Frans Kalf

How do you still find the words to express what truly matters? Meet Frans Kalf (22), a cynically cheerful connoisseur of life. Half Amsterdammer, half Ghent native.

With catchy songs and sharp, observant lyrics, he takes you, under the approving gaze of Shaffy and Brel, into his bittersweet little world, where there is room for both a broken heart and a roaring laugh. Not what you expect, yet better than you imagined.

On 21 January, he releases his debut single While You Stood Before Me (Terwijl Je Voor Me Stond), a song that immediately sketches the contours of Frans Kalf's musical identity, where chanson intertwines with indie and folk.

Meanwhile, the newly crowned Sound Track laureate has spent the past year effortlessly winning over audiences and stages of all kinds. In 2026, he will tour alongside Dressed Like Boys, Kaat Van Stralen and Johannes Is Zijn Naam, among others.