Loïc Nottet has been chosen to represent Belgium this year in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, with the song “Rhythm Inside”, which is becoming a fan favourite to win the Contest this year.

Loïc has sent a special message to all the readers of ESCBubble, and he also spoke to us about his career, his song, his expectations in Vienna, as well as his personal life. Check out his special message right here, and an interview with him below:

• First of all, tell us how did your Eurovision bubble start, how did you decide to enter? 

I finished second at “The Voice Belgique”. After that I signed my contract with Sony Music. And one day in August I think the RTBF (the national French speaking broadcaster) contact Sony Music to know if I was interested in participating at the ESC and after Sony called me. At first I didn’t say yes right away. I said “ok I have to think about it”. I thought a lot about that proposition. I was a completely new artist without songs, style, or pictures, without anything and I wanted to be sure we had time enough to realize everything we had to do. That’s why I didn’t said yes directly.

• Your song and the video are already very successful in the Eurovision world, and our readers love them! How did the idea for the video come? 

We went to London because we saw great pictures on a website of an artist from London called Joshua Brandon, so we contacted him to work with us on pictures first of all and after we talked about the video.

I wrote a story with white people, black people and red people. The white people mean what the society would like us to be like be skinny, no revolution, etc, perfect people. And the black people mean the difference. It doesn’t mean something bad. For example, it is not because a girl is big that she is not as beautiful as the skinny girl or a fashion model. It is not because you are a boy that you cannot dance for example. Or because you are a girl that you cannot fight in the army. The red means that finally everyone is the same inside. Of course we are different, we have different personality and culture but inside we have the same things: a heart, blood and that’s all that matters.

• There is still over a months to go to Vienna. How are you preparing for the Contest?

I do a lot of meetings with Sony Music and the national broadcaster, the RTBF. We gather and meet often to talk about the performance on stage. It is the way I prepare for Eurovision. A lot of meetings and a lot of creativity. I off course rehears my song few times a week.

• Did your ideas for the stage performance all come together, and how is everythinggoing to look like?

It will be something very bright, minimalistic and pure, clean, very robotic movements. There will be surprises.

• What are your expectations in Eurovision? 

My goal is to have more experience and to meet a big audience. I would like to meet some new artists and new persons with whom I could collaborate.

• Which was the first Eurovision that you watched, or that you remember? 

Honestly, I can’t say because I just knew the name of the contest. So when I was selected for it I learned about it and now I think it’s a great concept to make a huge show like that where a lot of European countries can make a show together and have fun together so I think it’s a great idea, a great concept.

• What kind of music do you listen to in your free time, when all you want is to relax? 

My influences in music are: Sia, Florence and the Machine, Lorde, London Grammar, Hurts and I also really love Queen.

• And now we have a couple of “harder questions” 🙂 If I’m not wrong, you are from Courcelles. If we came to your town, what’s the first place you would show us, or take us to? 

Probably the woods 🙂

• What would you bring to a deserted island? 

Water 

• Which movie/tv-series could have been written about your life? 

One Three Hill 

• Who would you want to play you in a film about your life? 

If I was older, Anthony Hopkins 

• If you could go back in time, what would you change, and why?

Right now nothing in my professional life.

• And the very last question – What was so far the most important day of your life?

In my professional life, when I went to my blind audition at “The Voice Belgique”.

• Thank you very much for your time Loïc, and we are looking forward to seeing you in Vienna!

Give a listen to “Rhythm Inside” once again right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWDMUN332F8