The Netherlands’ Eurovision 2025 representative, Claude held his first rehearsal in in Basel with the song “C’est La Vie”. Stay tuned for all updates from Switzerland.
Claude, The Netherlands’ representative, is the sixth act to rehearse today on the Eurovision 2025 stage with his song “C’est La Vie“. Clude will perform as song number 13 in the first semi-final, scheduled for May 13th.
This is another performance where we don’t have a national final to predict the staging-instead, we must look for clues in the official video, which is a work of pure contemporary art. It is also another song in French; in 2022, there were no French-language entries, but this year there are six.
It begins with a few delicate piano notes that take our breath away, gradually building momentum through the first English verse until the bass drops and the party kicks off. Beyond his vocal abilities, Claude has a natural connection with the camera, creating a strong sense of visual storytelling. He infuses the entire performance with pure joy from start to finish, accompanied by two dancers who move around him, entering and exiting the frame as if they are simply passing through his party. Many of you may have already seen Claude‘s outfit on Instagram-a purple suit adorned with pearl details.
This is one of the first performances we’ve seen so far that relies less on the LED wall, and now we understand why-in the final chorus, there is an explosion of pink and blue flowers covering every inch of the wall, floor, and frame. It almost feels as though they are spilling into the arena. What a spectacular finale.
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Netherlands at Eurovision 2025
“C’est La Vie” (in English: “That’s life”) is the name of the song to be performed by the singer Claude who will represent the Netherlands in the second part of the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025 to be held on May 13th in Basel, Switzerland.
The song was written by the singer himself along with Arno Krabman who is responsible for the song “De Diepte” (in English: “The Depth”) that represented the Netherlands in 2022 and reached 11th place in the grand final. In addition to these creators, the creators Joren van der Voort and Léon Palmen are involved in the writing and production of the song. Apart from Krabman, this is the first song by the other creators in the Eurovision competition. The song is performed in English and French. The song “C’est la vie” blends childhood memories with a burst of nostalgia and a deep reflection on the cyclicality and rotations of life.
Currently, the singer is ranked fourth in the betting tables, with a 6% chance of winning.
Who is Claude?
Claude Kiambe, 21 years old, was born in Congo and moved to the Netherlands with his family at the age of 13. The first Eurovision he watched was in 2014, when he and his family cheered for the winning singer Conchita Wurst from Austria. Since then, Claude has been an avid follower of the Eurovision contest. He began releasing music in 2022, with his debut single “Ladada (Mon Dernier Mot)” (in English: Ladada (My Last Word)). His song reached about 53 million views and won the 3FM award for “Best New Discovery.”
Claude released his debut album in 2024, in which he co-wrote and co-composed every song. Since then, he and his band have been performing extensively in the Netherlands and neighboring Belgium. His debut hit, for which he made English and French versions, achieved international success in about 15 countries worldwide, making Claude a globally recognized singer.
After the announcement of his selection, the Dutch singer said: “I feel extremely honoured that I will represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest next year and I still can’t believe it. I’m really looking forward to it and can’t wait to present my song to Europe.”
Eurovision 2025: This will be the Netherlands’ 65th participation in Eurovision. The Netherlands joined the competition in 1956, was one of the seven founding countries, and has won it five times over the years. The Netherlands’ last victory was at Eurovision 2019 with the song “Arcade” performed by singer Duncan Laurence.
