MEROL

MEROL, born Merel Baldé, hit the ground running. ‘Hou Je Bek en Bef Me’ (Shut Up and Eat Me Out) (2019) was unprecedented in these parts, even from the mouth of a Dutchwoman. She wrote the song in response to the explicit attitudes of many male rappers. It won MEROL the 3voor12 Song van het Jaar Award and gained the attention of Studio Brussel and MNM. Plans of becoming a serious actor fell by the wayside. She enjoyed making songs more, though she also does this in a theatrical way. Flanders passed up on the singles ‘Krijg Er Het Geil Van’ and ‘Foefsafari’, but ‘Vol’ was an immediate hit. Her coming second in De Slimste Mens in November 2021 undoubtedly helped. Her debut ‘Troostprijs’ (2022) actually reached a higher chart position in Flanders than in the Netherlands.