Sharon den Adel is no stranger to having an opinion, she tries to draw more attention to current world problems. on 5 April they will release a brand new song called “A Fool’s Parade”. This song is produced by a talented producer from Ukraine, called Alex Yarmak.
According to a press release from WITHIN TEMPTATION‘s publicist, “A Fool’s Parade”
“highlights Russia’s pretense regarding the war, and condemns its lies, ongoing crimes and brutal intentions.”
Within Temptation raises the stakes with “A Fool’s Parade,” a powerful new song condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine. This searing indictment serves as the harbinger for the upcoming Bleed Out Tour in 2024. The song unflinchingly exposes Russia’s deceptions and barbaric intent, amplifying the desperate struggle for survival faced by Ukraine.
Sharon den Adel spent time in Kyiv during the recording of “A Fool’s Parade.” The music video was directed by renowned Ukrainian director Indy Hait. Through involvement in initiatives like the Ukraine Aid OPS foundation, WITHIN TEMPTATION aims to keep drawing attention to Europe’s crucial support for Ukraine’s defense.
During her stay in Kyiv, Sharon spoke to Metal Pilgrim about Within Temptation’s decision to use her band as a platform to draw attention to world problems.
Sharon said: “We never cared about what people wanted us to say or not to say. We always did what we wanted to do. But the older you get and the more confident you get in being who you are and what you stand for, you’re more expressive.“
“And I also feel like I have nothing to lose — well, of course, you have something to lose when you speak out about things like this, because it can always backlash, of course. And it’s very delicate to choose the right words for things.”
“But I try to prepare myself really well. And I hope eventually that pays off, meaning the people get the message. Some people stopped following us because we started supporting certain causes and being more outspoken. They say, ‘You can’t be political as a band.’ I don’t agree because everybody has an opinion and everybody’s loud, and that’s also society today. As you see on social media, it’s like there’s no filter on anything. I’m not saying that I need to overshout other people, but more like I still wanna stand for my opinion and hopefully make people think about it.”
“you also have to choose your battles” in terms of which issues to focus on when coming up with lyrical themes for songs. “The Russia-Ukraine war is happening in Europe, and we are a European band. And so we also got a lot of times the question, ‘What about this country? What about this situation?’ And there’s also a lot of awful things happening in different parts of the world. And also in interviews, I will talk about it when people ask me, but I won’t do it on the social media because you get in discussion and it becomes one big fight with pro and against certain subjects.“
“For me, in interviews, I do respond to that as well. But I also have to pick my battles. If I take on all the injustice of the world, it will fade away for the thing that I, at the moment, am inspired about most. And the last album that we did, with ‘Bleed Out’, we have focused on certain parts of the world, like Iran — there’s one song, ‘Bleed Out’, is about that — but a lot of songs, actually, are about the Ukraine, because we’re in the same region — it’s a two-hours flight from Amsterdam to Kiev. So, I hope people understand that we are picking our battles — something that’s closer. Everybody has to do that. But also, like I said, if I talk about every problem in the world, it doesn’t come across as authentic and honest either, because it’s, like, you’re a saint or something, which I’m not.”
