The hope for Holland, Duncan Laurence, released his song “Arcade” on March 7. In just a few days he climbed to number one with the bookmakers, leaving even Sergey Lazarev behind him. A day after his song reveal, wiwiblogger Charlotte sat down with Duncan to discuss his song, participating in Eurovision, his mentor Ilse DeLange, lost loves and that nude swimming scene. He’s a sensitive guy and we need you to watch this.

Emotional and relatable. That’s how most people have described the song in the days since its release. Duncan explains that the emotion comes from somewhere real and vulnerable.

“‘Arcade’ is about a lost love. And hoping for that love to return. But it doesn’t. All the emotion, rawness, bitterness, angriness or happiness or hope that comes within that. That’s what I tried to capture in ‘Arcarde’. It is indeed a story about myself, about a love that I once lost when I was younger.”

Dutch fans and press where surprised (and some not happy) when AVROTROS chose Duncan. The Netherlands have sent well-known artists in the Netherlands for many years, but Duncan is something of an anomaly: he is completely new to the stage. He says he got selected with a little help from former Voice of Holland coach and former Comment Linnet Ilse DeLange.

“Ilse and I had a Dropbox where I just put some songs and she would give me advice. She called me on a random Sunday morning. She loved that track ‘Arcade’. And asked if it was okay if she send it to a bunch of people responsible for choosing the artist for Eurovision. I was like: What the f*ck?! Yeah, send it over! And everything went so smoothly after that.”

The video of “Arcade” sent plenty of hearts racing…even as it raised eyebrows. Duncan is seen butt naked throughout. Why the birthday suit?

“We tried to capture the vulnerability of a human being. The most vulnerable you can be is naked. Being completely nude leaves you all vulnerable in that massive water world, with the surface representing the hope and everything you long for. The struggle, the fight that comes with it to get there. That is what we try to capture.”

What do you think? Will Duncan with the help of Ilse DeLange do well at Eurovision? Can you feel the emotion of  “Arcade”? Let us know in the comment section below!

Watch more of our interviews on wiwi.tv

GET MORE NETHERLANDS NEWS HERE

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Gavster
Gavster
4 years ago

A common love song. Period. Naked to capture de homovote… And the rest is a plan to capture the young female and naif vote.

Melody
Melody
4 years ago

Stop making another song about a lost love like it’s something special! Love is a losing game is such a cliche lyrics.

ESCfan
ESCfan
4 years ago

What is that girl doing there? If Duncan is gay?

Goddess
Goddess
5 years ago

“This song is so emotional and everything” – he says. Shame I can’t hear any emotions when he sings, song sounds very bland.

ESCfan
ESCfan
5 years ago

Loving butt is a losing game…

Alessandro Leonardo Gauci

This is the most overrated entry this year. It is just a common love song, while there are better songs which talk about a wider range of subjects, including Iceland, Portugal, Hungary and Italy.

ESCfan
ESCfan
5 years ago

Iceland is great! Too bad if they’ll be banned.

Leo
Leo
5 years ago

Everybody was outraged when Trijntje (Netherlands 2015) showed a bit of a breast during her 1st rehearsals, now this guy appears naked and everybody loves it??

Goddess
Goddess
5 years ago
Reply to  Leo

Because unfortunately in today’s society objectifying women is such a scary thing but objectifying men – totally cool.

Wow
Wow
5 years ago

Wow is it Yolanthe?

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
5 years ago

It is nice to know where Duncan drew inspiration for the song. However, it doesn’t change how I personally connect with it. The lyrics relate to my life and have a deep resonance – people will either feel it themselves or they won’t. As for the choice of artistic video, it’s not actually to my taste (but I seem to be in the minority here). But if people want it on the stage so badly, why not recreate it on all the screens?

Micha
Micha
5 years ago

Ilse and Duncan will be nice interval act at 2020 🙂

bastian
bastian
5 years ago

Naked or no final 😉

Kris
Kris
5 years ago
Reply to  bastian

You sound like some of these hundred Russian trolls who spamming on yt comments and saying if Duncan wouldn’t be naked in video clip nobody would care about him and his song which is a total BS

Lol
Lol
5 years ago

*sad panda* Quietly downvoting every comment here

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
5 years ago
Reply to  Lol

How pointless. (No, literally, they are minus points.)

Alex
Alex
5 years ago

Nobody gives an F

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
5 years ago
Reply to  Alex

Erm, Wiwibloggs: “web site devoted to the Eurovision Song Contest.” The sign on the door.

Rainer1
Rainer1
5 years ago

Now it is slowly becoming implausible, dear dutchman

stommie
stommie
5 years ago

AVROTROS didn’t exist before 2013. AVRO and TROS were separate broadcasters. They merged in 2014. TROS has always been the cheesy one, celebrating Dutch schlager. But kudos to them for giving Anouk carte blanche in 2013. An unexpected move considering their target audience.

esc stan
esc stan
5 years ago

I thought he was gay… how is the song about a female?

Max
Max
5 years ago
Reply to  esc stan

I read somwhere that he is bi

Kirby Romford
Kirby Romford
5 years ago
Reply to  esc stan

He is openly bi and currently dating a man

dutchie
dutchie
5 years ago

I hear him saying it’s about a loved one he lost (i.e. she died). He has combined her story of unrequited love with his own experiences.

dutchie
dutchie
5 years ago

It’d begun (it had begun) is also correct English.

Nicolas
Nicolas
5 years ago

Like if nobody has lost a love when younger….
And it’s only maybe the 10th million song about it.

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
5 years ago
Reply to  Nicolas

What’s your point? 90% of songs are about love. Every theme has been done already.

Chris
Chris
5 years ago
Reply to  Nicolas

*sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh* WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM THE EUROVISION ARTISTS? everything is generic and unoriginal for the fanboys these days isn’t it….

Rimig
Rimig
5 years ago
Reply to  Nicolas

Love, love, peace, peace… and a man in a hamster wheel!
What’s the problem with it being a song about a lost beloved one? What matters is that the song is well written, sounds good, triggers emotions in many listeners (not talking about the trolls, obviously) and that I want to hear it over and over again.
But you can write a song about chemical reactions involving sulphur and oxygen or about the mating behavior of the European wasp and send it to next year’s ESC in Amsterdam. We will be happy to hear it

Gianny
Gianny
5 years ago
Reply to  Rimig

That last part, brilliant 10/10 comment of the month XD fantastic sense of humor

P!nk Forever
P!nk Forever
5 years ago

He should also perform in his birthday suit in Tel Aviv. Suits him!

Alex
Alex
5 years ago
Reply to  P!nk Forever