Who are Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper? Meet the Netherlands Eurovision 2023 representatives

The Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS announced on November 1st that Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper had been internally selected to represent the Netherlands at Eurovision 2023, following in the footsteps of S10 and her “Die Diepte,” with a song co-written by the winner of Eurovision 2019, Duncan Laurence.

Get to know Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper

Singer Mia Nicolai, 26, grew up surrounded by music. She has been taking violin and piano lessons since she was three years old and had a very creative education, with theater, ballet, music, and storytelling.

Her first single, “Set Me Free,” is about traveling and her need for ultimate freedom. In November 2020, she released her second single “Mutual Needs,” which was immediately recognized internationally and accompanied by a premiere on Zane Lowe’s popular radio program in the United States. Mia is inspired by artists like David Bowie, but above all by the free expression of creativity and the fusion of different art forms.

Mia suffered from bullying as a child, which has left a deep mark on her, but at the same time, it ignited a fire of perseverance in her to make all her dreams come true, not let anything stop her and enjoy life being who she chooses to be. The message she wants to convey is that your past doesn’t say anything about the future, it all depends on you, and you can become the person you want to be despite obstacles.

Singer Dion Cooper, 28, dreamed of being an artist and making music. At 15, he picked up the guitar for the first time and hasn’t put it down since. In the following years, he started singing and writing his own music, and in 2021, he released his first EP “Too Young Too Dumb,” followed by the single “Fire,” which he released with Maxine and has reached almost a million streams in a few months. He describes his music as a mix of classic rock and singer-songwriter, like Bryan Adams or Harry Styles.

Carrying and spreading joy is the mantra Dion uses to inspire his music and his life. He is on a journey to become the best version of himself and wants to share with the world all the happiness, knowledge, and joy he is gathering along the way. That’s his message: happiness is in your own hands, and you should use your hands to share that happiness.

Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper didn’t know each other until two years ago, when they were paired by Duncan Laurence and Jordan Gardfield. There was an instant musical click, their voices fit wonderfully together, and the message they want to convey is the same. There is room for vulnerability and emotion in their music. They both want to touch people’s hearts, and music is a beautiful language to express and share these emotions.

“The Eurovision Song Contest is the stage where people can see what you have to offer as an artist. After all these years of working hard to translate our feelings into music, this is a great opportunity to tell our story on a large scale. It’s great and still a little surreal that the AVROTROS selection committee has chosen our song, but we are ready to show something positive to Europe.”

Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper, representatives of the Netherlands in Eurovision 2023

“Burning Daylight,” their song for Liverpool

The song “Burning Daylight” by Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper is an emotional ballad that speaks about love and hope in difficult times. Co-written by Duncan Laurence, the winner of Eurovision 2019 with “Arcade,” and his partner Jordan Gardfield. Laurence and Gardfield were responsible for bringing Mia and Dion together, who had not previously met but felt an instant musical connection.

“Burning Daylight” is an English expression that means “wasting time” or “squandering the day.” In the song’s lyrics, the singers question whether they are burning daylight or living life to the fullest. They also encourage each other to keep going and not give up in the face of adversity. The song has a message of optimism and mutual support that can resonate with many people who have gone through tough times.

Lyrics of «Burning Daylight»

The Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest

The Netherlands is one of the few countries that have participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since the first edition in 1956. Throughout its history in the contest, the Netherlands has had its ups and downs, having won the competition five times.

Their first victory was in 1957 with the song “Net als toen” by Corry Brokken. Two years later, in 1959, they won with “Een beetje” by Teddy Scholten. In 1969, the Netherlands achieved victory with Lenny Kuhr and “De troubadour”, although it was shared with France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

The next Dutch victory came in 1975, with the group Teach-In and “Ding-a-Dong”. Finally, their last victory came 44 years later, in 2019, with “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence. On the other hand, the Netherlands have finished twice with zero points, in 1962 with De Spelbrekers and in 1963 with Annie Palmen.

Since they started participating, the Netherlands has only missed the competition four times. In 1985 and 1991, the country was absent because Eurovision took place on May 4th, coinciding with Remembrance Day in the Kingdom. In 1995 and 2002, the country was relegated due to its low result in the previous editions.

In 2021, after the cancellation of the 2020 edition due to the Covid pandemic, the contest was held in Rotterdam following Duncan Laurence’s victory in 2019, and they were represented by Jeangu Macrooy with “Birth of a New Age”. After Italy’s victory in Rotterdam, S10 represented the country in Turin, finishing in 11th place in the grand final with 173 points.