Team Reviews: Belgium 2025

Goedenavond iedereen! Our website is back to working, and we have very little time to waste. We of course have reviewed the bulk of tonight’s finals, and we would not want you to miss out on our thoughts for Belgium.

Tonight we will be reviewing the entries by Grace, Jelle Van Dael, Leez, Le Manou, Lenn, Mentissa, Stefanie Callebaut and Red Sebastian in the order of their showcase performance, based on said showcase performer. Without any further ado, meet our six editors compelled by acute opinionitis to participate in this. Give a hand to:

The Format:

• Every editor submits a score out of 10 (.5 scores allowed) with their reasoning.
• The act with the highest average percentage and score wins the Review poll.
• Ties are broken by amount of Editors that put the entry as their favourite.
• If there’s still a tie, then we look at the lowest amount of least favourite scores
• If there’s still a tie after that, then the average percentage is recalculated by taking away the highest and lowest score, until there is no longer a tie.
• If the tie is fully deadlocked, then both songs are awarded the same placement on our ranking.

And of course we cannot start without the usual disclaimer:

All opinions in this post are of the person quoted and do not reflect our views as a whole. Every participant is expressing their opinion out of their own free will and interest in the contest. It’s supposed to be fun for everyone, so let’s have fun with it!

Ad without further ado, let’s start with our first entrant of the night:

“The term “SloMo Clone” is slapped onto any basic bop these days, but what if I told you “Pull up” actually is a SloMo Clone by intent?! It is *so* blatant that it almost makes me laugh. Unfortunately for Grace, “Basic Eurobop” is a spectrum and hers lands firmly in the Upsilon tier alongside “Loop” and “Chili Pepper”. To her credit, Grace worked the showcase (the Anti-Mentissa, if you will), doing unspeakable things to that poor cane, and it is sufficient for me to like her overall. There are pretty good odds of a live slay in the final. But the presentation in the final would have to be beyond human levels of good to turn this “Like It + SloMo’s break” vehicle into something competitive.”

“Alright, we got some catchiness here. Lyrics could’ve been better, especially the poor chorus, where the title is just repeated. Anyhow, lots of attitude and personality in this song, leaves a positive impression. It does eventually become a bit dragging in sound, but it’s something one could get used to.”

Absolutely catchy from start to finish. I have to say that I am slightly disappointed with the repetitive chorus, however… is it still in my head? IT IS. And it will stay there for the rest of the day I believe. Grace can dance as well, showing attitude, smiling but still rocking the vocal. With a bigger stage and a set of dancers, this could be the pop girlie number of the season if you ask me. The production is good, the verses are dynamic and the chorus just bangs it in your face. I’m in favour.

“Feels very 90’s inspired in all the wrong ways. ZENA (Belarus, 2019) did the same thing: I didn’t like it then, and I don’t like it now. I will say that I was impressed by her solo dance break, that was pretty fun. Grace has a certain charisma about her that I enjoyed, but it’s a shame that the song was a bit of a cringefest.”

The vocals are really shaky in the chorus, she gets a little pitchy in the bridges, and this together kind of ruins it for me, but otherwise it’s a decent pop bop. It doesn’t stand out in any way, but it is radio friendly, although I do not think this could pull (up) any numbers in Eurovision.

“It is a bit formulaic. That being said, Grace executes the formula very well with expert vocals and some decent crowd engagement. A bit more work on the choreography and this could be a solid mid-table entry for Belgium. “Pull Up” won’t win any awards for originality, but every year there’s someone who does the basics very well and scores highly for a slick, professional number. This could be it in 2025.”

STATISTICS

Highest Score:  8.5 (Jasmin)
Lowest Score: 3.5 (Emilija)
Favour: 0
Total Score: 35/60
Percentage & Rating: 58% (C+)

“LEEZ’s claim to fame is that she’s Metejoor’s lesser known sister. Unfortunately you can kind of tell why she’s the lesser sibling: “Perfectly imperfect” is a mediocrity, delivering a message that can be dismissed with a shrug, and a rhythmic structure that feels more at place in ESCZ than in a selection that wants to be taken seriously by the pundits. The song is like a puffed rice wafer – provides sustenance in a dry spell, if you have nothing better to hope for. Likewise, the early acclaim from LEEZ’s snippet mostly boils down to “she doesn’t give me social embarrassment”, and that simply doesn’t suffice in this world of monster fighters and strobe lights.”

