Leeuwarden singer Joost Klein will represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest next year in Sweden, broadcaster AvroTros said on Monday.

Klein was picked out of a record number of applications to take part in the song contest. In total, over 600 songs were submitted to the judging committee.

‘We think his song has the greatest hit potential,” Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen, who chaired the judging panel, said. “It includes his trademark combination of party and nostalgia. And we think Joost, with his creativity, will put on a great act on behalf of the Netherlands, and will surprise Europe.”

Klein, 26, has what broadcaster NOS describes as “his own energetic style”, which is a mixture of “happy hardcore and poppunk”. Last month he gave two sold out concerts in the Afas Live venue in Amsterdam and has performed at Lowlands and PinkPop.

This year, Friesenjung, a reworking of Englishman in New York, was number 1 for weeks in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The song he will perform at Eurovision will be released later.