We’ve made it to the last of our 39 entries this year! We turn to the host nation, The Netherlands, who will be represented by Jeangu Macrooy. Last year, he intended to compete with the introspective Grow, and now brings us the celebratory Birth of a New Age. What do we think of his entry? Have a listen!
A look into Jeangu’s career so far.
Jeangu Macrooy is a Surinamese singer-songwriter, who began making music in 2011 with his twin brother Xillan as the duo Between Towers. He moved to The Netherlands in 2014 to pursue his music career. Soon after, his first solo album, High On You was released, followed by tours across The Netherlands and Germany. In 2019, he released his second album, Horizon. He is a regular guest on Dutch talk show De Wereld Draait Door, and has portrayed Judas Iscariot in The Passion, a retelling of the Easter story.
He has spoken about the importance of being an openly gay role model in a culture where same-sex relationships remain taboo.
Our opinions on “Birth of a New Age”
Jazzi
Opinion: I was absolutely stunned when I first heard this. I think the song and the message it conveys is so powerful. A song like this lends itself to powerful staging. The fandom haven’t pegged this to do as well as it deserves to do which is a shame. I do think this has potential to be one of those songs that makes people take notice once the rehearsals hit. This genre is well is something I could see jurors eating up.
Overall Ranking: 27th
Prediction: 10th-15th
Rory
Opinion: I have seen so many people put this song at the bottom of their rankings because it is a bit more slow-paced, and honestly, I cannot understand why. This song contributes so much more than just a Dutch Eurovision entry. This is much more of a personal take on such recent events such as Black Lives Matter and celebrating black culture – which is incredibly powerful. Jeangu and the Netherlands should be proud of this song, and the use of Sranan Tongo is an added bonus. I want to say this would really do well but given how host entries have been consistently underrated, I wouldn’t expect this to finish in a top 10 position.
Overall Ranking: 16th
Prediction: 15th-19th in the final.
Rosie
Opinion: When the cover image for this showed Jeangu in an art gallery, they really lived up to that. This is one of the most underrated songs amongst the general fandom of the year for me, and there’s something incredibly special and deeply symbolic in this song that is unmatched amongst this year’s entries. The lyrics are the best of the year, the blend of cultures within the instrumentation is excellent, and Jeangu is an engaging, powerful performer. There’s something incredibly meaningful about a performer from a colonised country standing on stage in the country of its colonisers, celebrating and proudly uplifting that culture, that language, that music. I hope the rest of Europe sees this.
Overall Ranking: 7th
Prediction: It’s a song I could see anywhere from top 5 to bottom 5, depending on how the wider audience receive it (and how they receive it). I’ll say mid-table for the sake of averaging the two out!
Let us know your thoughts!
It’s not just about what we think, we want to know what you guys make of the Netherlands’ entry this year. To voice your opinion on “Birth of a New Age” please vote in our poll below:
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Photo Credit: Rinse Fokkema
Angus Postma 
Rory Gannon