When it was officially announced that Joost Klein would represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song Europapa, opinions were divided. These ranged from ‘finally, this is my favourite festival artist’ to ‘who is that clown, that will be a downfall for the Netherlands’. Number 1 or not, actually Joost has been the big winner for a year now. Both his music video on YouTube and the track on Spotify have proved to be outright hits, leaving the other artists at the song festival far behind. At Moneycomb, we do love a party, our team making surepaying at festivals always runs smoothly. So this time, we dive a little deeper into the world of Joost Klein, his collabs and what Europapa means for the events sector in the Netherlands.
Serious fun
If you listen and watch Joost Klein’s work very superficially, those simple beats and colourful videos don’t seem much different from, say, Snollebollekes. Fun on a stage, but not uplifting music. Yet Klein is definitely not a Frisian equivalent of Brabant’s Rob Kemps; if you listen to his lyrics, his most ‘upbeat’ songs turn out to be very serious. For instance, he incorporates his traumas from losing both his father and mother at a young age into his work, Europapa is a perfect example. Laughing and crying are close together in Klein’s work, it is precisely this dynamic
Merging opposites, that’s what Joost Klein is brilliant at. Cheerful beats with dark lyrics, serious in interviews but dressed in a carnival costume, ‘larger than life’ with a down-to-earth character; Joost Klein does not allow himself to be backed into a corner. Moneycomb is the specialist in cashless payment at festivals and events. This can be a modest fair or a large festival with tens of thousands of visitors. For large companies organising an event, but also for ZZP’ers who together want to keep payments at a festival as accessible as possible. In this respect, we understand very well the power of merging opposites.
Strong collabs with festival favourites
Joost Klein started as a YouTuber, a teenager with jokes that ranged from laughable to cringe. The move into music proved to be a golden move, with the role of Tantu Beats not to be overlooked. Indeed, this is Klein’s regular beat maker; he also collaborated on Europapa. Rapper Donnie is an equally extravagant presence; in 2018, they would work together for the first time. Brunzyn is a regular collaborator who also impresses on stage, as do De Kreuners, a Flemish rock band that has been around since the 1970s. A notable name is Gover Meit, who took on the role of creative director for the Eurovision Song Contest. Better known as Stefano Keizers, he has been performing as Donny since 2023
The most striking collab, however, is clothing store Bristol. Last year, they released a Joost Klein collection with sweat vests, jogging pants and even slippers with the text “wees kind”. Even with clothing, Klein makes a statement. What will you wear to festivals this year? Whatever your outfit, you can leave your cash at home thanks to cashless debit cards with Moneycomb payment systems. Completely tailor-made for every event.
Joost Klein wins Eurovision Song Contest
Europapa had already won before Joost Klein took the stage in Malmö. How many international YouTubers have given their opinion about Mia and Dion in 2023? How many times has ‘Burning Daylight’ been streamed? We don’t want to kick them, but Klein has unleashed something in society that the biggest (Dutch) stars have not managed to do. Trijntje Oosterhuis, Edsilia Rombley and also De Toppers did not score on the Eurovision stage.
Europapa remains sound
You don’t have to look far to hear Europapa live again. If you prefer to avoid Joost Klein, then it becomes more difficult. With performances at Freshtival in Enschede, Concert at Sea in Brouwershaven, WiSH Outdoor in Beek en Donk and the Zwarte Cross Festival in Lichtenvoorde, you cannot avoid this artist and his friends in 2024.
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