The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 37 competing songs in Eurovision 2024. Next we review the Netherlands, who have chosen Joost Klein with “Europapa”.
Have we found our new European daddy? Read on to find out!
Joost Klein – “Europapa” (Netherlands Eurovision 2024)
Review: Joost Klein – “Europapa”
Simon: Being young in the ’90s (19, not 18!), this entry reminds me a lot of the dance music we had back then. I’m not a gabber or techno fan normally, but “Europapa” is just so catchy that I can’t help stomp my feet every time my playlist shuffles to it. I love that it takes on the Dutch traditions of dance music — and what would Eurovision be if there wasn’t at least one entry that just made you a bit happy along the way. The clever balance of not being too hardcore to cater for a more broad audience is clearly working with the insane amount of streams the song has, and I could see this as a contender for winning at least the public vote.
Score: 8.5
Deban: Whilst “Europapa” may seem like a fun spin on “Euro Neuro” on first listen, the song’s message is riddled with hope. Autobiographical in concept, this year’s Dutch entrant is living the lyrics of his song by participating at Eurovision, and navigating the continent’s musical landscape. That said, moments within this track feel misguided. And although Joost Klein can rock any look, wearing the European flag takes the visuals here into literal territory.
Score: 5.5
Ruxandra: This song holds the potential to win and could become a Eurovision anthem. Joost masterfully incorporates beloved elements popular in Eurovision (catchy choruses with repetitions, easy dances etc.), offering a delightful mix of everything the contest stands for. It’s fun and enjoyable, yet it maintains a genuine and serious undertone, even amidst the joyful delivery. The placement of the dance break is well-executed, and keeping the outro would be essential as it seamlessly blends fun and energy with genuine emotion. Joost impressively performs both the chorus and rap sections flawlessly, with maximum charisma.
Score: 10
Youyou: Over the last few years of the competition, many countries are finally realising that the so-called standard “Eurovision pop” might get you to the final, but it won’t get you to the top. Most of the songs that have done well are new and unusual. This year, the Netherlands have done just that. “Europapa” has been running through my head on loop, plus the intention of the song is great. I’m a little worried that the jury vote will kill the song though.
Score: 7
Netherlands Eurovision 2024 ranking
In the Eurovision 2024 Wiwi Jury, we have 17 jurors but only have room for four reviews. The remaining scores are below:
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Antranig: 4 Cinan: 9 Georgia: 9 Jonathan: 7 Lucy: 7 Pablo: 7.5 Ron: 5 |
Scarlett: 7 Sebastian: 7 Suzanne: 6.5 Tom: 7 Tomas: 10 William: 8 |
We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 4 and a high of 10.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 7.40/10
What do you think of the Netherlands’ Eurovision 2024 entry? Share your own score and review for Joost Klein’s “Europapa” below!