K3 (group)

The band K3 was started by Niels William. Initially, their intention was to be the Flemish version of the British all-female group "Spice Girls." Following the same formula K3 was composed of all females in their twenties, and like the Spice Girls, women in their twenties as their target audience. The original target is noticeable in their early song lyrics including their first single, "Wat ik wil" (What I want). This release was not very successful.

In 1999, K3 participated in live television shows that selected the Belgian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Heyah Mama". The song was not well received by one of the judges, Marcel Vanthilt, who referred to the band members as "assorted meat products". Notwithstanding, "Heyah Mama" was released as a single and became the first big hit for the band, staying at the number two spot of the Flemish Ultratop 50 chart, charting 25 weeks. Their next two singles also earned the number one spot on the charts, resulting in an uninterrupted period of 32 weeks of K3 in the number one spot. About a year after becoming famous in Flanders, K3 also became famous in the Netherlands.

Their songs are written by Miguel Wiels, Alain Vande Putte and Peter Gillis. This trio previously collaborated as songwriters for Flemish singer Isabelle A.

K3 is noted for being the first pop act to break through to the top of the charts without receiving any airplay from the regular music television channels, such as MTV and TMF. Niels William's new marketing concept was based on promotion via children and cartoon channels such as Fox Kids.[1]

K3 performance - Oostende - 2001

K3 performance - Hasselt - 2006

In 2002, Niels William sold the band to Studio 100, a Flemish television production company for Dutch and Belgian children's programs.

Songs like "Heyah Mama", "I love you baby", "Alle Kleuren" (All colours), "Blub, ik ben een vis!" (Blub, I'm a fish!), "Tele-Romeo", "Toveren" (Magic), "Verliefd" (In love), "De 3 biggetjes" (The Three Little Piglets), "Oya lélé", "Hart verloren" (Lost heart), "Liefdeskapitein" (Captain of Love), "Kuma He", "Ya Ya Yippee", "Dokter Dokter" (Doctor doctor) and "Kusjesdag" (Kisses Day) were hits for the band. K3 has released nine albums. Their eighth album Ya Ya Yippee sold more than 50,000 copies in pre-sales within the Benelux. The ninth album, Kusjes (Kisses), sold 20,000.

K3 has a children's television program called De wereld van K3 (K3's World). Originally, there were Dutch and Flemish versions, but only the Dutch version remains.

On 10 June 2006, a party was held at Plopsaland, a popular theme park, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Studio 100. At the event, the band members opened the K3 Museum which provides an overview of their career. There are interviews, clothes, and props from the films to be seen, including the air scooters from the film K3 en het Magische Medaillon (K3 and the magic medallion). Their gold and platinum certifications can also be seen.

The band has released several DVD's with video clips, musicals, films and with specially recorded footage like K3 in de Ardennen (K3 in the Ardennes).

In 2007, a team from Madame Tussauds in London took measurements of the band members for wax statues.[2] K3 unveiled these wax statues at Madame Tussauds Amsterdam on 4 July 2007.[3]

On 10 May 2008, the band celebrated their 10-year anniversary with a new show 10 jaar K3 (10 years of K3). It was also celebrated in Plopsaland.

On Monday 23 March 2009 Kathleen announced her departure at a press conference. "It was a tough decision, after all, I gave the best years of my life to K3. People change and life is constantly in motion; I'm 30 now and after ten years it's time to move on". She made her last two appearances with K3 in June at a Studio 100 showcase at the Rotterdam Ahoy.

Karen and Kristel then searched for a replacement on television through a talent show called 'K2 zoekt K3' ('K2 searching for K3'). In the final episode, the Dutch Josje Huisman was chosen as the newest member of K3.[4]

K3 guest performance - Amsterdam - 2011

K3 performance - Drenthe - 2014

The first single with Huisman as part of the group, "MaMaSé!", became a smash hit, peaking at number one for six consecutive weeks in The Netherlands and for seven weeks in Belgium. It listed in the top three of both countries' year-end charts. The album of the same name entered the year-end album chart in both countries in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2010, K3 shot new episodes for their kids-talkshow (this time with Josje) and also started their own sitcom called "Hello K3", in which they portray fictional versions of themselves living in the same building and trying to balance a normal life with being superstars. This creates comic situations reminiscent of the television series The Monkees and also Friends. The first season of sitcom aired on television in fall 2010. A new single with the same name was also released on 15 September, on the album Eyo!. In 2011 they starred in the first 3D-musical in the world, based in Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. In 2012 they released their album Engeltjes (little angels) accompanied by their fourth movie K3 Bengeltjes. In 2013, they released their album Loko Le and their fifth movie K3 Dierenhotel (K3 Animalhotel).

