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Nick & Simon

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Nick & Simon was a Dutch singing and presenting duo from Volendam, consisting of Nick Schilder and Simon Keizer. Both come from well-known Volendam musical families. Nick made his first television appearance on Idols, the Dutch version of Idol, where he finished eleventh. Shortly afterwards he and Simon began performing together. In 2006 they became popular in the Netherlands, and in 2007 they were the most booked act in the country.

Music and breakthrough

Their first album, Nick & Simon, was released in 2006, followed by Vandaag in 2007. The album Luister, from 2009, went double platinum within four months. Fier followed in 2010, Sterker in 2012, Open in 2015 and Aangenaam in 2017, alongside Christmas albums and the German-language Ein Neuer Tag in 2014. Their hits included Kijk omhoog and Pak maar m'n hand. In June 2011 they went in search of the American Dream in a television documentary. They were coaches in the first three seasons of The Voice of Holland and presented various television programmes and music documentaries.

Influence

The group made Dutch-language pop music for a broad audience, with melodic songs and a pronounced attachment to their home town. In the end the duo decided to split after the Nu of Ooit tour, because both men wanted more room for a career of their own. Their success shows how strongly Dutch-language pop grew in the years after 2005.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Kijk omhoog and notice the melody and the singing: how do the two voices share the lines, and what makes the chorus so easy to sing along to?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists