Michaja Antonina Nicolaï[1] (Dutch: [ˈmixaːjaː ˈnikoːlɑi]; born 7 March 1996), known simply as Mia Nicolai, is a Dutch singer, songwriter and actress. She represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 alongside Dion Cooper with the song "Burning Daylight".[2][3]
Mia Nicolai | |
|---|---|
 Mia Nicolai in 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michaja Antonina Nicolaï |
| Born | 7 March 1996 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Labels |
|
Early life
editMichaja Nicolaï was born on 7 March 1996 in Amsterdam as the second daughter of lawyer and Party for the Animals politician Peter Nicolaï and Russian-born musician and composer Marynka Nicolaï-Krylova.[4][5][6][7] She started taking drama and ballet classes at the age of three, which, according to herself, sparked an interest in music. She later started taking piano and violin lessons.[7][8]
Career
edit2018–2022: First singles
editIn 2018, Mia Nicolai released her first single, a cover of American composer Glenn Miller's "At Last".[9] In 2020, she released "Set Me Free" and "Mutual Needs", of which the latter was featured on DJ Zane Lowe's radio show.[10][11] In 2021, she released two singles, "People Pleaser" and "Dream Go".[12][13]
2023: Eurovision Song Contest
editOn 1 November 2022, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS announced that Nicolai would represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, alongside Dion Cooper.[14] Nicolai had met Cooper in 2020 when fellow Dutch Eurovision entrant and winner of the 2019 edition, Duncan Laurence, along with Laurence's partner Jordan Garfield, paired the two up.[15] Nicolai and Cooper performed in the first semi-final, but failed to qualify for the final.[16]
Personal life and artistry
editNicolai has lived in London, Melbourne and New York City, before settling in Los Angeles in 2022.[10][17] She has cited English singer David Bowie as one of her main artistic influences.[15]
Discography
editSingles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album or EP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLD (100) [18] |
NLD (40) [19] | |||
| "At Last" | 2018 | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "Set Me Free" | 2020 | — | — | |
| "Mutual Needs" | — | — | ||
| "People Pleaser" | 2021 | — | — | |
| "Dream Go" | — | — | ||
| "Loop" | 2022 | — | — | |
| "Burning Daylight" (with Dion Cooper) |
2023 | 42 | 21 | |
| "Stuck" | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
Songwriting discography
editEurovision Song Contest entries
edit| Year | Country | Song | Artist | Semi-final | Final | Co-written with | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Points | Place | Points | |||||
| 2023 |  Netherlands
|
"Burning Daylight" | Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper | 13 | 7 | DNQ | Duncan de Moor, Jordan Garfield, Dion Cuiper, Loek van der Grinten | |
National selection entries
edit| Year | Country | Song | Artist | Result | Co-written with | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Points | |||||
| 2023 |  Moldova
|
"When Love's Real" | Corina Ivanov | 7 | 7 | Mike Connaris |
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Adios Amigos | Prostitute | — |
| Babatunde | Steffi | Short film | |
| 2018 | Doris | Lunchroom girl | — |
| 2021 | Flikken Rotterdam | Tara Tereshchenko | Episode: "Rex" |
References
edit- ^ "DREAM GO". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper vertegenwoordigen Nederland op het Eurovisie Songfestival!". AVROTROS (in Dutch). 1 November 2022. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Eerste beelden songfestivalnummer 'Burning Daylight' van Mia Nicolai en Dion Cooper - Eurovisie Songfestival". AVROTROS (in Dutch). 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Beek, Hans van der (13 March 2004). "Het interview: Peter Nicolaï" (PDF). PS van de Week (in Dutch). Het Parool. pp. 19–23. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 November 2022.
- ^ Veen, Renske ten (1 November 2022). "Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper have a song titled "Chasing Highs"". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Michaja Nicolai". VK. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
Birthday: March 7
- ^ a b Leeuwen, Marlies van; Borgdorff, Suzanne (1 November 2022). "Duncan Laurence bracht 'gouden combinatie' samen: wie zijn Mia Nicolai en Dion Cooper?". Algemeen Dagblad. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Duo Dion Cooper en Mia Nicolai namens Nederland naar het Eurovisie Songfestival". De Telegraaf. 1 November 2022. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ Kent, Matthew (10 August 2020). "Pop newcomer Mia Nicolai is exasperated and lists her demands on her debut "Set Me Free"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Fresh Face: Mia Nicolai". Notion. 3 December 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Mia Nicolai Unveils New Brilliant Dark Single "Mutual Needs"". ON Magazine. 9 November 2020. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ Ju, Shirley (16 April 2021). "Mia Nicolai | Inspiring new single "People Pleaser"". Flaunt. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ Thomson, Zangba (13 December 2021). "Mia Nicolai releases a lovely alternative tune, entitled, "Dream Go"". Bong Mines Entertainment. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ Adams, Oliver (1 November 2022). "Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper will sing for The Netherlands at Eurovision 2023". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper vertegenwoordigen Nederland op Eurovisie Songfestival 2023". NPO Radio 2 (in Dutch). 1 November 2022. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ Adams, William Lee (9 May 2023). "Eurovision 2023: Semi-Final 1 results and qualifiers". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ Farren, Neil (1 November 2022). "Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper to Eurovision 2023". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Discografie Mia Nicolai". Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ "Mia Nicolai". Top 40 (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.