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Anouk is back!
With her new album, Who's your momma, the world finally seems to be ready for Anouk (32). A conversation about gossip queen Perez Hilton, living in the States, taking care of love and the resignation of her musicians. "solidarity is a great quality, but also a little bit naive."

Anouk Teeuwe is feeling great, you can clearly see that. In spite of tiredness because of het three children and a full promotion schedule, she looks relaxed. She's laughing a lot and out loud, in a hotel nearby her house in Amsterdam, because after three years living in the States, Anouk is temporary back in Holland.

Her Dutch common sense seems unaffected. Every question is answered by the Anouk way we are familiar with. Self-criticism - she's blamed a lot of times because she should not have this- doesn't seem rare to her. She hears that Revu had spoken with Glen Bellard, the well-known American producer, who produced her new album Who's your momma, and with Jonas Ackerlund who made her new video clip.

Both men told Revu on and on what kind of special person Anouk is. That they wished that every artist would be so strong, talented en driven as Anouk. Even after a little bit of pushing, there was not a bad word to hear about Anouk. 'They are such sweet persons. I think I am driving them mad sometimes, I can be a very difficult person.' Jonas Ackerlund already produced video clips for Madonna and Bono, so he is used to artist with their own will. Also Glen Ballard worked with Madonne before, and also with Céline Dion, Barbra Streisand and Michael Jacksons: all with huge ego's. Anouk laughs about the comparison with these international stars: "I am no Celine Dion. Just a Dutch girl that is unknown in the States. So I restrained a bit this time.'

Ballard brought, together with Anouk's husband Remon Stotijn, the soul diva in Anouk to the top. The comparison with Amy Winehouse is serving himself a lot, because of the pumping hit single Good God. She was scared for this. People should not think that she is trying to take part in the trend. Her album is divers and timeless. Like all her albums. Though today she is not longer busy with a comparison with the British soul-singer. Because the most well-known blogger/gossip queen/ great Amy Winehouse-fan- Perez Hilton calls Anouk the Dutch Amy Winehouse

32 year old Mother
Anouk keeps on claiming that a great American break through is not longer possible. That they are not waiting for a 32-year old mother of three children. They are waiting for fresh girls, but she’s not longer one of them. But the signals for an international career were never better, and she knows it. When she talks about Perez Hilton her eyes shimmer like a lamp. Just like when she hears following compliments: “Glen Ballard says you have one of the best voices he had ever heard. You do nothing against your will. You are real. A fighter. But also a sweet woman. And this is just a selection of his laudatory words.”
‘Jesus Christ, how sweet’

“He even praises your pertness, because it proves you want nothing but the best for your music.”
Now, smiling: ‘That’s what he says now. On a certain moment we were writing a song, and I told him ‘I don’t like it man’. His face turned sad immediately. I thought ‘hell no, wrong comment. Later I started doubting about another song, Make it Rain. Wasn’t it too smooth? It was recorded already, but I didn’t want it any more. Remon convinced me just in time that the song was great. The next day Glen asked nervous how I thought about it. ‘I think it’s crap’ I told him. He did not know what to do anymore. When I started laughing, he understood I was making a joke. From that moment on, everything went great. Glen felt exactly what I wanted, just like his musicians, they were very good too.’


“Your band members in Holland were not that enthusiast about Who’s your momma. You decided to break up with them after more than five years”
When I played my album for the band, I did not get any reaction. The just walked away without saying anything. It seemed like agreed work. Later I heard from my roadis, that the boys told behind my back that the album sucked. Why didn’t they say “I was pissed, I would have loved to play your album.” Or: “The album sucks.” I would not like that, but I would respect it.’


“Did you have to think about the break up, or are you so impulsive that you threw them out immediately?”
‘After that moment, I had to leave for a few days. Remon told me: “go, I’ll be watching the kids, together with E-life” só cute, two big hip hoppers taking care of the kids. I went to France, and thought about it a few days. It was not a simple decision, I loved playing with those men. Once home, I called up two boys, I like most, I wanted to go on with them. But they decided to stop with it, as a group.’


“the drummer, Hans Eijkenaar said two weeks ago ‘Anouk turn it back’”
II love that guy, but I was done with it that moment. The sad thing is that, when de bandmembers started talking to the press, the door to the future was locked forever. It was not my intention. But the new songs, I just could not play them with them. I was afraid there would be a cold machine behind me. ‘


“you say you can’t really fire session musicans. But it seems they feel themselves a band”
Solidarity is a great quality, but in this case it is a littly bit naïve. If trijntje Oosterhuis wants to work with Hans Eijkenhaar, he does not say: “I will only do it if I can choose the other musicians myself.” On the other hand I can understand the guys. We were all in the same conservatorium and they helped each other with finding jobs.


“the rock- and soulsongs on your new album are better than ever. But the soft songs do not have the sober thins of HNY. They sound less pure..”
‘I loooove the ballads of HNY. I can understand why you think this, but I have something nice up and coming. This will satisfy the need to those sober ballads.”


“you can stand criticism”
II’m not such a bitch. I only want to communicate straight with people. That’s something I do myself too.


“Jonas Akerlund said you are an easy artist to work with. You did almost everything he asked for. Did you lose your shame?”

‘I showed jonas my best part. I thought I could not make it not to listen to him. That Ray of light clip of Madonna, só cool. But when he told the Good god-clip would be high fashion, I started to panic I told him: I’m not that hip. I don’t fit in a haute-couture pants.


”Akerlund said you had to get used to the long Victorian dresses en de yellow whimpers. Is this a synonym for being shocked as hell?”

‘Man, when I say the clothes of the clip, I started to panic immediately. Glitter dresses, boa’s, feather jackets. I took a deep breath, it’s thé Akerlund, you know. When I wore a Apple dress in front of the mirror, I had to force myself not to scream. I felt like a sausage. I also doubted about that yellow lashes and the pink lipstick. Jonas had to convince me that I was not looking like a transseksuel. ‘


“pinkpop director Jan Smeets told Revu you’re sweet. But one with star allures. You would have had conflicts with him, but the next time you saw him everything was okay.”
‘I read that too, and I laughed my ass off. I swear to god, It was not that bad. It’s a nice guy, it wasn’t smart to announce me while the contract wasn’t rounded. I asked a better place, I did not get it. I did not come, so I got all the shit. But when I saw him again, I gave him 3 kisses, yes, the conflict was pure business to me. ‘


“your husband, Remon Stotijn, had fear of failure from 2001-2006. It sucked that the baker said: you’re wife is doing better than you”
‘I know he felt fucked up. It’s not right, such a comment. Remon is a great producer and writer. At the moment he’s touring through Germany a month, stinking in a tour bus, his thing. I would hate it. But I am lazy compared to him. The label has to harp before I go back in the studio. I have to pull Remon out of the studio every night, to make surve I can spend an evening on the couch with him.


“Remon also says: ‘I saw my friends a lot less when I started going out with Anouk. They thought: that’s that woman from tv man’, they did not know how to behave”
‘It was not so much my effort, but more that I was not the type Remon normally would fall for. And his friends thought: this does not match. They’re all hip hippers, very heavy. I’m heavy too, but in a different way.’


“what is it like to be back in Holland?”
‘In Rotterdam I felt observed by everyone. Here, in Amsterdam, that feeling is not that strong anymore.
“At the Chateau Marmont, where you and your husband stayed during the recording of you album, you met Britney spears, what was she like?”
‘she is such a beautiful woman. She even winked at remon, while I was sitting next to him! I was shocked.’ Laughing: ‘But you know, she knows what good man look like, haha’