Stef Caers (Dutch pronunciation: [stɛf ˈkaːrs]; born 5 July 1980), known professionally as Gustaph (stylised as GVSTΛPH), is a Belgian singer-songwriter, producer and vocal coach.[2] He represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom with the song "Because of You" and finished 7th place.[3]
Gustaph | |
|---|---|
 Caers in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stef Caers |
| Also known as | Steffen |
| Born | 5 July 1980 Leuven, Belgium |
| Origin | Antwerp, Belgium |
| Genres | Dance music[1] |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instrument(s) |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
Biography
Caers was born on 5 July 1980 in Leuven, Flemish Brabant.[4] He started his musical career while studying at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent, initially using the stage name Steffen.[5] In 2000, he scored a hit with his debut single "Gonna Lose You", which reached number 22 on the Flemish singles chart.[6] He subsequently released a second single, titled "Sweetest Thing".
Following these releases, Caers began focusing more on songwriting and producing.[7] He also became active as a backing vocalist, providing backing vocals for, among others, Lady Linn and Willy Sommers. In the early 2010s, he joined the band Hercules and Love Affair as one of the lead vocalists.[7]
Caers performed as a backing vocalist for Sennek at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 and for Hooverphonic at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021.[8] In addition to his career as a singer, he works as a vocal coach, and as a teacher at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK) in Ghent.[8]
In November 2022, Caers was announced as one of seven participants in Eurosong 2023, the Belgian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest.[9] His entry "Because of You" won the final on 14 January 2023 and represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, finishing 7th place.[8]
Personal life
Caers is gay, and came out at the age of 14. He chose his stage name based on his father's godfather's name, Gustav.[10]
Discography
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (FL) [11] | AUS Digital [12] | LTU [13] | SWE [14] | UK [15] | ||||||||||
| "Gonna Lose You"[a] | 2000 | 22 | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |||||||
| "Sweetest Thing"[a] | —[A] | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Same Thing" | 2011 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Jaded" | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Second Coming" (with Adam Joseph) | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Call" (with Lady Linn) | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Because of You" | 2023 | 2 | 40 | 15 | 82 | 63 | ||||||||
| "The Nail" | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Already Know" | 20 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Faith in What You Feel" | 2024 | 37 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (FL) Tip | |||
| "Running" (Blende featuring Gustaph) | 2014 | 51 | Non-album single |
Notes
References
External links
Media related to Gustaph (singer) at Wikimedia Commons
