Natalia Willy Druyts (born 3 December 1980), known mononymously as Natalia, is a Belgian singer. She became known in Flanders during the VTM program Idool 2003, in which she finished in second place. She is currently a coach in Flemish TV-programs The Voice van Vlaanderen, The Voice Kids and The Voice Senior.
Natalia Druyts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Natalia Willy Druyts |
| Also known as | Natalia |
| Born | 3 December 1980 Geel, Flanders, Belgium |
| Genres | R&B, pop, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Sony Music Belgium, Universal |
| Website | natalia |
Early life and career edit
Natalia was born on 3 December 1980 in Geel, Belgium.[1] Her parents had always lived in Oevel, a village close by the Geel municipality.[1] She graduated as a translator in English and Spanish.
Before 2003 Natalia was the singer of a small music group in Gierle (Belgium). This group was only known in the area of Turnhout (Belgium) and Westerlo (Belgium), where they had some performances. She got her breakthrough in 2003, which unfortunately meant she had to break up with her friends from 'Secret Me'.
In 2003 Natalia released her first single "Without You", the single peaked at number two in the Belgian charts and was certified gold in Belgium.[2] Not much later, Natalia provided two songs for the Belgian movie Team Spirit II, releasing "I've Only Begun To Fight" as her second single and as part of the soundtrack for the movie.[3] The song peaked at number one in the Belgian charts and was certified gold in Belgium.[3][4] Shortly after, she recorded her first album, This Time. It was certified platinum in Belgium,[5] and Natalia started her first tour, the This Time Live Tour. Originally planned as a 20 date tour, it was extended to 90 dates due to massive ticket demands. While on tour she performed at the pre-selections for the Eurovision Song Contest with "Higher Than The Sun", which was released as her third single.[6] It peaked at number two in the Belgian charts.[7] The fourth and last single of the This Time album was "I Want You Back", which peaked at number three in the charts.
In October 2005, Natalia released a single together with The Pointer Sisters, "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves",[8] which reached number two in the Belgian charts.[9] She performed 10 concerts with The Pointer Sisters in January 2006 during Natalia Meets The Pointer Sisters in the Sportpaleis, Antwerp, attended by more than 130,000 people.
Natalia released a single together with En Vogue called "Glamorous" in October 2007; it reached number two on the Belgian charts. In January 2008 she performed with En Vogue and Shaggy during Natalia Meets En Vogue, Feat Shaggy at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp.[10]
In January 2011, Natalia planned a new concert series with an international superstar, this time she chose Anastacia. They recorded a single called "Burning Star", and in January 2011 toured as Natalia Meets Anastacia, selling over 75,000 tickets. In January 2014, Natalia was on the screen as a presenter for the first time. Together with Sam De Bruyn, she presented the Music Industry Awards on Eén.[11] In the autumn of 2015 Natalia was a coach in the program The Voice Kids. A candidate from Natalia's team, Mentissa, eventually won the program.[12] In 2015 she continued with her role as a coach in The Voice Kids. On 14 February 2015, Natalia was a guest at the Ladies of Soul in the Netherlands, singing the song Lady Marmalade.[13] In August 2015, she presented her new single "Smoking Gun" during the Pop Up Live program on Eén.[14][15]
Discography edit
Studio albums edit
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEL [16] | |||
| 2003 | This Time
(including "Higher Than The Sun")
|
4
|
Belgium: 2× Platinum |
| 2004 | Back For More
(including "You Are" and "Heart Of Gold")
|
1
|
Belgium: 3× Platinum |
| 2007 | Everything and More
(including "Drop A Little (Single Version)", "All That I Am", "Where She Belongs")
|
1
|
Belgium: 2× Platinum |
| 2009 | Wise Girl
(including "Feeling", "Soul Divided", "Mind, Body and Soul")
|
1
|
Belgium: Platinum |
