Suzan & Freek

Last updated
Suzan & Freek
Suzan freek -1557664495.jpeg
Suzan & Freek performing in 2019
Background information
Origin Groenlo, Gelderland, Netherlands
Genres Pop
Years active2014–present
Labels Sony Music
Members
  • Suzan Stortelder
  • Freek Rikkerink
Website www.suzanenfreek.nl

Suzan & Freek is a Dutch musical duo from the Achterhoek, Netherlands. The now husband-and-wife couple of Suzan Stortelder and Freek Rikkerink have released music together since 2014. [1]

Contents

The duo first went viral when The Chainsmokers shared their cover of "Don't Let Me Down" in 2016. Their first original song, "Als het avond is", was released in 2018 and reached number one on the Dutch Top 40 in 2019, eventually being certified Platinum. Their debut album Gedeeld door ons entered the charts at number two in both the Netherlands and Belgium, and their next two albums both reached number one in the Netherlands.

The duo has been credited with aiding the newfound popularity of Dutch-language pop music in the Netherlands and Flanders in the 2020s. [2] [3] [4]

History

Suzan Stortelder and Freek Rikkerink met in 2007 in the music room of the Scholengemeenschap Marianum in Groenlo and began talking on MSN. Though Suzan was a year older and in a higher class, they played in a school band together and soon began a relationship. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Afterwards, they continued their studies as Suzan pursued architecture at TU Delft, while Freek studied commercial economics in Tilburg. They first performed in public together in 2009 at De Twee Bruggen campsite in Winterswijk. When the campsite owner asked them what name they wanted to be introduced as, they said simply their names "Suzan & Freek", and it stuck. [9]

In October 2014, Suzan & Freek began posting covers of popular songs on a weekly basis under the title "De Minuut". The first was Mr. Probz' "Nothing Really Matters", which was praised by Mr. Probz himself. [10] In 2016, their cover of "Don't Let Me Down" went viral after The Chainsmokers shared it, helping the cover receive millions of views and streams. [11] Their first EP, Glass House Sessions, was released in September 2017, featuring five covers. [5]

Their first original song, "Als het avond is", was released on 2 November 2018. It entered the Dutch Top 40 at No. 30 in December, and was certified Gold in March. [12] [13] After 17 weeks, it reached number one, breaking a 48-year-old record previously held by Les Poppys' "Non, non, rien n'a changé" (14 weeks) for the longest climb to number one in chart history. [14] After the song reached number one, they both left their jobs – Suzan as an architect, Freek at a record label – to focus on music full-time. [15] Their second single "Blauwe dag" was released on 28 June 2019 and reached No. 4 on the charts. [16] Their debut album Gedeeld door ons was released on 27 September 2019 and reached number two in the Netherlands. It was certified Gold after five days. [17] It would be certified Platinum and remain on the charts for 147 weeks. [18]

The duo released the single "Weg van jou" in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, although the song was written well before. [19] In August, they released "De overkant", a collaboration with Dutch rapper Snelle, which was a tribute to the Achterhoek region. [20] Suzan & Freek participated in season 13 of Beste Zangers, which aired beginning in September 2020. [21] Their second album Dromen in kleur was released on 29 October 2021. It reached number one on the Dutch Albums Chart in April 2022 after the duo performed two sold-out concerts at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. [22]

A documentary about the couple, Suzan & Freek: Tussen Jou en Mij, premiered on Netflix in January 2023. [23] Their third album, Iemand van vroeger, was released on 22 September 2023. [24] It debuted at number one in the Netherlands. [18] The duo not only sold out four November 2023 concerts at the Ziggo Dome, but also one at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium. [25] [26]

In May 2024, the duo released the single "Verleden tijd" which became their fifteenth top 40 hit, alongside the announcement of six sold-out concerts in the Ziggo Dome for May and June 2025. [27] [28]

Personal lives

Suzan Stortelder was born on 15 June 1992 in Zieuwent and Freek Rikkerink was born on 29 March 1993 in Harreveld. [29]

Suzan & Freek moved to Weesp in 2018. They sold their house in 2021 for €525,000, which is €116,000 more than they originally paid for it. [30] Since 2021, they reside in Nederhorst den Berg, a village in North Holland, in a house they bought for €950,000. [31]

The couple were engaged in Berlin in July 2022. Their wedding took place in December 2023, in the German town of Goch. [32] [33]

Members

Discography

Albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positions
NLD
[34] 		BEL
(Fl)
[35]
Gedeeld door ons201922
Dromen in kleur202114
Iemand van vroeger202311

EPs

List of EPs, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positions
BEL
(Fl)
[35]
Glass House Sessions2017—
Beste zangers – Seizoen 2020202081
Liefde voor muziek 20222022118

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
NLD
Dutch
Top 40
[36] 		NLD
Single
Top 100
[34] 		BEL
(Fl)
[35]
"Als het avond is"2018134Gedeeld door ons
"Blauwe dag"20194125
"Mag ik daar even stil bij staan"—55—
"Deze is voor mij"2020194727
"Weg van jou"122021Dromen in kleur
"De overkant"
(with Snelle)		2611
"Papa"2710—Beste zangers - Seizoen 2020
"Goud"20212417Dromen in kleur
"Onderweg naar later"10836
"Dromen in kleur"152327
"Honderd keer"202231248Iemand van vroeger
"Dit is voor jou"——44Liefde voor muziek 2022
"Kwijt"51230Iemand van vroeger
"Slapeloosheid"2023797
"Nooit meer regen"182920
"Vas-y (Ga maar)"
(with Claude)		5844
"De helft van mij"——15
"Verleden tijd"2024354534Non-album singles
"Ken je dat gevoel"2025181629

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Borsato</span> Dutch singer (born 1966)

Marco Roberto Borsato is a Dutch singer. Born in Alkmaar, North Holland, he started performing in Italian before switching to Dutch in 1994. He has consistently been one of the most successful and biggest-grossing artists in the Netherlands and Belgium for the past thirty years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ziggo Dome</span> Multi-use indoor arena in Amsterdam

The Ziggo Dome is an indoor arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands, located next to the Johan Cruijff ArenA. It is named after the Dutch cable TV provider Ziggo. In 2014, the Ziggo Dome Awards were announced, recognizing artists who performed at the arena.

RTL Nederland is a Dutch media network, a subsidiary of RTL Group. The media company is located in Hilversum, although the licences of its TV stations are issued in Luxembourg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Di-rect</span> Dutch rock band

Di-rect is a Dutch rock band from The Hague, formed in 1999. The band's current line-up consists of Jamie Westland (drums), Frans "Spike" van Zoest (guitar), Bas van Wageningen (bass), Paul Jan Bakker (guitar) and Marcel Veenendaal.

<i>Top 2000</i> Dutch radio program

The Top 2000 is an annual Dutch marathon radio programme that plays the 2,000 most popular songs listeners have deemed the best of all time. Hosted by the station NPO Radio 2 since 1999, it has since become "an indispensable part of the collective Dutch memory".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington (band)</span> Dutch rock band

Kensington is a Dutch rock band from Utrecht that was formed in 2005. The band consists of lead vocalist Jason Dowd, guitarist Casper Starreveld, bassist Jan Haker and drummer Niles Vandenberg. The band has four number-one albums in the Netherlands and three Platinum-certified albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dotan (singer)</span> Dutch-Israeli musician (born 1986)

Dotan Harpenau, better known mononymously as Dotan, is a Dutch-Israeli singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maan (singer)</span> Dutch singer and actress

Maan de Steenwinkel, also known mononymously as Maan, is a Dutch singer and actress. De Steenwinkel first came to prominence after winning season six of The Voice of Holland. She has subsequently taken part in the Dutch television series De beste zangers van Nederland and in the Dutch version of Dance Dance Dance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Als het avond is</span> 2018 single by Suzan & Freek

"Als het avond is" is the debut single by the Dutch musical duo Suzan & Freek. It was released on 2 November 2018 and later included on their 2019 debut studio album Gedeeld door ons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoe het danst</span> 2019 single by Marco Borsato, Armin van Buuren and Davina Michelle

