Claude is representing the Netherlands this year(Image: Eurovision on YouTube)It’s Eurovision’s 69th year and the Grand Final has 26 countries all hoping to take home the crown as they perform in Basel, Switzerland.
Nemo won the vote last year and so Switzerland as the hosting country were instantly given a pass to the final, alongside the “Big Five” countries, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany and Spain.
For the Netherlands, they last won Eurovision in 2019 and have taken home the prize five times already.
The Netherlands’ Joost Klein was was kicked out by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) over alleged verbal threats to a female production worker, which he denied.
Claude, a 21-year-old singer, was in Boma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, but his mother fled to the Netherlands when he was nine years old.
He took part in the eighth season of The Voice Kids, where he was eliminated in the battle stage. The following year, he won the casting show Are You Next?, signing a contract with the record label Cloud 9.
Claude topped the Dutch Top 40 in 2022 with his single Ladada (Mon dernier mot) which earned him multiple awards such as the 3FM Award for Best Newcomer and the Qmusic Artist of the Year award.
Claude is representing the Netherlands(Image: Eurovision on YouTube)Claude released his debut album in Parler Français in 2024, on which he co-wrote all the songs
Speaking about performing at Eurovision, the singer said: “It’s insane. I was nine the first time I watched it. But I wasn’t thinking, ‘One day I’ll participate.’ Like, how bizarre? It’s so huge.
“And now, at this moment, I’m still trying to believe it. I can’t believe it – I’m still processing it. Like, ‘Oh wow. I’m the guy who’s going to be there for the Netherlands.’ It’s gonna be nice.”
According to Ladbrokes, Netherlands have 12/1 odds putting them as one of the favourites to take home the crown in Eurovision 2025.
What are the lyrics for
The song C’est La Vie, which translates in English as ‘That’s life’ is sung in English and French. Below are the lyrics, with the French to English translation in italics.
C’est la vie That’s life
She sang to me
Je me rappelle I remember
J’étais petit I was little
Oh I was just a little boy but I remember
La mélodie, la mélodie The melody, the melody
C’est comme ci, c’est comme ça It’s like this, it’s like that
C’est en haut et en bas It’s up and it’s down
It goes up, it goes down
And around and around
Que sera, oui sera What will be, yes, will be
Me voici, me voilà Here I am, here I go
Chantez un, deux, trois Sing one, two, three
C’est la lalalalala vie It’s la lalalala life
C’est lalalalala vie It’s lalalala life
Oui c’est lalalalala, lalalala, lalalala vie Yes, it’s lalalala, lalalala, lalalala life
C’est la vie That’s life
Et quel miracle And what a miracle
Sometimes in love, sometimes miserable
And I still hear my mama’s voice inside of me
La mélodie, la mélodie The melody, the melody
C’est comme ci, c’est comme ça It’s like this, it’s like that
C’est en haut et en bas It’s up and it’s down
It goes up, it goes down
And around and around
Que sera, oui sera What will be, yes, will be
Me voici, me voilà Here I am, here I go
Chantez un, deux, trois Sing one, two, three
C’est la lalalalala vie It’s la lalalala life
C’est lalalalala vie It’s lalalala life
Oui c’est lalalalala, lalalala, lalalala vie Yes, it’s lalalala, lalalala, lalalala life
Oui c’est lalalalala vie Yes, it’s lalalala life
Oui c’est lalalalala vie Yes, it’s lalalala life
C’est lalalalala, lalalala, lalalala vie It’s lalalala, lalalala, lalalala life
Oh c’est la vie Oh, that’s life
La vie en rose Life in pink
La vie en noir Life in black
Oh, this rollercoaster
And I will sing, until it’s over
It goes lalalalala
C’est comme ci, c’est comme ça It’s like this, it’s like that
C’est en haut et en bas It’s up and it’s down
It goes up, it goes down
And around and around
Que sera, oui sera What will be, yes, will be
Écoute-moi, oh maman Listen to me, oh mama
Chantez un, deux, trois Sing one, two, three
C’est la vie That’s life
Eurovision Grand Final airs on Saturday 17th May at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.