Dutch pop and jazz singer
Musical artist
Caroline Esmeralda van der Leeuw (born 26 April 1981), known by her stage name Caro Emerald, is a Dutch pop and jazz singer who mainly performs in English. Active since 2007, she rose to prominence in 2009 with her debut single, "Back It Up". Her follow-up single "A Night Like This" topped charts in the Netherlands. Emerald is often praised[by whom?] for her live performances.
Her debut album Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor was released on 29 January 2010. By August 2010, the album had spent its 30th week at number one in the Dutch album charts, setting an all-time record and beating Michael Jackson's "Thriller" by one week.[1] The album became the biggest selling album of 2010 in the Netherlands with over 350,000 copies to date. Worldwide, approximately 2 million copies have been sold to date. On 3 October 2010, Emerald was awarded the Dutch music prize Edison Award for Best Female Artist.[2] In 2013, a second studio album titled The Shocking Miss Emerald was released. The album entered at number one in the Dutch and United Kingdom album charts[3] and sold over 600,000 copies.
Early and personal life
Caroline Esmeralda van der Leeuw was born on 26 April 1981, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands[4] to a Dutch father and an Aruban mother. She started singing lessons at age 12 with James Gilloffo in Amsterdam and joined a girl vocal group, Les Elles, under his guidance. Following high school, she trained as a jazz vocalist at the Amsterdam Conservatory, graduating in 2005.[5][6]
During her September 2013 UK tour, she announced her pregnancy. She gave birth to a girl in March 2014.[7][8]
Emerald gave birth to a second daughter in August 2017.[9]
Career
In early 2007 Dutch producer Jan van Wieringen invited van der Leeuw to sing the vocal on a demo he was producing with David Schreurs. The song, "Back It Up", had been written by Schreurs and Canadian songwriter Vince Degiorgio and was based around a hip-hop beat created by Robin Veldman and Jan van Wieringen. Caro's jazzy vocal was considered a "perfect match" for the new song.[10]
The demo was pitched to various publishers and labels but without result.[10] But online the demo quickly reached public notice around the world and radio stations started playing the song.
Degiorgio, Schreurs, van Wieringen and van der Leeuw realised their sound had potential and started working on a studio album. Writing began in the summer of 2008 using "Back It Up"'s mix of 40s–50s jazz, easy listening, orchestral Latin, combined with infectious beats as a model.[10] Adopting a sample based approach but with live instrumentation, the writing sessions drew from a wide range of influences including jazz organist Jackie Davis, exotica composer Martin Denny, mambo king Perez Prado, 1920s/30s jazz and van der Leeuw's own vocal inspirations of The Andrews Sisters, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.[10] The usual method would be for Schreurs to create the ideas and backing tracks and then get together with top line writer and lyricist Degiorgio to write the songs. Van der Leeuw co-wrote several songs on the album, and van Wieringen co-created the tracks for "The Other Woman" and "Dr Wanna Do".[10] Schreurs and Degiorgio are credited as "Creative Directors".
2009–12: Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor
Emerald singing in Rotterdam, Netherlands on 9 July 2010
After record labels either refused or failed to sign the project, Schreurs set up their own label Grandmono. "Back It Up" was released as debut single on 6 July 2009. The song gained airplay and popularity overnight and listed in the Dutch Top 40 for 12 weeks, peaking at No. 12. It became the most played song on 3FM in 2009.[11]
Debut album Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor was released on 28 January 2010 in The Netherlands by Grandmono. It entered at #1 in the Album Charts and stayed there for weeks. By August 2010, the album had been #1 for 27 weeks, beating Michael Jackson's chart record for Thriller (26 weeks #1 in 1983).[1] The album returned to #1, spending a total of 30 non-consecutive weeks on top spot of the Dutch Albums Chart.
The album reached double platinum (>100,000 copies) status in the Netherlands on 5 July 2010.[12] In August 2010 it reached triple platinum,[1] in November 2010 four times platinum (200,000),[13] and in December 2011, sextuple platinum (>300,000 copies). Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor was removed from the Dutch charts after 104 weeks due to a rule providing albums can't spend >2 years in the charts. Upon re-entry, the album climbed back to #8.
Second single "A Night Like This" was released in December, 2009 and listed in the Dutch Charts for 26 weeks peaking at #1 in January 2010. It was the most played song in The Netherlands in 2010.
In 2011 Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor was released throughout Europe with great commercial success. It became a hit in the UK (1× platinum with sales exceeding 360,000, 8 weeks top 10 peaking at No. 4), Germany (1× platinum with sales exceeding 280,000, peaking at No. 5 and Platinum single for "A Night Like This" with sales exceeding 340,000), Poland (6× platinum with sales exceeding 60,000), Italy (Gold Single for "Back it Up"), and Austria (No. 1 with "A Night Like This")
In the UK, all six singles and the entire album were A-listed by BBC Radio 2. Over 1,400,000 albums have been sold in Europe.[14]
The cinematic sound of the project resulted in frequent use in TV series, movies and advertising. Selected credits include The Playboy Club, a brand campaign by Martini, 2 Days in New York, The Secret Circle, Wind Mobile, Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing with the Stars, The Vampire Diaries, Agent Carter, Nestlé, Ferrero Rocher, Wrigley and Disney Nature film Chimpanzee.
Due to its exceptional success, the album was included in an episode of the Dutch version of Classic Albums in April 2012.[15]
On New Year's Eve 2011 Caro appeared on Jools Holland's Hootenanny
In January 2011, Emerald won the Popprijs 2010 for Best Dutch Pop Act of 2010.[16] In early 2012 Emerald a Goldene Kamera for Best Musik International and an Echo Award for Best Newcomer International.
2013–14: The Shocking Miss Emerald
In April 2013, a second studio album The Shocking Miss Emerald was released, including singles "Tangled Up" and "Liquid Lunch". The album went to # 1 in the UK album chart. She performed in the UK at The BBC Radio Theatre; it was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Red Button.
On 29 June 2014, she played the opening music set on the pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival 2014.[17]
2015–present: Emerald Island
In April 2015, Grandmono released a single called "Quicksand".[18]
March 2017 Grandmono released a mini album called "Emerald Island (EP)", with new material for the project inspired by the Exotica music genre, to accompany the "Emerald Island Tour". In June 2020, she released her first single in 3 years Wake up Romeo.
