Red Sebastian: ”I’ve been dreaming of being on that Eurovision stage since I was a little kid”
This year’s Belgium national selection for Eurovision, Eurosong 2025, is just around the corner. One of the finalists is Red Sebastian, an artist who has already, at the age of 25, achieved a lot in his career. Even though the artist surely is very busy at the moment getting ready for Eurosong, he still had the time to answer a few questions we asked from him. This is what Red Sebastian told us about his musical background, his Eurosong entry and some other things as well:
Hello Red Sebastian and thank you for giving me this interview! At first I’d like to ask what is your relationship to Eurovision? Do you usually watch the contest and what are your favorite ESC songs?
Hi, nice to meet you and thank you for wanting to interview me! My relationship to Eurovision began early, I was very young when I started watching the Junior Eurovision Contest and the preselections in Belgium, I lived for it and I still remember fantasising about standing on that big stage myself one day. One of the first times I watched the Eurovision Song Contest was in 2006, I remember being scared of Lordi as a kid but singing/screaming along to “Hard Rock Hallelujah” with my friends in school haha. Also Alexander Rybak is someone I remember very well, he made it look so easy to sing, perform and play violin in his act for “Fairytale” and most of all have a lot of fun while doing it. The joy in his face is something that really stuck with me. My all time favourite ESC performance and song is “Euphoria”. I know it’s a very cliché answer, but it’s one of those songs that I wish I’d written myself, because it’s THAT good! Everything from Loreen‘s voice, to her act, to the way the song builds up and gives you an impression of what heaven sounds like is just magical and so clever. I always include “Euphoria” in my live set when I perform, it’s a real gem. A song I also love a lot is “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence, such a beautiful, touching ballad.
Could you tell us a little bit something about your musical background? How long have you been singing and do you play any instruments?
I have been singing since I was in my mums belly I think, haha. Since I was a kid, music has always been the biggest thing in my life. I went to the music academy in my hometown from the moment I had the appropriate age and started learning to play the piano there. My parents found it very important that I’d be able to play a musical instrument so I could accompany myself while singing. Something I’m truly grateful for as it makes it a lot easier to write, perform and study certain things nowadays. I also went studying at the Conservatory of Ghent after I graduated high school. There I really got the chance of exploring my voice and develop my singing, performing, writing… I had the honor of having Gustaph (before he represented Belgium at the ESC 2023) as one of my teachers and learned a lot from him and my other amazing teachers.
How would you describe your Eurosong entry “Strobe Lights” and the message of it?
I would describe it as a flashing, euphoric and grand experience. Going out with your friends and not knowing where the night will take you and when or where it will end. That’s when you experience the most fun and memorable moments. So simply: enjoying life and getting the most out of it.
You’ve achieved so much in your career already! What do you think is your biggest achievement so far?
Thank you, I think I’m still very much in my infancy but I’m grateful for every opportunity that already came my way. Participating in “Belgium’s Got Talent” as a 14 year old, really made that dream of becoming an artist even bigger. It was such a good and fun experience and I still think about it often. More recently I got the honor to do this new television show called “Sing Again” and because I didn’t really maintain in the public eye after I did BGT and grew up, became an adult, I really feel that it was the perfect opportunity to reintroduce myself to the public in Flandres. It was a very nice, welcoming experience again and I think it was the best warm-up for Eurosong I could get. I hope I can say in the future that my biggest achievement was to represent Belgium at the ESC (haha), it would be one of my biggest dreams to come true.
How would you describe your musical style?
I want my music to be enjoyable for the big crowd, and I think it’s important to stay true to myself. Red Sebastian stands for strong vocals, shining in a big vocal range, from low to very high. I grew up listening a lot to Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, so vocally there are a lot of influences from that side of me. I would describe it as pop with some dance and electronic influences.
What kind of stage show can we expect from you in Eurosong?
For me everything regarding the act is very important. I want the song, the act, the staging, the look… basically everything to be right. It has to strengthen the message and vibe of the song. The description of my song as flashing, euphoric and grand is also very fitting for the act. It’s gonna be very cool and something you won’t forget.
What do you do when you don’t do music?
When I don’t do music, I spend time with my friends and family. I love to be surrounded by the people I love, so quality time with them is really important to me. I also enjoy going to the gym, it helps me to empty my head and gives me a lot of energy. I am also very much into fashion and make up, so I’m always busy looking for nice clothes and good looks.
Who are your musical role models?
As I said in question 5, Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey really are my biggest musical role models. I was only 6 when I discovered Whitney Houston through my grandparents and I was mesmerised by her voice and her control. She’s one of the main reasons I grew up loving music and making it my number one priority. Through her I discovered Mariah and Christina, which also are major influences. I feel like I learned a lot listening to their music and watching them perform. Besides them I also absolutely love Justin Timberlake‘s music, Bruno Mars and Teddy Swims for instance. I think I gravitate more towards the big voices and big ranges, I always found that very fascinating.
What would it mean to you to win Eurosong and represent Belgium in Eurovision 2025?
It would mean the absolute world to me. I’ve been dreaming of being on that Eurovision stage since I was a little kid and just the thought that I might be able to make that dream become reality in a few weeks feels so surreal. Singing, performing, writing, music… runs through my veins and I feel like I am ready to represent Belgium on that stage and make my country proud If they grant me that chance. Also, the first semi-finals of ESC 2025 are on the 13th of May and that happens to be my birthday, so that would be so cool to be able to stand on that stage on my actual birthday #BestBirthdayPresentEver. It would be FAN-TAS-TIC and I would undoubtedly do everything to make Belgium the host of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. It’s about time we host it for a second time haha.
What would you like to say to our readers and your fans from all over the world?
I would like to thank everyone for the kind words so far, it really warms my heart and it’s wonderful to feel so supported in this amazing journey! I hope everyone loves the song and act as much as I do and I hope from the bottom of my heart that we can continue this wonderful adventure together and make it very memorable. I also wanna thank you and all the readers for your and their time. Sending red painted love and lots of musical greetings.
Thank you very much for the interview Red Sebastian and the best of luck to Eurosong!
If Red Sebastian is YOUR favorite to win Eurosong 2025, don’t forget to vote for him in our poll: