Belgium 2021- Hooverphonic with ‘The Wrong Place’

It’s a day full of returning acts internally selected and Belgium are the first to put out their official video of ‘The Wrong Place’:

Hooverphonic’s entry last year, much like the effort they created for Senik had the issue of being too easy to ignore. Classy songs, but not competitive. The lower hype and fan expectation around them this year was partly a result of last year’s disappointment, but there is just a general impression their best days are behind them.

The song is an interesting number and certainly more competitive than last year’s effort. It’s repetitive yes, and there isn’t enough of a differentiation between the verses and the choruses perhaps, but I never really found the song dragging. It’s different enough to anything else in the competition which does not hurt it’s chances.

I do have my concerns over the likeability of this group, as a middle aged trio who very much give off that musical snob sort of vibe as a first impression. Juries will like this aesthetic, the televote less so and there could be a big discrepancy here.

Staging has been an issue for Belgium and pretty much every year baring 2015 you can find something they should have done better. This song by it’s stand-offish nature could again prove difficult.

Qualification is the only real achievement for this and that is well within reach. Looking at the semi, it’s more of a televote friendly line-up overall right now so this can push it’s way up the jury rankings. Likely top 5 with them, maybe top 3 both of which should get this through. In the final, a result similar to Lake Malawi perhaps, with this bombing with the televote.

Personal Rating: 6/10 Competitive Rating: 7/10 Early Prediction: Semi One 7th-11th, Final 12th- 17th if a qualifier