Caro Emerald

Caroline Esmeralda van der Leeuw, born on 26 April 1981, is a Dutch pop and jazz singer who primarily performs in English. Known professionally as Caro Emerald, as well as under the names The Jordan and Caro, she rose to prominence following the release of her 2009 debut single "Back It Up" and her record-breaking debut studio album.

Van der Leeuw was born in Amsterdam to a Dutch father and an Aruban mother. She began taking singing lessons at age 12 with James Gilloffo, under whose guidance she joined the vocal group Les Elles. After completing high school, she studied jazz vocals at the Amsterdam Conservatory, graduating in 2005.

Her professional music career began in early 2007 when producer Jan van Wieringen invited her to record vocals for "Back It Up," a song created alongside David Schreurs, Vince Degiorgio, and Robin Veldman. After initial pitches to record labels failed, the demo gained public popularity online and on radio. Realizing the potential of their sound, the team formed their own label, Grandmono. "Back It Up" was officially released in July 2009, becoming a major hit in the Netherlands.

In January 2010, Van der Leeuw released her debut album, Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor. The album achieved massive commercial success, spending a total of 30 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Dutch album chart and surpassing Michael Jackson's Thriller for the all-time record. Its second single, "A Night Like This," topped the Dutch charts in January 2010. The album eventually sold over 1.4 million copies across Europe, achieving multi-platinum certifications in several countries.

Her second studio album, The Shocking Miss Emerald, was released in April 2013 and entered at number one on both the Dutch and United Kingdom album charts. The project featured singles such as "Tangled Up" and "Liquid Lunch." Following the album's release, she performed the opening set on the pyramid stage at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival. She later released the single "Quicksand" in 2015, an exotica-inspired EP titled Emerald Island in 2017, and the single "Wake Up Romeo" in 2020.

In August 2022, Van der Leeuw was revealed as the voice behind a new music project named The Jordan, marking the dormancy of the Caro Emerald project. Under The Jordan, she released the debut album Nowhere Near the Sky in February 2023. In February 2026, she announced her return under the name Caro, releasing the single "I Can't Win" ahead of a new album.

Throughout her career, Van der Leeuw has received numerous honors, including the Edison Award for Best Female Artist, the Popprijs 2010, a Goldene Kamera, and an Echo Award. In her personal life, she gave birth to daughters in March 2014 and August 2017.