Look at Belgium now: Because of Gustaph

Belgium set out to choose its Eurovision Song Contest 2023 entry through their national final Eurosong, and Gustaph competed against 6 other acts. His house anthem raised the roof, and Because Of You was crowned the winner based on a shared jury and audience vote.

Because Of You is a hit that demands bright lights and sparkle - and Gustaph’s first rehearsal on Monday 1 May assured us that he’s bringing plenty of that to Eurovision. He rocked up wearing pink and white - like a sugary-sweet treat! He made the stage his very own catwalk, alongside some sensational backing singers and a voguing dancer. Gustaph and friends delivered a show stopper.

The official Eurovision Live Blog was on site at the first rehearsal, and was understandably dazzled, writing: "Staging-wise, there's a flight of stairs, three backing singers, and an LED backdrop of voguing, drag queens and all the people who make Gustaph's world a better place. We’re having a Green Room dance, and can’t wait to see the crowd go mad for this next Thursday."

Gustaph clearly loves music, but he’s also got a passion for cuisine. He told us that only hunger will wake him from a good sleep, that he can often be found at food stands, and that he’s partial to extremely blue cheese. He even admitted that he puts HP sauce and Branston pickle on everything he eats. Although, being Belgian, his official top condiment is mayonnaise. We hope he’s ready for a very British cream tea in Liverpool, or perhaps a Sunday roast the day after the Grand Final - with or without pickle.

As you’d expect, Gustaph’s Spotify playlist of favourite tunes is packed with disco classics that channel retro beats. Diana Ross’s The Boss, Mariah Carey’s Anytime You Need A Friend, and Jessie Ware’s Free Yourself feature, with a bit of Annie Lennox, Robyn, and Björk added into the mix. It’s clear what gives Gustaph his inspiration.

Gustaph explained to the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast host that he wrote Because Of You along with another queer artist, with something very important in mind. They wanted an empowering and supportive message that felt universal. 

“We wrote it with the idea of the chosen family,” he told us. “As queer people we have our own little bond of friends that help us and lift us up. And we wanted to create a song that says, ‘I’m here, I’m so glad I’m where I am right now, I’m alive and I owe it to you people who lift me up. That’s really the message of the song.”

There’s more from Gustaph on Episode 4 of the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast.

You can learn more about Gustaph from Belgium right here.