The Netherlands are a rare breed at Junior Eurovision, being one of only two nations who have participated in the contest each and every year since the contest began in 2003. Just like in Eurovision, The Netherlands have achieved a mixture of results, including one winning entry in 2009, so today we’re going to go back in time to recap all the Dutch entries, then it will be up to you to decide which of the entries is your Junior Best of the Bunch!
We start today’s journey in 2003, where Roel was the debut act for The Netherlands with the song Mijn Ogen Zeggen Alles. The song was a bit of a soft rock entry, very early 2000’s! The performance was simple, but the vocals performed well but ultimately, the song finished in the middle of the results table at 11th with 23 points.
The following year it was up to Klaartje and Nicky to fly the Dutch flag at the contest with the song Hij is een kei. The girls brought the energy to the stage, as well as the whistles! The song may not have been overly memorable, but we can’t fault the girls on their charisma on stage! Like the previous year, the nation finished in 11th place, this time with 27 points.
In 2005, The Netherlands was Stupid – well, they sent the song Stupid! But was it a stupid move? The performer was Tess, who was a confident performer of her pop song. The performance was slick, not stupid, and that was what helped improve the results of the previous years, as The Netherlands inched their way into the Top 10, finishing in 7th place with 82 points.
In the next year, The Netherlands followed up the girl power with Kimberly and the song Goed. It was time we heard a powerful pop ballad from the nation at Junior Eurovision, and Kimberly served it up on a platter. Having four backing dancers on stage looked a bit cramped at times, but Kimberly’s special voice wasn’t overshadowed. Unfortunately she wasn’t rewarded in the results, finishing in 12th place with 44 points.
In 2007 we saw some familiar faces, only in the junior size! They went under the name of OG3NE at Eurovision 2017, but at Junior Eurovision 2007 they simply went by Lisa, Amy and Shelley. The sister act performed the very energetic song Adem In, Adem Uit, which sent them into yet another 11th place for The Netherlands.
The Netherlands sent the song 1 Dag in 2008, which was performed by young star Marissa. It was a jazzy pop number which showed off Marissa’s strong vocals, but we can’t help but think the song was missing a special touch. Seems Europe’s voters agreed, as the song finished in 13th place with 27 points.
It was time that the Netherlands struck gold, and 2007 was the year. Whoah, whoah, it was Ralf Mackenbach who represented the nation with his song Click Clack. It was a catchy pop number that had the audience screaming with excitement! Matched with a cool set of backing dancers, the catchy performance brought a win to the nation for the first time! The Netherlands finished in 1st place with 121 points.
The following year, Senna and Anna paired up to sing the song My Family in a combination of Dutch and English. It was yet another catchy pop song from the nation describing the relationship between families perfect, there’s a bit of craziness and there’s plenty of highs and lows but they love each other very much! It didn’t reach the heights of the year previous, but at least finished in the top 10, ending in 9th place with 52 points.
In 2011, Rachel was chosen to represent The Netherlands with the song Teenager, which couldn’t have been more appropriate for the contest! Not only was the theme of the song on point, but the song itself and her performance made it a memorable one and it showed in the results. Rachel finished in 2nd place with 103 points.
The next year, Femke flew the Dutch flag at the contest held in The Netherlands itself! Her song was called Tik Tak Tik which got the support of the home audience who were singing along with her punchy chorus. Her staging was spot on, and it led to another Top 10 finish, this time in 7th place with 69 points.
In 2013, twin sisters Mylène and Rosanne served up the High School Musical vibes with their song Double Me. The girls and their backing singers brought the energy on stage, and even if you didn’t love the song, you could at least appreciate the energy put into the performance! The Netherlands finished in 8th place with a total of 59 points.
The following year, Julia took to the stage with her catchy pop number Around. Dressed in gold, Julia was in it to win it and with a confident vocal performance, she was certainly in the competition! The touch of English in the chorus made it easy for a wide audience to sing along, and that we did! Julia also finished in 8th place with 70 points.
In 2015 The Netherlands sent another golden girl in Shalisa who was planted behind the piano to sing the sensitive song Million Lights. It was a beautiful ballad sung perfectly in candlelight on stage. We had a special place in our hearts for this tune, but Europe didn’t quite agree, finishing in 15th place with 35 points.
That brings us to 2016, where the girl group Kisses were selected with the song Kisses and Dancin’. It was a popular tune before the contest, with a handful of fans thinking and hoping they’d dance their way into another win! Although it was a great performance, the nation finished in 8th place with a total of 174 points.
And there we have it! It was a long journey today, but now we’ve recapped it’s your turn to pick your Junior Best of the Bunch!