Brussels, 12 January 2023
Belgium have kicked off the week-long Eurosong marathon. From Monday to Friday, we’ll get to know the participants in Eurosong 2023, and their songs.
Every day, VRT will release a 30 minute reality show, presenting the contestants during their bootcamp (or “songclub”). During this bootcamp, each artist will showcase their two songs, with their competition listening in. After they’ve performed both songs, their fellow rivals will give them feedback, and the contestants will pick which of their two songs will be performed on the big finale this Saturday.
Eurosong 2023 Planning:
Monday 9 Jan: Loredana (both songs)
Tuesday 10 Jan: Chérine (both songs), Hunter Falls (first song)
Wednesday 11 Jan: Hunter Falls (second song), Ameerah (both songs)
Thursday 12 Jan: Gala Dragot (both songs), Gustaph (first song)
Friday 13 Jan: Gustaph (second song), The Starlings (both songs)
Saturday 14 Jan: Finale
On the penultimate day, we hear from Gala Dragot who will début both of her songs on the Songclub stage!
Who is Gala Dragot?
With a mere 17 years, Gala Aliaj is the youngest participant in this selection. However, Eurosong does not mark the first time she’s making an appearance in a televised music competition. At age 15 Gala participated in The Voice Kids, and won the whole thing! This makes her the only contestant in this selection to actually have won something before participating in the selection. Her debut single “Contagious” was released soon after her win.
Gala hails from an artistically gifted family as her father, Robert Aliaj is an established artist in Albania (composer, painter, sculptor) and has mentored her from a young age onward. Both Robert’s professional surname is Dragot, leading to Gala adopting the same surname as well.
As an artist, Gala strives to bring socially important messages in an alternative way.
The Decision
After a short introduction, it was time for Gala to present her art: “Emotion Ollie” a song about worshipping plantlife after they take over the world, and “T’inquiète” a song about mental health awareness. Both of the songs are down-tempo avant garde ballads (think: “Start a Fire”). The song club appreciated T’inquiète more, and Gala followed their decision.
Afterwards, it was time for the oldest contestant to take the stage, the Queer Artist known as Gustaph. He performed his first song, a bouncy queer-friendly disco song called “Because of you“.
Tomorrow we’ll hear “The Nail”, Gustaph’s second song and both songs from our last act: The Starlings.
What do #YOU think of T’inquiète? Do #YOU think it was the correct decision? Let us know in the comments!
