You and I

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Sharon had been nervous before filming Liefde Voor Musiek--she was familiar with the other artists' work but didn't know them personally, and she wasn't sure how they would get along. She was also nervous about the prospect of covering each other's songs. For each artist, she had to choose a song to cover from their repertoire that she could put her own spin on while still respecting the original work, and they would all do the same for her as well. Then they would take turns performing the finished pieces for each other.

But she had been worried for nothing. Within days of filming, everyone was completely comfortable with each other. It felt like they were a little family, in that house just outside of Barcelona, and much of their free time was spent by the pool or at the kitchen table talking about everything from their children and the stress of being away from them on tours to their upcoming musical projects.

The anxiety and pressure she had felt at the beginning had slowly dissipated with each night of performing. She enjoyed watching the other artists perform as much as she loved singing--it was so interesting to see how everyone added their own style to the songs. Coco gave his covers a reggae spin while Silvy usually added a dance flair, and Niels wrote his own lyrics in Dutch. Helmut sometimes went for a rock edge, and K's Choice and Jasper usually stripped the songs down to simple instrumentation that had more of a focus on the vocals.

But as filming went on, her nervousness returned, but for a different reason. She was meeting Tarja after they wrapped the show. Robert had been there for the first part of filming to help her write and arrange the covers, and he had casually suggested that she see if Tarja was free to get together while she was in Spain. Sharon had had to pretend as if she hadn't already extended her stay and booked a suite for them in the city.

As the days ticked by, her mind became more and more consumed with thoughts of seeing the other woman again, and the guilt that came with it.

It was Jasper Steverlinck's night. Of all the other singers, he was the one Sharon had felt closest to throughout shooting. They had connected almost immediately, both personally and musically. During their free time, they created a few songs together, just fooling around with different notes and lyrics while he played the guitar. They had tossed around the idea of doing a song together in the future--there was already one she had in mind from their new album that his voice would blend well with--and he had loved the idea.

She performed a cover of his song "Things That I Should Have Done," and the other vocalists followed with their own covers. As was traditional on the show, the artist whose songs were covered during the episode performed a cover of their own choosing to close out the night.

They cheered as Jasper walked up to the mic, and the pianist began to play Elvis Costello's "This House is Empty Now." Sharon felt goosebumps prick her arms the second he began to sing. His voice was absolutely captivating--every note swelled with emotion. Eyes closed, he clutched the mic with both hands as he crooned the words to the melancholy ballad.

These rooms play tricks upon you
Remember when they were always filled with laughter?
But now they're quite deserted
They seem to just echo voices raised in anger

She felt the hot rush of tears building behind her eyes before he had even finished the first verse. Even though she knew the song was about a breakup, it immediately made her think of her father and how it would feel after he was gone.

She knew the cameras were picking up their every reaction--that was half the point of the show--and she really didn't want to break down. She tried to blink the tears back and pursed her lips to keep a sob from escaping.