From Ghent With Pride: Ket Mag Meets Dressed Like Boys for a Glitterbomb Solo Project Release!

It’s official: we’ve fallen head over heels for Dressed Like Boys, the dazzling solo project from Jelle Denturck. On the eve of his bold new Solo project drop, Ket Mag crashed the party in Ghent to meet the creative force behind these captivating, queer indie anthems—and trust us, it was love at first listen.

Who Is Jelle? (And Why You Need Him On Your Playlist)

Jelle greets us with a warm smile and a story that’s as rich and colorful as his music. A lifelong Gent resident, Jelle describes himself as “a gay man obsessed with music and language.” A classically trained pianist who taught himself chords in childhood, he quickly transitioned from bad high school bands to performing cabaret and ultimately touring the Benelux with his sharp wit and indie spirit. As frontman for Protection Patrol Pinkerton and later the acclaimed noiserock band DIRK., Jelle made waves on national radio and Studio Brussel, showing his fearless urge to try new things. After turning inward for a deep dive into philosophy and songwriting, Dressed Like Boys was born: a project that’s just as much heart as it is pop brilliance.

Lyrics That Dare—And Why That Matters

Jelle doesn’t shy away from expressing himself in his songs. He uses explicit lyrics about homosexuality not to “affirm his difference,” but to remind the world that queer love is simply love—equal, human, powerful. He tells Ket Mag, “My aim is to show that my love is no different from any other … It is human love, nothing more. And certainly nothing less.” In a landscape still hungry for honest queer voices, we can’t help but cheer for his fearless openness and raw authenticity.

What’s Next for Dressed Like Boys?

With his self-titled debut album out now and the EP making waves, Jelle is hitting the road across Europe to share his enchanting, genre-defying sound. Between gig dates, he’ll be penning new tracks for the next EP and plans to be back in the studio by January. Tour dates and streaming links are rolling out, so catch Dressed Like Boys live—and let Ket Mag know if you swoon as much as we did.

• This song is about Jaouad Alloul. He lives in Belgium, just like me, although his roots lie in Morocco. Jaouad contains multitudes. He is an actor, a writer, a singer. A gay man, a muslim, a drag queen. A freedom fighter. A gentle, wounded spirit. Above all, he is unafraid. Unafraid to be himself in a world where everyone seems to be a judge. I wanted to pay tribute to his beautiful, wonderful humanity by writing this song. Love, DLB.