Anouk has released twelve studio albums to date, the most recent one being Wen d'r maar aan, released on 12 October 2018. She represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden, with the song "Birds". Her song made it to the final – the first since 2004 for the Netherlands; and finished 9th with 114 points.
Musical style
Anouk's musical style has been described as a combination of Joan Osborne, Melissa Etheridge and Alanis Morissette. She is known for explosive rock songs like "Nobody's Wife" and "R U Kiddin' Me", but has also made small and fragile songs like "Lost" and "Michel". In addition to her pop/rock sound she also experiments with soul, funk and hip hop.
Personal life
Anouk was married to her manager Edwin Jansen until 1998. She married Remon Stotijn (aka The Anonymous Mis), frontman of the reggae/rap band Postmen, on 16 March 2004. Stotijn is the father of three of her children; son Benjahmin Kingsley (b. 18 April 2002), son Elijah Jeramiah (b. 5 December 2003) and daughter Phoenix Ray (b. 3 June 2005). In May 2008, Anouk and Remon announced a "harmonious" mutual separation. In 2010 Anouk gave birth to her fourth child, a son named Jesiah Dox. Her son Sion Jethro was born in June 2014. In June 2016, she gave birth to her sixth child, a baby girl, Jelizah Rose, with her current partner, mixed martial artist and former basketball player Dominique Schemmekes.
Not a Lovesong
Anouk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause my love is blind
It's just another sad song
In this life of mine
There is no room for a love like this
Free and wild at night
No, this is not a love song
I couldn't read your mind
I remember how you felt the first time
The way it used to be
I missed the days you'd call just to say hi
Oh, why can't you see?
Baby, I have been waiting for you
You are halfway in my head
Until I heard that you wanted me too
You left me wasting at the end
This is not a love song
There is no pretend
It's just another dull song
And after all this time of growing apart
See that dream is gone
No, this is not a love song
It's so hard to move on
I remember how you felt the first time
The way it used to be
I miss the days you'd call just to say hi
Oh, why can't you see?
Baby, I have been waiting for you
You were halfway in my head
Until I heard that you wanted you too
You left me wasting at the end
This is not another love song
Just another sad song
This is not another love song
This is not another love song
This is not a love song
It's just another sad song
This is not a love song
This is not another love song
It's just another sad song
This is not another love song
This is not another love song
Just another sad song
This is not another love song
This is not a love song
This is not another love song
This is not a love song
Anouk's "Not a Lovesong" is a poignant ballad about a woman who is struggling to come to terms with a failed relationship. The song begins with the singer declaring that "this is not a love song", suggesting that the feelings she once had for her lover have dissipated or changed. She explains that her "love is blind" and that the relationship has become just another "sad song" in her life. She acknowledges that there is "no room for a love like this" - a free-spirited and wild love that does not fit into the mundane routine of everyday life.
The chorus of the song continues to reinforce the fact that this is not a love song, as the singer reminisces about how things used to be and how much she misses her ex-partner. She sings that she has been "waiting for [him]" and that he was "halfway in [her] head", but ultimately she had to accept that the relationship was over. The final stanza of the song sees Anouk trying to move on, acknowledging that the dream of being with her ex is gone and that it is "hard to move on".
Overall, "Not a Lovesong" is a vulnerable reflection on the complexities of love and the difficulty of letting go when a relationship ends. Anouk's soulful vocal performance is perfectly complemented by the sparse piano accompaniment, creating a haunting and melancholic atmosphere that perfectly captures the song's bittersweet message.
Line by Line Meaning
This is not a love song
The song is not about love.
Cause my love is blind
The songwriter's love is irrational and difficult to comprehend.
It's just another sad song
The song is a melancholic reflection of the singer's life.
In this life of mine
The singer's personal experiences and emotions are the focus of the song.
There is no room for a love like this
The type of love the songwriter has cannot fit in their life as it is now.
Free and wild at night
Their love is unmanageable and uncontrolled.
No, this is not a love song
The songwriter is stressing that the song is not about love, even though the lyrics suggest otherwise.
I couldn't read your mind
The songwriter struggles to understand their lover's thoughts and feelings.
I remember how you felt the first time
The singer has vivid memories of the beginning of their relationship.
The way it used to be
The songwriter is contrasting the past when things were good with the present, where they experience heartbreak.
I missed the days you'd call just to say hi
Small gestures of affection are missed.
Oh, why can't you see?
The singer is exasperated at their lover's lack of understanding.
Baby, I have been waiting for you
The songwriter has been patiently waiting for their lover's return.
You are halfway in my head
The lover is constantly on the songwriter's mind, even if they are not physically present.
Until I heard that you wanted me too
The songwriter is waiting for their lover to express their feelings and intentions openly.
You left me wasting at the end
The songwriter is hurting and feels abandoned by their lover.
There is no pretend
The songwriter is not pretending about their feelings; what they feel is genuine.
It's just another dull song
The songwriter is feeling uninspired and lacking passion.
And after all this time of growing apart
The relationship has deteriorated over time, and the couple has grown distant.
See that dream is gone
The possibility of a happily ever after is no longer feasible.
It's so hard to move on
The songwriter is struggling to accept the end of the relationship and to move on.
This is not another love song
Again, the songwriter emphasizes that the song is not about love, but something else entirely.
Just another sad song
The song is one in a long line of similarly melancholic songs about the struggles inherent in love and life.
Writer(s): Anouk Teeuwe, Tobias Karlsson
Contributed by John P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.