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.
Was It Love
Ilse DeLange Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who can swim the deepest ocean?
Who can trust the sky won't fall?
Who can trust they know it all?
All the whispers that I share
All the moments by myself
When I know that you're not here
And they're locked inside believe
But they're not inside of me
And it's fallen from a trust
And it all resolves to dust
Is it possible to see
With every moment over?
What the reason was for me
Was it love? Was it love?
Is it you who makes the sun rise?
Is it you who makes my eyes dry?
Was it you who gave it all?
Can I trust the sky won't fall?
I have loved and I have hated
I have jumped too soon then awaited
And every time I'm fallen down
And every time I almost drowned
And they're locked inside believe
But they're not inside of me
And it's fallen from a trust
And it all resolves to dust
Is it possible to see
With every moment over?
What the reason was for me
Was it love? Was it love?
So when I walk into walls
Or run out of control
Or feel I've lost my soul
Or I can't take no more
And when all I know is lost
I'm broken and alone
When I am just a ghost
Who's looking for her home
Like faith without faith
And they're locked inside believe
But they're not inside of me
And it's fallen from a trust
And it all resolves to dust
Is it possible to see
With every moment over?
What the reason was for me?
Was it love? Was it love? Was it love?
In the lyrics of Ilse DeLange's song Was It Love, she is asking a series of rhetorical questions that all revolve around the theme of trust. She is questioning who is truly trustworthy and whether it is possible to trust anyone fully. The verses are full of introspective reflection and show her questioning her own emotions and experiences, particularly when it comes to the idea of love. She acknowledges that she has had both positive and negative experiences in the past, and that there is a sense of uncertainty about what the future holds.
The chorus focuses on the idea of trying to understand the motive behind her experiences. She wonders if everything that she has gone through has been for a reason, and if that reason was love. There is a sense of confusion and uncertainty throughout the lyrics, as DeLange grapples with difficult emotions and experiences.
Overall, the song is a meditation on trust, love, and the human experience. It is introspective and thoughtful, with a sense of vulnerability that makes it easy to relate to. The lyrics are poetic and evocative, touching on complex emotions and ideas in a way that is both beautiful and profound.
Line by Line Meaning
Who throws out the lifelines?
Who is willing to help?
Who can swim the deepest ocean?
Who is brave enough to face the unknown?
Who can trust the sky won't fall?
Who has unwavering trust?
Who can trust they know it all?
Who is confident in their knowledge?
All the whispers that I share
All the secrets I confide
All the moments by myself
All the times I'm alone
When I know that you're not here
When I feel your absence
And I gather all my fears
And I collect all my worries
And they're locked inside believe
And they are trapped in my beliefs
But they're not inside of me
But they don't define me
And it's fallen from a trust
And trust has been broken
And it all resolves to dust
And everything falls apart
Is it possible to see
Can anyone truly see
With every moment over?
After everything is said and done?
What the reason was for me
Why it happened to me
Was it love? Was it love?
Did love have anything to do with it?
Is it you who makes the sun rise?
Are you the reason for my happiness?
Is it you who makes my eyes dry?
Are you the reason for my pain?
Was it you who gave it all?
Did you give everything you had?
Can I trust the sky won't fall?
Can I have unwavering trust?
I have loved and I have hated
I've experienced both love and hate
I have jumped too soon then awaited
I've acted impulsively and regretted it
And every time I'm fallen down
And every time I've failed
And every time I almost drowned
And every time I've felt overwhelmed
So when I walk into walls
So when I keep hitting obstacles
Or run out of control
Or feel like I'm losing it
Or feel I've lost my soul
Or feel like I've lost myself
Or I can't take no more
Or I just can't handle it
And when all I know is lost
And when everything I know is gone
I'm broken and alone
I'm shattered and isolated
When I am just a ghost
When I'm just a shadow of my former self
Who's looking for her home
Who's searching for her place in the world
Like faith without faith
Like having belief without any conviction
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ILSE DE LANGE, PATRICK LEONARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind