We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: The Netherlands.
Joost Klein
Joost Klein, known simply as Joost, is a versatile Dutch musician, writer, and former YouTuber born on November 10, 1997, in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. Growing up in Britsum, he faced early hardships, losing both parents during his school years. Joost first gained attention through his YouTube channel, EenhoornJoost, launched at the age of 10.
Joost’s music career accelerated with his single “Bitches,” which quickly amassed a million views. He briefly signed with the label Top Notch, but soon established his own label, releasing his influential album “Albino” in 2019. His mixtape “Scandinavian Boy” and collaborations like “M van Marketing” with Donnie have further cemented his reputation in the music industry.
In 2020, he released “Joost Klein 7,” featuring international artists like Canadian rapper bbno$. His album, “Fryslân,” reflects deep personal themes and includes collaborations with diverse artists. Joost continues to make significant strides in music, evidenced by his hit “Friesenjung” in Germany.
Joost was chosen to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Europapa.”
Friesland
Joost Klein is from Friesland and is proud to show that; we learned that from a.o. his song “Friesenjung”.
Friesland is a special province in the northern part of the Netherlands, known for its unique culture and language. The people there speak Frisian, which is one of the oldest languages in Europe, alongside Dutch. Friesland is famous for its beautiful landscapes, including vast lakes, canals, and green pastures, making it a great place for boating, skating, and cycling.
The capital of Friesland is Leeuwarden, a city rich in history with lovely old buildings and canals. Friesland is also known for the Elfstedentocht, a famous long-distance skating event that takes place on the frozen canals connecting eleven historical cities, but only when the ice is thick enough.
This province has a strong sense of identity and pride in its heritage, evident in its festivals, traditional sports like Frisian handball, and horse breeding, especially the black Friesian horse, known worldwide for its beauty and grace.
The Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest
The very first Eurovision song ever, the opening song in the 1956 contest, was a Dutch one: Jetty Paerl‘s “De vogels van Holland”. Only one year later, Corry Brokken took the trophy to the Netherlands with her “Net als toen”. In 1959, it was Teddy Scholten who won the contest with “Een beetje”. Lenny Kuhr was one of the four winners of 1969 with her “Troubadour”, while Teach In won in 1975 with their song “Ding-a-dong”. After this, the Netherlands had to wait for 44 years for a new victory. But it happened in 2019: Duncan Laurence won the contest with his “Arcade”. Other top-3 entries were “I see a star” by Mouth & MacNeal (1974) and “Calm after the storm” by The Common Linnets (2014).
Duncan Laurence, EBU/Andres Putting
The Bookmakers
Currently, Joost’s “Europapa” is no. 5 in the odds to win the Grand Final. However, the bookmakers also expect him to win the 2nd semifinal. If we follow the bookies, we can safely say that The Netherlands will do well in the current contest.
The song
And this is the song:
