I
Millennium

Dutch rock is popular in the new millennium. Mid nineties the Netherlands got inspired by the Scandinavian metal scene and created their own form of more symphonic metal with bands such as Within Temptation, The Gathering, After Forever, Ayreon (aka Arjan Lucassen) and Epica. The unique aspect was that where Scandinavian acts use male singers, the Dutch acts had female singers gaining the somewhat odd description of fairy tale metal. They became internationally successful in the beginning of the new millennium but do sing in English.

Dutch dance producers like DJ Tiësto, Armin van Buuren and Ferry Corsten are so popular that UK DJ Darren Tate releases in 2002 his single The Theme under the Dutch pseudonym Jurgen Vries in order to enjoy the same chart success as his Dutch counterparts. Mixing hiphop, dance and latin pop are combo Zuco 103, Electro Coco and DJ Praful. This musicgenre is mainly pushed by Belgian label Crammed (see Belgium).

In the early 2000s the MC fronted band Relax got much airplay, as did de Spookrijders. Opgezwolle, a group from Zwolle latest album, 'Eigen wereld' ('Own world') appeared in the 'Album Top 100' at number 4; the highest notation of a Dutch rap-album ever. In the mid 2000s the Dutch-Marrocan styled rap of Ali B and Raymzter have commercial succes as does duo Lange Frans & Baas B. In 2005, De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig (The youth of today) were successful with the slang rapped 'Watskeburt?!' ('Wuzhappenin?!').

As said rock music was popular in the new millenium. Acts like guitar-driven pop combo Daryll-Ann, rock/dance crossover Junkie XL, alternative rockers Caesar, singer songwriters like Ilse DeLange and Spinvis, teenage punky pop stars Krezip and alternative rockers Green Lizard. Most popular was and still is the band Kane with their copy of American rock. More local indiepop bands that come up in the new century are Kensington, Moke and Dotan.

Palingpop makes a return in the new millennium with young artists like Jan Smit and Nick & Simon. They used the old palingsound characteristics but this time the lyrics are sung in Dutch. Dutch Levenslied still gets mainly promoted by pirate radio although some artists like Frans Bauer and Wolter Kroes succeed in reaching a wider audience. Levenslied gets a blow in the new millennium when popular singer Andre Hazes dies in 2004 adding to his growing popularity.

But Holland stays a country where the old Kleinkunst and cabaret feel calls. Every group or artist will, at one point in their career, do a so-called Theatre tour. Performing in theatre halls in stead of concert venues, usually with an acoustic or semi acoustic set. Kleinkunst in its original form is revived with artist Wende Snijders who sings in French. Her succes stirs a lot of the old Kleinkunst artists to suddenly start recording in French as well and plundering the chanson catalogue. With dubieus results. More original is the music of Frisian singer Nynke Laverman who creates a fado/kleinkunst mix before going avant-garde pop on her third album. At the end of the decade young talent Eefje de Visser, Aafke Romeijn and Ellen ten Damme suprise with some true Dutch female pop.