It’s safe to say that Belarus is hit or miss when it comes to Eurovision. When they do qualify, it’s likely to see them towards the bottom of the table, and only once has the nation cracked into the Top 10. The nation was set to be represented by VAL this year, with the song Da Vidna, but was it Top 10 potential?
Anita (Eurovision Union)
Song and Vocals
Belarus certainly flew under the radar this Eurovision season, and it still seems to be one of the ‘forgotten’ entries. On one hand, I can see why it wasn’t at the forefront of people’s attention, but despite that, I still see the charm in this song. Yes, it takes a little while to get into it, but I enjoy the melody, and the overall relaxed vibe of the song. The instrumentation in the chorus sounds a bit like an advertisement jingle, but I think had this song had a bit of a revamp, it could have had a bit more depth.
Vocally, I’m actually quite impressed. Her voice really shines in small pockets throughout the song, but at other times it does feel quite one-dimensional. Extra points always go to the use of national language, which could have made it stand out a little bit more in the semi-final.
Performance and Act
VAL is probably not the most memorable act of the Eurovision field of 2020, but naturally I would want to see them return in 2021, just out of principle alone. As I previously said, I could see the charm in this entry, and the group has a lot to do with that. With a stronger song, VAL could make a bigger impact at Eurovision.
Next Up: 2021
Should VAL be selected to represent Belarus at Eurovision next year, I’d love to see a song that is a bit more daring. Da Vidna is a nice pop song, but as it was, it wasn’t a strong competitor. I see potential in the group, and would like to see what they have to offer. For argument’s sake, if they were to compete again with a song like Da Vidna, I would probably still have to place them as non-qualifiers, as I don’t think they were making a big enough impact on the viewers.
Conclusions
As it was, Belarus was likely a non-qualifier in that first semi-final. For me, it’s an enjoyable three minutes, but it’s also not a song that people would keep coming back to, but rather, have to be reminded of in the voting recap. Nice, but not enough.
Rating
6/10
Dennis (ESCDaily)
Song and Vocals
It takes about 50 seconds to get the song ‘Da Vidna’ going. The chorus is uplifting, but it already stops after a short while. The lyrics of the song are full Belarussian, which would have been unique in the field. But it was also a song that had issues for a lot of people in Europe in terms of connecting.
Vocally there is nothing wrong with it, VAL is a capable singer and interacts well with her backings, dancers and the camera.
Performance and Act
There is not a lot happening during the performance of Belarus. Except for the visual presentation of the lead singer, with a special shining hairpiece, it is more or less the same for the full three minutes. These three minutes therefore seem to last a long time. Which is usually not a good sign.
Next up: 2021
If Belarus decides to stick with VAL, it might help to use the extra year to get her teamed-up with a very talented songwriter. The artist has the qualities and potential to do well on the Eurovision stage, but the song needs a lot more urgency to be a qualifier. This is of course possible.
Conclusions
The song for Eurovision 2020 dragged a bit. And with a draw in the first half of the semi final, it would probably have struggled to stand out in the field of 17. Mostly in the televote. It also did not win the televote at the national final in Belarus, being second place in both the jury vote and televote. Belarus was a likely non-qualifier in 2020 and could benefit from the cancellation of that contest.
Rating
4/10
Additional Scores from Eurovision Union and ESCDaily Editors:
Brandon: 2/10
Steef: 4/10
Joshua: 4/10
Selim: 7/10
Heath: 6.5/10
Kaitlin: 5/10
Average Score: 4.8/10
What do you think of Da Vidna? Follow our Eurovision 2020 reviews here.