Becks on Belgium

Ishtar - O julissi 2/5

The curtain opens and out comes a cheerful little ditty that could have been an entry at the very first Eurovision back in 1956, complete with a singer so jaunty she could faint from it, doing a happy lyric in a made-up language.

You see? Every fibre in my body wants to detest it. Problem is I don't.

It eats its way into my brain, and I feel a grand smile forming where my mouth wants to show displeasure. Silly and cheesy, but also very feel-good. Mind you, Belgium almost had us all fooled only five years ago when fellow Belgians Urban Trad came only two points short of winning in Riga with the same concept.

In the final?
No. I don't think the same concept will work again. And Flemings have a somewhat startling ability of making their own songs flop at Eurovision. Yet, I could be very wrong with this one.