With some familiar faces and others to discover
Jelle van Dael, Lenn, Grace, Mentissa, LEEZ, Le Manou, Red Sebastian and Stefanie Callebaut are the candidates to represent Belgium in Eurovisioon 2025. This time Flanders is responsible for choosing the candidate after this year's Wallonie's choice Mustii and 2023's Flanders choice Gustaph.
VRT 1 has annouced today the 8 candidates that will compete in a gala to be celebrated on 1 February hosted by Peter Van de Veire (in the centre of the picture). But who are the 8 contestants? Let's find out!
JELLE VAN DAEL
We mainly know Jelle van Dael (Opglabbeek, 34 years old) as the former frontwoman of dance act Lasgo. In 2008, at the age of 18, she won the talent show Let’s Go Lasgo and joined the iconic Belgian dance sensation. Together they scored several hits such as 'Gone' and 'Out Of My Mind' and toured the world. Jelle has recently started a solo career In 2024 and you could also see her shine in the tv show Sing Again.
MENTISSA
Mentissa Aziza (Denderleeuw, 24 years old) won the very first Flemish edition of The Voice Kids in 2014, but her musical career only really took off seven years later - after her participation in The Voice in France. A first song 'Et Bam' quickly followed and was immediately good for more than 50 million streams in our southern neighbors. That year she was nominated for Victoires de la Musique, the French MIAs, and her debut album, 'La Vingtaine', was a bull's eye. Another single from her album, 'Mamma Mia', also became a big hit in Flanders and was nominated for Zomerhit 2023.
LENN
Lenn (Bonheiden, 25 years old) is the stage name of Len Neefs, a young singer with a resounding surname. He is the grandson of Louis Neefs, who represented Belgium in Eurovision 1969. After studying film at the RITCS and his studies in applied psychology, he now throws himself completely into his music. He regularly posts quirky covers on Instagram and TikTok with which he shows the world his unique voice but he has not released any song yet.
GRACE
Grace Khuabi (Amsterdam, 21 years old) won The Voice of Flanders in 2021 under the guidance of coach Natalia. Since then, she has been steadily building her musical career. She scored her first gold record with the energetic 'Freedom' and also released a duet with Koen Wauters. She also shone as Cindy in the musical Hairspray last spring.
LEEZ
Lisa Van Rossem (Turnhout, 31 years old) is mainly known as a backing vocalist and live duet partner of her brother Metejoor. However, she already participated in Eurosong For Kids in 2005 as half of the duo Lila. In 2016, the general public rediscovered her thanks to The Voice of Flanders, where all the coaches turned their chairs for her phenomenal interpretation of 'I Have Nothing' by Whitney Houston. Lisa has been stepping out of her brother's shadow for some time now with her own project LEEZ and is doing so successfully: her song Toxic Lullaby was nominated for Song of the Summer last year.
LE MANOU
Manou Maerten (Durbuy, 29 years old) is a singer-DJ, producer and songwriter. Fifteen years ago she took part in Junior Eurosong, where she finished just behind Laura Omloop. In 2013 she was the audience favourite in The Voice Belgique and ended up in the last eight. With the drum-’n-bass project AKS she has already performed on stage at Couleur Café and Dour. After obtaining her Master’s degree in Music Production at the conservatory in Ghent, she fully focuses on her own solo project Le Manou. There she fully focuses on catchy French-language pop/house. With her life partner Domien Cnockaert she also runs her own studio complex: Durbuy Music Studios. Camille, Metejoor and Niels Destadsbader, among others, have written hits there.
RED SEBASTIAN
Seppe Herreman (Ghent, 25 years old) was already a finalist at the age of 14 in Belgium’s Got Talent (2014). He remained passionate about music and continued his studies at the Ghent Conservatory, where he received singing lessons from Eurosong winner Gustaph, among others. At the conservatory, he developed his alter ego Red Sebastian. Seppe became a finalist this year in the VTM show Sing Again, in which he stood out both because of his fantastic vocal range and his remarkable outfits.
STEFANIE CALLEBAUT
Stefanie Callebaut (Kortrijk, 37 years old) is best known as the frontwoman of the Belgian ethereal pop sensation SX and scored several hits like 'Gold'. With the idiosyncratic collective she performed at the biggest festivals and concert halls in Belgium. SX also became a household name abroad, but in 2022 the band stopped at a high point after a successful acoustic tour. Stefanie Callebaut usually sings in English, but has also surprised her audience several times in the West Flemish regional language.
Who is your favourite so far? Leave your comment below!
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