Benjamin Ingrosso reached the top ten at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018, but his international career is only gaining momentum seven years later. The Swede performed at Pinkpop on Sunday. “I didn’t think I would be here two years ago.”
Despite temperatures above 30 degrees, Ingrosso takes a seat backstage at Pinkpop in the sun for the interview. “Then I can work on my tan,” he tells NU.nl. A few hours before his show, he has no idea how many people he will get at this festival. “I’m curious if anyone will come.”
It turns out that Ingrosso didn’t have to worry about that when he came on stage full of energy on one of the two smaller stages of Pinkpop. The lawn is crowded and he keeps an eye on everyone. He encourages the festival-goers to sing, dance and clap more during his show. His enthusiasm proves contagious, because he gets everyone jumping during the last songs.
The 27-year-old artist achieved seventh place at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 with Dance You Off, mainly thanks to a high score from the jury. The song is no longer part of his festival set.
Ingrosso doesn’t want to dismiss the influence that the Eurovision participation has had on his career. “It gave me new followers at the time who have stayed with me. Without Eurovision, a sold-out European tour might not have been possible.”
During last year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Ingrosso provided one of the interval acts, where he presented new material. “That was a fantastic moment for me, because I could show how I have grown as an artist. The reactions were also very nice. People said: hey, that’s that boy from six years ago, but now with a beard!”
Watch images of Benjamin Ingrosso’s Pinkpop performance here
Ingrosso has a brilliant career in Sweden, in which he says he has already done almost everything possible as an artist. Songs like Honey Boy (which he made together with Purple Disco Machine and Nile Rodgers from Chic) and Look Who’s Laughing Now also reached the charts in other European countries. These songs can be found on his album Pink Velvet Theatre, which was released last year.
The singer explains the success by saying that he now dares to follow his instinct. “I wanted to release this kind of music years ago. I also wrote some songs years ago. But I dared to express myself less at the time and couldn’t express well how I wanted something to sound. I can now and I also work with producers with whom I can record the album with real instruments.”
Ingrosso says that earlier in his career he struggled a lot with nerves when he had to go on stage. The more often he does it, the better it goes. But it is mainly the realization that it doesn’t matter if he makes a mistake that makes him perform more relaxed. “What I criticize myself for is often not even noticed by the public. It’s about the overall feeling that you convey. Then it’s not the end of the world if your voice skips once.”
“I’m trying to enjoy a little more and live in the moment anyway,” says the artist who had mapped out a ten-year plan for his career. “I always want more, but sometimes it’s good to take a moment to think about where you are. I’m backstage here at Pinkpop now. I really didn’t think that two years ago. I’m already living my dream. But the hunger remains. I would like to come back here as a headliner next time.”