 After the Netherlands qualified for the final for the first time in nine years at the 2013 contest , media interest was high over who would succeed Anouk as the Dutch representative at Eurovision in 2014 . One of the artists tipped early on as a possible candidate was DJ Armin van Buuren , who announced in June 2013 that he was open to participating at the contest as long as AVROTROS gave him full artistic freedom and abandoned plans for a national final to select the entry . Shirma Rouse , one of the backing singers for Anouk at the 2013 contest , was another candidate mentioned after being promoted by Anouk at several events in 2013 . 
