Belgium BELGIUM 2023 - Gustaph - Because of You

[ESC United Mod Team]

 

[12Pointsgoto.....]

How did a song that sounds like a bad soap commercial win over all these other songs. Cherine's staging was not great, but it was still by far the best. Gala also could have won, as well as the starlings. Belgium went from my winner to my last place and this will prob nq

 

[Ajeje Brazorf]

Belgium is that strange country in which when you have an actually good selection, you decide to choose an average song which wouldn't get you anywhere, I guess. I can't believe Flanders have such a bad musical taste to put this song first. It's not that I hate this entry, is just that it is inoffensive, anticlimatic, generic. In few words a mediocre song.

 

[Franzilein]

With an engaging performance, I can see this easily pull a What's The Pressure which many people wrote off in the beginning as well. But this one reminds me a lot of Belgium 2016, the bass is just as infectious. Entertain the audience and you have quite the climber here.

 

[ollibox]

Rollercoaster by The Starlings... Such a nice song! Went in my playlist immediately.
Maybe it wouldn't have been the best choice for Liverpool, but the best in my book nevertheless.
But Gustaph? BIG NO from me. Sorry.

​

....

 

[mauve]

How did a song that sounds like a bad soap commercial win over all these other songs. Cherine's staging was not great, but it was still by far the best. Gala also could have won, as well as the starlings. Belgium went from my winner to my last place and this will prob nq

I see it almost like you as well. I listened to the song a few times because I simply didn't understand why it won: and to be honestly - I still don't know. If you wanted to have a safe choice, Belgium could have voted for the Starlings. I am not so sure about Chèrine though. In my eyes the stage was messed up and way too kitschy and her vocal performance wasn't the best either. Belgium could have also voted for the wonderful Gala - but that would have been rsiky. She probably would be a NQ due to televote.
But Gustaph. I don't understand. But I actually can see that the song may survive the semi actually. Really depends on what the other countries send.
All I know is though that I won't listen to the song anymore until may. Maybe only once or twice to check my scores again before the semis in May. So far my 2 points still stands.

 

[Mainshow]

Why do fans keep on saying that Gala "would have probably not qualified due to televoting"?

The "professional" juries at Eurovision haven't really awarded originality before. Them placing "Telemoveis" last (whilst the televoters ranked Portugal #12), them making "Igraka" not qualify (despite it being Top 5 in the televoting) prove that the juries like safe and generic songs and sometimes/often prefer them to the artsy-fartsy and modern entries.

It wouldn't have surprised me if juries had voted Gala outside their Top 10 (if we had had the same rules like 2010-2022).

 

[mauve]

Why do fans keep on saying that Gala "would have probably not qualified due to televoting"?

The "professional" juries at Eurovision haven't really awarded originality before. Them placing "Telemoveis" last (whilst the televoters ranked Portugal #12), them making "Igraka" not qualify (despite it being Top 5 in the televoting) prove that the juries like safe and generic songs and sometimes/often prefer them to the artsy-fartsy and modern entries.

It wouldn't have surprised me if juries had voted Gala outside their Top 10 (if we had had the same rules like 2010-2022).

You are absolutely right. The professional Juries let us down with some fantastic songs in the past. I guess it is the "usual" reaction: Juries=rationality, instead we had to learn sometimes Juries=insanity. (Half) joke aside, yes, we should know that Juries are calculating with what is the best for ESC. And in this sense the public is more open. Maybe Gala would have done a lot better than we may think now. Shame for Belgium.

And you changed your location!

And by the way @Sammy I am still mad at you! Can you for foresee other entries as well?

 

[Barish]

Already I saw people hating on Gustaph on the post he celebrates a win saying godawful things. This fandom needs to check itself regularly.

Just because your favourite didn't win and you have some opinions on winning song you don't have the rights to talk in such manner and go harass the people involved. Being kind cost nothing.

I love the craziness of eurovision/nf season but this fandom makes me want to throw up sometimes. Jeez. Take a chill pill, it's just a random song in a competition.

 

[Sammy]

And by the way @Sammy I am still mad at you! Can you for foresee other entries as well?

I‘ll do my best. Let’s try this: you unlike a song temporarily and I make no prediction during the voting provess. deal?

 

[heke1988]

Four points: Boring and too repetitive. His voice is quite good.

 

[I bims]

Is it 2023 or 2003?
I don't like this at all. Dated, mediocre and I don't know how this song wants me to feel. There is such a huge disconnect with every element of this performance. The quirky beat and outfit wants me to feel energized but the facial expressions, singing and stiff "dancing" is totally joyless.
I can see that a straight audience might find it more amusing because "oh a flamboyant man wearing something crazy! That's hilarious, perfect for Eurovision!!! XD"

 

[Mainshow]

Already I saw people hating on Gustaph on the post he celebrates a win saying godawful things. This fandom needs to check itself regularly.

Just because your favourite didn't win and you have some opinions on winning song you don't have the rights to talk in such manner and go harass the people involved. Being kind cost nothing.

