Back in February, “Europapa” was premiered for the first time during a special broadcast of NPO 1 show De Avondshow. Now, it has become one of the party anthems of Eurovision 2024! Joost Klein’s “Europapa” will take to the Eurovision stage in Semi Final Two and according to the bookies, will storm into the final and is in a great position to bring home The Netherlands’ 6th Eurovision victory!
But for now, we learn some more things about this year’s Dutch Eurovision representative.
What inspires him? Does he enjoy poetry? What does he like to eat? The latter may surprise you.
So let’s delve in deeper.
Scroll down for 10 Facts about Joost Klein
10 Facts about Joost Klein
1. Who is Joost?
Joost Klein was born on 10 November 1997 in Leeuwarden, Friesland and grew up in the nearby village of Britsum. At the age of twelve, he lost his father to cancer. A year later, in 2011, his mother died of a cardiac arrest. Following the death of his parents, Klein was looked after by his older brother and sister.
One of Joost’s biggest inspirations is his late father. He tell’s our William Lee Adams the advice he gave him. “My dad is one of my biggest inspirations and my dad taught me to open my mind. He told me not to look at labels. People are people.”
2. He was a Youtuber
Joost began his road to stardom as a Youtuber, publishing videos ranging from little sketches to mini-documentaries. And in 2016, he released his debut track Dakloos (translated to ’Homeless’), after which he began focusing on a career in music.
3. Already big in Europe
In 2023, Joost grabbed his first number one hit in Austria and Germany with the single “Friesenjung”, a collaboration with German rapper Ski Aggu and comedian Otto Waalkes. The song has had over 120 million streams worldwide on Spotify alone.
4. Already an award winner
Should Joost win Eurovision, it wouldn’t be the first award he wins. Recently, Joost won the prestigious Popprijs 2023. An annual award in the Netherlands to the band or artist that has had the most impact in Dutch pop music that year.
5. We learn what Europapa really is!
A tribute to his father, Europapa is about an orphan who travels throughout Europe (and beyond) to find himself and tell his story. In a chat with our William Lee Adams, Joost expands on what “Europapa” really is. “It is everybody! It is within us all. It is a way of life, it is a way of thinking and there is a lot of emotion involved. Every Europapa is ready for some therapy baby!”
6. Joost and… Wim Hof?
Joost is an advocate of going to therapy. Asked what type of therapy he recommends, Joost says “Every type of therapy! A few years ago I walked barefoot in a forest. I was like hell no! But I did it and it felt amazing. I didn’t want to admit this. Even like the Wim Hof method in an ice bath, everything is ok!”
7. Joost believes in positive affirmations.
“Positive affirmations changed it all for me. It’s so weird to admit that a piece of paper has that power. Maybe it’s the words, or your brain has that power. Writing positive stuff on the mirror. It feels like a Lizzie Maguire movie or something, very American of me to do, but it changed my self-image and the way I think about myself. My career went up when I trained this muscle.”
8. Joost loves Poetry
Joost wrote a small book of poems titled Albino, which was published in November 2018. Klein says that he wrote the book because of his father, who had also written a book and encouraged him to do the same.
9. Joost loves marketing
Joost told our William Lee Adams about his love for Marketing, “It’s crazy. It’s actually insane. I feel very honoured. I grew up loving marketing. I love commercials, I love marketing, I love thinking about aesthetics and ways to market myself. It’s my life. I got it tattooed on my leg. The fact that marketing is marketing now? It’s crazy.”
10. Joost loves onions!
“When I was a kid, I used to fake when I had a cold so my parents would give me an onion next to my bed, cut up, and I would eat the onion. My parents would wake up and say ‘Joost! Don’t eat the onion!’ I have a weird taste.” The concept is that onions have the ability to absorb bacteria and viruses and, by doing so, can draw germs and toxins out of a sick person or even the air.
Stay tuned to Wiwibloggs for more on Joost, and to find out 10 Facts about more of your favourite artists from Eurovision 2024!