In 2014 they also started a new unscripted TV-show, 'K3 kan het!' (K3 can do it!'), in which they travel through Belgium and the Netherlands to help children fulfill their dreams.

On 18 March 2015 Damen, Verbeke and Huisman announced through a press conference that they were all leaving the group stating "since we started, we knew there would be a time which we would feel that it was the accurate moment to stop; well, that moment is now present". K3's label has announced that they'll look for new members in late 2015.[5] A second audition television show, K3 Zoekt K3, premiered in autumn to find the new K3 members. On 6 November 2015 Hanne Verbruggen, Klaasje Meijer and Marthe De Pillecyn had been chosen as Karen, Kristel and Josje's successors (respectively) and would become the new K3.

Kristel Verbeke, one of the first members, was their manager for the first 2 years.

From autumn 2015, the old K3 and the new K3 went on tour together. For Karen, Kristel and Josje this was a farewell tour, for the new trio it was the start of their new career. The tour with double occupancy was a great success and was extended, there was also a special 'adult evening show' with standing room.

Hanne, Klaasje and Marthe's first release, "10.000 Luchtballonnen" topped the charts in Belgium and The Netherlands. Over 6 years the group released five more albums. In 2016, their own animated series De Avonturen van K3 (The adventures of K3) premiered. That same year there came a new children's television program called Iedereen K3 (Everyone K3). It was the successor to De wereld van K3 (K3's World). At the end of 2016, the special The Diary of K3 was released, in which K3 looks back on the past year. This was an annual tradition until 2018.

In 2017, K3 started vlogging, a new vlog is (usually) online on YouTube once every 2 weeks on Saturdays. That same year, the new K3 got their first movie called K3 Love Cruise and there was a special on VTM: Overal K3 (Everywhere K3), in which Hanne, Klaasje and Marthe showed more of themselves and talked about the impact of K3 on their private lives.

The fiction series "K3 Roller Disco", was released at 31 October 2018. It's a spin-off of "Hello K3", including a same character and actor from the sitcom. For the first time in history, K3 has started roller skating, which is reflected in the Roller Disco series, their video clip of the title song and on stage during their tour in 2018. From 2018, K3 became television judges/coaches on seasons four and five of the Flemish version of The Voice Kids.[6]

In 2019, the band celebrated their 20th anniversary with a spectacular show with moving stands, stages and LED Walls. Includes a moving car, light-up outfits and more than 80 dancers. In May they opened their own roller coaster in Plopsaland named 'K3 Roller Skater' themed around their roller skates and their fiction series.

Initially, a new tour was planned to follow in the spring of 2020, but due to the corona crisis in Europe, this tour was postponed to the autumn of 2021. Responding to the crisis, K3 released a new version of their song 'Handjes draaien' (Turning hands) entitled 'Handjes wassen' (Wash hands) to children to explain a little about the crisis and provide them with some support.

That same year, Hanne, Klaasje and Marthe recorded their second cinema movie K3 Dans van de Farao (K3 Dance of the Pharaoh), entirely in style with the corona rules, which is noticeable in the movie. After postponement, the movie premiered in June 2021.

From 2020, K3 became part of the rhythm game series Just Dance. With their song '10.000 luchtballonnen' in Just Dance 2020 and in Just Dance 2021 'Dans van de Farao'.

K3 performance - Almere - 2023

On 9 February 2021 member Klaasje announced her departure from K3. "K3's life is fantastic, but I feel it's time now to spread my wings; just as there is a beginning and an end for everything, now the time has come for me to look further and broaden my horizons. I will miss Hanne and Marthe enormously". She fulfilled the 2021 group schedules up until the last quarter.

The label, Studio 100, announced a new member will be cast through a survival show similar to K2 zoekt K3 and K3 zoekt K3. For the first time, both sexes are qualified to join the group.[7]

K2 zoekt K3 finalist Diede van den Heuvel stood in for pregnant member Hanne Verbruggen during the remaining Dutch shows of the 2022 tour.[8][9]

During De Grote Sinterklaasshow in December 2022, Marie Verhulst sang for Hanne Verbruggen during the last song.[10][11]

• Line Ups
• 
  1998-2009
• 
  2009-2015
• 
  2015-2021
• 
  2021-