Anouk

Biography

Anouk Schemmekes (née Teeuwe; born 8 April 1975), professionally known by the mononym Anouk, is a Dutch singer, songwriter and producer. After her 1997 breakthrough rock single "Nobody's Wife", she had additional hit records in the Dutch and Belgian charts. Many of her albums topped the Dutch album charts, all of them going Platinum and several debuting in the number 1 position. Anouk has a total of 15 number 1 albums, the most for any solo artist in the Netherlands. Her most famous singles include "Nobody's Wife", "Michel×Michel2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Michel4:092R U Kiddin' Me (live)4:01", "It's So Hard", "R U Kiddin' Me×R U Kiddin' Me1999 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1R U Kiddin' Me3:212Last Time4:273R U Kiddin' Me (instrumental)3:29", "Girl", "Lost", "Modern World×Modern World1 January 2008 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Modern World3:302Modern World (instrumental version)3:303Sessions9:09", "Three Days in a Row×Three Days in a Row1 January 2009 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Three Days in a Row4:172Three Days in a Row (Terilekst remix)4:14", "Birds×Birds12 March 2013 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Birds3:23", and "Woman×Woman2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Woman3:522Woman (instrumental)3:52".
Anouk had released fifteen studio albums by 2025, a mix of anglophonic rock, pop and adult contemporary; one of which was recorded in the U.S., produced by Glen Ballard. In recent years, she has expanded into Dutch, more folky lyrics. Her 2022 album, was titled Trails of Fails×Trails of Fails22 April 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1I Must Walk Away2:582Something Better3:473Behind Your Words3:234Spring on a Winter’s Day3:245Going for the Kill3:376Great for Us2:457Don’t Change3:29.
Anouk represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden, with the song "Birds". Her song made it to the final – the first time since 2004 for the Netherlands, finished 9th with 114 points, and scored her another big hit.

1970s to 2000s: Beginnings and breakthrough

Anouk Teeuwe was born on 8 April 1975, in The Hague, Netherlands. As a teenager, she used drugs and ended up living in several care homes after she ran away from her family at the age of fourteen. Anouk's interest in music was triggered through her mother, who was a blues singer. Anouk gave her first performance at fifteen and sang at weddings and parties with the band Shotgun Wedding. She started attending the Rotterdam Conservatory in 1994, but dropped out two years later. In the same period, her then-husband and manager Edwin Jansen introduced Anouk to Golden Earring frontman Barry Hay. Hay believed her to have talent and offered to write some songs for her. One of those songs was "Mood Indigo×Mood Indigo2 October 1996 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Mood Indigo4:302Home Is in My Head4:003Mood Indigo (acoustic version)4:37"; written in collaboration with fellow Golden Earring member George Kooymans.
After she met Bart van Veen, her co-writer, the pair wrote a few songs. On 5 September 1997, she released her second single, "Nobody's Wife", which remained at the top of the Dutch music charts for a number of weeks and was a hit in Norway and Sweden. Her debut album Together Alone×Together Alone24 October 1997 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Nobody’s Wife3:262Together Alone4:063It’s So Hard4:294The Other Side of Me3:535Pictures on Your Skin5:206Sacrifice3:597Fluid Conduction4:098My Life2:489It’s a Shame3:2710Time Is a Jailer4:0711Mood Indigo4:37Disc 21Nobody’s Wife (U.S.A. mix by Kevin Shirley)3:40 turned out to be a huge success. In 1998, Anouk won two awards from Dutch music channel TMF in addition to an Edison Award. During the summer, she played at various festivals. Her second album Urban Solitude×Urban Solitude1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1In the Sand4:442Don’t4:233R U Kiddin’ Me3:204Tom Waits3:035Urban Solitude4:016U Being U3:047Michel4:098The Dark3:179My Best Wasn’t Good Enough3:3010It Wasn’t Me4:2711Cry4:1112Body Brain3:4213My Friend3:29 was released in November 1999, and included the single "R U Kiddin' Me×R U Kiddin' Me1999 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1R U Kiddin' Me3:212Last Time4:273R U Kiddin' Me (instrumental)3:29". This song reached the Dutch Top 100. Shortly afterwards, Anouk went to the United States to pursue a record deal. Negotiations with her American label (Sony) ended badly, causing her to return to the Netherlands without a deal. She released a new song, "Don't", and began touring the Netherlands in February 2001.

In March 2001, she released Lost Tracks, which contained acoustic versions and B-sides from older songs, and various duets with K's Choice singer Sam Bettens and The Anonymous Mis. She was awarded the Popprijs award in 2001. In November 2002, the album Graduated Fool×Graduated Fool22 November 2002 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Too Long3:552Everything4:203Hail3:534Who Cares4:375Graduated Fool3:526Stop Thinking3:047No Time to Waste3:578Searching3:569Margarita Chum4:2010I Live for You3:4111Bigger Side3:29 was released. This was the heaviest rock album in Anouk's career so far.
Anouk received a Golden Harp in 2003. The following full-length release is called Hotel New York (2004) and yielded a total of four singles: "Girl", "Lost", "Jerusalem" and "One Word×One Word18 November 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1One Word2One Word (acoustic) (live)". In 2006, she won the 3FM award for best Dutch female singer. In 2007, Anouk released Who's Your Momma, recorded with producer Glen Ballard. The first single, "Good God×Good God2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Good God2:372Good God (instrumental)2:36" was a success, and became a playable song in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour in 2008. In 2009, she released her album For Bitter or Worse×For Bitter or Worse18 September 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Three Days in a Row4:142In This World4:103Woman3:514Lay It Down3:0258 Years3:526My Shoes4:287Walk to the Bay3:028Today3:279Hold On3:4110Lovedrunk4:1411Faith in My Moon5:0512For Bitter or Worse4:15. The song "Three Days in a Row×Three Days in a Row1 January 2009 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Three Days in a Row4:172Three Days in a Row (Terilekst remix)4:14" reached the first place in the Dutch charts.

