Ilse Annoeska de Lange (born 13 May 1977), better known as Ilse DeLange, is a Dutch

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...

and

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

singer-songwriter. As a member of The Common Linnets, she finished in second place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014.

Biography

Ilse Annoeska de Lange was born on 13 May 1977 in Almelo, Netherlands. She started her career at the age of 8 as a lip-synching artist, which won her several contests. DeLange drew greater attention after switching to a live repertoire in both regional and national talent shows in Hilversum, the city where most Dutch TV-programs are recorded. This helped her book some live-performances on national television. She formed a duo with guitarist Joop van Liefland, who introduced her to

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

. In the spring of 1994 Ilse took part in the annual SCPO talent show in Oss. There she performed together with guitarist Joop van Liefland and won in the solo artist category. The SCPO's permanent jury team included musicians-music journalists John Smulders and Henk Korsten (Country Gazette). In 1994, DeLange performed at the Dutch Country Music Awards. Despite positive reviews, nothing happened with her career. She did get in touch with representatives of Warner Music but it took several years of negotiation before they decided to offer her a contract. That same year, she participated in the "Zangfestival der Onbekenden" ("Song Contest of the Unknown") in the Dutch city of

Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Holly Dunn and ''The Song Remembers When'' by Trisha Yearwood, she won the contest and got the opportunity to record a demo. In 1996, DeLange drew the attention from the A&R-manager of Dutch record company BMI Music, Henk-Jan Smits. He persuaded her to join the occasional popgroup ''Wij'' and they released the single "De Oorlog Meegemaakt" ("Experienced The War"). However the single did not chart the Dutch Top 40.

1998–1999: Breakthrough with ''World of Hurt'' and ''Dear John''

In 1998 while being a member of the group Cash On Delivery, she traveled to

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...

, US to record her debut album ''World of Hurt'' with top producer Barry Beckett. She became well known in the Netherlands, because her album was recorded in the capital of

. Partly because of that, her debut single ''I'm Not So Tough'' charted and peaked at No. 35 in the Dutch Top 40. Her album received big success in her home country, going 5× Platinum. In the Netherlands, Ilse received a

TMF Award The TMF Awards were an annual television awards show broadcast live on TMF (The Music Factory). The first Dutch TMF Awards were held in 1995, as a brand extension to the recently launched local Dutch music channel TMF. The show was very small an ...

and an Edison Award for her musical success in 1999. Although the album was a huge success, next singles "World of Hurt'', ''I'd Be Yours'' and ''When We Don't Talk'' didn't chart. Unfortunately ''World of Hurt'' wasn't released in the States, despite some interest due to guest vocals from

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...

, and Ilse's cover of

Beth Nielsen Chapman Beth Nielsen Chapman (born September 14, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter who has written hits for country and pop music performers. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. Nielsen Chapman is two-time Gr ...

's song "World of Hurt", and Patty Larkin's song "Lonely Too". A year after DeLange released live-album ''Dear John'', an album full of covers by John Hiatt, after a very successful performance at the "Marlboro Flashbacks". Tobacco brand Marlboro organised the tour in a manner of promotion and asked famous Dutch singers to cover their favourite artist. She even went on a mini-tour in support of the album, which lasted several months during 1999. The album went platinum in the Netherlands (with sales of 80,000 copies).

2000–2002: ''Livin' on Love'' and fatigue

Rumours of a new album were heard mid-2000. The first single of the album, ''Livin' on Love'' (written by

Craig Fuller Craig Lee Fuller (born July 18, 1949) is an American musician and songwriter. Fuller was the co-founder of Pure Prairie League, along with John David Call and George Powell. Fuller wrote and sang their first hit "Amie". He departed the band i ...

and Gary Nicholson), was released in October and peaked at No. 37 in the Dutch Top 40. November saw the release of her sophomore studio album ''Livin' on Love'', which was a musical departure from her debut, leaning more toward pop/rock. The country music-scene wasn't as excited by this album. Although there was a good amount of promotion for the album, it could not compete with the success of ''World of Hurt'', hitting its peak at No. 5 but still going platinum. Second single ''I Still Cry'' didn't chart. In 2001 DeLange started her ''Livin' on Love'' Tour, performing in many theaters and concert halls throughout her home country. 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 zero's. Ilse set her hopes on the release of ''"Livin' on Love"'', but once again the album was not released for unknown reasons. There were rumours that the American label didn't like the pop/rock-sound of the album. Due to all the business problems and a heavy tour schedule, DeLange became physically exhausted. During a performance in Paradiso, (

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

), she experienced vocal problems and emotionally told her fans that she couldn't continue the performance. On doctor's advice she took a few weeks rest.

