Belgian Chart Hits

By peterM on July 31, 2012 • ( 0 )

Belgium may be a relatively small country in land area, but it has a huge musical heart.

And while French and Dutch dominate the spoken word, the Belgian music scene has managed to remain surprisingly distinctive from the neighbourly influences of France and the Netherlands, creating a unique and vibrant sound which is as fresh and cutting edge as anything on the European continent.

Ambient pop band Hooverphonic fronted by vocalist Noémie Wolfs head up our Belgian post in rich style with a stirring orchestral cover version of Massive Attack’s ‘Unfinished Symphony’.

It’s always a danger when a pop group teams up with a full-blown orchestra that the result can end up like a cheesy pop version of the Last Night at the Proms, not so in this case.

‘Unfinished Symphony’ is an exceptional and classy piece of work from one of Belgium’s most internationally acclaimed groups.

The band are joined by an orchestra of 42 musicians, all hand-picked by Hooverphonic’s Alex Callier, who incidentally is the coach for the Dutch version of The Voice.

Their recent album ‘Hooverphonic with Orchestra’ has already gone platinum and they have been nominated for the Radio 2 Zomerhit awards in the categories Best Live performance, Best Female singer & Best single.

Here is Belgian pop music at its sparkling best.

Genre-bending Belgian singer/songwriter Selah Sue has had a meteoric rise to pop stardom. By the tender age of 20 this talented student of Psychology had already secured a major record deal and is currently blazing a scorching trail to international success.

Born Sanne Putseys, the super sexy soulful singer from Leuven has a truly unique and beautiful voice.

Her self-titled eponymous debut album is a delightful mix of pop, indie rock, soul, funk and reggae – wow! It’s gone triple platinum in her home country and with further success in the Netherlands, France and Switzerland here is an artist proving conclusively she is far more than the typical guitar-strumming singer/songwriter.

‘This World’ taken from the album ‘Selah Sue’ is an intimate and jazzy performance that perfectly emphasises the strength and uniqueness of her expressive and sultry vocal tones.

This is super styled Belgian pop and what a fabulous hairstyle too!

In 2011 Technotronic’s 1990 worldwide smash ‘Pump Up The Jam’ was crowned the Best Belgian Dance Song Ever, while possibly the world’s biggest dance music festival, Tomorrowland, has just shaken Dreamville near Rumst, emphasising Belgium’s amazing legacy and continuing contribution to the world of dance music.

2012 has seen a shedload of great releases from the Belgian dance scene, including the stunning dance floor filler ‘Cloudbreaker’ from Belgian DJ Basto best known for his 2011 smash ‘Gregory’s Theme’.

Basto, real name Jef Martens, has teamed up with Benelux newcomer Yves V to deliver a dazzling techno powerhouse that’s sure to keep Europe moving all summer long.

Belgian dance queen Jessy de Smet has been in the music business since the mid-90’s and judging by her new release she has lost none of her energy and appeal.

Jessy has adopted a chic new look and joined forces with international DJ sensation Ian Prada to produce this upbeat house driven track and current Belgian hit.

Nothing it seems is ‘Impossible’ for this Belgian diva.

Belgian singer/songwriter Milow is a true all-rounder and conceivably the most successful DIY artist in Europe today.

While his biggest success so far is his cover of Justin Timberlake and 50 Cent’s ‘Ayo Technology’, Jonathan Vandenbroeck aka Milow is making real waves with the release of his fourth album ‘North & South.’

Great guitar playing, creative lyrics and easy to listen to melodies blend perfectly together to produce the appealing trademark Milow style.

‘Little in the middle’ is a song about dreams and aspiration; it’s a catchy and stylish track just perfect for relaxing summer days.