By: Staff
We had the chance to hear the latest release by JILIAAN, "Love Like a Movie", and after experiencing its magic, we knew we had to learn more about the story behind it.
Some voices don’t just sing, they pull you in, wrapping you in melodies that feel like distant memories and untold stories. Some artists don’t just create, they invite you into a world where emotion takes center stage, where every note carries a secret, and where longing, reflection, and raw vulnerability become something cinematic.
Today, we step into that world.
At the heart of this release is a song that blurs the line between past and present, between dream and reality. It begins with the delicate touch of piano keys, echoing a timeless composition, before swelling into something deeply personal yet universally resonant. It’s a song about a connection that feels too perfect to be real, about holding onto something fleeting, hoping its beauty doesn’t fade when the credits roll.
But who is the artist behind this mesmerizing piece? And what inspired them to weave such an intricate story through music?
We had the chance to connect with the mind, and voice, behind this stunning release. In this intimate conversation, they share their journey from classical roots to contemporary reinvention, the emotions that fuel their artistry, and the real-life moments that shaped their latest work.
Dive into the full interview below and discover the story behind the music.
Begin Interview:
We are excited to have connected with JILIAAN, aka Jil Delling.
Hello JILIAAN, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more excited to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. What inspired you to choose the name JILIAAN as your artist persona? How does it reflect the connection you want to build with your fans, and what personal significance does it hold for you?
A. Growing up, my best friends used to call me „Jillian“ as a nickname. Specifically, the person who started calling me this name pronounced it like „Jiliaaan“. That’s why this name always felt very comforting to me. When I was thinking of what to call myself as an artist, I wanted it to be something that is still related to me as a person and to my real name, but also something that sticks out and does not yet exist. My artist project is me, and everything that I share through my music comes from my inner world directly. That is why the name had to be something that makes me and my music feel authentic and, most importantly, create a space for me to feel comfortable enough to share all these deep emotions with the world. Whenever people call me by my artist name or announce me for a gig, it always warms my heart a little.
Q. This latest release “Love Like a Movie” has such a beautiful and soft yet impactful piano opening. Would you describe your typical song inspirations as coming from a place of emotion or other influences?
A. Thank you! I would say that all of my song inspirations come from a place of emotion. This is the whole reason why I make music. Emotion is what connects all of us humans, and essentially what makes us connect to music, too. I feel like I go through a million different emotions each day, each of which I could write a new song about. But I also think that every event that happens in our lives always comes with some sort of emotion. So I wouldn’t know how to go about writing songs without taking the emotion as an inspiration. My Debut EP, which I am in the process of releasing right now, includes some of the most intense and most important emotional journeys I have gone through. Writing songs, performing these songs, and sharing these is my way of dealing with these emotions and I find comfort in connecting with other people through these emotions and words. Even if the audience interprets their own emotions into my words and melodies. I also write songs for other artists or artist projects, which feels much easier because then I don’t necessarily write about my own emotions. However, the starting point for me is always some sort of emotion, whether it is my own or someone else’s, whether happy or sad.
Q. Your vocals are absolutely stunning and you have incredible power and control. When did you realize you had this ability? When did you decide to make music a career choice?
A. Honestly, only very recently. When I was a child, it was always my dream to become a classical pianist. I was practicing all day, every day, taking part in national competitions. But when I was 12, I left my home to go to boarding school in England. I was able to keep playing the piano there, but the school could not teach me anything new in classical piano. It was not a music school! Not long after, I was always told that it was too late for me to become a pianist. I had lost important years of training. So I finished school majoring in Physics, thinking I wanted to be an astrophysicist. This is still something I will probably dive into when I am old ;-). After I took a gap year, where I tried out different studies and jobs, I decided to do my Bachelor’s degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics in Amsterdam. I was 17 years old when I started this degree, and really just wanted to study something that would leave me many options for working later. I ended up really enjoying this degree. But in my second year, I really started to miss the music in my life. This was when I started to take singing lessons. I was 18 years old! And only after I completed my Bachelor’s degree, I decided to give myself at least one year to dive into music a bit deeper. I was 20 years old, so I had enough time, and knew that if I wouldn’t do so, I would regret it later. I went to a university in London, ICMP, and did a one-year course in Music Performance. This turned into another year and a Master’s degree in Music Performance, writing and recording my first own songs, practicing and singing every single day. Now, I am 24 and I am so sure that being a singer and an artist is where I belong and what I want. And I can say this with certainty because I have tried many other things. Vocally, I still have a lot to learn, but I think this fact will never change, no matter how experienced you are.
Q. How do you feel after performing this song, whether in the studio or live? Would you describe the experience as cathartic, draining, or something else entirely? And how do you prepare yourself for the emotional impact of delivering such a heartfelt performance?
A. This honestly kind of depends on the day. Sometimes it feels very cathartic to perform this song, other times it makes me very emotional and sad. Whenever I perform any of my songs, I try to really dive deep into the emotions that I want to bring across by imagining myself in the situation again in which I wrote the song. On the one hand this is very helpful and therapeutic because I have to confront my feelings and I get to ‚sing them out‘. But other times it can feel difficult to be reminded of the situation over and over again. Over time, though, I feel like I can change the meaning of the song for myself, for example by looking at my words and emotions from a different angle, which can also make me more confident when performing. In that sense, my songs can almost be a frame of reference for my emotional growth! That being said, singing about my deep-felt emotions, whether negative or positive, feels extremely scary but freeing at the same time. It’s such a special way of connecting with both my friends and strangers on an intimate level.
Q. Do you have any plans to make a music video for this song? What can you tell us about the themes or ideas you have for it?
