Overview: these ten up & coming queer artists made their mark in 2025

This year too, a selection of up & coming queer artists told Winq about their music, what drives them, and what it means to be part of the lgbtiq+ community. We've compiled the ten most enjoyable interviews for you, featuring Stemin, Bieke, Droom Dit, Gustaph, and six other pop artists.

Singer Kristóf Hajos: “6:00PM is an album about growing up. Or is it about a midlife crisis?”

Singer Kristóf Hajos was born in Budapest but has been living in the Netherlands for some time now. On 14 February, he will release his album 6:00PM, in which he embraces his 49-year-old self. He sings about his eventful life full of twists, shocking moments, and queer topics. He tells Winq about his music. “6:00PM is an album about growing up. Or is it about a midlife crisis?” Read more

Singer Lov3less: “I want to draw hope and strength from the vulnerability that is part of life”

“What a shitshow life is,” thought artist Lov3less in 2022. So much was happening in her life that she began to write everything down. The result is the album Chief Executive Officer, which was released on Friday, 14 March 2025. She tells Winq about overcoming toxic relationships, queer love, and burnout: “Writing songs helped me to recover.” Read more

Singer Ryan Song: “I know how important it is to stand up for women's rights and the rights of minorities”

Ryan Song is a singer-songwriter and performer based in Amsterdam. His music moves between groovy electronic pop and soulful R&B, with a strong focus on inclusivity and diversity. He tells Winq about his (musical) background, the period in his life when he had to hide his identity, and how he eventually dared to be himself. Read more

Singer Hermanus: “The Netherlands lacks truly great Dutch-speaking pop artists”

Queer artist Hermanus creates synth-laden beats with melodic lyrics, or ‘sad bops’. His lyrics are disarming and autobiographical, and he has a notably deep voice. In February, his EP was released, titled The Predestined Loser. He tells Winq about the deeper meaning of his music. “Despite that, I wrap everything in a danceable poppy package.” Read more

Singer Sam de Laat of Droom Dit: “It needs to be a bit rough around the edges if you want to come across as honest”

Theatrical shows, songs about the smallest details of life, and voted as one of the most promising acts in the Netherlands: that is the alternative pop group Droom Dit. In February, their debut album The Heart Does Not Exist And Neither Does The Rest was released. Winq spoke with singer Sam de Laat: “From day one, Droom Dit was about rawness, sincerity, and hyper-autobiographical lyrics.” Read more

Pop singer Bieke: “I hear from listeners that they see a film in front of them when they listen to my music”

Emerging singer Bieke creates Dutch Cinematic Pop and released her debut EP RUMENS on 31 January. It is about processing trauma and reshaping your life. She tells Winq about its creation, her motivations, and her single ‘Groei Van Je Weg’, in which she embraces her queerness. Read more

Singer Gustaph on his new album Look At Us Now: “This record would never have been made without the Eurovision story”

The Belgian singer Gustaph participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023. It changed his life, he tells Winq upon the release of his debut album Look At Us Now. It is partly about being queer. “The fact that this is now embraced by the mainstream is fantastic, but the title simultaneously says: look at us, because we are not going away.” Read more

Songwriter DeviNagA: “My music is an ode to longing, melancholy, and the beauty of male love”

Queer singer-songwriter DeviNagA released a new and daring homoerotic album last holiday season: Sweet Remembrance. With songs like ‘On Your Speedboat’, ‘Deeper, Deeper’ and ‘Head Down, Ass Up!’, this album promised to be a playful, sultry, and naughty distraction during the dark winter months. He tells Winq about the how and why of this album. Read more

Artist Babs: “I want to show that authenticity triumphs over technology”

Earlier this year, Babs released her debut album This Is No Way To Live, which deals with AI and the threat of technology in the world. For a moment, Babs thought she would become redundant as a producer, but in an interview with Winq, she reconsidered. “I want to show that authenticity triumphs over technology.” Read more

Singer Stemin on his new album Tales of a Gay Romance: “It is a celebration of love and unashamedly queer”

Singer Stemin faced a major milestone: on 13 June, his new album Tales of a Gay Romance was released. He describes his music with a wink as ‘The Weeknd, but make it gay’. He explains to Winq why, and also talks about his youth in a deeply religious family, his future plans and his personal lyrics. “The stories I tell are about gay sex - not just as a physical act, but as a form of connection.” Read more