- Trouble seems to always wanna follow me.
— PAIN, “Follow Me”
Anette Ingegerd Olsson, better known as Anette Olzon, is a singer from Katrineholm, Sweden, best known for her work with Nightwish as vocalist from 2007 to 2012. She is currently the vocalist of Alyson Avenue and The Dark Element.
Anette was born into a musical family and had to learn to play oboe for eight years. She toured with her mother's band and sang with them on certain occasions, then took to talent shows where she received laudable recognition. In 1988, she joined a cover band called Take Cover but her time was short-lived as she dabbled into more endeavors. At 21, she landed the lead role in the Rock Opera Gränsland in Helsingborg.
In 1999, Anette joined AOR band Alyson Avenue in the studio, and became their official lead singer after the band's demo allowed them to contact various labels. After seven years and two albums, she left the band and was eventually replaced by Arabella Vitanc. At the time of her departure, she was one of ten singers (out of over 2000 applicants) shortlisted to become Nightwish's next frontwoman. Despite some anxieties on Tuomas Holopainen's part due to Anette having a son, a unanimous vote by the band finally landed her the part. After efforts to hide her identity, the band finally made it official in 2007, creating a great rift in the fandom.
Five years and two particularly Darker and Edgier albums later, Anette was fired from Nightwish, replaced in turn by Floor Jansen (After Forever, ReVamp) on short notice. She then took the time to focus on her solo career as well as study nursing in case it doesn't work out. She released Shine in 2014, a Lighter and Softer work than most of her discography up to that point, and followed through with a two-song EP in early 2016.
After staying out of the spotlight for a bit longer, she made her way back to the metal scene with former Sonata Arctica axeman Jani Liimatainen, releasing The Dark Element in 2017.
Alyson Avenue
- Presence of Mind (2000)
- Omega (2004)
- Changes (2011, background guest vocals only)
Nightwish
- Dark Passion Play (2007)
- Imaginaerum (2011, also appeared in the movie as Ann)
The Dark Element
- The Dark Element (2017)
- Songs the Night Sings (2019)
Allen/Olzon (collaboration with Russell Allen)
- Worlds Apart (2020)
- Army of Dreamers (2022)
Solo
- Shine (2014)
- Vintersjäl / Cold Outside (2015, EP)
- Strong (2021)
Guest work
- 2006:
- “Two of a Kind” (Michael Bormann)
- “Will We Remain” (Cloudscape)
- 2008:
- “Heart Full of Fire” (Brother Firetribe)
- “Follow Me”, “Feed Us” (PAIN)
- 2009: “October & April” (The Rasmus)
- 2010: “Open Your Eyes” (Sweden United)
- 2012: “Cathedral Walls” (Swallow The Sun)
- 2012: “This Love This Time”, “Lay Down in My Arms” (Sapphire Eyes)
- 2015: “Apart & Astray” (Black Mount Rise)
- 2016: “Lie to Me” (Secret Sphere)
- 2017: “Sixth Dimension” (Power Quest)
Anette Olzon and her music provide examples of:
- Band of Relatives: Was part of one back in her youth.
- BSoD Song: “Moving Away”, written after her mother was diagnosed with cancer.
- Cover Version:
- Covered “Ever Dream” as a demo tape that would land her the coveted role of Nightwish singer.
- Anette also joined the Finnish game show Tähdet, tähdet which was all about this trope mashed with Genre Roulette, covering Backstreet Boys, Shania Twain, blink-182, among others. She was Eliminated from the Race after five episodes.
- Genre Roulette: She's broadly a rock singer, but has done classic AOR through Alyson Avenue; delved into symphonic gothic Power Metal with Nightwish, who in turn explored other genres like Celtic folk (“The Islander”) and even lounge (“Slow Love Slow”) thanks to her less operatic register; and then lightened up significantly in most of her solo and guest work. Shine and the Cold Outside EP are Folk Rock, while The Dark Element and her second solo album Strong are mostly Power Metal or Melodic Metal.
- Icy Blue Eyes: Her dark hair brings it out quite well.
- In the Hood: TDE's “The Ghost and the Reaper” video.
- Jack of All Trades: Before singing, Anette worked as a factory worker, a waitress, a vet assistant, an office worker and a hairdresser. She has also studied music, psychology, project management, leadership and organization, and nursing.
- Lady in Red: Her Imaginaerum character Ann, in her mid-thirties, is first shown in a red gown.
- Lighter and Softer: Alyson Avenue, most of her guest work, and her own solo work, compared to her Darker and Edgier material with Nightwish and TDE.
- Male Band, Female Singer: Alyson Avenue first hired her as a session vocalist but then came to replace their male lead singer. Then, Nightwish hired her to replace their ex-frontwoman (and in turn got replaced by a woman as well after conflicts with the guys). Lately she's gotten back with Alyson Avenue and fronts The Dark Element, initially a collaboration with Jani Liimatainen but now with a band of its own.
- Nature Lover: “Floating” has shades of this.
- Pep-Talk Song: “Shine”.
- Phrase Salad Lyrics: Shine has moments of this, particularly in “Like a Show Inside My Head” and “Falling”.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Discussed with The Rasmus in “October and April”.
- Spell My Name With An S: With a single N, double S (the latter for her real surname). Not to be confused with Miss America alumna Annette Olson.
- Titled After the Song: Her second son, born during her time with Nightwish, was named Nemo.
- Took a Level in Badass: The Dark Element, natch.
- Wrestling Doesn't Pay: In recent times she actually works 5 days a week as a nurse, then records or performs with The Dark Element on weekends.
- Xtreme Kool Letterz: Might have been invoked out of One-Steve Limit as she and Alyson Avenue keyboardist Niclas Olsson share the same surname (although she was credited under her married surname Blyckert during that time with the band). But let's face it, spelling it as Olzon is quite kool.
