Since taking Europe by storm back in Vienna with his high-concept performance of “Rhythm Inside”, Loïc Nottet’s career has kept on growing. Could he possibly be making a return to the Eurovision stage in the coming years?
Three years on from his success at Eurovision 2015, Loïc is currently promoting his latest single, “On Fire”. During an interview with Belgian radio and TV presenter Peter Van de Veire, he was asked the most common question put to past Eurovision participants: Would you ever compete at the contest again? To the delight of his army of fans across Europe, he didn’t rule it out.
“Gosh? In a few years? Why not?” may not be the most enthusiastic response we’ve seen from a potential returning artist, but it’s far from a resounding no. Loïc certainly would not be the first returning fan favourite we’ve seen at Eurovision. Plus, having seen the positive impact of the contest on his career, there’s certainly an incentive there.
However, it is unlikely that 2019 will be the year that Loïc decides to make a Eurovision comeback; it is currently rumoured that Valentine Brognion will be flying the Belgian flag in Tel Aviv.
Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest
Like many countries, Belgium has a long and varied history at the contest. They were one of the seven founding countries of the first edition back in 1956. Since then, they have only missed three contests: in 1994, 1997 and 2001. Each year, the participating broadcaster alternates between RTBF (French-speaking) on odd years and VRT on even ones(Dutch-speaking)In their participation history, they have won the contest once, with Sandra Kim’s “J’aime la Vie” back in 1986.
Since the introduction of the semi-final system back in 2004, Belgium have struggled to consistently qualify for the final. After a recent string of three top 10 results between 2015-2017, it seems that both broadcasters have mastered the formula for Eurovision success. This included two 4th place finishes, including Loïc Nottet’s “The Rhythm Inside”.
Although Sennek’s “A Matter of Time” didn’t manage to reach the grand final back in Lisbon earlier this year, it remains a fan favourite from the contest. Undeterred, Belgium have confirmed their participation for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv.
Would you like to see Loïc Nottet return to the Eurovision Song Contest? Are you excited to see what Belgium will send to Tel Aviv? Let us know below! Be sure to follow @ESCXtra on Twitter and like our Facebook page.
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