Ice Queen (song)

"Ice Queen" is a song by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. It was released in June 2001 as the second single from their second studio album Mother Earth. The song was the band's commercial breakthrough, and it remains one of the band's most successful songs to date in Europe. It has been featured on the annual Dutch Top 2000 since 2011.[1]

"Ice Queen"
Single by Within Temptation
from the album Mother Earth
B-side
  • "Mother Earth"
  • "World of Make Believe"
  • "Caged"
  • "Believer"
ReleasedJune 2001
Recorded2000
Genre
Length
  • 5:20 (album version)
  • 3:50 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Within Temptation singles chronology
"Our Farewell"
(2001)		 "Ice Queen"
(2001)		 "Mother Earth"
(2003)

Along with the singles "Mother Earth," "Angels," and "Stand My Ground", "Ice Queen" has become one of the band's signature songs and is played as ending song on the setlist on almost every concert, except for some shows of The Unforgiving Tour onwards, where they started to end with the songs "Mother Earth" or "Stairway to the Skies".

Lyrics

Like many of Within Temptation's songs, the lyrics of Ice Queen take their inspiration from nature. "It's a song about nature", said vocalist Sharon den Adel, in an interview with Dennis Weening on Westpop. "And how things go in nature". Guitarist Robert Westerholt further added that "it's about winter".[2]

Video

There are two official videos for the song "Ice Queen". The first video, released only in the Netherlands even though it is generally known as the "German Version", starts with a girl checking a website for concert videos. Then she finds two links, one saying 'Within Temptation'. She clicks on that link and their concert in Landgraaf in 2001, is shown on her screen. While watching the concert on her computer, she clicks on a couple of links and information on the band appears on her screen.

The second video was made for international release. Sharon, the singer, is dancing on a background of a blue, starry sky. She is wearing a white dress and has white extensions in her hair. The other band members are also shown before various backgrounds made with green-screen effects. Such as Robert, the rhythm guitarist, who is shown on a background of fire, or the drummer, who is shown on a background of a thunderstorm. After a while, all band members are shown together on a red planet.

Track listing
CD single (original)
  1. "Ice Queen" (radio edit)
  2. "Mother Earth"
CD multi single (original)
  1. "Ice Queen" (radio edit)
  2. "Mother Earth" [Live 11.02.2001 at Amsterdam, The Netherlands]
  3. "Caged" [Live 11.02.2001 at Amsterdam, The Netherlands]
  4. "Ice Queen" [Live 11.02.2001 at Amsterdam, The Netherlands]
  5. "Believer" ("Ice Queen" demo version)
  6. "Caged" (demo version)
CD single (2002 release)
  1. "Ice Queen" (radio edit)
  2. "Caged" [Live 11.02.2001 at Amsterdam, The Netherlands]
CD single (2003 release)
  1. "Ice Queen" (single version)
  2. "Mother Earth" [Live 11.02.2001 at Amsterdam, The Netherlands]
  3. "Ice Queen" (acoustic at "MXL")
CD multi single (2003 release)
  1. "Ice Queen" (single version)
  2. "World of Make Believe"
  3. "Ice Queen" (acoustic at "MXL")
  4. "Ice Queen" [Live 11.02.2001 at Amsterdam, The Netherlands]
  5. "Mother Earth" (orchestra version)
  6. "Mother Earth" (Leidse Kade live)

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[13] Gold 25,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[14] Gold 40,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. https://www.familieboers.eu/top2000/default.aspx?actie=artiest&id=Within+Temptation
  2. Video on YouTube
  3. "Austriancharts.at – Within Temptation – Ice Queen" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  4. "Ultratop.be – Within Temptation – Ice Queen" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  5. "Offiziellecharts.de – Within Temptation – Ice Queen". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  6. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Within Temptation" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  7. "" (in Dutch). Mega Top 50
  8. "Dutchcharts.nl – Within Temptation – Ice Queen" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  9. "Within Temptation: Year-end Belgian Charts". Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  10. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2002". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  11. "Within Temptation: Year-end Dutch Charts". Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  12. "Within Temptation: Year-end German Charts". Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  13. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  14. "Dutch single certifications – Within Temptation – Ice Queen" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 26 June 2015. Enter Ice Queen in the "Artiest of titel" box.
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