Milow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Milow
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Milow
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathan Ivo Gilles Vandenbroeck |
| Born | 14 July 1981 Borgerhout, Belgium |
| Origin | Belgium |
| Genres | Acoustic, Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Homerun Records, Island Records |
Jonathan Ivo Gilles Vandenbroeck (born 14 July 1981), known as Milow, is a singer and songwriter from Belgium. He released his first album, The Bigger Picture, in 2006. One of the songs from that album, "You Don't Know," became a huge hit in Belgium in 2007.
Milow became very famous across Europe with his second album, Coming of Age, released in 2008. This album was later renamed Milow in 2009. It sold over 500,000 copies in Europe and Canada. His biggest international hit was "Ayo Technology", a cover song that reached number one in many countries.
Contents
Milow's Early Life
Milow was born in Borgerhout, near Antwerp in Belgium. He was the second of four children. His father was Belgian, and his mother was from the Netherlands. He grew up in Wespelaar, a town close to Werchter. This town is famous for the Rock Werchter festival, a big music event in Europe.
Milow says his first concert was seeing Pink Floyd in Werchter in 1994. This show made him want to create his own music. He started taking accordion lessons when he was young. Later, he also learned to play the piano and guitar.
In 1999, Milow spent a year as an exchange student in California, USA. He wrote and performed songs there. He often says this time helped him get better at writing songs in English. In 2003, he decided to perform solo and chose "Milow" as his stage name. He picked this name because he thought it would be easy for people around the world to remember.
Milow's Music Journey
First Album: The Bigger Picture (2005–2007)
In 2005, Milow recorded his first album, The Bigger Picture. It was released in Belgium in January 2006. The first song from the album, "One of It," was played on Belgian radio. Even with good reviews, the album was not a big hit at first.
Milow's big break in Belgium came with his song "You Don't Know." This song became one of the biggest hits in Belgium in 2007. It reached number 3 on the music charts. Because of this success, The Bigger Picture album became popular again. It reached number 10 and stayed on the Belgian album charts for 110 weeks.
On 28 June 2007, Milow performed at the Rock Werchter festival. This helped start his live music career in Belgium. At the end of 2007, Milow won three awards at the first Music Industry Awards (MIAs) in Belgium. He won for Best New Artist, Best Music Video, and Song of the Year for "You Don't Know."
Second Album and Big Hit: Coming of Age / Milow & Ayo Technology (2008–2010)
In 2007, Milow started working on his second album, Coming of Age. It was released in Belgium on 1 February 2008. The album quickly became number one on the Belgian charts.
A big moment for Milow happened on 5 February 2008. A radio station asked him to play a cover song live. Milow chose to play an acoustic guitar version of "Ayo Technology." This song was originally by 50 Cent, Justin Timberlake, and Timbaland. Milow started playing this cover at his concerts. He then recorded a single version of it.
The video for Milow's "Ayo Technology" cover became very popular online. Famous people like Perez Hilton and Kanye West praised it. The song became a huge success. It reached number one in countries like the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. It also sold over one million copies worldwide.
After "Ayo Technology," Milow released "You Don't Know" across Europe. This song also became a big hit. It spent a long time on the European charts.
The album Coming of Age was renamed Milow in 2009. It was released in Europe and Canada. This album reached the top 5 in Germany and Switzerland. It sold over 500,000 copies.
In February 2009, Milow won five more MIA Awards in Belgium. He won for Best Male Artist, Best Pop, Most Downloaded Artist, Best Music Video, and Song of the Year for "Ayo Technology."
Milow performed at many big festivals in Europe in 2009. These included Pinkpop Festival and Rock am Ring. By the end of 2010, Milow and his band had played over 300 concerts.
In 2009, Milow released Maybe Next Year, his first live album and DVD. In January 2010, he recorded a song called "Out of My Hands" with Norwegian singer Marit Larsen.