"Hoe het danst" is a song by Dutch musicians Marco Borsato, Armin van Buuren and Davina Michelle. It was released on 8 May 2019, in anticipation of Borsato's upcoming stadium concerts at De Kuip. The song features Borsato and Michelle's vocals with Van Buuren's production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tijl Beckand</span> Dutch television presenter and comedian

Tijl Beckand is a Dutch television presenter and stand-up comedian. He is known as one of the comedians in the television show De Lama's together with Ruben Nicolai, Ruben van der Meer and Jeroen van Koningsbrugge. He also presents the television show De Verraders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snelle</span> Dutch rapper and singer

Lars Sebastiaan Bos, known professionally as Snelle, is a Dutch rapper and singer from Gorssel, Gelderland.

<i>Costa!!</i> 2022 Dutch film directed by Jon Karthaus

Costa!! is a 2022 Dutch comedy-drama film directed by Jon Karthaus. The film is not a sequel to the 2001 film Costa! but it takes place in the same location and has Katja Schuurman as the only original cast member. Karthaus and Diederik Jekel wrote the script of the film. It was the third best visited Dutch film of 2022 with just over 260,000 visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soy Kroon</span> Dutch actor (born 1995)

Soy Kroon is a Dutch actor. He is known for his role as Sil Selmhorst in the soap opera Goede tijden, slechte tijden and the spin-off series Nieuwe Tijden. He is also known for his role as Diederik in the Flemish television series Galaxy Park.

Arno Krabman is a Dutch songwriter and producer. He is known for his work with, among others, Suzan & Freek, Snelle and S10, and has had over twenty-five Dutch Single Top 100 hits as a songwriter. His repertoire consists mainly of Dutch-language pop songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oudejaarsconference</span> Dutch New Years Eve tradition

The oudejaarsconference is a cabaret performance that is performed annually in December. The conference discusses the past year, every year by different comedians. The oudejaarsconference is a Dutch tradition, but since 1993 Belgium has also had its own oudejaarsconference. The conference has been broadcast on television since 1969.

<i>The Great Vacation</i> 2024 album by Johan

The Great Vacation is the sixth studio album by Dutch rock band Johan. It was released on 26 January 2024, and received good reviews by critics. Like all of Johan's music, it was released on the Excelsior Recordings label. The album was delayed numerous times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then a glut of releases by the record label. The album was the first of the bands releases that wasn't exclusively written by Jacco de Greeuw. All songs were written by him and guitarist Robin Berlijn. The albums title also refers the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Pannekoek</span> Dutch comedian

Peter Pannekoek is a Dutch comedian and presenter. He is best known for his participation in the Dutch version of the Comedy Central Roast and for his role as team captain in the television program Dit was het nieuws.

This is a list of events taking place in 2025 relating to television in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stiekem</span> 2022 single by Maan

"Stiekem" is a song by Dutch musician Maan featuring Dutch group Goldband. It was released on 4 November 2022 and would also appear on a reissue of Maan's second studio album Leven.

