As of: March 6, 2024, 7:09 p.m
By: Armin T. Linder
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The entries for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 are gradually becoming known.
And lo and behold: Our neighbors sent a man whose hit will probably still be in the ears of many.
Hilversum - There was no getting around “Friesenjung” in 2023: the song took first place in the German charts for four weeks.
It was a new edition of an old Otto Waalkes song, with three performers.
In addition to the German comedian, the rapper Ski Aggu was also involved - and the Dutch musician Joost Klein.
He now has big plans: he wants to shake up the Eurovision Song Contest.
The plans have been known for a long time, now the song has been presented.
ESC song for the Netherlands: “Friesenjung” star tries out “Europapa”
His contribution “Europa” is again a dance number.
With this, the 26-year-old will represent his country at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden, in May.
On Thursday, Klein presented the song in a TV special.
“Welcome to Europe, I’ll stay here until I die,” Klein sings in Dutch and with not entirely clean rhymes.
It was a hymn to Europe and his father, who died early, said the Frisian with the hip platinum-blonde hair and mustache.
“It’s actually kind of a letter to my father,” Klein said.
“He taught me that people came up with their own boundaries and that you can actually invent your own world.” Joost's father died when Joost was only twelve years old.
Klein calls it a typically Dutch dance number that also featured hardcore techno DJ Paul Elstak and rapper Donnie.
But first he has to get through the semi-finals on May 9th.
The final is on May 11th.
ESC contribution for the Netherlands: “Europapa” by Joost divides listeners
Klein has many followers, especially in German-speaking countries.
“Friesenjung” landed at number 1 in the single charts not only in Germany, but also in Austria.
His “Europe” immediately divides listeners, as can be seen in the user comments on esc-kompakt.de “The Dutch Jendrik... Gets stuck in the semi-finals... no shame about that,” writes one user there and promptly concedes a “Phew, rarely read such a misjudgment.” Another says: “A love letter to Europe and the emotional ending make this more than just a fun article.
Great Netherlands, good luck!”
Joost Klein is going to the ESC for the Netherlands.
© IMAGO/Sander Koning
However, Joost is not one of the top favorites: he ranks in the middle of the field in the betting odds collected on
eurovisionworld.com
.
But at least still ahead of the German song “Always on the run” by Isaak, which is ranked 27th out of 37 nations.
At the top of the betting odds there is currently a neck-and-neck race between the Croatian and Ukrainian entries.
However, the representatives of all countries are not yet known - the traditionally strong Swedes and Icelanders are still missing.
During the German preliminary round, Barbara Schöneberger had an unpleasant mishap.
(lin)
Sources used:
dpa, officialcharts.de, esc-kompakt.de, eurovisionworld.com