Joost Klein facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joost Klein
Klein in 2024
Background information
Also known as	Joost, Eenhoornjoost
Born	(1997-11-10) 10 November 1997 (age 27) Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Origin	Britsum, Netherlands
Genres	Hip-hop electronic indie rock Gabber
Occupations	Musician rapper singer YouTuber
Years active	2016–present
Labels	TopNotch Albino Sports Made Joost Klein
YouTube information
Years active	2010–present
TikTok information
Followers	3.9 million
Likes	75.4 million
Page Direct URL	joostklein

Joost Klein (born 10 November 1997), often known simply as Joost, is a Dutch musician, rapper, and singer. He used to be a YouTuber. His music is mostly hip-hop, but it also has sounds from electronic music, like drum and bass and hardstyle.

Joost has released seven studio albums. Two of these albums made it into the top ten in the Netherlands. He is well-known for his songs like "Wachtmuziek" (2022), "Europapa" (2024), and "Luchtballon" (2024). He also made popular songs with other artists, such as "Friesenjung" with German rapper Ski Aggu and "Trafik!" with Finnish rapper Käärijä.

His song "Europapa" was chosen to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. It became his first song to reach number one on the Dutch music charts. After qualifying from the semi-final, Joost was set to perform in the final. However, he was later disqualified from the competition due to an incident. Swedish authorities investigated the matter and closed the case in August 2024, stating they could not prove any criminal actions.

Early Life and YouTube Beginnings

Joost Klein was born on 10 November 1997 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. He grew up in a nearby village called Britsum. In 2008, when he was about 10 years old, he started a YouTube channel called EenhoornJoost, which means "UnicornJoost". On his channel, he shared different kinds of videos, including funny skits and short documentaries.

Joost went to high school in Leeuwarden but did not finish his studies there. When he was twelve, he sadly lost his father. A year later, in 2011, his mother also passed away. After losing both his parents, Joost was cared for by his older brother and sister.

Music Career Journey

Starting Out: 2016–2022

While still making YouTube videos, Joost started to focus on music. In 2016, he released his first music collection called Dakloos (meaning 'Homeless'). This was the start of his music career. For a short time, he was signed to a record label called TopNotch. But he later decided to create his own record label, which he named Albino Sports.

In 2017, Joost released a mixtape called Scandinavian Boy. He followed this with singles like "Meeuw" ('Seagull') and "Ome Robert" ('Uncle Robert') in 2018. He also released an album called M van Marketing with another Dutch rapper named Donnie. To celebrate this album, they even held a special concert in a famous theater in Amsterdam.

Joost also wrote a small book of poems called Albino, which came out in 2018. He shared that he wrote the book because his father had also written a book and encouraged him to do the same. In 2019, Joost went on a concert tour called "Het gaat niet zo goed" ('It is not going too well'). He performed at many well-known venues and festivals, including Pukkelpop, Pinkpop, and Lowlands.

Klein performing in 2019

In 2019, Joost released another album called 1983. The title refers to the birth year of his older brother. He worked with producers Mick Spek, Kauwboy, and Tantu Beats on this album. In 2020, he released Joost Klein 7, which had seven songs, including one with Canadian rapper bbno$. He also released a popular single called "Ik wil je" ('I want you').

In 2022, Joost released his eighth studio album, Fryslân. This album is named after his home province of Friesland. The album includes songs like "Florida 2009" and "Wachtmuziek". In the song "Florida 2009", Joost sings about the loss of his parents. He first performed this song at the Pinkpop festival in 2022.

Eurovision and Recent Success: 2023–Present

In 2023, Joost had a big hit in Germany with the song "Friesenjung". This song was a collaboration with German rapper Ski Aggu and was based on a song by comedian Otto Waalkes. "Friesenjung" became number one on the German music charts.

That same year, Joost shared that he wanted to represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. On 11 December 2023, it was announced that he had been chosen. His song for the contest, "Europapa", was released on 29 February 2024.

Joost Klein (center) and two dancers during the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 semi-final

Joost performed in the second semi-final of Eurovision on 9 May 2024 and qualified for the final. He was scheduled to perform fifth in the final on 11 May. However, on the day of the final, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced that Joost had been disqualified. This decision was made after an incident occurred. The Swedish police investigated the matter. In August, the Swedish Prosecution Authority closed the case, stating that they could not prove any criminal actions.

After Eurovision, Joost released new singles in June 2024, including "Luchtballon", "The Bird Song", and "Fußball (World Cup 1998)". He also released "Trafik!" with Käärijä in July. Joost performed at many festivals across Europe during the summer of 2024. There was some talk about him possibly representing the Netherlands in Eurovision 2025, but he decided not to participate.

Music Releases

Joost Klein has released several studio albums and many popular songs throughout his career. His albums include Dakloos (2016), Scandinavian Boy (2017), M van Marketing (2018), Albino (2019), 1983 (2019), Joost Klein 7 (2020), Albino Sports, Vol. 1 (2021), and Fryslân (2022). Many of his songs have become hits in the Netherlands and other countries, like "Wachtmuziek," "Friesenjung," and "Europapa."

Awards and Recognitions

Joost Klein has received several awards for his music.