Remy van Kesteren, hailed by The New York Times as a "brilliant harpist," defies all expectations. After years of worldwide performances and millions of streams with his genre-blurring music, he now presents his most personal work yet: Leave What You Know. This new album, seven years in the making, once again pushes Remy’s boundaries. It marks a shift from classical to pop. For the first time, he writes his own lyrics and collaborates with leading vocalists such as Robin Kester, Kim Janssen, Pitou, Marcel Veenendaal (DI-RECT), Someone/Tessa Rose Jackson, Luwten, Nana Adjoa, Banji, and Roufaida.

The harp remains at the heart of his music, but now it is joined by guitar, drums, electronics, and ten vocalists (including Remy himself) in a bold fusion of styles. Leave What You Know is about daring to let go, embracing the unknown, and constantly reinventing oneself. This is Remy van Kesteren as you’ve never heard him before—vulnerable, innovative, and more powerful than ever.

Regarding the collaborations, Remy says, “I am convinced that the most interesting work lies beyond what you already know. And I love a challenge. Collaborating with others, especially on something as personal as a song, was a vulnerable and sometimes humbling process.” Exploring new paths means blurring the boundaries between genres and creating something that cannot be confined to just one style.

The album’s journey was shaped by profound life questions that had occupied him for years: Was he giving up a dream life as a classical harpist? Or was it someone else’s dream? And if you leave the beaten path, how does that affect your music, your friendships, love, and even your children? This album is both a closing chapter and a new beginning.

The inspiration for the title Leave What You Know stems from the idea of letting go of everything familiar. But it is also a challenge to the listener. “As a child, you look at the world with total open-mindedness. As we grow older, that fades. We decide what belongs to us, what we like, and what we reject,” Remy says. “But if you're not careful, prejudice makes you miss out on so much beauty in life. It’s about continuously questioning what you know and what you see around you. With the same openness and curiosity as a child. Because often, the things that don’t immediately catch your interest can lead to new ideas that might just change your world.”