Ilse DeLange is a Dutch country and pop singer. She first rose to prominenc… Read Full Bio ↴Ilse DeLange is a Dutch country and pop singer. She first rose to prominence in 1998 following the release of her debut album World of Hurt. The album was recorded in Nashville, the capital of country music. It became a runaway success in the Netherlands, where it peaked at Number 1 for six weeks and was eventually certified quintuple-platinum. It ranks as one of the highest-selling albums of all time. Following the album’s release, its lead single “I’m Not So Tough” became DeLange her first Top 40-hit. In 1999, she received a TMF Award and an Edison Award for her musical success.

In 1999, DeLange released live-album Dear John, an album full of covers by John Hiatt, after a very successful performance at the "Marlboro Flashbacks". The album went platinum in the Netherlands, for selling more than 80,000 copies.

In 2000, DeLange released her sophomore album Livin’ On Love. Although there was a good amount of promotion for the album, it could not compete with the success of its predecessor. It peaked at #5 on the Dutch Album Top 100. Its lead single “Livin’ On Love” became a minor Top 40-entry. Meanwhile, Warner Music attempted to promote this release as her "breakthrough" release in the United States. Although World Of Hurt was planned to be released in the States, the record labels in America thought the album was too old-fashioned for the 2000s. It was eventually shelved.

In 2003, DeLange released her third album Clean Up. It became another success for the Dutch singer, peaking at Number 1 on the Dutch Album Top 100 for five weeks. Its single “Shine” with Rosemary's Sons became a surprise Top 40-hit. Despite the success, the first single “No Reason To Be Shy” was a commercial failure and the record company decided not to release any further singles.

Later that same year, DeLange released her first compilation album Here I Am (1998-2003). She also collaborated with Kane on “Before You Let Me Go”, which was recorded live in Rotterdam. It peaked at #4 on the Dutch official Top 40, earning DeLange her first ever Top 10-hit. At the beginning of 2004, the Dutch section of record company Warner Music was disbanded and DeLange lost her contract.

She then signed with Universal Music. In 2006, she released her fourth album The Great Escape. Its lead single of the same name became an unexpectedly big hit, charting for more than five months on the Dutch official Top 40. The album peaked at Number 1 on the Dutch Album Top 100 and was certified double-platinum within its first month. Its follow-up singles “The Lonely One” and “I Love You” both entered the Top 40 as well.

In 2008, DeLange released her fifth album Incredible. Its lead single became a breakout success, peaking at #6 on the Dutch official Top 40. It also won the Schaal van Rigter prize. The follow-up single “Miracle” became an even bigger hit, topping the Dutch official Top 40 and earning DeLange her first Number 1-single. The album was also a commercial success, becoming her fourth Number 1-album and being certified quintuple-platinum.

In 2010, DeLange released her first EP titled Next To Me. Its lead single of the same name became another Top 10-hit. In 2011 she started working on a new album, which was later shelved after her father’s death.

In 2012, DeLange released her seventh album Eye of the Hurricane. The single “Hurricane” became the album’s breakout single. This new album was promoted with a concert in the 'GelreDome' stadium. It earned DeLange another Number 1-album on the Dutch Album Top 100.

In 2013, DeLange replaced Nick & Simon as a coach on The Voice of Holland. She returned to The Voice of Holland as a coach for its fifth season in August 2014. On 15 January 2015, it was announced that DeLange would be replaced as a coach for the sixth season of The Voice of Holland by Miss Montreal lead singer Sanne Hans.

DeLange represented the Netherlands, with singer Waylon as The Common Linnets, during the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. With the song “Calm After The Storm”, the band finished in second place behind the winner Conchita Wurst from Austria, the Netherlands’ best result in more than a decade. The song became a hit single across Europe, reaching the Top 10 in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The band’s eponymous album also became very successful, 50.000 copies within a week in The Netherlands alone.

On 7 December 2017 it was revealed that DeLange would have a recurring role in the final season of the ABC/CMT musical-drama series Nashville.

In 2018 created DeLange her own record label, Spark Records, as part of Firefly/Universal Music. She also released her new eponymous album. The album debuted and peaked at #3 on the Dutch Album Top 100. It failed to produce a significant hit single.

DeLange was part of the Dutch delegation for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 as an artistic consultant and mentor to the Dutch representative Duncan Laurence, whom she coached during the fifth season of The Voice of Holland. Laurence went on to win the contest with his song "Arcade".

In September 2019 DeLange released the roots-album Gravel & Dust. Recorded in Nashville, this album was made with producer T Bone Burnett. It debuted at #2 on the Dutch Album Top 100. Quickly thereafter, DeLange released her new album Changes. The album debuted and peaked at #4 on the Dutch Album Top 100 and became a surprise hit in German-speaking countries. It peaked at #14 on the German Top Album Charts and a Top 10-album in Switzerland. The success inspired DeLange to tour through Germany in 2023.

DeLange participated in the seventh season of Sing Meinen Song - Das Tauschkonzert. The episode where DeLange was the central guest, suddenly increased the sales of DeLanges old albums and singles.

Déjà vu
Ilse DeLange Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I pick up this bag again
It's filled full of old news
Negatives I put away
It's my darkest room

It's all so familiar
Everything I fear is here
The distance between you and me

Re-appears

I won't relive yesterday
At this point I'm through
With the pain that I had to pay
Though the scars remain
I refuse
Déjà Vu

I hung that coat on the wall
It doesn't fit anymore
The lining is frayed
And the seams are torn

I won't relive yesterday
At this point I'm through
With the pain that I had to pay
Though the scars remain
I refuse

To die, inside, again
I know what you're gonna say
I've seen what you do
I've been through this passion play
I've learned every move

I won't relive yesterday
At this point I'm through
With the pain that I had to pay
Though the scars remain

I refuse
Déjà Vu, Déjà Vu

Overall Meaning

In the song "Déjà Vu" by Ilse DeLange, the lyrics describe a person who is revisiting their past in some way. They talk about picking up a bag of old news, filled with negatives that they put away in their darkest room. The person is confronted with what they fear most, as the distance between them and someone else reappears. They refuse to relive yesterday and the pain that they had to pay, even though the scars remain. They will not die inside again.

The lyrics continue with the person describing a coat that they hung on the wall, but it no longer fits anymore. The lining is frayed and the seams are torn. They once again refuse to relive yesterday and the pain they had to endure. They know what someone else is going to say and have seen what they do. They have been through this passion play and have learned every move. Even though the scars remain, they refuse to relive it all again.

The song is about not wanting to repeat the same mistakes or go through the same pain as before. The person is determined to move forward and not be stuck in the past. The repeating phrase of "déjà vu" reinforces the idea that this is a familiar situation, but the person is not going to let it play out the same way again.

Line by Line Meaning

I pick up this bag again
I'm returning to the old emotions

It's filled full of old news
My memories are back

Negatives I put away
I've concealed the bad experiences

It's my darkest room
This is my biggest pain

It's all so familiar
I know what's going to happen

Everything I fear is here
My worst fears are happening right now

The distance between you and me
We are separated once again

Re-appears
The pain comes back

I won't relive yesterday
I'm done with the past

At this point I'm through
I've moved on from that pain

With the pain that I had to pay
I don't want to suffer anymore