Pour la version FRANÇAISE, cliquez ICI.
Before we start, make sure to make yourself comfortable and grab a cuppa (go for coffee, if you really want to pretend you’re chilling with Adil ’cause that’s definitely what he would suggest): this interview is long, very long. The longest I’ve ever uploaded on Urban Soul, actually. My Journalism teacher used to tell us “Kill your daisies”, encouraging us to remove those beautiful but unnecessary bits in our articles. This is something I’ve always struggled with ’cause, you see, I like my details. But I tried to… and didn’t manage to shorten it more than to these 26 minutes.
You just gotta love an inspirational story. And Adil’s tale is quite impressive. It will show you how a smile, openness and hard work can go a long way. At 16 years old, the Belgian singer was a top 10 contestant in Idool. A few years later, he packed his suitcase to live in Barcelona for a while. Fast forward to 2016, he took part in the national final of the Eurosong Contest… and decided afterwards to drive and cross the Channel. He booked an Airbnb with his own money and recorded one song a day in the studio, with the same songwriter who helped him pen his Eurosong entry. Back in Belgium, he just sent his demos to the main music labels and got himself a distribution deal with Sony Music. It seems so simple when you put it that way. But there’s more to Adil’s destiny than luck, talent and interesting encounters and this is exactly why getting yourself a sweet deal isn’t always the end game. You also need a lot of heart and courage.
“Are you sure you want to quit your job? Are you really earning a living with your current activity? What are you actually doing all day?”. Adil has probably heard these questions a thousand times and so did I (and I still do!) as a creative and as a freelancer. This would explain why his words resonated with me that much. Because I believe him when he says he’s up every morning to embrace the day and get the most of it. I believe him when he says he’s working from dawn till dusk ’cause when you love, you don’t count the cost nor the hours. Love, here, is the keyword: I can assure you there’s no better luxury than waking up every day to do something you’re passionate about! And hopefully Adil’s story will inspire you to take some risks too and put in work!
Stay tuned for part 2…