2010s: Eurovision Song Contest participation and subsequent projects

Anouk's album To Get Her Together×To Get Her Together20 May 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1To Get Her Together2:322Killer Bee3:013Ms. Crazy4:094What Have You Done3:405Save Me3:576Any Younger3:257I'm a Cliché4:248Down & Dirty4:099Little Did I Know3:2910Better Off Alone3:3811Been Here Before4:25 was released in the Netherlands in May 2011. On 28 February 2011 Anouk placed one of the new tracks on YouTube named "Killer Bee". The first single of the album is called "Down & Dirty" and came out in April. On 27 June, Anouk released her single "I'm a Cliché". On 17 September 2011 "Save Me" was released as third single from the album. The fourth single is "What Have You Done".
Anouk performed at the GelreDome in Arnhem for her To Get Her Together Tour on 8 and 11 March 2012.
Anouk first revealed that she would be taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 on 17 October 2012 via a post on Facebook, after negotiations with broadcaster TROS. Her song was officially revealed on 11 March 2013. Anouk performed "Birds×Birds12 March 2013 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Birds3:23" in the first semi-final on 14 May, where she progressed to the final on 18 May and eventually reached 9th place there with her song "Birds". The Dutch broadly perceived her result to be a major achievement, as it was the best Eurovision result for the Netherlands in 14 years and the first time in 9 years that any Dutch entrant had qualified for the final of the contest. Her backing singer, Shirma Rouse, was named best backing singer by The Eurovision Times. Anouk wrote the 2015 Dutch entry "Walk Along", performed by Trijntje Oosterhuis, along with Swedish songwriter Tobias Karlsson.
Anouk was a coach on The Voice of Holland for seasons 6 and 8 through 12, before resigning in January 2022 as a result of sexual misconduct allegations beleaguering the show. In 2016, Anouk released two albums: Queen for a Day×Queen for a Day4 March 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Run Away Together3:342Not a Lovesong3:413New Day3:314If I Knew4:115Dirty Girl3:406Be My Baby4:257Wanna Little Something3:328Keeps Getting Better4:259Castles in the Air4:0810We Are4:0111Right on Time4:10, which included the lead single "Run Away Together", in March and Fake It Till We Die in late October. In 2018, Anouk released her first Dutch-language album Wen d'r maar aan. A few years later in 2022, she released Trails of Fails Anouk's first mini album. It features seven calm singer-songwriter tracks. The songs have a more live band feeling than most of her previous work, most of the parts are recorded in either one or two takes. Her album, Deena & Jim×Deena & Jim3 November 2023 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1From the Bottom to the Top3:562Are You Done Running3:383Damage Done4:454Deena & Jim4:425Why Do You Hate Me So Much3:386When I Die6:597Everything You Are Will Be Lost4:488If Only4:029Old Broken Ride3:5610Childhood’s Over4:2811Agree to Disagree4:4612One Day at a Time5:17, was released in 2023 and was her fifteenth album to make it to the number 1 position. Her latest album Set this Thing on Fire×Set This Thing on Fire11 April 2025 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1That's My Heart You Hold3:202Set This Thing on Fire2:583Where the Mind Goes2:404Outrage in 3, 2, 12:395Losing My Mind4:206Can't Fix Repeaters3:217I See You3:418How to Clear a Room3:529You Can't Hurt Me3:1310Vicky Lynn4:25 was released in 2025 in which the singer went back to her rock roots.

Musical style

Anouk's musical style has been described as a combination of Joan Osborne, Melissa Etheridge and Alanis Morissette. She is known for explosive rock songs like "Nobody's Wife" and "R U Kiddin' Me×R U Kiddin' Me1999 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1R U Kiddin' Me3:212Last Time4:273R U Kiddin' Me (instrumental)3:29", but has also made small and fragile songs like "Lost" and "Michel×Michel2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Michel4:092R U Kiddin' Me (live)4:01". In addition to her pop/rock sound she has also experimented with soul, funk and hip hop, as well as blues, acoustic ballads, alternative pop, and Dutch-language pop.

Personal life

Anouk has six children. She was married to her manager, Edwin Jansen, until 1998. She married Remon Stotijn (aka the Anonymous Mis), frontman of the reggae/rap band Postmen, on 16 March 2004. Stotijn is the father of three of her children. In May 2008, Anouk and Remon announced a "harmonious" mutual separation. Anouk has two other children, born in 2010 and 2014. In June 2016, she gave birth to her sixth child, a girl, with mixed martial artist and former basketball player Dominique Schemmekes, whom she married in June 2022.
In 2013, and then again in 2019, Anouk publicly spoke out against the Zwarte Piet holiday tradition, describing it as "racist" and "blackface".
In February 2024, Anouk posted a photo of toilet paper with menstrual blood on Threads, with the caption "Chopping ur peepee off doesn't make you a woman. But this will". The post was criticized by many as transphobic and trans-exclusionary feminist. Anouk refused to apologise for the remark, stating that "anyone you lose by speaking facts isn't a loss". In April 2024, Anouk was criticised for directing the word "nigga" in response to Dutch rapper Ronnie Flex.