Belgium

🇧🇪 Belgium: Mustii sings “Before the party’s over”

photo: RTBf This morning, the Belgian entry “Before the party’s over” has been presented. The song will be sung by Mustii. Belgium will perform in the 2nd half of the 2nd semifinal. The lyrics are written by Mustii himself along with Arianna Damato, Charlotte Clark, Nina Sampermans. The latter is a familiar name in Eurovision: she wrote “Would you” for Iris (Belgium 2012), “Tout l’univers” for Gjon’s Tears (Switzerland 2021) and “Bridges” for Alika (Estonia 2023). The song is composed by Mustii, Pierre Dumoulin and Benoit Leclerq. Dumoulin was responsible for two Belgian entries: “City lights” in 2017 and “Wake up” in 2019. Due to a mistake, made by RTBf’s radio station for youngsters, TIPIK, the song was leaked already. Sunday evening, the radio station already played the song. The result was that almost everywhere on the internet, “Before the party’s over” could be found. However, below you’ll find the official video as published by EBU.

Iris

About Quick Facts NameLaura van den Bruel Born19 January 1995 Nationality🇧🇪 Belgian National SelectionEen Song Voor Iris In Eurovision2012 Baku SongWould You (2012) Biography Laura Van den Bruel, also known by her stage name Airis and as Iris, is a Belgian singer and designer. She wasborn on January 19, 1995, in Morkhoven, Belgium. Her career, spanning from 2010 to the present, showcases her versatility across genres like pop and country. Laura had her first and biggest hit, “Wonderful” in 2011. In 2012 she released her first album, “Seventeen”. Gaining prominence in 2012, she represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she performed under the name Iris. Unfortunately, she did not advance to the Grand Final. Laura’s journey in the music industry is characterized by continuous evolution. After Eurovision, she explored various musical styles, further developing her artistic identity. She scored several hits, like “Welcome to my world” (2012), “Tomorrow I’ll be OK” (2013) and “Lost For One Day” (2014). Her songs “Heartbreaker” and “I’ll Stand By You” were no big successes. After this, she decided to change her career and followed a study in order to be a graphic designer. Although she still performs every now and then, she is currently also working as a graphic designer in Herentals. She is working at Ferem Design Studio. Under her own name, she released a song called “Avalon” in 2021. Entries Would You Country🇧🇪 Belgium Year2012 LanguageEnglish LyricsNina SampermansJean Bosco SafariWalter Mannaerts MusicNina SampermansJean Bosco SafariWalter Mannaerts BackingsBillie BenteinJoke VinckeJana De Valck Results Semi Points: 16Position: 17Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/7Z_5s5gnrCM?si=CmTu6Ozc3eiUau65

Mustii

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameThomas Mustin Born21 November 1990 Nationality🇧🇪 Belgian National SelectionInternal selection 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongBefore The Party’s Over (2024) Biography Mustii, whose real name is Thomas Mustin, is a Belgian singer and actor. He was born in Brussels in 1990. Mustin completed his theater studies at the Institut des Arts de Diffusion in Louvain-la-Neuve in 2012. Soon after, he started working on the French TV series “À tort ou à raison,” directed by Alain Brunard. On the theatrical front, he was cast as Benvolio in “Romeo and Juliet,” a production helmed by Yves Beaunesne, which was instrumental in inaugurating the new Théâtre de Liège. In late 2014, Mustin directed the play “Débris” by Dennis Kelly, showcased at the Riches-Claires in Brussels during November and December. By early 2015, he was involved in “L’Auberge du Cheval-Blanc,” a show revived under the direction of Dominique Serron and performed at Charleroi’s Palais des Beaux-Arts and the Royal Opera of Wallonia. Mustin’s filmography expanded as he featured in two movies and a TV show. He co-starred with Romain Duris and Gustave Kervern in “Odd Job” (2016), a film by Pascal Chaumeil, and with Fabrizio Rongione in “Les Survivors,” a project directed by Luc Jabon. On TV, Mustin took up the role of Kevin in “The Break,” a series by Matthieu Donck that was well-received in Belgium. 2014 also saw Mustin signing with the Black Gizah Record label, owned by Kid Noize. His debut single “The Golden Age” gained traction on several Belgian radio channels in both Flanders and Wallonia. At the 2016 D6bels Music Awards, Mustin garnered six nominations, spanning categories like Male Solo Artist, Concert, Pure FM Artist/Group, Revelation, Music Video, and Songwriter. He clinched the award for Revelation of the Year. His achievements didn’t stop there. In 2019, he was honored with the Magritte Award for Most Promising Actor for his role in “The Royal Exchange.” Later that year, he earned a nomination at the Prix de la critique for Male Revelation (Espoir masculin). In 2020, Mustii teamed up with Brut for a collaboration single, “Time is up”. On January 21, 2022, he released his second album, “It’s happening now”. The album reached the 4th place in the Belgian album charts. The song “Skyline” became a hit. On August 30, 2023, news broke that Mustin will represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Mustii performed in the second semifinal, but unfortunately didn’t manage to make it to the final. Entries Before The Party’s Over Country🇧🇪 Belgium Year2024 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlloysius LloydArianna DamatoCharlotte ClarkMustiiNina Sampermans MusicBenoit LeclerqMustiiPierre Dumoulin Backings– Results Semi Points: 18Position: 13Running order: 12 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/hNIemQwCaM4?si=9X3KzT8pfd2rQXFj

