Dressed Like Boys
Less than two years ago, you might have had to look up the name Dressed Like Boys, but the tide has completely turned. The project led by Belgian singer-songwriter Jelle Denturck has captured almost everyone’s heart over the past two years. Following standout performances at festivals such as Rock Werchter, Best Kept Secret, and Valkhof Festival, he is returning to Nijmegen, and the countdown to his second album has begun.
Things have moved fast for Dressed Like Boys since the release of their self-titled debut album in August 2025. Tracks such as ‘Lies’, ‘Pinnacles’, ‘Jaouad’, ‘Stonewall Riots’, and ‘Forever’ were warmly received by both the public and the press. Six nominations for the Belgian MIA Awards followed, two of which Denturck went on to win. Meanwhile, he toured Europe, and Dressed Like Boys rapidly turned into a name to be reckoned with.
Over the past two years, Denturck has been working on the follow-up, “And Then I Woke Up”, set for release in the spring of 2027. Identity remains a key theme, but this time he explores feelings that resonate with everyone: the sense of being misunderstood, excluded, or under attack, and the desire to break free from those states.
That longing for freedom runs like a common thread through the new material. During the writing process, Denturck drew inspiration from Buddhism and Taoism, delving into themes such as the ego, freedom, and spiritual liberation. The famous words of French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains”, also serve as a source of inspiration. That quest culminates in the title ‘And Then I Woke Up’. Here, waking up signifies not merely the literal act of rousing from sleep, but, more importantly, breaking free from beliefs, ambitions, worries, and the ego itself. It marks a new chapter for Dressed Like Boys, one in which personal stories once again give way to grand, relatable emotions.
