Belgian artist-producer noevdv, now twenty-three, knew after his viral success at 18 that numbers alone were not enough. Rather than chase placements, he spent the following years quietly building the sonic world he had always envisioned, splitting his time between Belgium and Los Angeles, refining a sound that was entirely his own.
Today, with over 3.1 million monthly listeners and a breakout single approaching Gold certification, he is ready to pull back the curtain on the world he has been building. His debut EP “mulholland drive” arrives June 5th, with lead single “nobody like you” capturing the emotional duality of splitting time between Belgium and Los Angeles, where artistic life felt immediate and fully lived-in against the more structured rhythm of home.
We spoke with noevdv about building foundations instead of chasing placements, why David Lynch’s film shaped his vision, and more.
photos by @max.dur
You broke through at 18 as a beatmaker and producer, then chose to step back. Why was that moment necessary for you?
I don’t think I really chose to step back; I just took the time I needed to do things my own way. That period was important for me to grow, not just as an artist, but as a person. I was transitioning from being a teenager into really understanding who I am and what I want to create.
I also spent a lot of time developing my sound. Before “want u,” I had already made hundreds of beats in that direction. I was experimenting, refining, and trying to find something that truly felt like me. So it wasn’t really stepping back; it was more about building a strong foundation. And that takes time.
Your latest release, “nobody like you,” is about loving something while not fully knowing your place in it. Is that feeling tied more to LA, a person, or your own career?
I think it can mean different things depending on how people connect to it. That’s something I like, leaving space for listeners to find their own meaning.
But for me, it was more about LA than a specific person. I like personifying a city, almost treating it like a relationship. When we made the song, I had been in LA for a while, so it was really a reflection of how the city was making me feel, both the good and the bad sides. That’s where that feeling of loving something while not fully knowing your place in it comes from.
How does “nobody like you” introduce or set the tone for the world you’re building with the “mulholland drive” EP?
I think “nobody like you” is a perfect introduction to my world and the kind of emotions I want to share. It really captures that blurred love-hate feeling I’m drawn to.
Sonically, it brings together a heavy bass, soft and emotional vocals, and a more ambient, spacious production. That balance between intensity and vulnerability is something I focused on a lot. I think that track really sets the tone for “mulholland drive”—it represents the sound and atmosphere I tried to build across the whole project.
Is there a sound or memory from your grandparents’ house in the Belgian countryside that still finds its way into your music?
Yeah, definitely. It’s more at my parents’ house in the countryside in Belgium; there’s always a radio playing old French songs in the background.
I think those records really stayed with me, because they focus so much on emotion first. The production and even the lyrics often feel secondary to the feeling they create. It’s usually very simple, not overproduced, but you instantly connect to something. That approach definitely shaped the way I make music today, just trying to capture a core feeling as quickly and honestly as possible.
You have millions of listeners, but you’re only now releasing your debut EP. What is the biggest difference between who you were at 18 and who you are now at 23?
I think the biggest difference is that I understand myself a lot better now than I did at 18. Back then, I was still in school, and I believed music could work, but I didn’t fully know what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be within it.
Over time, I learned how to build a world around my music, not just individual tracks, but a full identity, a sound, and an atmosphere. That’s something that feels really important to me now, having a sound that’s truly my own. It took a few years to get there, but it also came naturally, because in the end, it’s just a reflection of what I genuinely like and who I am as a person.
Does the “mulholland drive” EP draw any inspiration from David Lynch’s famous film of the same name?
Yes, definitely. Even though the film “Mulholland Drive” wasn’t the original reason behind the title, it definitely became an influence. I really connect with the way the movie feels; it has that dreamlike quality, and since it’s set in Los Angeles, it naturally resonates with my own experiences there. I love that blurred line between reality and illusion that you get while watching it.
I’m also really drawn to the aesthetic, the way it’s filmed, and the atmosphere it creates. I think that even influenced me visually; I love using fades between different shots in my music videos, and I feel like I probably picked that up unconsciously from the film. That kind of mood definitely inspired parts of the project.
“want u” is nearing Gold certification. Does that feel more like validation or pressure at this stage?
It’s definitely a nice feeling, and in some ways it’s a form of validation, especially for people around me who didn’t always understand what I was doing. It kind of proves that it can work. But at the same time, I try not to put too much weight on it. For me, what matters most is that the music connects with people. I focus on giving my best during the creative process.
At the end of the day, you can’t really control the results or the numbers. So I try to stay detached from that and just keep creating.
If someone is driving down Mulholland at night while listening to your music, what’s the one feeling you’d want them to experience?
Honestly, whatever they’re feeling in that moment. That’s what I love about music. I can create a song from a very specific emotion, but it can resonate with someone else in a completely different way. I think that’s the beauty of it; everyone brings their own story and meaning to the track.
So if someone is driving down Mulholland at night listening to my music, I’d want them to feel something real, whatever that means for them.
