Douwe Bob Posthuma emerged as a prominent fixture in the Dutch music industry after winning the television competition De beste singer-songwriter van Nederland. The Amsterdam-born artist has navigated a career spanning folk, country, and pop, culminating in four studio albums and an appearance as the Dutch representative at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm.
Early Musical Training
Born on 12 December 1992 into a Frisian family, he is the son of Simon Posthuma, a member of the design collective The Fool. His formal musical education began at age six with classical piano and jazz studies. By fourteen, he transitioned to the guitar, drawing influence from the folk, pop, and country sounds that defined the 1950s through the mid-1970s.
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His 2012 appearance on the talent show De beste singer-songwriter van Nederland provided his initial platform. During the finale, he performed with Tim Knol, helping propel his track Multicoloured Angels to number 17 on the Dutch Top 40. His debut album, Born in a Storm, arrived on 3 May 2013, featuring material composed during a trip to Morocco with Matthijs van Duijvenbode. That year, he performed at the Pinkpop Festival and featured in the IDFA documentary Whatever Forever: Douwe Bob.
Eurovision and Recording Success
The singer released his second album, Pass It On, on 15 May 2015 via Universal Music Group, following a collaboration with Anouk on the single Hold Me. In 2016, he represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest. Performing Slow Down, he reached the final and secured eleventh place with 153 points. Later that year, he released his third studio album, Fool Bar, which peaked at number four on the Dutch Albums Chart. He subsequently served as a coach on the seventh season of The Voice Kids in 2018.
Recent Projects and Personal Life
His fourth studio album, The Shape I'm In, was released on 9 November 2018. In 2019, he contributed the title track to the film Singel 39, in which he also held a minor role. The production achieved the Golden Film award for selling 100,000 tickets. He later appeared on the 2023 season of The Masked Singer. Regarding his personal life, he publicly identified as bisexual during a 2016 interview with OutTV. He is the father of three children.
Fast facts
- Born: 12 December 1992, Amsterdam
- Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Primary genres: Folk, country, pop
- Eurovision placement: 11th (2016)
- Father: Simon Posthuma
- Debut album: Born in a Storm (2013)
Questions readers ask
What song did Douwe Bob perform at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest?
He performed the song Slow Down in both the semi-finals and the grand final.
Does Douwe Bob act in films?
Yes, he played a small role in the 2019 Dutch feature film Singel 39, for which he also composed the title song.
Achievements
- Instruments: guitar and voice
- Genres: country music
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