| 2010 | Acoustelicious
|
1
|
Belgium: Platinum |
| 2013 | Overdrive
|
2
|
Belgium: Platinum |
| 2016 | In My Blood
|
2
|
Belgium: Platinum |
| 2017 | The Sound of Me
|
3
|
Belgium: Gold |
| 2023 | Hallelujah to the Beat
|
2
|
Singles edit
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEL [16] | |||
| "Without You" | 2003 | 2 | This Time |
| "I've Only Begun to Fight" | 1 | ||
| "Higher Than the Sun" | 2004 | 2 | |
| "I Want You Back" | 3 | ||
| "Risin'" | 2 | Back For More | |
| "Fragile, Not Broken" | 11 | ||
| "Shelter" | 2005 | 28 | |
| "Ridin' By/You Are" | 12 | ||
| "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (with The Pointer Sisters) |
2 | Non-album singles | |
| "Rid of You" | 2006 | 14 | |
| "Gone to Stay" | 2007 | 9 | Everything & More |
| "Glamorous/Where She Belongs" (with En Vogue) |
2 | ||
| "I Survived You"[A] | 2008 | 26 | |
| "Drop a Little" | 7 | ||
| "All or Nothing" | 13 | Wise Girl | |
| "Heartbreaker"[A] | 2009 | 48 | |
| "Feeling" | 36 | ||
| "Still with Me"[A] | 63 | ||
| "Hallelujah" (with Gabriel Rios) |
2010 | 1 | Non-album single |
| "On the Radio" | — | Wise Girl | |
| "Burning Star" (with Anastacia) |
45 | Non-album singles | |
| "1 Minute" | 2011 | 58 | |
| "Angel" (Lionel Richie featuring Natalia) |
2012 | 32 | |
| "Overdrive" | 2013 | 19 | Overdrive |
| "Boom" | 10 | ||
| "A Girl Like Me" | 52 | ||
| "Ride Like the Wind/Cavalgaré" | 2014 | 55 | |
| "Downtown" (with Paul Michiels) |
41 | "A Singer's Heart" (Paul Michiels) | |
| "Smoking gun" | 2015 | 13 | In My Blood |
| "You Are So Beautiful" | 9 | Non-album single | |
| "In My Blood" | 2016 | 16 | In My Blood |
| "Razorblade" (with Lara Fabian) |
—[B] | ||
| "Anyone Out There" | —[C] | ||
| "Synchronize" | —[D] | The Sound of Me | |
| "You've Got a Friend" (live) | 2017 | 9 | |
| "How I Danced" (live) | 31 | ||
| "Conqueror" | —[E] | ||
| "Hear That Sound" | 2018 | —[F] | Non-album single |
| "When You Came By" | 2023 | — | Hallelujah to the Beat |
| "Ready for the Ride" | 23 | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||
Notes
A. ^ ^ ^ "I Survived You", "Heartbreaker" and "Still with Me" were only released digitally.
B. ^ "Razorblade" did not enter the Flemish Ultratop 50, but peaked at number 5 on the Ultratip chart.
C. ^ "Anyone Out There" did not enter the Flemish Ultratop 50, but peaked at number 15 on the Ultratip chart.
D. ^ "Synchronize" did not enter the Flemish Ultratop 50, but peaked at number 12 on the Ultratip chart.
E. ^ "Conqueror" did not enter the Flemish Ultratop 50, but peaked at number 16 on the Ultratip chart.
F. ^ "Hear That Sound" did not enter the Flemish Ultratop 50, but peaked at number 2 on the Ultratip chart.
DVDs edit
- Back For More live (2005) (#1)
- Natalia Meets En Vogue feat. Shaggy (2008)
- Natalia Live in Hasselt – 10 Year Anniversary Concert (2013)
Awards edit
| Year | Award-Show | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | TMF Awards | Best New Artist National | Nominated |
| 2003 | Tien Om Te Zien summer (vtm) | Best song ("Without You") | Won |
| 2003 | Tien Om Te Zien winter (vtm) | Best song ("I've Only Begun To Fight") | Won |
| 2003 | Jommeke's Newspaper | Best Female Singer | Won |
| 2004 | Tien Om Te Zien summer (vtm) | Best Song ("I Want You Back") | Nominated |
| 2004 | Tien Om Te Zien summer (vtm) | Best Song ("Risin'") | Won |
| 2004 | ZAMU Music Awards | Most Popular | Won |
| 2004 | TMF Awards | Best Female Artist National | Won |
| 2004 | TMF Awards | Best Pop Natinonal | Won |
| 2004 | Jommeke's Newspaper | Best Female Singer | Won |
| 2004 | één | Best Song of the year ("Risin'") | Won |
| 2004 | Online Men Magazine "Feliks" | Most Desirable Woman of Belgium | Nominated |
| 2005 | Tien Om Te Zien summer | Best Song ("You Are") | Nominated |
| 2005 | TMF Awards | Best Female Artist National | Nominated |
| 2005 | TMF Awards | Best Pop National | Won |
| 2005 | TMF Awards | Best Album National ("Back For More") | Won |
| 2005 | Online Men Magazine "Feliks" | Most Desirable Woman of Belgium | Won |
| 2005 | Kids Awards | Chick of the Year | Won |
| 2006 | ZAMU Music Awards | Best Live Act | Nominated |
