Belgium Revamps Eurosong
Belgium’s Dutch-language broadcaster VRT has announced a significant shift in its approach to selecting their Eurovision 2025 representative. Departing from the traditional public submissions process, VRT has chosen to collaborate directly with record labels, managers, and producers to identify experienced and polished candidates for Eurosong 2025.
Gerrit Kerremans, VRT’s General Music Coordinator, elaborated on this new strategy in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. He explained, «We have abandoned the old Eurosong format and will no longer organise preliminary rounds, semi-finals, and a final. This format was beneficial for emerging artists seeking exposure, but deterred established artists due to the risk of a potential loss of face. We also decided against an open submission process, which previously led to thousands of entries, overwhelming many songwriters.»
Kerremans highlighted that the search for candidates began earlier this year, aiming to find artists who excel in live performances and possess substantial stage experience. «We are looking for a total package,» he said. «An artist who is well-supported by a professional team performs better. We reached out to professional labels, managers, and producers who know where the talent lies. From their submissions, we selected the best candidates who meet our high standards.»
The selected artists have been tasked with creating two new songs by September, after which VRT will make the final decision on who will proceed to the live final. Details regarding which artists were contacted and how many remain in the running have not been disclosed. «Everyone was asked to keep their participation and details about the selection process confidential. In September, some may still withdraw if they don’t have a suitable song, and our A&R team will make further selections to ensure we have the right number of finalists,» Kerremans added.
Belgium’s performance in Eurovision 2024 was less than stellar, with Mustii’s «Before the Party’s Over» finishing 13th in its semi-final with just 18 points, marking Belgium’s worst result since 2019. This disappointing outcome has prompted VRT to return to the Eurosong format, which brought success in 2023 when Gustaph secured a seventh-place finish in Liverpool with «Because of You».
Amidst these changes, there are rumours swirling around that Belgium might have been penalised by the Eurovision organisers. Allegedly, Belgium did not broadcast Israel’s performance as a protest against the ongoing situation in Palestine. While these claims have not been officially confirmed, they have stirred significant debate within the Eurovision community.
With the revamped Eurosong process and a focus on high-calibre candidates, VRT aims to improve Belgium’s standing in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, hoping to replicate past successes and bring pride to the nation on the international stage.
