Near the end of January, Dutch singer Joost Klein teased a new song coming out with the title ‘Why Not???’. Many fans immediately started speculating about this new track, as the title seemed like a clear reference to something that occurred during the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. While at a press conference, Joost shouted “why not?” in response to the singer Eden Golan not wanting to answer a question asked by a journalist. From the moment the release date dropped, people were wondering if this song would follow up on the hectic year Joost has had as a result of the aforementioned contest. It was released on the 31st of January.
The track opens with a drum beat and a voice-over going “Once there was a boy and he had a dream. But then, one day, his dream was taken away”; clearly, the song was indeed written about Joost’s participation in – and disqualification from – Eurovision. After all, it had always been his dream to perform on that giant European stage, and it got taken away right before the final. The song then moves quickly into its first chorus, set to a pop punk-like beat of drums and electric guitars, and Joost repeating the lyrics “Why not, why not, do what you wanna do?”
The song’s first verse is, like the intro and chorus, in English, and talks about “evil corporations ruling all the nations” and “media sensation, money inflation” – very much punk sentiments, and more possible references to what happened at Eurovision. After the first verse, a voice in the background goes “hello, can you hear me?” before the song dives yet again into the chorus – this time, with a techno beat. The second verse continues in this manner and includes lyrics that are in Dutch. Several statements made here are reminiscent of other songs by the singer, such as that the song is for “een ieder die niet helemaal functioneert” (transl.: anyone who does not entirely function [in society]). At the end of this verse, Joost sings “ze zeiden: “Jo-Joost Klein, je bent gediskwalificeerd” (transl.: they said: Jo-Joost Klein, you have been disqualified” – a direct reference to his disqualification in 2024.
After this statement, the song moves into a slightly emotional bridge, backed up by the piano, in which Joost continues about the disqualification and aftermath of it, talking about “emotional damage”. After this short ‘break’, there is another techno chorus before the song ends with an outro in which Joost claims that despite everything, he is “grateful, thankful, the opposite of hateful”, and a short hardstyle beat.
“Why Not???” is an intriguing song that is very much what Joost is known for – techno beats and hard hitting, personal lyrics – with a touch of pop punk, making it a unique staple in his discography. At the end of February, Joost will be embarking on his European ‘europapa tour’ – hopefully, his fans will get to hear this amazing song live.
Written by: Mandy Huibregtsen
Edited by: Nèri Cliteur
