“This song actually contains everything that children could like,” says Tjeerd Oosterhuis about Joost Klein’s Europapa. As music producer of Children for Children, he made music for young children for over ten years. He explains the success of the Dutch entry among the little ones, who often happily dance along to Joost Klein’s song.
“You shouldn’t bore them, so a song with a fast tempo works well,” says Oosterhuis. “The simple chorus consists of a lot of repetition, and you can easily sing along. The post-chorus, in which only the word Europa-pa-pa is often repeated, is also very useful.”
But the power of repetition is only part of the explanation for its popularity, says Oosterhuis. “There are also many surprises in it. The tension of the song is well constructed, with new elements each time. Even without the hardcore part it would have been very catchy, but kids like to let loose there. The emotional outro afterwards is something completely different and also surprising.”
Simple dance
According to Oosterhuis, the text also fits well with the experience of children. “For Joost, the references to his father have a deeper emotional meaning. But it is also recognizable for children. Almost all of them have a dad, and they also enjoy singing about it.” He mentions other clever things in the text. “For example, the use of well-known names such as Stromae, children recognize that. There are a few light-hearted clever rhymes in the verses with other familiar names and terms, such as ‘legs in Vienna’. I really hear Donnie’s hand in that (who co-wrote the song, ed.).”
Oosterhuis thinks that the dance in the video clip was also a smart move. “That is always a success at Children for Children, for example at the Hupsakee or Moving is healthy. Europapa’s dance is simple, my two young daughters participate in it in one go.” According to him, the rest of the video clip is also popular with children. “There’s a lot of color in it. And Joost himself looks like a cartoon character, which kids often like.”
Vote cannon?
The question is whether Klein’s popularity among youth will also translate into votes. According to the regulations, minors are not allowed to vote for their favorite act.
René Romkes organizes Eurovision in Concert Amsterdam every year and closely follows the chances of winning. “I expect that a number of children will be allowed to stay up a little later on Saturday to see Joost in the final. But I don’t think a very childish act will help get votes. He is also very well known in the 15 to 30 age group, so he should be better off there.”
Romkes likes that Klein is tapping into a new generation of Eurovision fans. “Since Anouk in 2013, the festival has become increasingly popular in the Netherlands. Especially because we won in 2019. But thanks to Joost Klein, many more children are watching this year. As fans, we would not have dared to dream of such great popularity ten years ago.”
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