Haris Alagić

Haris Alagić, who performs simply as Haris, is a Dutch singer-songwriter and guitarist of Bosnian descent. He was born on 25 May 1995 in Eindhoven, where his parents settled after leaving Prijedor in 1992. His grandfather, who sang folk songs to him, was his first great musical influence.

At eighteen he won the fifth season of X Factor in the Netherlands in 2013, coached by Angela Groothuizen, beating Adriaan Persons in the final with 64 percent of the vote. The prize was a contract with Sony Music, which released his first singles, "Playing with Fire", which reached number 27 on the Dutch Top 40 and number 9 on the Single Top 100, and "Gold". In 2015 came the EP Bedroom Sessions, recorded in his own bedroom.

In the years that followed he became a sought-after voice in electronic dance music, singing and writing for Hardwell ("Nothing Can Hold Us Down" and "Survivors"), Ferry Corsten ("Back to Paradise"), Headhunterz, Oliver Heldens, Dannic and The Voyagers.

After his time with Sony he went on with his own songs on the Houston Comma label, and in 2018 a string of singles led to the EP Side Effects. "Perfect" (2019), with the DJ duo Lucas & Steve and built on a-ha's "Take On Me", brought him back to wide attention and reached number 10 on the Dutch Top 40. "Shivers" followed in 2020, and he co-wrote and sang "Letters" on Lucas & Steve's album Letters to Remember. In 2021, under the name Lagique, he had a hit with Ofenbach, "Wasted Love".

His album Obsession came out in 2021, followed by the EPs Wilted Roses (2021) and Beauty Is a Mess (2022). He sings in English, and the playlist here holds his own releases, from "Playing with Fire" to newer songs such as "Oceans Away" and "Kill The Lonely".