C’est la Vie: Dutch entry Claude qualifies for Eurovision final

Dutch Eurovision performer Claude has qualified for Saturday’s final in Basel with C’est la Vie, following what commentators described as a strong performance featuring clean vocals, tight choreography, and sharp camera work. Claude, who came to the Netherlands as a refugee from Congo, said the song is an ode to his mother. The performance ends with him singing to an image of himself as a child reflected in a mirror.

Speaking to fans and reporters later in the evening, Claude said he had been worried just before going on stage that he had forgotten the lyrics. “But then I was standing there and the cameraman did a hand box, and I thought, ‘This is going to be fine’,” he said. “And I really enjoyed it.”