Sharon den Adel


Sharon Janny den Adel is a Dutch singer, songwriter and fashion designer, best known as the lead vocalist and one of the main songwriters in the Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. She has been a performing musician since the age of 14, and is a founding member of Within Temptation, along with Robert Westerholt, in 1996. She was also elected to be the Dutch chairperson of the jury for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.

Personal life

Sharon Janny den Adel was born on 12 July 1974 in Waddinxveen, Netherlands. She traveled extensively in her youth, living in at least ten different countries, including Indonesia, where she lived between ages one and six. According to den Adel, some movements that she makes during her concerts are inspired by the Balinese dancers she had seen during that time. After returning from Suriname to the Netherlands, she was bullied by classmates because of her different clothing style, hairstyle, and darkened skin. From the age of fourteen, she performed with various bands, including a blues rock band called Kashiro. During high school den Adel met Robert Westerholt who introduced her to Paradise Lost. As their partnership grew, in 1996 they came to form a band called The Portal, though the name was changed to Within Temptation before their debut recording. She has a bachelor's degree in fashion design.
Den Adel and long-term partner Robert Westerholt have three children together, and they currently live near Hilversum. Den Adel was pregnant with their first child, Eva Luna, during The Silent Force tour. On 22 February 2009, Den Adel announced that she was pregnant with her second child, Robin Aiden Westerholt, whose birth was announced on the band's official website on 1 June 2009. Going by the name of Aiden, he was born prematurely at 32 weeks and 6 days. On 26 November 2010, Den Adel announced that she was expecting another child which, due to complications with her previous pregnancies, meant that the band's 2011 tour dates would be rescheduled from spring until autumn. The birth of her son, Logan Arwin, was announced on 31 March 2011.

Career

Training and vocal profile

Den Adel never formally studied singing and stated in a 2006 interview that she had sung a short while in a choir and was mostly self-taught. She used to practice alone three or four hours per day. Sharon has a mezzo-soprano range, though she has a light and lyric vocal quality for that range. Her highest note is found on the song "Jane Doe" Netherlands/Australia/Japan release and her lowest on "Empty Eyes". On "Stand My Ground", one of Within Temptation's signature songs, Den Adel vocal range spans from C4 to A5.

Within Temptation

Together with her partner, Robert Westerholt, Den Adel formed Within Temptation in 1996. She has defined their work as epic and cinematic. Her vocals play a major role in the band's sound, despite having never received formal vocal training.
Before Within Temptation became famous, she worked for a fashion company, leaving after the band found success with their hit single "Ice Queen". She utilises her fashion expertise by designing her stage costumes and the band's merchandise. About.com described Den Adel as a "versatile and skilled singer who is equally adept at singing powerfully with a full orchestra and choir as she is at singing quietly and emotionally with just a piano." When asked if she prefers to sing in Dutch or English, den Adel said that she favours the latter because "Dutch just doesn't fit to our music style. It is also not the nicest language to sing in. Italian or Spanish would then be better options."
The band were invited several times to compete at the Eurovision Song Contest as the Dutch representatives, but they have declined everytime since they find it not the best place for a metal band to present themselves. In 2018, Den Adel was then selected as a juror for that year's edition.

My Indigo

On 9 November 2017, Den Adel announced on the Dutch TV-show RTL Late Night, that on the following day 10 November 2017, the first single for her solo project My Indigo, also entitled "My Indigo", would be released. According to Den Adel, the project was originally not intended to be released to the general public as it was for her a form to deal with personal problems, and also due to a writer's block for composing for Within Temptation. After two years composing for herself and with regained inspiration to write for Within Temptation, Den Adel decided to share the project publicly as a separate project named "My Indigo". The self titled first album was released on 20 April 2018.

Collaborations with other artists

Sharon den Adel has performed on-stage and in the studio with several notable artists, including Tarja Turunen, Armin van Buuren, After Forever, De Heideroosjes, Oomph!, Delain, Agua de Annique and Anneke van Giersbergen. She sang the part of Anna Held in Tobias Sammet's Avantasia projects, and the part of the Indian on Ayreon's rock opera Into the Electric Castle. She sang the vocals of one Timo Tolkki song, "Are You The One?", co-wrote and recorded the vocals for the track "In And Out Of Love" on Armin van Buuren's 2008 Trance album Imagine, and sang on the track "No Compliance" for Delain's album Lucidity, as well as working with the band Voyage on the track "Frozen". At the 2009 edition of the Night of the Proms festival, Den Adel made a guest appearance during John Miles' performance of "Stairway to Heaven". At the end of 2012, Sharon made an appearance on a charity campaign made by a Belgian radio station to raise money for children singing the chorus of the song het Meneer Konijn lied among other Belgian celebrities The song also peaked #1 at the Belgium Charts. Her cover of the song "Just What I Need for Tonight", from The Dinky Toys during the TV program Liefde voor muziek, peaked #18 on the Ultratip Belgium Charts.

Discography

Within Temptation

My Indigo

Guest appearances

Videography

Within Temptation

Guest appearances