2003: ''Clean Up'' and small decline in success

In 2002, DeLange and her partner

Bart Vergoossen Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc. Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Bartho ...

, who is the drummer of her live band, went to America for nine months to work on a new album. During the recording sessions DeLange took a greater creative role in her music, including receiving songwriting credit for the entire album. Her writing on was autobiographical. In April 2003 she released ''Clean Up'', her third studio album. This album continued with the pop/rock-sound she experimented with on ''Livin' on Love''. The album debuted at No. 1 in the charts and got certified gold. 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, but rather focus on a compilation album. This album was released in October of that same year and was called ''Here I Am''. The album spawned two singles, ''Wouldn't That Be Something'' and ''All The Answers'', which both were a commercial failure.

2004–2007: Search for new record company and ''The Great Escape''

At the beginning of 2004, the Dutch section of record company Warner Music was disbanded and Ilse lost her contract. A few months later, she collaborated on the song ''Blue'' with Italian singer Zucchero. The song was a moderate success in the Netherlands, reaching No. 23 in the Dutch Top 40. There was no information about a new record deal, but Ilse stated that she was working on her future. In the end of 2005 she went on tour, without releasing a new album or even having a record company. Every concert sold out. She began working with producer Patrick Leonard on a new album, which helped with signing a new record deal. Later that year, it was confirmed Ilse signed a new contract with

Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and it ...

. Her first release on the new label was the single ''The Great Escape'', peaking at No. 11 in the Dutch Top 40. Her fourth studio album '' The Great Escape'', was released on 16 June 2006. It went gold only a week after its release and went 2× Platinum only months later. In September the second single ''The Lonely One'' was released, which peaked at No. 12 in the Single Top 100. Third single, ''I Love You'', was released in February 2007 and peaked at No. 23 in the Dutch Top 40. The song was included on the soundtrack for the Dutch movie adaptation of '' Steel Magnolias''. Then the song ''Reach for the Light'' was released as a promo-only single, nevertheless it charted at No. 51. In October 2007 she released a live album, simply called ''Live''.

2008–2010: ''Incredible'' and ''Next to Me EP''

In 2008 Ilse stated she was writing and recording a new album in the Swedish city of

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

. Before that, she went to England to work with the same songwriters which were working on the debut album of James Morrison. The first single of her forthcoming album was ''So Incredible'', which peaked at No. 6. The album ''Incredible'' was released at 17 October 2008 and went platinum in less than a month. It eventually got 5× Platinum. Her next single ''

Miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...

'' came to be her biggest hit to date, reaching the top spot of the Dutch Top 40. It was written as the title track for the Dutch movie

Bride Flight ''Bride Flight'' is a 2008 romantic drama film about three women and one man from the Netherlands, who all start new lives in New Zealand. It starts with the victory of the KLM flight in the 1953 London to Christchurch air race. It was directed ...

. Third single '' Puzzle Me'' peaked at No. 5 and radio-only release ''We're Alright'' peaked at No. 21, in spite of it not being released as a single. After releasing another live album, Ilse started working on new material. The single ''Next To Me'' was released in July 2010 and reached a #9-spot. Her first EP '' Next To Me'', was released at 27 August 2010. The album only included eight tracks, Ilse explaining that "...she wanted to release new material more often, but due to a heavy touring schedule and contractual obligations didn't have the time to record a whole album". Second single ''Beautiful Distraction'' charted at No. 18 and third single ''Carousel'' peaked at No. 32. In early 2011, ''Next To Me'' has been certified 2× Platinum.

2011–2012: Shelved album ''DoLuv2LuvU'' and ''Eye of the Hurricane''

In November 2011 DeLange released her new single ''DoLuv2LuvU''. The song was the theme song of

Serious Request Serious Request is a family of annual multi-day, multimedia fundraising events for International Red Cross initiatives, typically hosted by radio stations in the week before Christmas. The project was begun in 2004 by Dutch public pop music ra ...

2011, a big charity-event held yearly by Dutch radio station

3FM NPO 3FM is a Dutch rhythmic CHR radio station controlled by public broadcaster NPO. The vast majority of the songs played on-air are rock, alternative, indie and pop, though dance and Mega Top 30 tracks may also air at times. History As R ...

