Macrooy's music can best be described as modern soul. His audience is in the Netherlands, Suriname, and increasingly in Belgium, France and Germany. He was due to represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 held in Rotterdam with the song "Grow", but the contest was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He will represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Birth of a New Age"
In April 2016 Jeangu’s debut EP ‘Brave Enough’ was released. The day of the release Jeangu was named ‘Serious Talent’ by 3FM radio, and the week after he played his first single ‘Gold’ at Dutch national TV talk show ‘De Wereld Draait Door’, where he has become a frequent guest ever since. ‘Gold’ was later used in a commercial for television network HBO. During the summer of 2016 Jeangu and his band played a multitude of festivals, after which he toured the Netherlands with Popronde in autumn. He also provided the support for Blaudzun, Remy van Kesteren, Bernhoft and Selah Sue, resulting in a total of 120 shows in just 12 months. The year 2016 was concluded with a performance at Noorderslag and a nomination for an Edison Award in the category ‘Best New Artist.’
Jeangu’s Perquisite produced debut album ‘High On You’ is more energetic and danceable than its predecessor. Melancholy still prevails in songs like ‘Circles’, but generally the focus has shifted to a more raw sound that drives songs like ‘Crazy Kids’ – a duet with twin brother Xillan – and ‘Head Over Heels’. ‘Antidote’ and ‘High On You’ show Jeangu’s affinity with soul music. It is on tracks like these that his powerful voice is intensified by the addition of brass arrangements that can be heard on the majority of the album. The common thread throughout the record, however, is still Jeangu’s unique vocal capacity, that hypnotises in the low range and moves the listener in the high range.
‘High On You’ was released on Unexpected Records on April 14th, 2017. The record entered the Dutch album charts, was nominated for the Edison Pop ‘Best Album’, and received critical acclaim from the press. Algemeen Dagblad gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and wrote: ‘He’s only 23, but has a soul veteran-like depth in his voice. ‘High On You’ might be the best Dutch debut album of 2017.’ De Telegraaf added: ‘Your mouth will drop with surprise and admiration. What a way to start your career!’. Oor Magazine called Jeangu ‘a newcomer that will really excite you’.
The release of the album was celebrated with two club tours throughout the Netherlands of fifteen shows in total of which thirteen were sold out. In the summer of 2017, Jeangu played an abundance of festivals with his band, including North Sea Jazz and Lowlands. In December Jeangu flew back to Suriname, where title song ‘High On You’ had been at the number one chart position for seven weeks straight, for the first time since he moved to The Netherlands. He played there with his full live band for a thrilled 1500-piece audience. Back in The Netherlands, the year 2018 kicked off with a show at the Eurosonic showcase festival.
Monster
Jeangu Macrooy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
close the windows
pray he doesn't
hear you breathing
hunting him at night
our mirrors from the past
all the little scratches on the surface
missing puzzle pieces
leaving footsteps in the dust
dipping all his lies in sugar
feeding off the blood of lovers
crowding all the corners of his mind
our shadows
he's suffering
while the monster
comes alive
hold your tears dear
he can smell fear
hear him moaning
moonlight crying
there was once a time
the sun was on his side
all the little scratches on the surface
of his trust
missing puzzle pieces
leaving footsteps in the dust
dipping all his lies in sugar
feeding off the blood of lovers
crowding all the corners of his mind
our shadows
he's suffering
while the monster
comes alive
did he really sell his soul
to the devil of never known
did he really sell his soul
to his demons of never know
I'll never know
I'll never know
all the little scratches on the surface
of his trust
missing puzzle pieces
leaving footsteps in the dust
dipping all his lies in sugar
feeding off the blood of lovers
crowding all the corners of his mind
our shadows
he's suffering
while the monster
comes alive
The lyrics to Jeangu Macrooy's "Monster" are haunting and captivating, painting a picture of a tortured soul whose past mistakes have come back to haunt him. The opening lines of "hide now children, close the windows, pray he doesn't hear you breathing" create a sense of fear and urgency. The "he" in question appears to be a metaphor for the singer's own inner demons, which he has been running from for years.
The imagery of "hunting him at night, our mirrors from the past" suggests that the singer is constantly looking over his shoulder, haunted by the mistakes he has made in the past. The "little scratches on the surface of his trust, missing puzzle pieces, leaving footsteps in the dust" emphasize the idea that the singer's past has left its mark on him, and he is struggling to come to terms with it.
The song continues with the idea that the singer has been "feeding off the blood of lovers," using other people to fill the void in his life. The chorus is a repetition of the idea that the monster within him is coming alive, and the final lines of "did he really sell his soul to the devil of never known, I'll never know" suggest that the singer feels he has sold his soul for his past mistakes, and there is no going back.
Line by Line Meaning
hide now children
Protect yourself by hiding from the monster.
close the windows
Make sure there are no openings for the monster to come in.
pray he doesn't
hear you breathing
Be very quiet and hope that the monster doesn't hear you.
hunting him at night
our mirrors from the past
The monster is haunted by things that happened in the past.
all the little scratches on the surface
of his trust
The monster has been hurt and now finds it hard to trust.
missing puzzle pieces
leaving footsteps in the dust
The monster is struggling to put things together and feels lost.
dipping all his lies in sugar
feeding off the blood of lovers
The monster deceives people and is fueled by their pain.
crowding all the corners of his mind
our shadows
he's suffering
while the monster
comes alive
The monster is taking over the person's thoughts and causing them pain.
hold your tears dear
he can smell fear
hear him moaning
moonlight crying
The monster is a scary presence, and it can sense fear.
there was once a time
the sun was on his side
The person used to have a good life, but things have changed.
did he really sell his soul
to the devil of never known
did he really sell his soul
to his demons of never know
I'll never know
I'll never know
The person wonders if the monster is a result of their own bad choices, but they're not sure.
Contributed by Parker B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lorraine Deighton
Top artiest. Top zanger en top optredens... Hoop dat je de erkenning krijgt die je hoort te hebben. Wij zijn fan!!
Stephan Rietveld
Ik ben nu al verliefd op je muziek. Nadat ik je zag bij DWDD gelijk opgezocht. Dit wordt mijn favoriete muziek want jij zingt met echt gevoel in je stem en lichaam.
Carolina van der Lande
Wow, dit is zo ontzettend mooi!!!
MetaphorMadness
Wow, how I love this guy. He should keep going till there's no going left. Heerlijk ;)
Froggy Legs
MetaphorMadness
Nou, hij gaat naar het songfestival 2020 😃
Gabriela Reyerta
I love this song!!
Elisa Choi
stunning. love this song.
Gregory Ray Dorff
NICE!!! Love the song.
Ronald de Jong
Prachtig!
Jaleeza Weibolt
woooooooooowwwwww Amaaaaazziiiiinnnnnnnggggggg!!!!!