Essyla

Essyla was born in Perwez, Walloon Brabant, Belgium.^[3] She grew up in a musical environment, split between Flanders, where her father resides, and Walloon Brabant, where her mother lives. Her stage name, "Essyla", is a creative derivative of her birth name, "Alice", created by reversing said name.^[4]

She attended the Royal Superior Institute of Music and Pedagogy (IMEP) in Namur.^[5] During her youth, she was heavily influenced by French chanson, though she later developed appreciation for American jazz, folk, rock, and funk.^[6]

In 2020, Essyla, then performing under her birth name, competed during the ninth season [fr] of The Voice Belgique, where she joined the team of Belgian singer Typh Barrow. She ultimately finished as the runner-up to Jérémie Makiese, who later represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.^[7] Prior to this, she participated in the Eurovision Choir 2019 in Gothenburg, Sweden, as part of the choir Almakalia who represented Belgium.^[8]

Following The Voice Belgique, Essyla began building a solo career while working as a backing vocalist for established artists, including her former coach Typh Barrow and rapper Ben'do.^[9] In 2023, she released her debut single "Let You Go".^[10] That same year, she released her first extended play, I'll Be Okay.^[11]

On 19 February 2026, it was announced that she will be representing Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song "Dancing on the Ice".^[12]