51 Shapes of Nits: The 46th shape is the King of Belgium

All I want … for Christmas … … uh? … …  is you …

The things that Nits want are a little strange. Well, actually, I’m not entirely sure what they want … what they really really want. Apart from the sunlight and the rain, in the land of Alankomaat, their shadow on a street and fire on a mountain. Above all what they want to hold on to is the child in their head … 
This doesn’t come as a surprise. If there is one archetypical form that defines the work of Nits, it surely is the constantly recurring motif of childhood and the inner child. Not necessarily as a common thread that runs through all of their albums, but more as a vantage point, a work approach that is for ever imbued with the espièglerie and whimsicalities of youth, where the shapes of fantasy blend with those of real life.The playfulness and innocent creativity of the young person are at the core of the world-shaping musical pursuits of Nits. They keep on delving into the potential of the young one inside them to continue a never ending process of transformation and renewal. An astonishing youthfulness is the trademark of their work. As if they were constantly discovering fresh sounds, exploring the universe of sounds, anything they come across can turn into a musical element. Nits keep on listening to the sounds of the world and see potential anywhere. The archetype of the child. 

“Zonlicht … Dromen ….Onschuld … “

There once was a king of pop. His name was not Michael, nor was his spouse named Madonna. Sadly he was an uncrowned king; his name was Henk. And his kingdom, nobody really knew where it was or if it even existed. It most likely was situated somewhere in Europe; it was the land of The Dutch Mountains, some people claimed, but it could not be found on any existing map. Legend has it that it was a kingdom of the imagination, of musical fantasy where everything that could be seen, dreamed or happened in real life, could also be or happen in a song. It was a luxurious world of music where everything small was greeted with the utmost respect. King Henk and his entourage of princes and princesses made a music of moon and stars, snowflakes and rivers of water. Their mountainous kingdom was built with the sound of music bricks.

“Zomer … Bomen … “

The music of Nits holds an innate sense of wonder, a source of endless new beginnings. There is a longing for innocence regardless of age. The child is king. The song “The King of Belgium” with its easy, uncomplicated overture, quickly changes into a sort of surreal parable that mingles elements of love and power games into an almost melodramatic, musical scene. The costumed construction with crown is jolly and colourful. Henk looking down on his subjects. The exaggerated, huge shape of the throne of the king as if it were the symbol of the high-chair tyrant, like a spoiled brat, claiming his wants and wishes from high above with narcissism displayed as grandiosity of forms and colours – perhaps … As often the more fun side prevails with Nits, but still the song’s melody wears a heavy heart underneath these bright colours. The intermezzo which repeats the frivolous tune from the song’s first notes, sings about a land of milk and honey, of ease and abundance, maybe the easy side of the pop kingdom with its undemanding, popular music where streams of money flow aplenty; and Henk gesticulating and dancing almost mindlessly for just a few moments. Yet this song is grave and demanding. It’s solemn and earnest, even dignified in its magnified, overdramatised shape. But it tells a story – more than one in my opinion – of loyalty, duty and power, of identity too, of staying true to yourself and what you believe in, of love as the connecting tissue… The music of Nits seems to whisper: “that which is smaller than small is in fact larger than large” … The king and the queen become the dramatic characters in a sad-ending fairytale. The allegory of saying goodbye to a “mondain” life in music, of worldly goods and possessions, a farewell to money-and-glory music …

“Sneeuwuil … Oehoe … Onschuld … “

Well, anyway,  if ever there was such a gaiety of play, it must have been this fancy dress party in the GIANT NORMAL DWARF era of this song “The King of Belgium”! Nits play kings and queens! Like in a fairytale, yes but with a little melodramatics, lots of theatrical flair, and an odd mix of seriousness and humour. It is a fantastic spectacle to watch and in all its innocent, ingenuous and candid fantasy, when you listen and watch the whole scene unfold in front of your eyes, you can only conclude that, inadvertently and just like that, they turned this imaginary tale of a king and queen into a true marvel of a masterpiece! You shake your head and smile and wonder how they do it, create this extravagant scene which nevertheless is completely in tune with their spontaneous and humble musical personalities…!? Yes, the king of Belgium certainly is one of Nits’s most idiosyncratic shapes. As a subject of that same king myself, I am in awe of his greatness. This spectacle surely became the fable of the ultimate shape, of the power of humility, curiosity and play versus the hubris of fame. Nits’s ironic, playful, superlative shape. The romance of the very own narrative of their songs has always led us into a special timeless world of the charm of being alive.
And what movements of the heart are stronger than those connected to our experiences as children, to the child that we once were? This music of fantasy reaches so easily into the deepest recesses of the emotional being that we are.

“Oehoe … Oehoe … Onschuld … … Onschuld … “

This divine child, vulnerable, yet strong. Of all times.
He was born a long time ago … somewhere in the heart of the Kingdom of The Dutch Mountains. 
But Mariah was not there … not yet anyway …

“Oehoe … …”

December, 2025