Thanks to the catchy choruses, the hits of singer Antoon are easy to singalong after listening once. That’s what hordes of teenagers do at all hisperformances. But he does not have a formula for that success, he tells NU.nl.
By Michiel Vos
“I’m not writing a catchy song. It just happens. Sometimes I wish I knew howI’m doing it – before the writing sessions that nothing comes out,” said thesinger of hits like Hello , Hotel school and Olivia.
Twenty-year-old Antoon is convinced that it makes no sense for him to startwriting with the aim of making a hit. So he didn’t when he released his newsingle Knock Knock wrote. “If there is an atmosphere that there should be ahit, it will never be one for me. The most successful songs I’ve made comefrom having fun and laughing with friends.”
‘I don’t want to do the same as on a previous single’
The singer has sold out the Ziggo Dome twice and can rightly be called asuccess. He doesn’t choose his singles based on that. “I don’t like that. It’snot about the biggest hit for me. There’s a song on my upcoming EP thateveryone said would be the number 1 hit. That was almost a reason for me notto choose it as a single I don’t want to follow up on my previous hit and dothe same thing again, I just want to stay innovative.”
According to him, the artist’s singles go from country to house, to trap,disco and pop. He was sometimes discouraged from hopping from genre to genre.”Would you do that, because your previous one was a hit and it soundeddifferent, they said. With my previous single I was warned that it would notbe played on the radio, but it also went platinum. However, the more successyou have, the more exciting it becomes to take that step in a differentdirection.”
‘Last week you thought this was your best record’
Although Antoon is always confident about his music and single choices, theuncertainty sometimes kicks in in the weeks before the release. “Then I cansuddenly think that it is my worst record so far. Then I call Twan (vanSteenhoven, Big2 of The Opposites and mentor of Antoon, ed.) who soothes me.”Last week you thought this was your best record ” he says. He reminds me howcool I think the song itself is and that I shouldn’t worry about what othersthink. As long as I had fun making it and know what I’m releasing.”
antoon wrote Knock Knock about falling in love with a girl who has anotherboyfriend. It’s not entirely autobiographical, he admits. “I write with twofriends and we start talking about what we’ve been through. It’s neverentirely based on a story of one of us, but on a feeling that comes togetherfrom our different experiences.”
Due to the busy festival summer, the artist has not been able to write newmusic at all. He can’t wait to get back into the studio. “I’m almost depressedby my empty Dropbox folder that normally contains new demos. I’m already inbed thinking up all kinds of ideas. It’s going to be playtime when we go backinto the studio. That’s the best thing there is.”
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