Trijntje Oosterhuis, 41, will represent the Netherlands at the next Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, the singer confirmed on Monday.

The song will be written by Anouk, who came ninth at the 2013 event, ending a string of years in which the Netherlands failed to qualify for the final.

Last year, the Dutch entry Calm Before the Storm, performed by the Common Linnets, was second.

The song has not yet been completed but Oosterhuis told the broadcaster it is a ‘surprising choice’. ‘It is quite different than you would expect from Anouk and me,’ she said. ‘When I first heard it, I felt daring. I dare to take part with this song and Anouk’s support.’

Oosterhuis, currently a judge on The Voice of Holland, had her first hits in 1995 with the group Total Touch and went on to become a respected solo performer. She has also released successful albums of jazz classics and Burt Bacharach standards.