Ritse

Ritse’s entry into the music scene is anything but typical. There was no childhood dream of becoming an artist—just a car in Friesland and a musical group of friends. “When I was eighteen, I bought a little car. I was so happy with it that I wrote a song about it with my friends in Friesland,” he recalls. What started as a joke for Ritse quickly became something serious. “They already had a band and released the song with me as a featured artist. That led to live performances. That’s when I thought, this is so cool—I want to keep doing this.”

Although making music was never his dream—he’s been skating for thirteen years with aspirations of going pro, and he was also building a solid career as a model—it turned out to be his true calling. In 2019, the next challenge presented itself: Fokke Simons. After three successful years, the group members went their separate ways, and Ritse decided to pursue a solo career. “At first, it was really nerve-wracking, but I’m so proud of my music. For the first time, it feels completely mine.”

When asked how he would describe his music, there’s really only one answer: “Just Ritse. The Ritse sound.” With influences ranging from pop, rock, techno, and hardcore, and lyrics that always carry a touch of humor, Ritse refuses to be boxed into a single genre. “I have a lot of energy and create music based on feeling. One day, that might be a banger, the next day, a poppy festival track.” Yet they all share one key element: “From hard-hitting tracks to pop songs, it has to be danceable.”