Celine Cairo – Woman

With over 45 million streams and a growing international following, rising Dutch star Celine Cairo returns with new single “Woman” – the third release from her forthcoming third album Panacea, due June 2026.

Blending organic indie-folk with cinematic chamber pop, her sound has drawn comparisons to London Grammar, Sade and Eva Cassidy, bound together by an unmistakable voice that has been drawing in listeners across ages, genders and continents.

The Panacea title track released earlier this year announced Celine’s return in powerful fashion: a spine-tingling meditation on self-acceptance, recorded on Wurlitzer piano at her Amsterdam home with partner and co-producer Benjamin Rheinländer, and brought to life with strings played by India Bourne of Ben Howard’s band. Its video, shot in Norway, announced a new chapter for an artist already beloved across Europe.

“Woman” is a slow-building, string-led ballad that reflects on modern womanhood with warmth, honesty and grace. Opening with sparse acoustic guitar and Celine’s unmistakable voice, the track gradually expands into a sweeping final chorus; a musical arc that mirrors its emotional one.

The song was born from an unexpected evening spent with Celine’s best friend: “We talked for hours about our careers, our not-so-traditional lives, about aging and the great freedom that we have, and how we shouldn’t take any of it for granted. It sparked this immense feeling of gratitude and interconnectedness, as I realized how much my female friendships mean to me, and how much of a highlight they are in my life.”

“I also have older female friends whose guidance has helped me through some difficult times. With this song I wanted to pass on some words of wisdom and encouragement that I’ve received. The lyrics almost felt like a mantra, things I’d say to my friend, and still need to hear myself every now and then. It may sound corny, but I hope this song reinforces the notion that we are enough as we are. Women can be so hard on themselves, and I hope to inspire people to have more self-compassion, to put down some of the emotional labour and weight we carry, and to set ourselves a little more free every day.”

“Woman” was written with longtime collaborators Lawrence Diamond and Bob Matthews, produced in Amsterdam by Benjamin Rheinländer alongside Cairo and her band, mastered in Berlin by Kevin Tuffy, and features a string arrangement by Dutch violinist and arranger Annelieke Marselje.

The accompanying music video directed by Leandra Arjona-Jacobi (Studio HER), features Celine and her 90-year-old grandmother Hélène, shot on a wintry beach near Amsterdam. “Woman is about living life to the fullest and daring to start over again and again, knowing everything is always changing. I see that courage so clearly in my grandmother. She embodies the spirit of the song for me,” says Celine. “And I knew she would bring a whole new dimension to the song. Seeing her by the shoreline – I couldn’t hold back my tears.”

Amsterdam-born, Celine has built her international career independently over the past decade, blending indie-folk and cinematic chamber pop into a sound that has earned her over 45 million streams and appearing in major U.S. series including Love, Victor, Queen Sugar and Walker, Texas Ranger. Her live reputation has grown through sold-out shows at Paradiso, TivoliVredenburg and the Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, as well as opening for Birdy, HAEVN and Ásgeir.

In her teens, her voice won her a competition to perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, earning her a place at Amsterdam’s prestigious Conservatory. Earlier this year she performed at two sold-out concerts backed by the internationally renowned Metropole Orchestra whose previous collaborators include Jacob Collier and Rufus Wainwright – to a broadcast audience of more than two million.

With her music continuing to grow organically across streaming and social media, the arrival of new album Panacea marks a significant new chapter for one of Europe’s most quietly compelling singer-songwriters.

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