Douwe Bob and MEAU have a big hit with Nog Even Blijven (Stay a Little Longer). For her, singing in Dutch is an everyday thing, but for him it was an exciting debut. The singer says this in an interview with NU.nl.
The collaboration came about after they met during the recordings of the program Beste Zangers (Best Singers) in 2023. There, Douwe Bob and MEAU sang their own version of Ik Leef Mijn Eigen Leven (I Live My Own Life) by André Hazes. The musical connection was immediately felt and soon the idea arose to go into the studio together.
Last month they finally released their joint song. Nog Even Blijven is about two lovers who can’t live with, but also not without each other. “They want the relationship to last, but it doesn’t work,” the 25-year-old Dat Heb Jij Gedaan (That’s What You Did) singer tells NU.nl. “It’s about an untenable situation,” the 32-year-old singer, known for the hit I Do , adds.
With the help of musician Blanks, the song was created in just a few hours. “It actually went very organically,” says Douwe Bob about the writing process. “It helps that MEAU and I have the same writing style. Don’t think too much, just do it. It clicked immediately.”
‘I think she is the best songwriter of our generation’
The approach proved successful. On the day of release, it was listened to more than 300,000 times on Spotify and currently the song is at number 8 in the Dutch Top 40. “I was already a bit afraid of that. You release something in Dutch once, and it scores so well,” Douwe Bob laughs. “But I’m also very happy.”
MEAU tries not to worry in advance whether a song can become a hit. “But if it is well received on the radio, it is a nice bonus,” she says. “I’m proud anyway.”
For Douwe Bob, singing in Dutch was a bit nerve-wracking. “The Dutch language is of course very close,” he explains. “With other languages it is still possible to put on a mask, in Dutch that barrier is gone. But I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else, because I think MEAU is the best songwriter of our generation.”
Despite this positive experience, he will stick to English for the time being. “I think I have to guard the English language, because I am good at it,” he says. “I represent the genre in the Netherlands as no one else does, so I also feel a bit responsible for that.”
The peace has returned to Douwe Bob
The collaboration with MEAU comes at a time when Douwe Bob has slowly regained peace in his life. Last June, the singer canceled a performance because of “Zionist posters,” which led to a conflict with VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz. The artist then received death threats and decided to stay abroad for a while.
Now he is doing better. “I am very happy that I can leave everything behind me and do things that make me happy again.” Douwe Bob does not want to make any further statements about the threat case, in which a suspect will appear in court on Thursday.
German version in the making
The successful collaboration between the two artists has whetted their appetite for more. They are even considering releasing a German version of Nog Even Blijven . “I’m still convincing MEAU a bit,” says Douwe Bob. “My German needs some brushing up,” MEAU adds. “But we will record it in the studio soon and see if it feels good.”