[3][4] "Arcade" became one of the most successful Eurovision Song Contest winning entries on streaming platforms and international charts in recent history.

[5] He started his musical career at the Rock Academy in Tilburg, playing in a number of school bands,[2] including his own, The Slick and Suited.

[11] He, with Jihad Rahmouni, wrote the music to K-pop duo TVXQ's song "Closer" for their 2018 album New Chapter #1: The Chance of Love.

[18] On 13 May 2020, Laurence released his first extended play (EP), Worlds on Fire, which included the singles "Arcade", "Love Don't Hate It", and "Someone Else", along with two new tracks.

[20] In the second half of 2020, "Arcade" went viral on video sharing service TikTok, resulting in the song's new chart success and rise in streams on various platforms.

[32] Pre-recorded footage of his performance, consisting of "Arcade" and a new single from Small Town Boy's deluxe edition, "Stars", was broadcast instead during the final.

Among the artists featured on the soundtrack was Laurence with "Heaven Is a Hand to Hold", which he co-wrote with Leland, Jordan Garfield and Peter Thomas.

[36] In early 2022, Laurence served as a coach on the sixth season of The Voice Kids Belgium, where a member of his team, Karista, won.

[45] De Volkskrant gave the album a four-star rating, saying: "'Skyboy' by Duncan Laurence, recorded in Los Angeles, is bursting with variety.

"[46] In a brief interview, Laurence cited Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Ryan Tedder, Sia, Sam Smith and Adele as influences.

[48] During a press conference shortly before the Eurovision final, he affirmed his sexuality: "I am more than just an artist, I am a person, I am a living being, I'm bisexual, I'm a musician, I stand for things.