“The song improves over its course, starting slow, building up quickly, and does deliver it quite well. Personally, this song just doesn’t hit me. I do feel like it’s well produced and great vocally, but I’m getting any enjoyment from the melody, it’s not exactly catchy. I’m just left with a proper impression of this song.”

“This is vocally really challenging, with all the changes of rhythm and those high notes, impressive. The song is not ground-breaking and unique by any means, but the execution is on a high level which makes up for a somewhat predictable rhythm of the song. At first, the title made me think this would be cheesy, but the vibes around the song and the lyricism proved me wrong.”

“One of the writers on this one also worked on Duncan Lawrence’s “Arcade” (another also worked on “Burning Daylight” with Lawrence) and it absolutely shows in the style, I think. Great vocals and lyrics that, while arguably are vague and generic, use rhyming schemes and vocal cadences that make it feel much more fresh and unique that it otherwise might. I quite like it.”

Aside from the fact that the title and some of the lyrics are dated and are giving Eurovision 2014, the production and instrumentation, even vocals, are pretty solid. These two sides kind of clash for me, so I’m not really pulled in the direction of this song, but it’s middle scale and decent enough to bop to.

“Lyrics are generic in that opposites attract sense (up vs. down, pleasure vs. pain, cod vs. haddock, etc.). I feel “Perfectly Imperfect” would do okay at Eurovision, but there’s others I feel have more potential or are just outright better and more idiosyncratically Belgian. This is probably the vanilla ESC fan’s song of choice. Competent, lyrics non-specific enough to feel they’re talking about them, the sort of person who sides with Justin Baldoni in the It Ends With Us fiasco.”

STATISTICS

Highest Score:  7.5 (Jasmin)
Lowest Score: 4 (Boris)
Favour: -1 (Least Favourite of James)
Total Score: 36/60
Percentage & Rating: 60% (B-)

“I’ve given this frivolous offering many listens, in spite of its flaws. Manou has a chipper, clear voice and her song is a fun, playful pastiche on nepotism (made even funnier by the inclusion of LEEZ and LENN in the same showcase). It is fun and I’m having fun with it. The Ra-Pa-Pa chorus isn’t too bad of a thing here (unlike in Désolée), but it does shave a decade and a half off this song’s target demographic – “Fille à papa” is a hyperactive, bouncy, adolescent song that needs to be performed with the same type of energy. Perhaps due to the lack of an act in the showcase, you get the impression that Manou simply isn’t fast or energetic enough to match the vibe created by her music. The final’s act will need to inject the youthful vigor into “Fille à Papa” that it is currently missing, if it wants to be taken seriously in the competition.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve heard music like this. It’s alright cute and charming in French as well, and very interesting. I’m thinking this is something that could’ve been done by David Guetta. The only thing it’s lacking is a bit more originality, since this sounds like a lot of music from around start 2010’s. I’m also dragging it a bit for the bland vocals.”

“Look at me being quirky… I like this?! At first I was skeptical but somehow she managed to persuade me into liking a repetitive girlie song which is not something that happens often. The chorus is so contagious and even us, non – French speakers, can learn it easily. Thoughtful performance can make wonders with this one. In my opinion, this lives in the same realm as Luxembourg and I’m going to say it – this is already better than Luxembourgish entry. If they end up going face-to-face, my bet is on this for sure. Paparapapaaaaa (help).”

“I can’t quite tell if this is meant to be serious or satire, but I was the girl at school that got bullied by all the daddy’s girls, so either way I’m gonna hazard a guess that I’m not the target demographic for this one. The phrase has some heavily negative connotations, at least here in Australia, but maybe that’s not the case in other countries? Vocals need some work, and I think it needs stronger theming and visual identity if it wants to stand a chance at winning.”

Eh…. I mean… why does it sound like a David Guetta reject? It’s not bad, but it reminds me of a million other songs with that instrumental that it’s not just interesting enough.

“It should be a gimme that Belgium does techno, and similarly that a young female French singer has lyrics that are characterized as “problematic.” This is basically “Material Girl” on a ‘90s techno beat, but with double meaning of “papa” thrown in and a cheeky commentary on being in a bubble of privilege. Luxembourg’s winner has a literal call out to its famous 1965 winner, but this one is much truer in satirical spirit.”

