Anouk (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anouk
Anouk in 2013
Background information
Birth name	Anouk Teeuwe
Born	(1975-04-08) 8 April 1975 (age 50) The Hague, Netherlands
Genres	Alternative rock pop rock post-grunge R&B soul
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Goldilox, EMI, Dino
Children	6

Anouk Teeuwe (born on April 8, 1975), known simply as Anouk, is a famous singer and songwriter from the Netherlands. She became very popular in 1997 with her rock song "Nobody's Wife". After that, she had many more hit songs in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Many of Anouk's albums reached the top of the Dutch music charts. Most of them sold so well that they became Platinum records. Some even started at the number one spot. Her most well-known songs include "Nobody's Wife", "Michel", "It's So Hard", "R U Kiddin' Me", "Girl", "Lost", "Modern World", "Three Days in a Row", "Birds", and "Woman".

By 2022, Anouk had released thirteen studio albums. These albums feature a mix of rock, pop, and adult contemporary music, mostly in English. One of her albums was recorded in the United States and produced by Glen Ballard. In recent years, she has also started singing more songs in Dutch, with a folk music style. Her album from 2022 was called Trails of Fails.

Anouk proudly represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden. She sang the song "Birds". Her song made it to the final, which was a big achievement for the Netherlands. It was the first time since 2004 that the country reached the final. She finished in 9th place with 114 points, and "Birds" became another big hit for her at home.

About Anouk's Life

Early Life and Music Start

Anouk at Festival Mundial in 2008

Anouk Teeuwe was born on April 8, 1975, in The Hague, Netherlands. Her mother was a blues singer, which sparked Anouk's interest in music from a young age. Anouk started performing when she was fifteen years old. She sang at weddings and parties with a band called Shotgun Wedding.

In 1994, she began studying at the Rotterdam Conservatory. However, she left the school after two years. Around that time, her manager, Edwin Jansen, introduced her to Golden Earring frontman Barry Hay. Hay saw her talent and offered to write songs for her. One of these songs was "Mood Indigo," which he wrote with fellow Golden Earring member George Kooymans.

Becoming a Star

Anouk met Bart van Veen, who became her co-writer, and they wrote several songs together. On September 5, 1997, she released her second song, "Nobody's Wife." This song quickly became a huge hit, staying at the top of the Dutch music charts for many weeks. It was also popular in Norway and Sweden. Her first album, Together Alone, was a great success.

In 1998, Anouk won two awards from the Dutch music channel TMF. She also received an Edison Award. That summer, she performed at many music festivals. Her second album, Urban Solitude, came out in November 1999. It included the song "R U Kiddin' Me," which also reached the Dutch Top 100.

After this, Anouk went to the United States to try and get a record deal. However, things did not work out with her American record label, Sony. She returned to the Netherlands without a deal. In February 2001, she released a new song called "Don't" and started touring across the Netherlands.

Anouk at Lowlands festival in 2006

In March 2001, Anouk released Lost Tracks. This album featured acoustic versions and B-sides of her older songs. It also included duets with K's Choice singer Sam Bettens and The Anonymous Mis. She won the Popprijs award in 2001. In November 2002, she released the album Graduated Fool, which was her heaviest rock album at that time.

Anouk received a Golden Harp award in 2003. Her next album, Hotel New York (2004), had four popular songs: "Girl", "Lost", "Jerusalem", and "One Word". In 2006, she won the 3FM award for best Dutch female singer. In 2007, Anouk released Who's Your Momma, which she recorded with producer Glen Ballard. The first song from this album, "Good God", was very successful. It even became a playable song in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour in 2008. In 2009, she released her album For Bitter or Worse. The song "Three Days in a Row" from this album reached the number one spot on the Dutch charts.

Eurovision and Recent Projects

Anouk at the dress rehearsal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013

Anouk's album To Get Her Together was released in the Netherlands in May 2011. She shared a new song called "Killer Bee" on YouTube in February 2011. The first official song from the album was "Down & Dirty," released in April. Later, she released "I'm a Cliché" in June and "Save Me" in September. "What Have You Done" was the fourth song from the album.

Anouk performed at the GelreDome in Arnhem for her To Get Her Together Tour in March 2012.

Anouk announced on Facebook in October 2012 that she would participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013. Her song, "Birds," was officially revealed in March 2013. She performed "Birds" in the first semi-final on May 14, and she made it to the final on May 18. She finished in 9th place. This was seen as a big success for the Netherlands, as it was their best Eurovision result in 14 years. It was also the first time in 9 years that a Dutch entry qualified for the final. Her backing singer, Shirma Rouse, was even named best backing singer by The Eurovision Times. Anouk also helped write the 2015 Dutch entry "Walk Along", which was sung by Trijntje Oosterhuis.

Anouk was a coach on the TV show The Voice of Holland for several seasons, from season 6 and then seasons 8 through 12. In 2016, Anouk released two albums: Queen for a Day in March, which included the song "Run Away Together," and Fake It Till We Die in October. In 2018, Anouk released her first album entirely in Dutch, called Wen d'r maar aan. A few years later, in 2022, she released Trails of Fails, a mini-album with seven calm, singer-songwriter tracks. These songs have a more live band feel. Her most recent album, Deena & Jim, was released in 2023.

Anouk's Music Style

Anouk's music style is often described as a mix of artists like Joan Osborne, Melissa Etheridge, and Alanis Morissette. She is known for powerful rock songs such as "Nobody's Wife" and "R U Kiddin' Me." However, she also creates soft and delicate songs like "Lost" and "Michel." Besides her pop/rock sound, she also explores other styles like soul, funk, and hip hop in her music.

Anouk's Family Life

Anouk has six children. She was married to her manager, Edwin Jansen, until 1998. On March 16, 2004, she married Remon Stotijn, who is also known as The Anonymous Mis and is the frontman of the reggae/rap band Postmen. Remon is the father of three of her children. In May 2008, Anouk and Remon announced that they were separating in a friendly way. Anouk has two other children, born in 2010 and 2014. In June 2016, she had her sixth child, a baby girl named Jelizah Rose, with mixed martial artist and former basketball player Dominique Schemmekes. Anouk and Dominique got married in June 2022.

Anouk's Albums

• Together Alone (1997)
• Urban Solitude (1999)
• Graduated Fool (2002)
• Hotel New York (2004)
• Who's Your Momma? (2007)
• For Bitter or Worse (2009)
• To Get Her Together (2011)
• Sad Singalong Songs (2013)
• Paradise and Back Again (2014)
• Queen for a Day (2016)
• Fake It Till We Die (2016)
• Wen d'r maar aan (2018)
• Trails of Fails (2022)
• Deena & Jim (2023)
• Set This Thing on Fire (2025)

Awards and Recognitions

Anouk has won many awards throughout her career for her music and performances.

Dutch TMF Awards

Edison Awards

3FM Radio Awards

Belgian TMF Awards

MTV Europe Music Awards

Other Awards

• Noorderslag Popprijs 2001
• Golden Harp 2003
• Two medals (best female and single international "Girl") on Humo's Pop Poll 2005 Belgium
• Duiveltje 2004 (best female singer)

See also

In Spanish: Anouk Teeuwe para niños