eurovision parties (not these two performances above here). The piano/lyrics performances are fine but it’s not really relevant.
With the piano/lyrics she can look and sound all sleepy, that’s not a problem and that fits the song. With the actual song she needs to convey energy, and to me she has failed to do it so far. Anyway, I hope she kills it in Kyiv and maybe even win!
Blanche will slay in kiev. Did you really think that this was here act for Kiev? Then you are totally wrong.
I hope I’m wrong! 🙂 And seriously, Belgium should drop their interpretative dancers once and for all (not just this year, forever!). They always look ridiculous (poor Roberto Bellarosa).
Blanche has really improved! She surprised me with her performance in The Voice Belgique. At the end of the song she puts much more power in her voice and I really liked it. The choreography was also a great addition, to me it didn’t feel robotic or anything. The dancers made me think of Roberto Bellarosa in 2013. After her performance the presenter of the show told that it was just a little taste of what you can expect in Kiev, so they will probably work on the choreography more I think. I see her developing in the right way,… Read more »
Sweden can’t even compete with Malta so shut up
This is beautiful.
Don’t care if it stands a chance or how its performed I love it and well done!
What a treat! Blanche doesn’t need any choreography nor a super stage production to prove she’s a good singer. One should never compete with their own voice.
You’re always extremely supportive of your country, good for you
If they can get the mixing right and we can hear the same vocals as her stripped back performance, there’s really no stopping Blanche. I actually didn’t notice the pronunciation issues, and I thought her vocals were ‘on point’ on par with the studio version.
I didn’t mind that she’s static—it’s much like Hovig, where it’d be awkward if she dances along with it (especially if she’s not used to dancing). Just get some good staging and make sure the background dancers aren’t too distracting (unlike Azerbaijan 2015), and she’ll be great.
if she can get past her nerves and lose un up more ,then she could have a winner.or at worst improve her score with other country s, 8 out of ten. i like it .
Yea one thing is performing in a tiny studio, other thing is in an arena filled with people to an audience of 200 million. She still has major problems with her performance and stage presence
Singing in Kiev is arguably easier since she doesn’t need to make eye contact or whatever, just do things that she has been practicing for the last couple of months now like camera movements.
She prove she is a good singer and while I do agree that she doesn’t seem like a superstar at all on stage, u still have to keep in mind that this is kind of a depressing song, she will never laugh or give emotions in it, it is supposed to be robotic and neutral.
Yes, but the pressure will be enormous on her, I feel she won’t handle it unfortunately
Totally agree with you.
Plus I hope she doesn’t bring those dancers to Kiev, is very cringe.
Applauses for Blanche ????????
My 12 points goes to Belgium ????????
Good performance, it will be much better in Kiev ????
she definitely improved
Today RTBF announced that the setting and choreography from yesterday’s The Voice is NOT the one that will be used in ESC. There will be 2 other backings, one of them performed two years ago as backing with Loic Nottet. The final performance will also include special light effects to create the atmosphere from the video.
It was not bad but not great either. The staging at the voice.
Funny, you speak about dutch and flemisch radio stations. We only say Flemsisch station’s. Dutch is used in the Netherlands.
Yes, because those radiostations are based in Flanders. But they do speak Dutch. Flemish is not a language.
Amazing, Blanche is in de running again!
Very good!!!
Always
And so is Kristian!
Wow, I’m surprised by her live vocals.