STATISTICS

Highest Score:  9 (James)
Lowest Score: 2.5 (Rebecca)
Favour: +1 (Favourite of David & James, Least Favourite of Rebecca)
Total Score: 38.5/60
Percentage & Rating: 64% (B)

“IL EST ET IL RESTE UN FILS À PAPA. Manou sang it, and Lenn lives and breathes it. We’ve all seen the showcase, we all know that Lenn -in the most charitable assessment I can make- simply isn’t ready to go to Eurovision. He lacks the experience and identity. The song is the type of jingly filler pop Radio2 would thrown in between two ad breaks on a Tuesday morning. The optimistic, airy tone of the song is a mismatch with Lenn’s hoarse, breathless voice. It’s good that VRT is confident enough to include a new and upcoming artist for promotion purposes. Pity that they’ve spent that “Here For Promotion” slot on mr. GOOD MORNING IT’S SUCH A GOOD MORNING over an actual unknown talent.”

“Dreadful lyrics, very questionably constructed and the vocals don’t quite fit well with the melody. Very deep voice to a rather light melody. The sudden stop in the melody also comes out of nowhere. I don’t mind the melody, but everything else around is what just makes it a greater mess, than it needs to be.”

“Erhhh… This is underwhelming. Sometimes less is more, but when competing in a national final, something like this just doesn’t make a cut. He is vocally very flat and shaky and the song is cute, but not very competitive. Overall, it’s a weaker package compared to the rest.”

“I love his voice (though it does seem a touch strained at times) and the song has a sweet, happy-go-lucky sort of sound that is easy to smile along with. The lyrics are incredibly nonsensical however, and the song is coasting purely on vibes rather than storytelling. Could be something special but needs some work.”

The birds and bees come alive? Good morning, it’s such a good morning? I’ll keep on fighting…? When I tell you that anyone could write better lyrics than this, I mean it. The type of the world peace, keep on fighting, hope core track that is better suited for a Hallmark movie ending credits than any contests out there.

“Lenn might look like the Ice Truck Killer from Dexter, but this is such a sweet song delivered with warmth and without an ounce of bitterness and irony that I can forgive that. Or is that the point, to lure you in as a potential victim? Of interest is his grandfather being Louis Neefs, who represented Belgium at Eurovision 1967 and Eurovision 1969. Unless Europe changes mood this summer, something as cheery and uplifting as this will be murdered by an angry fandom. But it could also do a Portugal at Junior Eurovision 2021 in the televote and surprise everyone?”

STATISTICS

Highest Score:  8.5 (James)
Lowest Score: 1 (David)
Favour: -4 (Least Favourite of Boris, David, Emilija & Jasmin)
Total Score: 23/60
Percentage & Rating: 38% (F)

“I know the universe wants Red Sebastian, and I don’t necessarily disagree, but I am Team Jelle, ride-or-die. I don’t care that it makes me sound like I’m living life at Tic-Toc basic bitch o’clock. “Monster” has the melody, the message, the empowerment, the vision, the belts. I cannot get “I’m fighting off the monster, monster // No I’m never going under, under” out of my head. The potential for a number like this is off-the-charts high. I can’t give it more than 9 yet though. Jelle is the same age I am, and neither she nor I can get away with feigning youthful innocence. You’re 34, so act like it. “Monster” needs to be brought with maturity and Big Sis energy (not seductiveness or juvenile optimism), demonstrating Jelle’s strength, resolve and independence. The showcase didn’t ‘t quite achieve that yet. If Jelle can improve her charisma in the final however, she could and *should* be able to challenge Seb for the Golden Ticket.”

“Not a fan of how this song switches its tempo. Going from slow, to suddenly fast, then shortly to slow and quickly back to fast. I’m lured to think it’s a ballad, when it majorly isn’t. Splendid vocal, but I’m struggling rhythmically, and had I not forced myself to listen to it all, most likely I wouldn’t have given it a chance.”

“Tattoo 2.0? I don’t want to be that person but I guess I am right now. That aside, the song is well produced and it kept me engaged. However, the vocal seemed to be a bit pitchy and shouty, especially during the chorus. With an amazing visual or stage concept this could do well because it appeals to people who prefer ballads, as well as those who are into pop anthemic songs. Sounds familiar? To sum up, it is a competent entry that needs some polishing but it could be a bomb.”

“So the monster is a sea monster? The metaphor is getting a bit lost, honestly. There’s your average “I am strong” lyrics mashed together with lines about drowning and “going under” but none of it feels explicitly like it needs to be connected to a monster of any kind. With “Monster” being such a common title, songs have to do something to set themselves apart from the eldritch terror masses—be it lyrically or instrumentally. I don’t really feel that from this one. Vocals were good for the most part but occasionally bordered on shouty.”

