Eurovision betting this year has been dominated by The Netherlands as they seek to land their first song contest win since 1975.
And the man hoping to steer them to that coveted victory at the annual songfest in Tel Aviv is Duncan Laurence, whos already won a lot of love for his anthemic ballad Arcade.
So just who is Duncan, what is his song – and could he secure us a Dutch-hosted Eurovision in 2020?
Heres what you need to know…
Who is The Netherlands Eurovision representative Duncan Laurence?
Duncan – whose real name is Duncan de Moor, Laurence being his stage name – was born on 11 April 1994, making him 25 years old.
He is a graduate of the Rock Academy in Tilberg and first found fame in his native country in The Voice Of Holland – reaching the semi-finals in the 2014 series.
Advertisement
Advertisement
And thats not the only connection that series has with the song contest – as Duncans mentor was Ilse de Lange, one half of the Common Linnets, who finished second at the 2014 contest in Copenhagen – while eventual winners OG3NE represented the Netherlands at Eurovision 2017.
What is Arcade about?
Duncan has explained that the song is inspired by the story of someone I loved deeply, who died at a young age – but added that it took on a wider scope as it went on.
It changed from a very personal story to a story that everyone can connect to. Arcade is a song about longing…longing for something that seems out of reach.
My career thus far has mainly been behind the scenes writing for other artists and defining my own sound. It feels good to now step into the light and share my story. I want to reach out to people with my music, possibly even help them.
Arcade is a word of advice to myself and who knows – maybe it helps someone, somewhere. I truly hope so.
How many times have Netherlands won Eurovision?
Netherlands are one of the contests longest serving competitors, having taken part in the very first Eurovision back in 1956.
Theyve actually won it four times – in 1957, 1959, 1969 (as one of four tied winners alongside UK, France and Spain) and again in 1975 with Teach-Ins Ding A Dong.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Their fortunes have been more mixed of late, with the country failing to qualify from the semi-finals between 2005 and 2012.
They finally broke their duck in 2013 with Anouks Birds, finishing ninth that year – and took the runnerRead More – Source
[contf] [contfnew] 
METRO
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