I love the craziness of eurovision/nf season but this fandom makes me want to throw up sometimes. Jeez. Take a chill pill, it's just a random song in a competition.

It´s pure evil.
Seriously, I stopped checking comments of Eurovision "fans" on social media - I mean, they even insulted a kid winning Junior Eurovision. He/his team had to completely turn off the comments.

That´s why I value this forum - we can be shady at times but it´s different + not directly targeted at the artists.

Personally, I´m happy for Gustaph - no one did see this coming last night and he was cheering and it bothers me thinking that he might be checking his comment section and people go after him, calling him names or whatever.
State your opinion.. do so in groups/forums but don´t come after the artists (as long as they don´t behave in a horrilble way).

 

[gingerale]

First: I'm so thankful Cherine didn't make it.

Second: "Because of you" has a really joyful optimistic vibe (like the 90s were), without trying to be an 101 empowerment hymn. Good vocals too. Hope they refine everything a bit and a qualification will follow. I like it.

 

[Mainshow]

You are absolutely right. The professional Juries let us down with some fantastic songs in the past. I guess it is the "usual" reaction: Juries=rationality, instead we had to learn sometimes Juries=insanity. (Half) joke aside, yes, we should know that Juries are calculating with what is the best for ESC. And in this sense the public is more open. Maybe Gala would have done a lot better than we may think now. Shame for Belgium.

And you changed your location!

And by the way @Sammy I am still mad at you! Can you for foresee other entries as well?

Hehe, I did indeed

I agree with you, though, in a perfect world, juries would be voting for progressive, original and brilliant entries but honestly, I think that they have become as useless as the televoting - they also just vote for what´s popular/based on their tastes and there was a tendency towards generic and formulaic pop songs and ballads in recent years.
Of course, there´s some evidence that they have also done something right (like making Albania 2018 or Belgium 2021 qualify or pushing Patricia Kaas in 2009) but overall, it´s not always easy to predict...... like robbing Poland 2016 despite having one of the most flawless vocal performances of the night whilst placing Israel 2016 as #1 (German jury) because having one of the most flawless vocal performances of the night - even though both songs were rather generic/formulaic.

It could have gone either with (with Gala) - and seeing 2015 being Top 10 in the televoting as well also implies that the televoting can be voting for demanding, progressive and "difficult" entries as well.

 

[mauve]

It´s pure evil.
Seriously, I stopped checking comments of Eurovision "fans" on social media - I mean, they even insulted a kid winning Junior Eurovision. He/his team had to completely turn off the comments.

That´s why I value this forum - we can be shady at times but it´s different + not directly targeted at the artists.

Personally, I´m happy for Gustaph - no one did see this coming last night and he was cheering and it bothers me thinking that he might be checking his comment section and people go after him, calling him names or whatever.
State your opinion.. do so in groups/forums but don´t come after the artists (as long as they don´t behave in a horrilble way).

Totally agree. And maybe the best moment was when Gustaph himself didn't see this coming. You could literally see this in his face. In this sense I am really happy for him. And damn these people who make such comments!!!

 

[Sammy]

Since yesterday I had this feeling that the intro to the chorus of „Because of you“ reminded me of an old song. I think it‘s this one:

 

[EscGeek]

Totally agree. And maybe the best moment was when Gustaph himself didn't see this coming. You could literally see this in his face. In this sense I am really happy for him. And damn these people who make such comments!!!

Totally.. if Gustaph was a member of this forum, he'd be laughing with us

 

[shameless]

With an engaging performance, I can see this easily pull a What's The Pressure which many people wrote off in the beginning as well. But this one reminds me a lot of Belgium 2016, the bass is just as infectious. Entertain the audience and you have quite the climber here.

I also had to think about What's the pressure, which sounded equally as dated and unnecessary originally. However, Laura Rissotto managed to have a killer choreography and very likeable stage presence with gigantic charisma. All things that I don't see Gustaph will achieve. Also Bilal Hassani, Tix and Sheldon Riley proved that the eccentric, flamboyant performance genree is not actually popular with voters.

 

[Uto]

Song needs a revamp, but I think it's pretty solid. Spends too much time sitting in the same gear, gets repetitive, but the main draws are that early 90s sound and the fairly strong melodic hook and that's all done well. Dude can perform, needs to work on his charm though. I realize that this is all a bit borderline stuff from Belgium, I mean this won't qualify as is and I wish the package was already where it needs to be, but it just isn't. Doesn't mean it can't be salvaged. Belgium has work to do.

 

[MooseShoes]

I also had to think about What's the pressure, which sounded equally as dated and unnecessary originally. However, Laura Rissotto managed to have a killer choreography and very likeable stage presence with gigantic charisma. All things that I don't see Gustaph will achieve. Also Bilal Hassani, Tix and Sheldon Riley proved that the eccentric, flamboyant performance genree is not actually popular with voters.

I'm sorry but I'm going to be that person who points out that you've mixed up your Lauras!