I know what everyone else is going to say, so I won’t say it here (just on social media lmao). I like how the song is constructed with a natural gradation, but those vocals are strained and unstable. I am also struggling to notice any passion and emotion, it feels a bit bland to me, without real character. Is this really the best choice? Not in my book.

“Loreen apparently has a little sister who looks a bit like Chloe Sevigny. My only two quibbles are that Jelle seems a little out of breath at times, which can be worked on when practicing her choreography and with more fitness, and her pronunciation of “monster” and “under” to distort them to rhyme is a little clunky. Otherwise, a solid high energy dance number that a sizeable number of more conservative Eurovision fans can gravitate to.”

STATISTICS

Highest Score:  9 Boris
Lowest Score: 2 (David)
Favour: +1 (Favourite of Boris)
Total Score: 35/60
Percentage & Rating: 58% (C+)

“This is a fun bop overall. “Désolée” runs into two problems however: first, the song undercuts its narrative progression by exchanging character development in its chorus for a series of lazy Ra-Pa-Pas. A feisty, spirited performance that draws the audience in can salvage such songs, but this runs into the second problem: Mentissa, crippled either by doubt or by acute tetanus, sat down like a losing game, and then hobbled around the stage with the vitality of someone thrice her age. It’s a shame that she -the biggest name in the line-up- phoned in the showcase performance like that. Mentissa needs to overcome her Twisties and bring forward “Désolée”‘s je-m’en-foutisme in the final. All it needs is a bit more focus.”

“Groovy and in French. I think that’s a first for me, and perhaps also the last. Great vocals, full of confidence, but this is not exactly something I would willingly listen to. The melody is a bit tacky and cheesy, and just leaves me unbothered. I’m certain something like this could come to life with a performance, but without it, there’s not much it can offer.”

“I was living for the first verse but then the chorus had started and I released an audible sound of slight disappointment. I still think this is a good and strong entry even though it doesn’t tick all the boxes for me. She looks confident and she can command the stage pretty easily. Verses are better than the chorus, just my opinion.”

“A very clear winner in my opinion. This has a lot in common with some of my favourite Belgian entries from the past, namely Gustaph and Laura Tesoro—funky beat, solid vocals, good hooks and engagement throughout the whole thing. It’s giving me major Dua Lipa vibes with it’s disco influences and clean production. Where other entries need some changes to be up to par, this one really only needs tightening of what’s already there. Really really enjoyable and I hope I’m not the only one that thinks that.”

Now this is how you make a perfect pop song without the risk of it being something we’ve heard so many times before. It sounds so fresh and it’s catchy as hell. Her vocals are straight out of a studio, it’s not in your face like some others can be, it glides throughout the entire 3 minutes without a hitch, and it’s been on repeat ever since it came out. Such an earworm!

Funky, fresh, and fun. The Belgians are pushing to be the Subaru of Eurovision with this selection – competent, workmanlike, reliable, yet unglamorous. Mentissa would be the Subaru Forester of the line-up – she’s not going to wow everyone, but she could be the last one standing if her Semi-Final is full of Alfa Romeos and Peugeots.”

STATISTICS

Highest Score:  9.5 (Emilija)
Lowest Score: 3 (David)
Favour: +1 (Favourite of Emilija & Rebecca)
Total Score: 38.5/60
Percentage & Rating: 68% (B+)

“Gloooooooriaaaaa!!!! This NEAT LADY was feeling her oats on the stage, okay?! Seriously: Stefanie might a dark horse, for real? Those who blindly believe Red Seb has it in the bag are completely underestimating the hyper-emotive theater lady. There is a sense of performance magic to the way Stefanie sings “Gloria” (an ode to her daughter) that does not feel too far off from Rona Nishliu and Tamara Todevska. This is not some singer singing some song. This is one of those instances where the performer IS the song, with a three minutes so intense and emotionally charged you’re sucked into the experience. This is the type of song/performance that would win a Eurovision Jury Vote if it nails the vision, with a respectable mid-table televote. It’s a very high risk, but if done well, the rewards we reap could be very big indeed.”

“I have no clue what I’m listening to… it literally switches everything, multiple times, throughout the song. What a questionable mess!”

“Nobody can deny the vocal prowess, however, the song is just not it. In places it seems she’s forcing it too much to the point I feel she’s angry and she’s just lashing out on me as I happened to be around. Sometimes we need to keep things down a bit to make an impact, big voice isn’t everything.”

“The song itself is fine. But uh. Wow. She… certainly has some pipes on her. Usually I’m all for that, but in this instance it feels like… a bit too much. Like, overpoweringly too much. Don’t get me wrong, her voice is absolutely stunning, but the power she’s putting into it doesn’t really match the mood of the instrumentals. My most pressing question, though, is who is this Gloria, and why are we yelling at her?”

