© CPU – Senne Houben
His name is Small, but his dreams are big. Very big, because within a few weeks Joost Klein will finally be allowed to enter the Eurovision Song Contest stage. After annual conquests at Pukkelpop, demolition work in the Lotto Arena and his own clothing collection at Bristol, that was mainly what the young man from Friesland had been dreaming regarding for some time. The song was finished, the tickets booked; However, the committee also had to decide whether he might actually move towards Malmö. But apparently if you manifest hard enough, things always work out.
And whether you are a fan or not, you just have to admit that it is very difficult not to have an incredible amount of respect for Joost. He and his friends just do what they want, the crazier the better. The result is brutally honest, almost poetic lyrics over a hardcore, gabber or drum ‘n’ bass tinged sound: the Dutchman will certainly stand out. The fact that Used stated that he was one hundred percent sure that the Frieslander would win the Eurovision Song Contest following hearing the single, created extremely high expectations in advance.
It is perhaps precisely because everyone has set the bar so high that “Europapa” takes some time to get in. That does not alter the fact that Joost has a gigantic solid song under his arm. Under one – who would have thought? – eurodancebeat, the Dutchman makes a journey through the European continent: he travels every day, because the world is his. ‘Welcome to Europe, I’ll stay here until I die’ vibrates through your ear canals faster than expected, while the single starts to sound louder and louder under the radar. And following a piece in German and a shout out to our Stromae, “Europapa” gains tremendously cool momentum. Also Gerrie van Boven New Kids welcomes us to Europe, following which the jump beats destroy everything.
Joost reflects in the piano and string outro, where he once once more pays a catchy tribute to his parents. From ‘My mom and my dad are forever my heroes’ to ‘I miss you every day is what I secretly whisper / See, dad, I listened to you’: the Dutchman grabs his throat once more. The enthusiasm around Joost in Flanders is dozens of times greater than around his own entry Mustii, and that is somewhat justified following the release of “Europapa”. A strong video clip already seems to hint at a tight live performance, because it simply has to be said that they are sending a Eurovision Song Contest song par excellence from Friesland to Malmö. Joost plus Eurovision equals “Europapa”.
You can see Joost live at work next summer Genk on Stage (29 June), Moen Party (July 6), Rock Zottegem (July 12) in Lokeren Festivities (August 11).
Listen to the singles of the week on our Spotify.