The Netherlands has chosen! 26-year old musician Joost Klein will represent The Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Mälmo, Sweden. His song was chosen from over 600 entries. The European hit potential of his song convinced the selection committee that Joost should compete for the Netherlands. The song will be revealed at a later date
About the selection process
After a devastated result last year, The Netherlands decided to keep the procedure the same as the last 10 years. After all, this selection method resulted that The Netherlands qualified 8 out of the 10 times for the Grand Final. Artists, composers, lyricists, producers and record labels were all invited to submit an authentic, distinctive and competitive song for the contest until Saturday 30 September 23:59 .All entries will be judged by the Eurovision Song Contest Selection Committee. Preference is given to the combination of song plus artist(s). New this year is the option to only submit a song, after which a suitable artist will be sought in consultation with the selection committee.
In August, Dutch Broadcaster Avrotros announced that Musicians Jacqueline Govaert and Jaap Reesema would be joining Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen, Carolien Borgers, Hila Noorzai, Cornald Maas and Sander Lantinga to decide which song and act will be representing The Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Mälmo, Sweden. After a careful process, that you can see in the video below, they decided it’s Joost Klein’s turn to represent The Netherlands.
Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen, chair of the Dutch selection committee, about the choice for Joost Klein:
‘Following a careful and multi-phase process, the selection committee ultimately opted for Joost Klein. There were a lot of entries from a wide range of genres, but in our view his had the most hit potential. In the song, you hear his familiar mix of party and nostalgia. With his enormous creativity, we think Joost can put on a great show in a totally original way, and that the Netherlands and Europe are in for a positive surprise. We’re really looking forward to working with him.’
About Joost Klein
Joost Klein is a 26-year-old musician, writer and artist. His energetic style combines elements from mainstream pop with happy hardcore and pop punk. In the Netherlands, Joost tours regularly with his band and has played festivals like Lowlands and Pinkpop.
Last November, he had two sold-out concerts at the AFAS Live. Joost’s fan base abroad has been growing, too. In Belgium, he performed at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp and was a candidate on the popular TV show De Slimste Mens (The Smartest Person).
Last summer, Joost had a number 1 hit in Germany, Switzerland and Austria with Friesenjung. The song has had over 100 million streams worldwide and won Best Song in Germany’s 1LIVE Krone radio awards. The song has also had a lot of airplay in Italy and Ukraine.
On finding out he would represent the Netherlands in 2024, Joost remarked:
‘Taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest is a dream come true. I used to watch it together with my parents, glued to the screen, year after year. It’s an honor to represent the Netherlands, and I’m committed to giving my all for the best possible outcome.’
The Netherlands in Eurovision
The Netherlands entered the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. A year later, they won the contest for the first time with Corry Brokken. They even won again in 1959 with Teddy Scholten, setting an early record of 2 victories in the first 4 years. After a record-setting 1950s, the new decade didn’t bring much success to the Dutch entries, until Lenny Kuhr finished as 1 of the 4 winners of the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest.
In 1975, The Netherlands won again after Teach-in opened the show with their song “Ding-a-Dong.” The first time that the show’s opener became the winner! However, the Dutch fortunes changed and it took the country 44 long years to win the contest again. In 2019, Duncan Laurence brought the Eurovision trophy back to The Netherlands with his song “Arcade”
This year, Mia & Dion represented The Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool with their song “Burning Daylight.” The duo didn’t qualify for the final, ended up in 13th place in the first semi-final with 7 points.
Are #YOU excited for Joost Klein at Eurovision 2024? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our Discord, or on our forum page!