It has a musical theater potential, not Eurovision potential. Stefanie’s voice is really interesting, but probably much better suited for theater than this. Also, why do I hear “Euphooooriaaaaaaa” when she goes “Gloooooriaaaa”?

“Here I was thinking Belgium’s entries were starting to be safe and generic, and then this bellowing lesbian comes along with a most triumphant embrace of love. This could be a dark horse that rises like a phoenix, or this could get Senneked in the Semis. No-one will remember the safe and conformist failures, so even if the worst happens, Belgium could have a cult Eurovision heroine here.”

STATISTICS

Highest Score:  8.5 (Boris & James)
Lowest Score: 1 (David)
Favour: -1 (Least Favourite of David)
Total Score: 29.5/60
Percentage & Rating: 49% (F)

“Who knows me a bit better knows that I am unable to resist those high notes. Dang this is good… his ability to keep the poker face while performing and singing this is amazing. I was yet to experience something like this and I’m glad I did. The visuals are a lot at times but it fits. It’s epic, mysterious, and beyond all, seems original and authentic enough. Is he screaming? Maybe, but he’s screaming directly to my soul and I love it.”

“He sure is red and named Sebastian, huh? A cool sort of trance beat that is quite compelling, but the vocals can’t quite keep up with it at first. The high notes were slightly… piercing, but they have potential to be enchanting with a bit of tweaking. His vocals and stage presence do admittedly get a lot better as the song progresses, so here’s hoping that it was just some lingering stage nerves that will buff out after repeated performances.”

Banger. It’s got the kind of darkness that is right up my alley, not to mention the staging potential this could actually have on the Eurovision stage. That final drop? Fantastic. Almost too short because it takes you on a trance journey and then it abruptly leaves you stranded, so I’d maybe push for a revamp of the ending. He could also work on the vocals a little bit more, but otherwise, this could be the one for Belgium.

“Belgian does dank gay club techno well, no surprise. I could best describe Red Sebastian as Dirty Adam Lambert, and more likely to front someone like Nazareth instead of Queen if he was asked to front a straight classic rock band. As with others in the selection, not the most original but playing to the Belgian music scene’s strengths.”

STATISTICS

Highest Score: 9 (Jasmin)
Lowest Score: 3 (David)
Favour: +1 (Favourite of Jasmin)
Total Score: 41/60
Percentage & Rating: 68% (B+)

THE RANKING

As the dust settles, we find the following ranking:

1. MENTISSA – “Désolée” – 68%, Fave of Emilija & Rebecca
2. RED SEBASTIAN – “Strobe Lights” – 68%, Fave of Jasmin
3. LE MANOU – “Fille à papa” – 64%
4. LEEZ – “Perfectly Imperfect” – 60%
5. JELLE VAN DAEL – “Monster” – 58%, Fave of Boris
6. GRACE – “Pull up” – 58%
7. STEFANIE CALLEBAUT – “Gloria” – 49%
8. LENN – “Air Balloon” – 38%

Mentissa and Red Sebastian tie for first place, with a good 68% average. Mentissa wins first place in the tiebreaker due to being the favourite of two editors.

Le Manou also does well, with a 64% average, followed by LEEZ who scores a 6/10 average on the dot.

Jelle & Grace come next, having received a more mixed impression. Jelle wins that tie as she’s Boris’s favourite.

Bringing up the rear, Stefanie Callebaut’s mixed reception puts her at a failing mark (49%), while all but James critically panned Lenn’s effort, putting him last with 38%.

VOTING CHART

As you can see, James was the most pronounced Belgium enjoyer, with a 7.6 average score handed out across all hopefuls, a full 0.8 ahead of the ever positive Jasmin. Boris, critical as always, handed out a 6.5 average to go with his long, analytical rants. Emma also gave Belgium a passive score with her 5.3 average, while Rebecca narrowly failed Belgium for their effort with her 4.9. As with tradition David brings up the rear with a blistering 3.5 average, no high scores and a highest score of 7.

Eurosong 2025 will be livestreamed on YouTube (via the official channel) starting at 20:55 CET tonight. Boris and Melanie will attend the final in person and will keep you updated during the night, so feel free to follow us at @ESCUnited on X for more updates.

Do #YOU agree with our editors? How would #YOU rate the Eurosong finalists? Let us know in the comments or join the discourse in our Discord or on our Forum!