Revealing #3 of our top 10 songs this year!

At number 3, we have the Netherlands. Through an internal selection process, the Netherlands chose Joost Klein’s song “Europapa.” Joost Klein will be performing 16th in the second semifinal, making this the closing act of semifinal 2!

Not at all what we expected from the Netherlands (see below), “Europapa” has an infectious chorus that will be stuck in your head by the end of the song complete with an equally catchy dance breakdown. This song lives in our minds rent free. Plus the music video is quirky with lots of specific references to everything from late 90s pop culture to the EU and of course, Eurovision itself (S10’s shoulder pads from 2022?). This has the makings of a joke entry that is also serious, or maybe a serious entry that doesn’t mind making jokes? Either way we are here for whatever Joost Klein has prepared for Europe, Australia, and the world.

“Europapa” is a song specifically written for Eurovision (which is less common than you might think). It embodies the spirit of what Eurovision is all about – Europe as one, coming together, united by music, and lots of camp. The lyrics and the imagery of the music video are focused on the European Union and a world without borders. And, in a word, the song is fun. It makes you want to dance and chant along with the “Europapa’s” and stomp your feet when the beat drops (if you’ve listened to it, you know the part). It’s a celebration of everything we all love about Eurovision.

While the rhythm and sound of “Europapa” are all high energy and fun, the lyrics aren’t all as cheery. The first line of the chorus is “Welkom in Europa / Blijf hier tot ik doodga” meaning, “Welcome to Europe / Stay here until I die.” Which is perhaps the first clue to non-Dutch speakers that there’s possibly something else going on here. Joost’s darkly comedic lyrics all point to the end of the music video (which will not be in the Eurovision performance version) where he delivers a heart-felt (if not a little abrupt) message to his deceased father, thanking him for teaching him that “the world has no borders.” 

Sidenote about the Netherlands at Eurovision:

In Spring 2014, when C was in 10th grade, she was introduced to Eurovision by her Dutch best friend. That year, the Netherlands finished in second place with the song “Calm After the Storm” by The Common Linnets. It was a sweet and slow country ballad with memorable staging that, in the end, had nothing on Conchita Wurst (but that’s another story). Since that year, C has unfortunately not been a particular fan of any of the Dutch entries to Eurovision (with the possible exception of “Lights and Shadows” by OG3NE in 2017). And yes, that means that U&C did not like the winner of Eurovision 2019, “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence. And after last year’s Dutch entry “Burning Daylight” was solidly ranked in our own bottom 5, let’s just say we were not expecting to see the Netherlands at the top of our list in 2024!

As a persona, Joost is hard to forget. With his blonde bowl cut and mustache, blue suit with sky high shoulder pads, exaggerated accent, and frankly one of the cutest smiles of the year, Joost is a larger-than-life rockstar who has been dominating the Eurovision landscape this year. And we have seen at multiple Eurovision pre-parties that he is a larger-than-life performer as well.

“Europapa” is a fun and catchy song performed by a seasoned entertainer with generous helpings of weird and wacky that make Eurovision so special. How could we not love this entry? In the coveted closing slot of semi-final 2, we have no doubt that the Netherlands will qualify for the grand final this year.