Emerging pop artist Tusse has swiftly caught the attention of global music lovers through his emotionally tantalising vocals & passion-filled musical style.
The Congo-Kinshasa born pop artist came to Sweden as an eight-year-old & has since reached the semi-finals of Sweden’s Got Talent in 2018 & was crowned the winner of Swedish Idol 2019.
Not long ago, Tusse won the 2021 edition of Melodifestivalen with the emotionally captivating song “Voices”, which led to him receiving the honour of representing Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, in Rotterdam.
Tusse has kindly taken the time to speak with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding his upcoming participation at Eurovision, along with getting to know more from the artist behind the music.
Hey Tusse, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start by telling the readers a little bit about yourself?
Tusse: I’m 19 years old, and I was born in Congo-Kinshasa and came to Sweden as an eight-year-old. In 2018 I competed in Sweden Got Talent and came to the semi-finals. I won Swedish Idol the year after and released my debut single “Rain”. This year I competed in Melodifestivalen with my song “Voices”, which I’m now representing Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest.
When did you first discover your passion for music?
Tusse: I guess you could say I’ve always had music in my blood. It all comes from my Congolese heritage and from the culture there. Whenever something big happened we would sing and dance. And every Sunday we would sing in church. So, music has always been a huge part of my life. When I came to Sweden I just continued to sing and dance and I’ve been doing just that ever since.
In 2019, you were voted as the winner of Swedish Idol. How would you describe your experience of competing in Swedish Idol?
Tusse: Swedish Idol was one of the best experiences of my life. I had a great time performing every week and I grew both as an artist but also personally. I had so much fun doing Whitney Houston songs, Jackson 5, James Brown etc. And just sing and dance. It was a great school for me to learn cameras and staging and things like that as well.
What advice would you offer someone who was looking to enter a TV talent contest like Swedish Idol?
Tusse: I would advise them to go for it. I would of course warn them about what juries might say and to maybe think about if that’s what they really want to do. But if they’re ready I would say go for it! It’s a lot of fun and you learn a lot about stage performance and dealing with cameras and stuff like that. A great school to finding the artist within.
Now, not long ago, you won the 2021 edition of the music competition Melodifestivalen (The Swedish selection for the Eurovision Song Contest), with the song “Voices”, which sounds incredible by the way. How did the idea to enter the contest with “Voices” come together?
Tusse: I decided to participate as soon as I heard the song, “Voices”. I had a fun time working with Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt and Anderz Wrethov, who are the songwriters’ behind “Voices”. I remember that we actually wrote a lot of songs before they suggested I sing “Voices”. But when I heard it I immediately said yes, because the song was an incredible song with a lot of emotions and hope and strength. And I just fell in love with it. The fun thing is that due to a math test and my driver’s license test I had a hard time finding time to record the song. But my high school decided to postpone the test so that I could go and record the song.
What does it mean to you to win Melfest & be representing Sweden at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, in Rotterdam?
Tusse: It was just unbelievable. My goal was to enjoy the time I had on stage and just take everything in. I was also excited to share the same stage as Charlotte Perrelli, The Mamas, Eric Saade, Dotter etc. I remember that it came as a huge surprise when I heard my name. I couldn’t believe it when I was announced as the winner. I remember thinking that maybe Eric Saade, The Mamas or Dotter would win. So being here in Eurovision is a true honor.
Eurovision Song Contest means a lot to me because I get to represent Sweden and it’s a great platform to unite all of the countries represented. It has been a big dream of mine since I saw Loreen perform with Euphoria back in 2012. I was 10 years old and was really inspired by her way of capturing the audience and her amazing vocals.
If listeners could take anything away from the song, what would you like it to be?
Tusse: I would love the song to give people hope and strength, because that’s what the song has given me. The message is loud and clear, every voice matters. I want to remind everybody that we have more in common than what separates us. We all have emotions and thoughts, and because of that we’re not alone. Everybody feels lonely sometimes and sad sometimes, and because everybody feels that way, then we’re not lonely at all, because we have each other to lean on.
Have you listened to any of the other songs competing in this years Eurovision? If so, what are some of your favourites?
Tusse: There are a lot of great songs this year so choosing just one is very difficult, however I’ve been crying to Gjon’s Tears with “Tout L’universe”.
What are some of the things you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Tusse: I’m kind of a big TV-show geek, so I’m always watching shows like “Friends”, “Modern Family” and “How I meet your mother” and films like Harry Potter and The Avengers. But I’m also into fashion and clothes. I’m always buying lot of clothes that I sometimes don’t even can’t afford, haha. So I enjoy dressing up and just try on different clothes and watch a lot of TV-shows and movies.
If you could perform a duet with anyone in the world, who would you choose & why?
Tusse: If I could perform a duet with anyone in the world, I would choose Bruno Mars. I mean, he’s the most awesome artist I know. He has a great voice. He has a great charm and he has swag. And he seems like a really funny guy and a really awesome guy to hang with and to sing with. And his voice and lyrics are just magical.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Tusse: I just want to say that if you see my performance and you hear the song, just think of what it represents, what the meaning is. And it’s a song for everybody. We’re all part of something bigger than ourselves. So I would say that if you feel strength and hope and a connection when you hear the song and when you see the performance, please vote. And I would love to say a huge thank you to everyone for your support.
You can check out “Voices” on Spotify below.
Tusse: Instagram.
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