Step Into Mustii’s Maze : To Find Yourself, You Must First Get Lost

Actor, singer, and the Belgian representant at the 2024 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, Mustii, is slowly but surely making his way as the upcoming Belgian queer icon. From his coming out story, to finding his path in life and art through the lenses of his latest album, Mustii opened to KET about his experience as a queer artist transposing life into art.

“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it (…) We shouldn’t even have to come out anymore.”

While he never intended his coming out to be a huge event, Mustii speaks about how his queerness slowly made its way into his creative process. With a bolder aesthetic, and a newly found freedom of speech, his new album takes his self-expression up a notch. It is all about letting go, healing parts of his inner child and trying to be as confident and free as possible, while using his platform as a form of therapy.

However, the road hasn’t always been easy. As the result of coming out at a later moment in his life, he doesn’t shy away from talking about the shared reality of many queer people— feeling like he missed out on the ordinary joys of his teenage years. Life might be easier undercover, but the beauty of it all lays in staying true to yourself.

“In a maze, whether you aim to find the treasure or the way out, the most important thing is to get lost (…) That’s what makes it fun. It’s all about the process.”

After proudly representing Belgium at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest with his critically acclaimed song BEFORE THE PARTY’S OVER, he releases his 3rd studio album The Maze. Influenced by queer icons as Madonna, Grace Jones or David Bowie, this new record unveils a deeply personal and previously unseen side of himself. Where his previous album explored the impact of his uncle’s schizophrenia, a story told from the position of an observer, grappling with the pain and confusion of watching a loved one suffer — The Maze marks a profound shift. This time, the gaze turns inward. The album becomes a mirror, reflecting his own emotional labyrinth: his fears, his vulnerabilities, his survival strategies. It’s no longer about witnessing someone else’s descent — it’s about confronting his own shadows, and learning to live with them. In doing so, Mustii doesn’t just open up — he invites us to get lost with him, in a maze where
darkness and light coexist, and where healing begins with honesty.

It could have been my fi rst album; this body of work really represents who I am. It is the first time I speak about my own experiences.”

In this album, Mustii crafts a soundscape that is both cinematic and intimate. You can hear and feel his newly found freedom through the space he left for experimentation. At times he channels the drama of 80s new wave, while other times he dives into the euphoria of electronic beats with hints of post-punk angst or glam rock. There’s also a distinct theatricality, not just in the vocal delivery, but in the sonic architecture. You can hear the stage lights fl icker, the curtains rise. It’s the sound of someone performing their pain and beauty in real-time. A queer requiem with glitter on its cheek. He built a maze full of paradoxes, where every turn reveals a new contradiction. While some songs like ATTITUDE reflect on themes like love at fi rst sight, other tracks delve into the harsh reality of the queer experience, like solitude or addiction in a raw, real and unfi ltered way. But despite this, he chooses not to see it as a form of deviance, but as the echo of how society fails to see and understand queer lives.

“We’re all so different within the LGBTQIA+ community. Everybody has a different past, a different story. There’s so much work to do when it comes to the discrimination we face on a daily basis, but fi rst and
foremost, we should start with the work we have to do within our own community. The boxes we force onto eachother will just keep dividing us.”

While he acknowledges that there’s still a long way to go within the queer community, Mustii expresses genuine pride in calling Brussels home — a city where he feels safe, seen, and embraced. From vibrant spaces like the Brussels Pride to iconic parties such as Gayhaze, Brussels offers him not just visibility, but a sense of belonging. These places aren’t just venues or events — they’re sanctuaries where queerness is celebrated in all its forms.

Mustii’s new album is out now — don’t miss the chance to see him live at the following tour stops:

• 20.07 @ Francos de Spa, Spa
• 02.08 @ Ronquières Festival, Ronquières
• 09.10 @ Den Atelier, Lux
• 11.10 @ Sucrerie, Wavre
• 13.12 @ OM, Liège
• 18.12 @ De Roma, Anvers

Photography : Lennert Madou