I haven’t seen you for so long, how are you? You really have not changed anything, oh it immediately feels familiar. If I could go back in time, or with you, ”it sounds in my head all morning. Yes, if you read it that way, it is not the most profound sentences with romantic message, but singing with a catchy melody underneath it suddenly comes straight from the heart. And if you do that with fifty men at the same time, it is even very heart -pub. Just doesn’t work.
Dutch -speaking sing -alongs have been more popular than ever in recent years. Last summer even a record was broken. In July there were no fewer than fourteen Dutch hits in the Top 40 in one week, while there were only a few in previous years.
And now that all those folk singers take over the charts, I can finally confess my preference for this genre. For a long time I was ashamed of it, because it simply does not feel elegant to give preference to a HOS number instead of a beautiful ballad or chic French chanson. I remember that time my friend pulled his eyebrows when my favorite Dutch playlist was on repeat during a romantic dinner at home on one of our first dates.
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But recently I shout – well, I sing it off the rooftops. Not that suddenly I am hopping every month at the AVROTROS music party, but as soon as a nice sing -along blows through a brown pub, I am at the front. Not only in the pub, by the way, also on a wedding or birthday, a Dutch sing -along saves the atmosphere. Even if the people are sober.
Cultural heritage
There are a number of things that you can hardly explain to an outsider: why we voluntarily stumble over Rommel on King’s Day, we love bitterballen so much and especially why everyone puts an arm around each other at a little in love. Just explain that Dutch sing -along music has something magical. And not because it is so beautifully put together musically or textually, but because it does something with people.
Put Guus Meeuwis, Frans Bauer or André Hazes, and even your most introverted uncle (who has been on the sidelines with his lukewarm beer for three hours) shuffles to the dance floor. And the great thing is that you don’t even have to know the text. As long as you bet ‘Naa Naaa’ at the right time, you’re in the right place. The chorus can usually be learned within two drinks. And even if you sing false, nobody hears it, because everyone does it.
Fortunately, folk music is no longer old -fashioned or wrong. It is now cultural heritage, nostalgia and nowadays even hip. The earwigs back in the time that I was on this morning has more than 48 million streams on Spotify alone. And while Yves Berendse only broke through last year with this hit, he is barely a year later in a sold -out AFAS Live.
Ingrid Jansen, radio DJ at 100%NL, also sees that this folk genre is becoming increasingly popular. At the Dutch -speaking radio station, music from home -grown has been played for years, but since Marco Schuitmaker, Samantha Steenwijk and Mart Hoogkamer have a number of summer hits to their name, the fence has been gone and the choice is getting bigger.
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According to Ingrid, a sing -along must have a catchy chorus and be recognizable. “The text and melody should not be complicated, but simple and if an earwig linger. My favorite is Tranquilo by Jan Smit,” says Ingrid. “It has a recognizable chorus and as soon as you get out of the car after you have heard this song on the radio, you will probably sing it for a while until you hear something else. That is a good example of a sing -along.”
Happiness
No matter how annoying such an earwig is, it also has a big advantage: singing can contribute to your feeling of happiness. Happiness psychologist Josje Smeets certainly encourages singing along. “If you sing, short-term geluks-hormones are released,” explains Josje. “Those are the well-known dopamines. But also long-term geluk hormones, including endorphins. That ensures a euphoric feeling, which is also released after exercise.
This euphoric feeling also has an pain relief, which suppresses nasty and gloomy feelings. ” In addition, according to the psychologist, the cuddly hormone oxytocin is released and that makes you feel more connection with people of course. Because you usually do that with several people and because you all know the text or at least the melody, it gives the text or at least the melody has a feeling.
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Since we evolutionary people need people to survive, you will then be rewarded by your brain with the hormone oxytocin as soon as you feel connected. All these happiness hormones together provide even more euphoria, so you think: I throw a little extra on it and sing the next chorus even harder! ”
Folk heroes
No rules, no embarrassment, no tone resistance or scale that stops you. “Let me let me go my own way!” How nice that singing outside the bathroom walls or the car is now also permitted and it is even good for health.
Which according to happiness psychologist Josje is an additional advantage: singing forces you to be in the here and now. “Just as you focus on your senses while meditating or a breath-running exercise, it goes automatically when singing. Try to be somewhere else with your thoughts while sings out of full breast, that is almost impossible. And that in the here and now, you make sure you get free from all the troubles.
Due to the sinking of the stress hormones you will then automatically worry less, that too has to do with living in the moment. Yes, a jar of a lot really has many benefits. “According to Radio DJ Ingrid Jansen, the fact that folk singers currently seem to be the new folk heroes.” Of course Dutch hits always passed by. But what has changed recently is that a song is already a trend on TIKTOK.
This happened recently with Samuel Welten and with back in the time of Yves. Many artists reap the benefits, it is free promotion. And in general, social media have a younger audience, making it special that they too come into contact with this genre. ” According to the radio DJ, the real hero of the national anthem is the basis! Senior of course, but junior. He has a repertoire that works with a large audience, but the same idea. And we should definitely not underestimate the women.
And so it is. Although I am still with Jan Smit’s earwig in my head. I immediately feel like a lengthy drive to sing hard tranquilo. Everything for good health, right? And where I used to look around me or nobody heard it, I even like that now. Who knows, it might be contagious.
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