From our special correspondent in Turin (Italy)
At Eurovision, the artists hasten to say (with more or less sincerity) that they are not there to win, that music is not a competition… For S10 – pronounce “ess’tène”, Stien den Hollander’s stage name – it’s the other way around. When we meet her, this Saturday, in one of the courtyards of the Royal Museums in Turin, the singer who represents the Netherlands assures us that she “loves” and “takes the competition part of Eurovision very seriously”. She says this without any arrogance or aggression.
Blond hair and a slightly shy air, she is by no means a presumptuous loudmouth. Besides, with his song, From Diept, which the Batavian delegation chose from among 400 candidates, it is, at the time of writing, in the Top 10 bookmakers. All hopes are therefore high for this 21-year-old artist, rising glory of the alternative scene in her country, who will participate in the first semi-final, broadcast this Tuesday evening live from 9 p.m. on Culturebox.
What was your inspiration for the song “De Diepte”?
From Diept (“The Depth”) is a love letter addressed to who I was before and who I am today, an ode to my memories. When I was younger I suffered from depression, now I’m fine, but it’s still a part of me. So I want to embrace that but also sing for others. I have been better for four years now. I want to send the message that everything can work out one day. We all go through difficult times in life, such as bereavement, and I want my song to be a celebration of who we are. It contains melancholy, but it also expresses a form of freedom.
Have you considered singing it in English at Eurovision?
I never thought of doing it in English. I write all my songs in Dutch. I can’t translate my thoughts well into another language. I was worried that international audiences wouldn’t catch on to my song because it’s in Dutch but, on the contrary, it’s been wonderfully received, I think.
In France, little is known about the current Dutch musical landscape, of which you are a part, how would you present it?
Many artists sing in Dutch. Hip-hop culture has dominated the bestsellers in recent years, we have a lot of great rappers. On the pop side, a lot of artists from my generation, in their early twenties, have a lot of hits in Dutch, so I think that’s cool.
How did you work on your scenography for the competition?
From the start, we wanted everything to stay close to me. It was clear that the staging had to be consistent with what I intended to defend and that I felt comfortable. I want to tell my story to the person listening to me. When I’m on stage, I want to talk to you. I am in front of the camera and I seek a connection with those who are in front of their television and watch me, that people feel a resonance with my message, that they feel seen by me, even if they do not know me and never spoke to me. I want to look at each one of them and comfort them, celebrate their sadness and pull them out.
Do you see Eurovision as a platform for an international career?
I never dreamed of becoming an international artist because I sing in Dutch. That was never the main goal for me. But I like the idea that my songs travel.