Before her intended American breakthrough, at the end of the nineties, even her very Dutch surname (de Lange) was anglicized. To no avail, the American contract of Ilse DeLange, which was fiercely waved in the Dutch media, turned out to be little more than a scrap. Fortunately, that way we could at least keep Ilse to ourselves. After all, even without international allure, the cheerful blonde from
… Almelo turned out to be an artist who knows how to appeal to a wide audience. I'm Not So Tough is called her first hit single and the lyrics of it determine her image to this day, as the gentle counterpart of that other female Nederpopic, the fearsome 'Nobody's Wife' Anouk. The country slug that still typifies the title track of her first album World Of Hurt is weakened as her career progresses to make way for a more pop-rock oriented style. Yet her nomination remains recognizable from thousands, proof that we are dealing with an 'original'. (MS)more
