Caro Emerald: The Netherlands' Vintage Pop Jazz Sensation

Caro Emerald is a Dutch singer who revitalized vintage jazz and pop sounds for the modern era. Her 2010 debut album, Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor, became a record-breaking commercial success in the Netherlands.

Early Career

Born Caroline Esmeralda van der Leeuw in 1981, she studied jazz singing at the Amsterdam Conservatory. Her professional career began with session work and collaborations, leading to her 2007 demo for the song Back It Up, produced by Jan van Wieringen and David Schreurs.

Breakthrough

Caro Emerald's breakthrough arrived in 2009 with the single A Night Like This, which topped the Dutch charts. This set the stage for her 2010 debut album, which spent 30 weeks at number one in the Netherlands, achieving diamond certification and breaking the national record for longest-running number-one album.

Key Tracks

Back It Up - The initial demo that defined her signature retro sound and caught the attention of producers.

A Night Like This - Her first major hit single that launched her into mainstream popularity across Europe.

That Man - A catchy, horn-driven track that became another international success from her debut album.

Liquid Lunch - A song showcasing her playful lyrics and cinematic, jazz-pop style from her second album.

Tangled Up - A later single that demonstrated the evolution of her sound while maintaining its vintage core.

The massive success of her debut was followed by the 2013 album The Shocking Miss Emerald, which debuted at number one in the UK and the Netherlands. Caro Emerald's music, often created with the Grandmono production team, blends swing, jazz, mambo, and pop with contemporary electronic production.

Fans of Caro Emerald's stylish fusion of old and new may also enjoy the sophisticated pop of Parov Stelar, who similarly mixes vintage jazz with modern beats. The vocal jazz and swing influences can be heard in the work of Postmodern Jukebox, known for their retro covers of contemporary songs. For another Dutch artist with a powerful vocal presence in pop, explore Anouk.

Caro Emerald's distinctive vintage pop continues to be featured on a variety of radio formats, from adult contemporary stations to specialized jazz and nostalgia channels. Her timeless sound, bridging decades of musical influence, finds a natural home on eclectic music streams.

The music of Caro Emerald is available to hear on radio stations featured on our website. Listeners can discover her catalog of retro-inspired pop through the radio stations available on onairium.com.