The Eurovision 2022 season has barely begun (songs released from 1 September 2021 are eligible for next year's Contest) and we already have one confirmed artist who'll be taking to the stage in the - as yet unnamed - Italian host city.
On souhaite la bienvenue à Jérémie Makiese pour la Belgique!
We bid a warm welcome to Jérémie Makiese for Belgium!
Today's announcement
Moments ago Belgium's French-speaking broadcaster RTBF revealed that Jérémie Makiese would be carrying Belgian hopes at the world's biggest international song contest next year on the morning show 'Le 8/9' of its VivaCité radio station.
Leaving aside last year's Contest, which for reasons related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic saw artists (re-)confirmed for Rotterdam at an early stage, a mid-September artist announcement means that Belgium is very fast out of the blocks - so to speak - for next year's 66th edition of Eurovision. Even earlier the selection of the country's most recent entrants Hooverphonic on 1 October 2019 for the ultimately cancelled 2020 Contest!
Artist background
Jérémie Makiese is 21-years-old and won The Voice Belgique in 2021. In addition to taking out the title at the 9th edition of the Francophone reality TV competition, Jérémie is also studying geology and is a talented sportsman, having played in goal in an amateur league and recently had a trial for National Division 1 team La Louvière-Centre.
During this morning's live interview, Jérémie gave little away about the song he'll take to Eurovision, wanting to save a surprise for later in the year. He wouldn't even be drawn on whether the song would be in French or English.
He did, however, reveal that he was offered the chance to represent Belgium a month-and-a-half ago and that he has an "idea" about the song. He also explained that he's not focussed on where his song might place at the Contest, stating that his goal is to represent his country to the best of his ability.
Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest
2022 will mark Belgium's 63rd participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, over six decades since its debut at the inaugural edition in 1956.
Sandra Kim's bop 'J'aime la vie' in 1986 remains the nation's only win to date, and Belgian entries have seen very mixed success over the past ten Contests: with five failures to qualify for the Grand Final outweighing three consecutive top 10 results from 2015 to 2017. Last year, 'The Wrong Place' did make the Saturday night performance, but managed to garner a total of just 3 points in the televote.