Belgium's Eurovision Song Contest entry is bringing classic dance, house and heart to Liverpool.
Gustaph was one of the earliest representatives to be announced for the Liverpool-staged competition - dominating Belgium's national selection process for a shot at Eurovision glory. His entry, Because of You, embodies the sound of queer nightlife from the turn of the millennia and channels it into a force to be reckoned with, backed by striking ballroom visuals and larger-than-life stage presence.
The Liverpool stage boasts a much more luxurious area to work with which begs the question of what Gustaph's upcoming live performances will entail. He told the Liverpool Echo: "I can't tell you too much but when we first saw the stage, I knew we had to make something much more dynamic than what we did in Belgium.
READ MORE: Massive Eurovision Song Contest party coming to St George's Hall
"It's going to be different. The idea of static stairs won't be there anymore and there will be much more interaction with the visuals and the performance as well. Adding to that, we're now going to have three backing vocalists. The song is written from a gospel perspective so three voices are going to make it bigger than it already is."
Gustaph's love for Eurovision dates back decades, citing Imaani's 1998 Where Are You as one of his all-time favourite performances. Though she may have somewhat influenced his modern-day writing, the Liverpool hopeful's youth was laced with the same carefree, energetic sound his 2023 entry embodies.
He said: "I was about, I think, 17 when that song came out. Belgium is influenced by iconic dance music so a lot of my youth was partying to that kind of sound and the reason I love the Imaani song so much is that it's one of the very few Eurovision tracks that really has a definite house influence. It has such a beautiful melancholic melody with a kind of haunting lyricism."
"I wrote my first song when I was 18 years old and it was a house track. Something about my voice really clicks in that genre. I felt once I started really focusing on that kind of world, a lot of doors opened and sometimes when they do, you have to jump in it and trust what will happen to be for you."
In order to be chosen for Belgium, Gustaph had to fend off fierce competition during this year's Eurosong. Although his entry is now critically acclaimed and adored by fans, his win was immediately tainted by sections of the public who claimed their favourite deserved his spot.
Days of backlash followed which Gustaph said he naturally expected, but when comments started to attack his identity, it became too much. He said: "I've always said competition is polarising so I think it's very normal that [fans] have their favourites and that you're p***** off if your favourite doesn't win.
"I hoped people had some time to process their feelings first but we did take the opportunity to go back and look at the song and performance to see what we can work on. I think this whole journey has been difficult but a testament to me. I'm facing a lot of challenges and having to solider on and trust my gut. That's something that's very important to me because even during the national final I wasn't really the fan favourite.
"I'm going to be very honest but sometimes I do go on Twitter and look at what people are saying and I do think, 'What have we done to deserve this?' I respect everyone's opinion but the one thing I really don't like is when it becomes about me or my sexuality or what I look like. I think that's unfair."
The time for social media scouring is quickly being pushed aside to make sure the production and performances are set in stone. This year's contest will see some fierce competitors hit the stage, including 2012 winner Loreen who's decided to throw her hat back into the ring.
When asked whether or not he was nervous to compete, he said: "I want to make sure I perform with the right mindset and portray the message of the song with good performance and good vocal performance.
"I think the song kind of stands out because it's just a different energy from all the rest. I'm hoping that it will catch people's eyes and ears and could lead to success in the semi-final.
The Eurovision family is ever-growing and now that all 37 countries and their acts have been announced, the performers are slowly starting to reach out to one another. Gustaph added: "I got to speak to Greece's Victor Vernicos and he said he loved the song and he couldn't wait to meet me. The rest I haven't been in touch with yet but I'm so excited to meet them at the Eurovision parties and become closer and really enjoy everything the contest has to bring."
Get all the latest Eurovision 2023 news straight to your inbox
Massive Eurovision Song Contest party coming to St George's Hall
Liverpool venues holding Eurovision Song Contest viewing parties
Liverpool to host EuroFest in run up to Eurovision Song Contest
Airbnb asks Liverpool residents to rent out their homes for the Eurovision Song Contest
The countdown has officially started. Join our Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool Facebook group