. While promoting the single, DeLange heard her father was incurably ill. She immediately stopped all kinds of promotion and postponed the recording process of her new album ''DoLuv2LuvU''. Though the song wasn't promoted, it still charted at No. 14. A day after her father's death, on 10 January 2012, she posted an acoustic version of her song ''Without You'' on Twitter, which featured on her 2007 live album. Later that year, Ilse revealed that the ''DoLuv2LuvU''-album was shelved and she started recording a new album. This is because she didn't feel the flow of the album anymore after her father had died. She doesn't rule out the possibility it's going to be released in the future. In June 2012, the first single from her second album, ''Hurricane'' was released. It charted at No. 23 in the Dutch Top 40. Her seventh album ''Eye of the Hurricane'', was released 14 September 2012 and got Platinum in only a few weeks. Second single ''Winter of Love'' rose to No. 20 and third single ''We Are One'' got to No. 33.

2013–present: ''The Voice of Holland'', ''The Common Linnets'' and ''Nashville''

In 2013, DeLange replaced

Nick & Simon Nick & Simon are a Dutch singer-songwriter duo composed of Simon Keizer and Nick Schilder. They became popular in their home country the Netherlands in 2006. Their album ''Luister'' (''Listen'') reached double platinum status in four months. In ...

as a coach on '' The Voice of Holland'' for its fourth season alongside

Marco Borsato Marco Roberto Borsato (; born 21 December 1966) is a Dutch singer. Born in Alkmaar, North Holland, he started performing in Italian before switching to Dutch in 1994. He has consistently been one of the most successful and biggest grossing arti ...

, Trijntje Oosterhuis and Ali B (who replaced

Roel van Velzen Roel van Velzen (; born 20 March 1978), better known as VanVelzen, is a Dutch singer-songwriter. Besides being known for his short stature, he and his band enjoy a huge live reputation; they have played at virtually every festival in the Nether ...

). When the live shows started, DeLange released her second compilation album, called ''After The Hurricane''. The first single ''Blue Bittersweet'' was written as a soundtrack for the Dutch movie "Het Diner" ("Dinner") and charted to No. 8. DeLange represented the Netherlands, with singer Waylon as The Common Linnets, during the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. They took second place after the winner Conchita Wurst from

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. She returned to ''The Voice of Holland'' as a coach for its fifth season in August. 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 Roos-Anne (Sanne) Hans (born 22 September 1984 in Dedemsvaart), is a Dutch singer-songwriter and guitar player. She was part of Ysis until 2008 and later formed the band Miss Montreal. Ysis Sanne Hans first was part of the formation Ysis mad ...

. DeLange decided she wanted to spend more time on her international career with The Common Linnets. However, she was announced as the new coach for the fifth season of ''The Voice Kids'', replacing Angela Groothuizen. 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 ''

. in 2018, DeLange also has been a coach for ''

The Voice Senior ''The Voice Senior'' is a version of ''The Voice'' TV series franchise in which seniors participate. Versions The first such variation was '' The Voice Senior'' from the Netherlands, which was followed by other international variants: : Franchis ...

''. 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 Duncan de Moor (; born 11 April 1994), known professionally as Duncan Laurence, is a Dutch singer and songwriter. He represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with his song "Arcade" and went on to win the competition, gi ...

, whom she coached during the fifth season of ''The Voice of Holland''. Laurence went on to win the contest. In 2021, DeLange took part in the fourteenth season of the German dance competition series '' Let's Dance'', following in the footsteps of fellow Dutch candidates Loiza Lamers,

Sylvie Meis Sylvie Françoise Meis (born 13 April 1978), known for sometime as Sylvie van der Vaart, is a Dutch television personality and model based in Germany. Career Netherlands Born in Breda, Netherlands, Meis is partly of Dutch East Indies origin ...

, Marijke Amado and Bastiaan Ragas. However, she withdrew from the competition on 3 May, citing a foot injury as her reason for withdrawal.

Discography

* ''World of Hurt'' (1998) * ''Dear John,'' (1999) * ''Livin' on Love'' (2000) * ''Clean Up'' (2003) * '' The Great Escape'' (2006) * ''

Incredible Incredible may refer to: Music Albums * ''Incredible'' (Clique Girlz album) or the title song, 2008 * ''Incredible'' (Gary Puckett & The Union Gap album), 1968 * ''Incredible'' (Ilse DeLange album), 2008 * ''Incredible'' (Mary Mary album) or ...

'' (2008) * '' Next to Me'' (2010) * ''Eye of the Hurricane'' (2012) * '' The Common Linnets'' (2014) with The Common Linnets * '' II'' (2015) with The Common Linnets * ''Ilse DeLange'' (2018) *Gravel & Dust (2019) *Changes (2020)

Awards

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Delange, Ilse 1977 births Living people 21st-century Dutch singers 21st-century Dutch women singers Dutch country singers Dutch pop singers English-language singers from the Netherlands Musicians from Overijssel People from Almelo Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2014 Eurovision Song Contest entrants for the Netherlands