🇧🇪 It’s gonna be Mustii for Belgium

photo credits: RTBf Mustii will sing for Belgium in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Belgian broadcaster RTBF announced it today. Mustii, with two hit albums to his name, isn’t new to the Belgian limelight. Biography acting Also recognized as Thomas Mustin, Mustii is not just a singer but also an author, composer, and actor. He boasts an impressive portfolio in theatre, TV, and Netflix, with credits including the acclaimed Belgian show, La Trêve, and movies such as Grave, Un Petit Boulot, and L’Echange des Princesses. In 2017, Mustii showcased his acting prowess, taking on a principal role alongside Mathilde Seigner in the French TV film, Je Voulais Juste Rentrer Chez Moi. He portrayed the notorious Patrick Dils, and in 2019, he was cast as Hamlet, directed by Emmanuel Dekoninck. albums Beyond acting, Mustii has solidified his position in the music industry. With two acclaimed albums, 21st Century Boy and It’s Happening Now, he’s achieved remarkable feats, from headlining tours (and notably selling out the Ancienne Belgique three times) to clinching the ‘Revelation of the Year’ title at the D6bels Music Awards. Mustii is celebrated for his enthralling vocal talent – a blend of strength and vulnerability. Eurovision and more The upcoming year promises even greater achievements for Mustii. Not only will he stand for Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden, but he’s also set to rejoin the panel as a regular judge for Drag Race Belgique’s second season and feature prominently in Michiel Blanchart’s forthcoming film, La nuit se traîne, alongside Romain Duris. National selection No song has been chosen for Mustii yet. It is likely that a song will be internally selected and published in February or March.

🇧🇪 Luc Smets (Dream Express) passed away

Today, the sad news came to us that Luc Smets, member of the group Dream Express, passed away. Luc Smets was born in Steendorp, Belgium, in 1947. When he was 19, he joined the band The Pebbles. He played the keyboard in the band. They had a couple of hits in Belgium, of which “Seven horses in the sky” and “Mackintosh” were the biggest. However, Smets had to leave the band. He started a new band, Shampoo. They started working with the Hearts Of Soul, a Dutch group. In the end, Luc joined the girls of the Hearts Of Soul, and together they started a new group: Dream Express. In 1977 they won the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “A million in 1, 2, 3”. Despite being among the favourites, the four reached a 7th place. In 1981, one of the girls left the group, the others continued under the name LBS. Smets also co-wrote the 1982 Eurovision song “Si tu aimes ma musique” for Stella. He also wrote numerous songs for Belgian national finals. Subsequently, Luc made significant contributions to the music industry as a composer, arranger, and producer. His talents graced children’s TV shows. In late 2002, he joined forces with some familiar faces, including Marcel De Cauwer, a former member of the Pebbles, to create the cover band “No Joke.” Luc was the go-to arranger and leader for the Strato-Vani orchestra, renowned for their fresh renditions of classic and popular tunes. Tragically, after battling an illness, Luc departed on August 20, 2023, at 76 years old.

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

We already head to day 5: some rehearsals of the 2nd semifinal, and….. the big 5. 11.30 – 11.50 Denmark11.55 – 12.15 Armenia12.20 – 12.40 Romania12.45 – 13.05 Estonia13.10 – 13.30 Belgium 14.40 – 15.10 Germany15.20 – 15.50 France16.00 – 16.30 Italy16.40 – 17.10 Ukraine17.20 – 17.50 Spain18.00 – 18.30 United Kingdom

