Winning acclaim in the Netherlands across music, TV and theatre, Jeangu Macrooy releases his groove-filled new single ‘Everybody Needs Somebody’ on 7th March, before heading to London for his first ever UK performance on 3rd April.
If you’re a Eurovision fan, the name Jeangu Macrooy may already be familiar to you… the soul-pop artist represented the Netherlands during their hosting year of 2021 with his entry ‘Birth Of A New Age’, written as a response to the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, and subsequently being covered by the New York Times.
Born and raised in the South American country of Suriname, Jeangu moved to the Netherlands in 2014. It wasn’t long before he was signed by the producer Perquisite, and his career has gone from strength to strength since his 2016 debut EP Brave Enough. His new single ‘Everybody Needs Somebody’ will be out on 7th March, a track full of rhythm, groove and soul destined to sound at home on the stage. Speaking of which, Jeangu will be in London on 3rd April to play a double headline show with Pete Philly & Perquisite at Hootananny Brixton, his debut UK performance – tickets are available now via DICE.
Jeangu Macrooy: ‘“Everybody Needs Somebody” captures the essence of companionship, urging us to embrace others as our refuge when the world feels overwhelming. Playing a show in London has been a dream of mine for a while now. So many artists that inspire me are from the UK. Can’t wait!’
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Jeangu Macrooy’s incredible journey began at the age of 13 when his parents gifted him a guitar, and he formed a duo with his brother Xillan. A big move to the Netherlands proved to be fortuitous, as he was soon signed to Unexpected Records, run by producer/composer Perquisite, who has also been his manager ever since.
Following Jeangu’s initial EP release in 2016, his debut album High On You came the year after, with the title track landing at number one in his home country of Suriname, leading to a homecoming show. Two more studio albums followed, leading to multiple nominations at the Edison Pop Awards (the Dutch Grammys), a sold out Amsterdam’s Paradiso, gracing the stages of Lowlands and Eurosonic Noorderslag, and opening for the likes of Curtis Harding and Ayo on their German tours.
Jeangu was the Netherlands’ entry for the Eurovision Song Contest with his song ‘Grow’ when they were due to host in 2020, but the pandemic ensured its cancellation. Nevertheless, the track gained widespread editorial playlisting, landing in Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist in twelve countries, while premiering on Dutch national television and racking up millions of streams. He returned to Eurovision in 2021 to represent the Netherlands with his politically-charged entry ‘Birth Of A New Age’.
Outside of music, Jeangu has acting credits on Dutch television, including a portrayal of Judas in The Passion, and has won awards for his portrayal as the titular figure in Jesus Christ Superstar, which ran in Amsterdam throughout 2024.
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