Finally. The wait's over. Jasper Steverlinck's first solo album is out. Don… Read Full Bio ↴Finally. The wait's over. Jasper Steverlinck's first solo album is out. Don't think this exceptional record to be the product of a plan. It's actually the result of a chain of happy coincidences, culminating into a unique event. If Arid 's singer wouldn't have stepped into an artistic exchange with the Kolacny Brothers, this record would never have been made. He asked the twin pianists to accompany him singing ‘Life on Mars' in Werchter, and they in turn invited him to sing with the youth choir Scala. A whole new world opened up for Jasper, his conception of music—especially music by other artists--changed in the process, and gradually he started to brood on the idea of a cover album. Now it's here, out in the world, out for you to savour, to enjoy.

“I didn't just want songs that would allow me to lash out with my voice,” he says. “It had to be songs I could actually work on, do something with. I even chose a few that would lead me into fairly unknown territory.” Indeed, it's an album with a handful of cover tracks stripped to the core, altered considerably, resulting in very personal interpretations that seek the minimal: vocals, piano, once in a while a stroke of strings and perhaps—if the song would ask for it—an electrical guitar.

Songs of Innocence features songs that go for Emotion, capital E. No volume, nor violence. Just tension, subtlety, nuance. “I wanted to bring the atmosphere and the feel of classical music into pop music,” says Jasper. “I know a lot of people shy away from classical music because they think it's too high brow for them. It would be great if some of them would get closer to classical music through this record.”

The album thus constitutes the end—or the beginning—of a personal quest into his own potential as a singer, as an artist who wants to explore his talent, discover ways to go beyond what he would think to be its limits. His inspiration: Jeff Buckley. “Buckley never stopped looking for songs to cover,” says Jasper, “because he felt music, be it from the present or the past, shouldn't just exist on a shelf, but should reside in your head, in your body. He felt you could only make music enter your body if you worked on it, if you played and tried to understand the work of other musicians.”

Songs of Innocence is a courageous album, one that isn't afraid of taking on the callenge of performing the songs of others. In Jasper's version each one of the tracks are reborn: Madness'. ‘It Must Be Love' becomes a heart-felt ballad, Elton John's ‘We Al Fall In Love Sometimes' loses its kitsch, The Chemical Brothers' ‘Golden Path' turns into a quest for the original, and Bob Dylan's ‘Make You Feel Love' sounds as if it's raining rose petals.

Songs of Innocence is a testimony to Jasper Steverlinck's consciousness as an artist who is ready to discover and keep on discovering the power and imagination of music, of all those songs—some forgotten, others never forgotten—that managed to give us beauty and consolation.

It Must Be Love
Jasper Steverlinck Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I never thought I'd miss you
Half as much as I do
And I never thought I'd feel this way
The way I feel about you
As soon as I wake up every night every day
I know it takes you and me
To take the blues away

It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
Nothing more, nothing less
Love is the best

How can it be
That we can
say so much without words
Bless you and bless me
Bless the bees and the birds
I've got to be near you every night, every day
I couldn't be happy any other way

It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
Nothing more, nothing less
Love is the best

As soon as I wake up every night every day
I know it takes you and me
To take the blues away

It must be love, love, love

It must be love, love, love
(repeat to fade)

Overall Meaning

The song "It Must Be Love" by Jasper Steverlinck is a love song that expresses the depth of one's emotions towards another person and how those feelings can take over one's life. The first verse talks about the surprise of missing someone more than you ever thought possible and feeling a certain way that you never thought you would. The second verse speaks about how two people can communicate without words and how their love can be felt by all around them. The chorus is a proclamation of love being the best thing that exists.

The repetition of "It must be love" throughout the song is both a reflection of how the love felt is a strong, undeniable force and a question of how one can love someone so much. The song is simple in its lyrics, but it conveys a deep, emotional connection to someone else that is not easily put into words.

Overall, "It Must Be Love" is a song that speaks to the universal experience of falling in love and how it can completely take over one's thoughts and feelings. The simplicity of the lyrics combined with the passionate vocals of Jasper Steverlinck create a powerful message that resonates with many people.

Line by Line Meaning

I never thought I'd miss you
I underestimated how much I'd miss you

Half as much as I do
I miss you much more than I anticipated

And I never thought I'd feel this way
I never expected to feel the way I currently do

The way I feel about you
My emotions towards you are intense

As soon as I wake up every night every day
I think about you constantly

I know it takes you and me
We need each other to be happy

To take the blues away
We help each other feel better

It must be love, love, love
Our feelings are undoubtedly love

Nothing more, nothing less
There's no other explanation for our connection

Love is the best
Our love is the strongest bond we could have

How can it be
It's hard to believe