Interview: Dutch Pop/RnB Singer Laroussi Talks About Her New Video "Lost" and Upcoming Album "A+"
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We connected with Dutch pop and RnB/Soul singer Laroussi for an exclusive interview to discuss her new music video “Lost”, as well as the upcoming album it will be featured on, “A+”. Not just that, we were also able to find out how Laroussi first discovered that she could sing, find out what her musical goals are for 2019 and much more.
After reading our Q&A with this talented European export, be sure to stream the “Lost” single on Spotify, check out her website, and follow her on social media to stay current on all things “Laroussi”. If you’re a fan of Rihanna, Shakira, or JLo, then you’ll definitely become one of this breakout star on the rise after this feature!
Congratulations on the release of your new video "LOST"; we're blown away by it. How did you and the director come up with the treatment for the visuals?
Thank you so much. To be honest my director Chan Andre came up with the visuals; he is a very creative and talented person. We met each in the studio and he instantly became my vocal producer. He and I spent so many hours together recording and writing my music. Chan also wrote some of my new songs together with the team and myself. He truly understood me as an artist and also as a human being. He wanted to surprise me and create something out of the box. He knew the battle that I was facing and chose to create these two personalities. One stands for me the other one is my inner demon that I am battling with.
Do you still have the headdress?
No unfortunately not. It belongs to Marianna Harutunian. I’m a big fan of her creations.
Tell us about how you got started as an artist. Do you remember when you discovered that you could sing?
I was very young; one day I was riding my bike to school and I was always singing out loud when I took this particular road. I thought nobody could hear me there so I sang my heart out. One day the owner of the riding school my sister worked at told her that he always heard me sing. He told my sister I had a voice and that I should do something with it. That is when I started singing at school, now my parents didn’t knew that I could sing until I performed for the whole school. I remember that moment very well. My parents came to me after the play with my teacher and said: “What are you going to do with your talent”? That’s when my parents started to support my music and they never gave up on me. I’m very thankful how they let me pursue my dream and helped me a long the way me to make the right decisions. They are my example in life and they mean everything to me.
What can you tell us about your upcoming album "A+"? Will "Lost" definitely be a featured track on it?
“Lost” is definitely part of the album! The album is a mixture of different songs. The album is mostly about love, love in various ways. It is also about the journey I took as an artist and where I am from. “Lost” represents a small part of me, but the rest of the songs are very multi-cultural. I can’t wait to share these songs with the world.
As an artist I have done a lot of humanitarian work. I used to represent a refugee organization in the Netherlands, traveled to India for a women’s organization that supports micro credits, went to South Africa to support the Millennium Goals and sang for different organisations back home to support their cause. With everything that is happening right now in the world, I felt the need to write a song about it; it is called “Bleed the Same.” “A+” stands for unity, giving back, respect and above all love.
With the new year upon us, what are some of your musical goals for 2019?
Too many! First of all I’m just starting. Home is here now; I finally feel that I belong somewhere again. Getting on stage with my DJ Chris Cox to share my music with the people here. The last couple of years I spent so much time in the studio creating this album that I missed being out there among people and singing in front of them. Chris Cox is also the one that made the remix for “Lost” that we will release in January. There’s also building my brand with team Xyion Inc., creating merchandise, releasing my album, creating videos, collaborations with different artists, and travelling the world with my music. I also would like to build my own foundation.
You've accomplished so much already in your young musical career in Europe, especially with the release of your debut album "Around the World", which won you an Edison award. How would you say that the music scene for Pop/RnB is different in the United States than Europe?
There is definitely more room for RnB here, that has to do with a bigger community of African Americans. Dutch music is so different. When I first came out here, I didn’t realize how big hip-hop and RnB was until I went out to different clubs. Most of the time I went out alone just to get a feeling of the the music and the crowd. I was shocked; most of it doesn’t even reach my country. I mean it doesn’t end up at a playlist of a Dutch radio station.
Once Philip Lawrence (7x Grammy award winning writer) and I started working together and he came to me with music from Brody Brown (Bruno Mars’ producer); I went crazy!I He played me this insanely good track and I knew I had to write lyrics on it; it was just meant to be. That was when that side of me came out. This made me very happy because there was always that RnB side in me but I never had the chance to develop that back home.