| 2006 | TMF Awards | Best Female Artist National | Won |
| 2006 | TMF Awards | Best Pop National | Nominated |
| 2006 | Radio 2 | Best Concert ("Natalia meets The Pointer Sisters") | Won |
| 2007 | Radio 2 | Best Summer Song ("Gone To Stay") | Won |
| 2007 | Radio 2 | Best Performance | Nominated |
| 2007 | Tien Om Te Zien summer | Best Song ("Gone To Stay") | Nominated |
| 2007 | TMF Awards | Best Pop National | Nominated |
| 2007 | TMF Awards | Best Album National (Everything & More) | Nominated |
| 2007 | TMF Awards | Best Female Artist National | Won |
| 2007 | TMF Awards | Best Live National | Nominated |
| 2007 | Golden Flip Award | Best Female Singer | Won' |
| 2007 | Showbizz-Site of 2007 | Best website https://www.nataliamusic.be | Won |
| 2008 | Music Industry Awards | Best Live act | Nominated |
| 2008 | Music Industry Awards | Best Solo Artist | Won |
| 2008 | Music Industry Awards | Best Pop | Nominated |
| 2008 | Music Industry Awards | Best Song (Gone to Stay) | Nominated |
| 2008 | Kids Awards | Music of the Year | Nominated |
| 2008 | Kids Awards | Chick of the Year | Nominated |
| 2008 | TMF Awards | Best Female Artist | Won |
| 2008 | TMF Awards | Best Live Act | Nominated |
| 2008 | TMF Awards | Best Pop Act | Won |
| 2008 | Radio 2 | Best Song (I Survived You & Drop a Little) | Nominated |
| 2008 | Radio 2 | Best Performance (Natalia meets En Vogue ft. Shaggy) | Nominated |
| 2008 | Radio 2 | Best Video Clip (I Survived You) | Nominated |
| 2009 | Radio 2 | Best Performance (Glamorous Arena Tour) | Won |
| 2009 | Radio 2 | Best Song (All Or Nothing, Heartbreaker) | Nominated |
| 2009 | TMF Awards | Best Album (Wise Girl) | Nominated |
| 2009 | TMF Awards | Best Live Act | Nominated |
| 2009 | TMF Awards | Best Female | Won |
| 2009 | TMF Awards | Best Pop | Nominated |
| 2009 | Music Industry Awards | Best Pop | Nominated |
| 2009 | Music Industry Award | Best Female solo | Nominated |
| 2009 | Music Industry Award | Best Song (All Or Nothing) | Nominated |
| 2014 | Music Industry Award | Best Female solo | Nominated |
| 2014 | Music Industry Award | Best Pop | Nominated |
Autobiography edit
Met Hart En Soul (English: With Heart and Soul) was written by Natalia and a ghost-writer. It is about her early life and career. The book was released on 8 October 2007.
References edit
- ^ a b "Natalia: "Ik wil wel naar het buitenland, maar ik ga mijn ziel niet verkopen"". De Morgen. 7 December 2015. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "Natalia – Without You". Ultra Top.be. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Natalia". buikrock.be. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "Natalia – I've Only Begun To Fight". Ultra Top.be. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "Me and My Producer - The Second Edition". www.nextar.be. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "Eurosong 2004 - Het concept". www.songfestival.be. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "Natalia – Higher Than The Sun". Ultra Top. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ Billboard Staff. "Billboard Bits: Tom Vek, Pointer Sisters/Natalia, Go-Betweens". Billboard. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "THE POINTER SISTERS". www.gracialive.be. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ bsouffreau (31 October 2007). "Natalia nodigt En Vogue én Shaggy uit". Het Belang van Limburg. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ ""VRT heeft Natalia niet in de juiste rol ingezet tijdens MIA's"". deredactie.be. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ "" Mentissa (14) wint "The voice kids" "". deredactie.be. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- ^ Natalia over toekomst: "Gedaan met boenke boenke", Het Laatste Nieuws, 13 February 2015
- ^ Natalia brengt verrassende single: "Dit is een nieuwe start", Het Laatste Nieuws, 6 August 2015
- ^ Verrassende nieuwe single Natalia krijgt blijkbaar ook verrassende clip, Het Laatste Nieuws, 8 August 2015
- ^ a b "ultratop.be – Natalia – 1 Minute". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
External links edit
Official sites:
Official site for Natalia Meets Anastacia