Courtesy of Luka

You might know 21-year-old singer Luka from The Voice. A favorite and the eventual winner of The Voice in Belgium in 2017, at just 16, Luka’s talent for giving audiences goosebumps when she sings quickly lead her to what we can only hope will be a lifelong music career.

21-year-old Belgian singer Luka Cruysberghs is just kicking off her solo career, but she’s no stranger to the stage. A favorite and the eventual winner of The Voice in Belgium in 2017, at just 16, Luka has an obvious talent for giving audiences goosebumps when she sings. Later fronting as lead singer for the band Hooverphonic with her coach Alex Callier, she would trade her own sound for acoustics and poetic lyrics.

Luka’s debut EP Insomnia is out now, and she is excited to bring her “dark electronic pop” sound to life and to her fans. After singing with Hooverphonic on tracks that she calls “beautiful acoustic music with lots of strings,” her new EP leans into her darker tastes and is “very direct.”

While Luka fits in well with artists like Billie Eilish and Faithless that inspire her, she’s not trying to emulate anyone. “I’m really trying to create my own sound,” she shared. “I don’t want to recreate something that already exists.” She’s not set on a particular sound, though. While she recognizes a “dark edge” to her music overall, she told us she’s not sure if it’s the only kind of music she’ll ever make. “For now, I’m very proud to present you Insomnia.”

Courtesy of Luka

Insomnia is inspired by various experiences from Luka’s life, and she says that she’s really focused on feelings and stories that she’s gone through. Pretty much anything is up for grabs for Luka creatively. “If there was something on my mind, it was the best time for me to write a song,” she told us.

Of the seven tracks on Insomnia, Luka calls the title track her favorite. “I really love the aesthetic and sound,” she said, “the very dreamy and fairytale-like lines vocal lines, the way how it was written…I think many people can find themselves in the lyrics, and it’s funny because the song gives/brings me rest while I’m singing about not being able to sleep.”

Even though she has her personal favorites—her favorite line from the whole project is “the mind is a dangerous master” in “Nyctofilia”—Luka is excited for people to hear every song. “We put a lot of work in each and every song and they all have their own special characteristics, but if I really had to choose [favorites] still ‘Insomnia’ and ‘Nyctofilia.'”

With so much experimenting happening in the EP and Luka’s journey to find her solo sound, we had to ask what she has planned for the future. Insomnia is definitely what she’s focused on at the moment, but that doesn’t mean she’s taking a break. “I’m still very much in the process of creating and I’m writing a lot, so for me, too, it’s still kind of a surprise,” she shared. “But from what I have written till now, it will be slightly different from Insomnia.”

A dark and powerful debut, Insomnia is anything but tired. The entire project is exactly the kind of music we need as we move into fall! Luka is also proud to share that she had a hand in writing every song on the EP. “I am very grateful for what I am able to do at the moment, and I really hope I can conquer your hearts with Insomnia!”

Insomnia is streaming now on all major music platforms.

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Veronica Good has been with Showstopper Magazine since 2016. When she isn't keeping you updated on the latest trends, she is at home with her many pets or probably playing The Sims 4. Veronica has a BA in English and an MA in writing from Coastal Carolina University. She is also a writer of fiction and poetry, and her work can be found in Archarios, Tempo, and Scapegoat.