References

  1. ↑ Welingelichte Kringen: Suzan & Freek op 1 in de hitlijsten: Wie zijn deze bescheiden Achterhoekers? (in Dutch)
  2. ↑ De Belder, Stijn (2022-06-10). "De terugkeer van Nederlandstalige muziek: "Engelstalig liedje zal nooit dezelfde impact hebben"". Het Laatste Nieuws .
  3. ↑ "Populariteit Nederlandstalige muziek groeit volgens artiesten". RTL Nieuws & Entertainment (in Dutch). 2022-04-16. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  4. ↑ "Top 40-record: Opmars Nederlandstalige muziek bereikt hoogtepunt". Top40.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  5. 1 2 "Onvoorwaardelijke liefde bezorgt Suzan & Freek doorbraakhit". NPO Radio 2 (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  6. ↑ "Suzan & Freek: 'Mooi dat we het allemaal samen mogen meemaken'". Vriendin.nl (in Dutch). 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  7. ↑ Brons, Merel (2021-10-27). "Suzan & Freek: van highschool sweethearts tot succesduo". Libelle.
  8. ↑ "Suzan & Freek vieren liefdesjubileum: 'Wil je nooit meer kwijt'". RTL Nieuws & Entertainment (in Dutch). 2020-12-07. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  9. ↑ Aalbers, Rick (2020-02-12). "Zo werden 'campingzangers' Suzan en Freek winnaars van een Edison".
  10. ↑ Knooihuizen, Klaas (2019-10-25). "Suzan & Freek zijn schaamteloos gelukkig met elkaar, en dat legt ze bepaald geen windeieren". Trouw .
  11. ↑ "Intieme sfeer bij Suzan & Freek in Mezz Kleine Zaal". 3voor12 (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  12. ↑ "Top 40: Suzan en Freek hoogst nieuw met Als Het Avond Is". Top40.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  13. ↑ "'Als het avond is' levert Suzan en Freek gouden plaat op". www.gld.nl (in Dutch). 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  14. ↑ "Suzan & Freek domineren de Top 40". RTL Nieuws & Entertainment (in Dutch). 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  15. ↑ Depypere, Patrick (2021-10-29). "Suzan & Freek over 'Dromen in kleur': "Onze liedjes zijn puur, een verhaal zonder aankleding"". KW.be (in Flemish). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  16. ↑ "Suzan & Freek brengen tweede single uit". RTL Nieuws & Entertainment (in Dutch). 2019-06-28. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  17. ↑ "Suzan en Freek hebben binnen vijf dagen al gouden plaat voor debuutalbum". www.gld.nl (in Dutch). 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  18. 1 2 Spiertz, Cas (2023-10-03). "Opnieuw nummer 1-album voor Suzan & Freek". Entertainment Business (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  19. ↑ Vos, Michiel (2020-05-01). "Suzan en Freek: 'We zitten echt niet hele dagen naast elkaar aan tafel'". NU.nl .
  20. ↑ "Suzan & Freek brengen samen met Snelle ontroerende ode aan thuis". RTL Nieuws & Entertainment (in Dutch). 2020-08-21. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  21. ↑ "Suzan & Freek, Diggy Dex en Miss Montreal bij De Beste Zangers 2020!". www2.100p.nl. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  22. ↑ Febre, Arnold le (2022-04-29). "Ziggo Dome zorgt voor eerste plaats Suzan & Freek". EB LIVE (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  23. ↑ "Netflix deelt releasedatum documentaire Suzan & Freek". RTL Nieuws & Entertainment (in Dutch). 2022-12-18. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  24. ↑ "Suzan & Freek brengen volgende maand nieuw album uit". RTL Nieuws & Entertainment (in Dutch). 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  25. ↑ "Vierde show toegevoegd aan concertreeks Suzan & Freek in Ziggo Dome". RTL Nieuws & Entertainment (in Dutch). 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  26. ↑ Steenkiste, Matthieu Van (2023-11-05). "Suzan en Freek brengen 'Iemand van vroeger' naar Het Sportpaleis: "Ook in een grote zaal kun je een klein liedje spelen"". De Zondag (in Flemish). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  27. ↑ "Slow It Down van Benson Boone hoogste nieuwe in de Top 40". Top40.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  28. ↑ "Suzan & Freek spelen volgend jaar ook in het Sportpaleis in Antwerpen | Nieuws op Podiuminfo". www.podiuminfo.nl. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  29. ↑ "Suzan & Freek". NPO Sterren NL (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-11.
  30. ↑ Zeeman, Cas (2022-10-27). "Suzan & Freek verkopen woning in Weesp met ruim € 100.000 winst". Pure Luxe (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  31. ↑ "Suzan en Freek uit Beste Zangers kopen prachtig vrijstaand huis met bijgebouw". Bekende Buren (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  32. ↑ "Suzan & Freek brengen tweede single uit". RTL Nieuws & Entertainment (in Dutch). 2019-06-28. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  33. ↑ Arendsen, René (2023-12-04). "Op deze droomlocatie zijn Suzan & Freek getrouwd". www.gld.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  34. 1 2 "Susan & Freek discography". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  35. 1 2 3 "Susan & Freek discography". ultratop.be. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  36. ↑ "Suzan & Freek | Top 40-artiesten" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 25 January 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.