Liverpool Live: a favourite in green

photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Corinne Cummings Finland After the lunch break, it is time for a lot of energy: Finland. As expected, Käärijä wears the green bolero jacket we know so well. He is accompanied by four dancers wearing pink. The show starts with Käärijä in a huge wooden box, climbs on top of a couple of pallets and sings there before he goes to the floor to continue his performance. We can at least say Käärijä’s performance spots a lot of energy. With Käärijä’s rehearsal, we saw all the participants in the first semifinal rehearse. It is time to continue with the second semifinal. Denmark Reiley’s performance is cleverly designed with a revolving structure that showcases three different colored rooms as he passes through doorways, utilizing the LED floor and projected graphics to special effects. The visuals range from swirling clouds to hearts and emojis, creating an atmosphere that gives the performance a dreamy feel. It’s very much in line with Gen Z sensibilities according to Eurovision.tv. Reiley himself is wearing pink, a colour we saw before today. Armenia Brunette is wearing a white dress with black sewings. She starts her performance on a sloped structure that is put upright. The structure has blue and pink swirls projected on it. The graphics and lightning change halfway as the song is changing it’s tempo. Brunette leaves the sloped structure, the stage is quite white with white squares in the background. Eurovision.tv speaks of strong vocals. Romania Yellow is the colour when we talk about Romania. Yellow suits, a yellow jacket and even yellow Pikachu socks! Theodor Andrei starts off with only a guitar on an empty stage. In the second half of the song, that all changes with much more energy. There is a dancer on stage as well. The end of the presentation seems to be quite dramatic, although eurovision.tv does not give more details about it. Belgium Belgium surprises with a completely different outfit than he had in the national final. Gustaph wears a white suit and a white hat, and a pink blouse. Gustaph has his own flight of stairs, which he intensively uses. He is supported by three backing vocals who play a main role in the entire show. He has a LED backdrop of vogueing, drag queens. A dancer also has a role in the act. Cyprus Eurovision.tv mentioned being impressed by Andrew’s vocal capacities. Andrew is wearing a black sleeveless vest. There’s an exciting energy in the way this song gradually intensifies from its opening note to an even more explosive conclusion. The LED background alternates between serene waterfalls and fiery flames. The floor has smoke and four banks of flames. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule day 2

Today is already the 2nd day of the rehearsals. What to expect today? After Sweden, we have another favourite in the contest today: Finland. But there is more: 11.30-12.00 Israel12.10-12.40 Azerbaijan12.50-13.20 Czechia13.30-14.00 The Netherlands15.10-15.40 Finland15.50-16.20 Denmark16.30-17.00 Armenia17.10-17.40 Romania17.50-18.20 Belgium18.30-19.00 Cyprus

Gustaph

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameStef Caers Born5 July 1980 Nationality🇧🇪 Belgian National SelectionEurosong 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongBecause of You (2023) Biography Stef Caers, born in Leuven in 1980, is a Belgian singer, musician, producer and singing teacher.He initially performed under the stage name Steffen and later as Gustaph. Caers followed secondary education at the Academie voor Muziek-Woord-Dans in Heist-op-den-Berg. He graduated as a producer at the music conservatory of Ghent. At the age of nineteen, still during his studies, he scored a hit in 2000 as Steffen with the song “Gonna Lose You”, which reached 22nd place in the Flemish Ultratop 50. Caers won a prize at Flemish Radio 2 in the subcategory “The debut” that year with the song. His next single, “Sweetest Thing”, was a more modest success: the song got stuck in the charts. Caers later noted that his songs like Steffen, which he wrote as a sixteen-year-old, are not entirely in line with his style. The music world made it clear to him that he should keep his homosexuality a secret so as not to undermine his popularity. It therefore remained with these singles under that name. Caers focused more on studio work and writing music. He also made jingles for Radio Donna and Q-music. However, he also remained active on stage, including as a pianist and background singer. With Mo Harcum, Sofie Verbruggen and Sandrine Van Handenhoven he paid homage to Marvin Gaye. With the latter two, he paid homage to Ella Fitzgerald in the 2021-2022 theater season, together with the VRT Bigband. He has been performing solo since 2008 under the name Gustaph. Four years later, under that name, he began singing and writing for Hercules & Love Affair, a group best known in the LGBTQ+ community. As a result, he performed at Pukkelpop, Glastonbury and Chanel shows, among others. Caers left the group in 2018. Caers is also a teacher at Hogeschool Gent within the jazz / pop course and at the pop and rock music course at Hogeschool PXL. Caers went to the Eurovision Song Contest twice as a backing singer. In 2018 with Sennek and in 2021 at Hooverphonic. He also was a voice coach for Geike Arnaert of Hooverphonic. In January 2023, he took part in Eurosong, the Flemish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Gustaph won Eurosong 2023, which meant that he was chosen as the Belgian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. He reached the final there and became 7th. Entries Because Of You Country🇧🇪 Belgium Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsJaouad AlloulStef Caers MusicJaouad AlloulStef Caers BackingsMonique HarcumChantal KashalaSandrine van Handenhoven DancersPussCee West Results Semi Points: 90Position: 8Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 182Position: 7Running order: 16 https://youtu.be/U1xD14IMKtg

Gustaph represents Belgium

Gustaph will represent Belgium with the song “Because of you”, written and composed by Jaouad Alloul and Stef Caers. After an exciting voting, the televoter chose Gustaph as the winner with a landslide, while Gala Dragot was the favourite with the expert jury. It is to be announced in which of the semifinals in Liverpool Belgium will perform. Gustaph, “Because of you”, 278 pts. The Starlings, “Rollercoaster”, 277 pts Gala Dragot, “T’inquiette”, 271 pts. Chérine, “Ça m’ennuie pas”, 268 pts. Ameerah, “The carnival”, 171 pts. Loredana, “You lift me up”, 167 pts. Hunter Falls, “Ooh la la”, 128 pts.