Milow also won awards outside Belgium. In 2010, he won the Public Choice Award at the European Border Breakers Awards. He also won "Best International Newcomer" at the Swiss Music Awards.
New Sounds: North and South (2011–2014)
While touring in 2009 and 2010, Milow started writing new songs. His album North and South was recorded in Belgium in 2010. Some songs on the album were mixed by Tony Maserati, a famous audio engineer.
North and South was released on 1 April 2011. It reached the top 5 in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. The main song from the album was "You and Me (In My Pocket)." This song became a European radio hit. It reached number 3 in Germany and number 6 in Belgium. The music video for this song was filmed in one continuous shot.
Milow said the album title North and South was about his constant touring across Europe. One song, "The Kingdom," talked about the political division in Belgium. Milow said it was his first political song.
In 2011, Milow performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. He also played his biggest headline concert in Europe for 5,000 people in Munich, Germany.
The song "Little in the Middle" was released in July 2011. It became number one on the radio charts in Belgium and Austria. After this, Milow had his biggest tour yet, with over 50 concerts. In December 2011, Milow won three more MIA awards. This brought his total to eleven awards.
In February 2012, Milow performed five solo shows in Hollywood, California. His performances were shown on the TV show "Last Call with Carson Daly."
Milow has always managed his own music career. He releases albums on his own label, Homerun Records. In 2012, he signed a management contract in the US. In October 2012, Milow played his first concert in Asia, in Beijing, China.
Later Albums: Silver Linings and Modern Heart (2014–present)
In April 2014, Milow released his sixth album, Silver Linings. He recorded it in Los Angeles with many different musicians. This album became his second to reach number one on the Belgian Albums Chart. It also reached the top 10 in Germany.
Milow wanted to try new sounds for his seventh album, Modern Heart. He worked with new musicians to create a more modern sound. This album included styles like tropical house and R&B. Modern Heart reached number two on the Belgian Albums Chart. It was also his fourth album in a row to reach the top 10 in Germany. The main song, "Howling at the Moon", was a top 20 hit in Austria and Germany.
In 2019, Milow took part in a German TV show called Sing meinen Song – Das Tauschkonzert.
Milow's Live Band
When Milow performs live, he plays with a group of talented musicians:
- Milow (Jonathan Vandenbroeck) – acoustic guitar and lead singer
- Tom Vanstiphout – guitar and voice
- Nina Babet – voice and percussion
- Bart Delacourt – bass
- Oscar Kraal – drums
- Remko Kuhne/Luc Weytjens – keyboard
Milow's Albums
- The Bigger Picture (2006)
- Coming of Age (2008)
- Milow (2009)
- North and South (2011)
- Silver Linings (2014)
- Modern Heart (2016)
- Lean into Me (2019)
- Dream so big eyes are wide (2020)
- Nice to meet you (2022)
Milow's Awards
Awards in Belgium
Radio 2
2007
- Zomerhit – Newcomer
2011
- Zomerhit – Best Male Artist
TMF-awards
2007
- Best New Artist National
Music Industry Awards (MIA)
2007
- Best Music Video
- Best Song (for "You Don't Know")
- Best New Artist
2008
- Best Music Video
- Best Song (for "Ayo Technology")
- Best Pop
- Best Male Solo Artist
- Ultratop Download Award (Most Downloaded Award)
2011
- Best Live Act
- Best Pop Act
- Best Male Solo Artist
2012
- Best Pop Act
Awards Outside Belgium
MTV Europe Music Awards
2009
- Best Dutch & Belgian Act (Nominated)
2012
- Best Belgian Act (nominated & won)
European Border Breakers Award
2010
- European Border Breakers Award for international success.
- Public Choice Award
Swiss Music Awards
2010
- Best International Newcomer
ECHO Awards
2010
- nominated Best Male International
- nominated Most Successful Newcomer International
- nominated Hit of the Year with "Ayo Technology"
2012
- nominated Best Male International Pop/Rock at the MTV Europe Music Awards
See also
In Spanish: Milow para niños
