Ten days after releasing the incredibly moving documentary The Invisible Force, Within Temptation, the legendary Dutch Symphonic Metal band, have partnered with Ukraine artist Jerry Heil for the powerful new song Sing Like A Siren. This is not just a song. It is a declaration, a powerful statement of solidarity, and a refusal to let war silence art.
When you listen to Sing Like A Siren you feel something far deeper than just music. It is a moment of resistance, a piece of art born out of the darkest time in Europe in decades, yet still filled with hope and purpose.
Jerry Heil describes it as “more than just a song—it’s a soundtrack to the film we are living in”.
The collaboration between Sharon den Adel and Jerry Heil, who represented Ukraine in the Eurovision last year, is more than just a beautiful blend of voices. It is a lifeline. It is a song that does not just speak, but listens as well.
“Through these musical changes,” Jerry Heil, “we reflected a sense of constant motion, the absence of stability and a ‘safe harbour’ where the heroine can feel secure. Yet, as the vesnyanka returns in the piano part at the very end, it brings the feeling of spring: a symbol of hope, despite everything.”
The song carries with it the weight of an entire country’s pain, but it is also an anthem of survival. It is rooted in Ukraine folk traditions, in particular the vesnyanka, a song that honours spring, celebrates the resilience of women, and calls for the end of winter.
Jerry Heil and Within Temptation have reimagined it as a cry for a spring that must be fought for and is more than the changing of seasons. It is about hope that does not come easily, but is worth the fight.
Since Russia illegally invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the world has been spinning in a way that is difficult to understand. The headlines keep coming, but the pain never fades, and often, the focus shifts.
Sing Like A Siren does not offer easy answers. But it offers something far more profound: connection. Music, real music, transcends borders, politics, and conflict.
“I have been a fan of Within Temptation since my teenage years,” Jerry Heil says, “and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day we would create a song together. It is an incredible honour for me.
“Both the band and I performed at the Ukrainian music festival Atlas Weekend, where we first met in Kyiv. At that moment, I knew I couldn’t let the opportunity slip away—I had to suggest working on something together.
“Sharon’s vocal style is deeply authentic and resonates with my artistic vision, so I instantly knew it would be a wild fusion: rock, classical vocals, and Ukrainian folk motifs.”
In a world where everything seems so divided, we are all still human, still connected, still capable of understanding each other’s suffering.
Within Temptation: We Will Never Play In Russia Again
Within Temptation have consistently used their voice to speak out on issues that matter. When the war in Ukraine started, they made their position clear: We will never play in Russia again. This was not a decision made lightly. Russia has been a major market for international bands, and the fans there are passionate.
It was about refusing to perform in a country where innocent lives were being lost, where children were being orphaned, and where the arts were being destroyed by war. Their refusal to play in Russia is a decision that resonates far beyond the Metal community.
For the people in Ukraine, it was a powerful reminder that the world was still watching, still listening, and still standing with them.
One fan from Kyiv put it simply, “I really do appreciate Within Temptation supporting us. It’s not just a gesture, it means the world to us.”
In a country where so much has been taken, gestures like this become lifelines. It reminds people that they are not invisible.
