Rene Karst got the gold record tonight. Fellow singer Marco Schweitmaker introduced him to this during a Snollebollekes concert at the Gelredome in Arnhem. It is Karst’s sixth gold record.

“This is really cool,” Karst says proudly, his voice audible as he sits in the car on the way to his second show of the evening in Sint Annaparoche. “Of course, you watch that and see the listening numbers going up. You know that can happen, but tonight I wasn’t interested in that at all. I was too busy performing at Snollebollekes, which was very tight and precise.” So when I brought him backstage, I was completely amazed. “It makes you emotional.”

Karst received the Gold Award for his 2019 album Atmosphere and Other Pacemakers. Together, the songs on the album have been listened to more than 40 million times. According to Karst, his wife and his manager knew about tonight’s party and did not reveal anything to him.

The singer-songwriter has previously earned five other gold records. One with his mother, with whom he formed a duo Karst. “But this is the first time I’ve ever had a gold record for a regular solo album, which is very special,” Karst says.

In just under two hours, Hoogevener will be on stage in North-West Friesland. Does he also display the album proudly there? “He’s lying here in the back seat of the car now, but I think I’ll take him to the theater when I’m there,” he concluded with a laugh.