Gustaph - Because Of You Belgium Official Music Video

Stef Caers (Gustaph) will represent Belgium at Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool with his retro-tinged song "Because of You", which won him a place in the national final and secured him a place at the event.

Following a fierce city bid process, Liverpool has been selected as the host city for the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of last year's winners Ukraine. This marks the first time that the UK has hosted the competition since 1998 when Birmingham took over hosting duties.

The song

Stef Caers, better known by his stage name Gustaph, will represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. A graduate of Ghent Music Conservatory, he has composed several songs over time; his debut single "Gonna Lose You" went to number 22 on the Flemish singles chart in 2000 and served as both backing singer and vocal coach for various artists.

He will be competing with the song Because Of You, which tells a tale of an emotionally charged past relationship that ended badly and has since been ended. Written by him and his team, this song will be performed at Eurovision Song Contest in May.

The 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Liverpool, United Kingdom. After Ukraine - winner of the 2022 contest - declined to host due to Russia's ongoing conflict in that country, Liverpool was chosen as host city.

On Saturday, May 13th the Grand Final will return to M&S Bank Arena on Liverpool's waterfront for the first time since 1999.

There will be two semi-finals and a grand final, which will be broadcast live on BBC One and iPlayer. Throughout the competition, viewers can vote for their favourite entries with the winning song receiving the most points.

The contest has a distinguished past, with past winners such as Johnny Logan (pictured in 1980 and 1987), ABBA and Riverdance. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), it is overseen by an Executive Board composed of representatives from each participating country.

Each participating country is assigned a certain number of points, which they can then award to their ten favorite songs based on the opinions of an assembled panel of music professionals and the viewing public. The ten countries with the most points in the first round advance to the next round, where three will vie for the title.

The video

Belgium is hosting Eurovision 2023 this year and to commemorate the occasion we have a special music video for Gustaph's song Because Of You. This retro-infused dance pop track brings to mind Rupaul's Drag Race and 90s pop.

Gustaph has also released the lyrics for his song, which are inspired by a love story that ended in divorce and reflect how he feels.

Gustaph, a singer from Belgium, has recently been selected to represent his country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. He has been performing professionally for four years and has achieved success in various competitions.

He has had several songs that have achieved success on the music charts. His debut single 'Gonna Lose You' was a big hit in Flemish and reached number 22 on the chart. Additionally, his song 'Blind' also achieved success.

Gustaph has made history by winning his country's national final in an instantaneous sweep. He will represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song contest in Liverpool from May 9 -13 with his song Because Of You.

This event will be broadcast live on BBC One and iPlayer, featuring a number of hosts such as Alesha Dixon (ex-Britain's Got Talent judge), Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina.

There will be two semi-finals and a Grand Final. Each semifinal features 10 countries participating. The winner from each semi will advance to the Grand Final, which features 26 nations in attendance.

This will be the lowest number of participating countries since 2014, when Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia all withdrew due to financial concerns.

Ukraine was originally set to host the Eurovision song contest, but their government pulled out in 2022 after Russia invaded. Hosting this contest had been a longtime goal and an integral part of Ukraine's cultural identity.

Liverpool has transformed from its industrial past into one of the UK's most vibrant and dynamic cities. As a cultural centre, Liverpool offers plenty in terms of events, attractions and entertainment for visitors to enjoy.

The lyrics

Stef Caers, professionally known as Gustaph, is a 42-year-old Belgian singer and producer who has achieved international success under the Hercules & Love Affair moniker.

His Eurovision entry 'Because Of You' is a whimsical tune that harkens back to the glory days of the early 90s. While not perfect, it comes alive during live performances with plenty of camp spirit to bring this track to life.

The lyrics are straightforward but powerful, conveying a poignant reminder that life is too short not to make the most of it. They also serve as encouragement to never stop striving and follow your passions and aspirations - an inspiring mantra!

Mr Caers is an enthusiastic fan of the Eurovision Song Contest. He has performed as a backing vocalist for both Sennek at the 2018 edition and Hooverphonic at the 2021 show in Rotterdam, as well as serving as vocal coach to Hooverphonic's Geike Arnaert.

He wrote the lyrics for his Eurovision entry 'Because Of Your', which he described as a "love letter to freedom" and an ode to queer identity. As such, this important ESC entry deserves some recognition and deserves widespread support.

At Belgian national final 'Eurosong 2023', 'Because Of You' became a hit and earned him third place in jury vote and second in televote; beating one of the favourites, The Starlings by just one point! In the second semifinal he'll perform his hit song 'Because Of You'; let's hope he can pull it off!

The artist

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international music competition hosted by the BBC since 1951 and one of the oldest and most renowned singing contests worldwide. With its roots in 1951, it has become one of the world's oldest and most beloved singing competitions.

The winner of the Eurovision Song Contest is chosen by viewers of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). This year's 67th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Liverpool, England; Mae Muller from the UK will represent them with her song I Wrote A Song.

In addition to the traditional five - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - this year's Eurovision will feature a host of other nations. Out of those 31 will compete in two Semi-Finals while 10 will advance to the final.

On Saturday, May 13th the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest will take place at Liverpool Arena near the River Mersey in England. After an exhaustive selection process that considered facilities and capacity to accommodate thousands of delegations, crew, fans and journalists; infrastructure; as well as cultural offer - Liverpool was chosen as the host city.

Furthermore, the European Broadcasting Union announced that they would broadcast both semi-finals and final live to viewers around the world. All participating broadcasters must air one show, but some may opt for local commentary or even host an international live streaming of all three matches simultaneously.

Some nations that had previously participated in the contest have now been banned for several years, such as Russia and Belarus. Furthermore, the EBU has suspended membership of several broadcasters like Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Bulgaria.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia remain undeclared for the contest. While these countries may be eligible to join in 2024, their EBU memberships must first be approved before they can compete.

Mae Muller, a singer-songwriter from London, will represent the UK at Eurovision in May with her track I Wrote A Song. At 25 years old, she will be the country's first female Eurovision entrant for five years and hopes to follow in Sam Ryder's footsteps who finished second last year at the contest.