A. The music video is coming out on the 31st of January, and it tells the story of this song pretty well. It shows two different worlds: one dreamy, cutesy world, and one broken and sad world. Basically, I am sitting in the real world, which is shown in black and white, watching a movie of myself in the dreamy world, which is shown in colour. The movie that I am watching is supposed to show how I „loved like a movie“, how perfect everything was. But the reality is that I had to move away, and while I watch back on the perfect love, I wonder whether this can continue even in the real world. The mug is a symbol throughout the whole video. was the last thing that I still had from my ‚love like a movie‘ in London, before I moved to Berlin. So it symbolises the ‚perfect‘ love.
Q. “Love Like a Movie” is based on a Chopin Nocturne. What made you choose Chopin as the foundation for this piece, and how did you approach transforming it into a Pop ballad?
A. As I mentioned earlier, classical piano is what started my love for and connection to music. Chopin was always my favourite composer, his pieces are just amazing. Full of emotion and complicated, yet somehow harmonic and beautiful phrases. The Nocturne No. 20 in C-Sharp minor was the first piece by Chopin that I ever learnt and is one of my favourite to play until this day. I wanted to make something of my own with this piece because I felt like that will be the most „me“ it can possibly be, the most authentic and real. I just tried to take out the main chords and chord progressions from this piece and changed the way of playing them, transforming them into a more Pop-sounding song. Since I already felt very connected to these chords, it felt relatively easy to match it with my emotions and what I wanted to say with this song.
Q. The song captures the emotions of leaving a deep love behind while embarking on a new chapter. Why did you choose “Love Like a Movie” as the title? Can you share what inspired this story and how your personal journey influenced the writing process?
A. I wrote this song when I had just gotten into a new relationship in London, and things were slowly coming together. But I knew that I was going to have to leave London some time soon. London was never a sustainable place for me to live. At the time, the love that I found in London felt perfect, just like in a movie. I wrote this song because I didn’t want to believe that just because I left London, that love, and my life over there, would also have to die with it. Also, I have moved places many times in my life. Almost every time I had the experience that I was very excited about moving to a new home, but just as I was about to leave, my life in my old home seemed so perfect that I would almost end up staying. I think that this is completely normal. But that is why Love Like a Movie also describes how perfect something seems whenever you are about to leave or lose it.
Q. What was the transition like moving from London to Berlin? How did that shift in environment and culture impact your creative process? What was the biggest shock or most surprising thing you encountered because of this move?
A. While London is without a doubt an incredible and inspiring city, I immediately felt a lot more comfortable to experiment in Berlin. Which is weird, because I was definitely more used to the music scene in the UK, and I had spent a lot of my recent years over there. But Berlin has something special that quickly gave me the feeling of freedom to fail, to explore, and to get out of my comfort zone more. This is probably due to a number of factors, it is a lot more affordable, and generally a bit slower-paced. Berlin is also smaller, and from my experience the audience here is much calmer and attentive which is really the best thing someone on stage could ask for. This was probably the most surprising for me when I moved, in a positive way. Not to mention, I feel like every second person I meet over here makes art in some shape or form, which is amazing and very inspiring.
Q. Now that the song is available for the world to hear and enjoy, what message do you hope listeners take away from this song?
A. The main message that I want listeners to take away from my music generally is that it is okay (and good) to feel, and that no one has to go through this alone. For Love Like a Movie specifically, my main message is that something coming to an end does not necessarily mean something bad but can also be quite the opposite. I hope that this song can help someone through a goodbye, like it did for me. To go through the feeling of loss is essential to reach a feeling of love and hope. So I want this song to also bring courage to some listeners. I hope that Love Like a Movie can help someone out there to feel heard, less alone, or more connected in some way.
Q. Your upcoming debut EP seems to promise more of this fusion of classical and contemporary styles. What can we expect in terms of themes and musical direction?
A. Exactly. While each song in the EP is a little different of course, they are all piano- and vocal-based. And I think that you can feel my inspiration from the classical world in each song, so that is definitely the theme of my debut EP. The string arrangements are also what make the atmosphere of the songs even more emotional and special, in my opinion. Still, all of the songs have their own style in a way.
Q. Who are some of your biggest musical influences, both from the classical world and the contemporary scene?
A. From the classical world, my biggest influence is without a doubt Chopin. From the contemporary scene, I would say that early Adele and Sam Smith are big inspirations for me. I also saw Sam Smith live not long ago and it was so amazing and emotional, I thought to myself: this is exactly how I want my audience to feel when I sing my songs for them. More recent inspirations for me are Olivia Dean and also a bit of Billie Eilish.
Q. Do you have a favorite song from your early years of listening to music that you would like to cover in the studio that makes you feel connected to who you are as an artist today?
A. Oh, yes. One song comes to mind immediately: Desperado by The Eagles. Next to classical music, The Eagles are the other reason why I feel so connected to music. My family, mostly my Dad, would always listen to The Eagles. My family history is quite complicated, but when we would put on the Eagles, everyone would just sit and sing along. There could only be peace when The Eagles were playing! We know all of their lyrics, we have seen them in concert a few times, they are incredible. Desperado was always the last song of the evening. And it starts with a beautiful piano intro! So, this is a song I will definitely cover one day.
Q. So, what’s next? Can you share the full details on your future projects and what fans should be excited about? We’re hearing about more releases, and we’d love to be the first to announce it!
A. During the next few weeks, I will release a few more Singles until my full Debut EP will be out in May 2025. I am already working on my next EP, which will have a similar piano-based style but include more Jazz and RnB elements! Also, I have been working on a few feature projects which are completely different to my own songs, and I am very excited to share them later this year…*
JILIAAN, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared JILIAAN’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
Check out this latest release and listen to more on Spotify & YouTube
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