From her new single “DEIN SPIEL IST AUS” to the courage to let go, Lilly Palmer opens up about finding her own way, turning difficult experiences into strength, and the power of bringing people together through music.
photography by Dhana Sabira
Something that really touched me when I once read an interview with Lilly Palmer was her saying that no matter what changes around her, whether it’s the size of the productions or the stages she plays, what remains is this insatiable hunger to touch people through her music. And I think that’s what being an artist is really about. I also think that her incredible passion for bringing people together through music comes from the fact that she used to feel like an outsider herself. And perhaps that’s the most beautiful part of her success: the thought that her music has become a place where so many people can feel they belong.
Her journey started far away from the huge festival stages she plays today. Growing up in Franconia, Germany, she later moved to Switzerland, discovered the club scene in Zurich and taught herself how to DJ through YouTube videos. What followed was years of hard work, finding her own sound and building a career that has taken her around the world. In March 2026, she released her debut album BIGGER THAN TECHNO, followed by signing with Universal Music Group and Island Records.
“I felt it the first time I walked into a techno club as a teenager and it saved me in a way.”
But what I find especially beautiful is that, despite all of this, the feeling behind the music seems to have stayed the same. “The moment when I look out and see thousands of people completely in it, not thinking about anything except the music and the moment, that is why I do this,” she tells us in our interview.
And today, at 6 PM, we are celebrating the video premiere of her new single Dein Spiel ist aus, together with Chrissyjeey. A German title that translates to The Game Is Over. And what is the song about? It’s about narcissism, manipulation, and the moment you finally find the strength to walk away from someone who has been taking advantage of your trust. And I think almost everyone knows what it feels like to get caught up in another person’s world, to believe their words, to let yourself be drawn in, only to realise in the end that they were using you for their own purposes. And how liberating it can be to finally see things for what they are and find the strength to walk away.
Lilly Palmer has turned this feeling into an incredibly powerful techno track that will definitely sweep you away if you feel at home in this genre. And there is something wonderful about taking all that pain, anger and disappointment and simply dancing it away to pounding techno beats.
We are happy to have had the chance to speak with Lilly about the personal experiences behind Dein Spiel ist aus, why expressing emotions in German feels more raw and direct to her, how her friendship with Chrissyjeey developed through their collaboration, and why her stage persona once felt like armour. We also talk about the two panic attacks that made her rethink her life, teaching herself to DJ when support was hard to find, and what success really means to her today.
Hey dear Lilly! I’m just listening to your new track, and it has this energy that makes you want to dance everything out. DEIN SPIEL IST AUS explores narcissism, healing from manipulation and turning pain into self-empowerment. Is the song inspired by a personal experience, and what do you hope people going through something similar will take away from it?
Yes, absolutely. I have encountered narcissism more than once in my life, and not only in my career. I am a very open person who gives a lot of herself, and I tend to trust easily. That has made me vulnerable at times. The closer someone is to you, the deeper it cuts when you realise they have been taking advantage of that trust. At some point you have to make a decision to let go, to protect yourself and break the cycle. That moment is what this song is about. I hope people who are going through something similar hear it and feel less alone. And maybe it gives them the courage to say enough is enough.
You and Chrissyjeey are good friends. How did the idea of collaborating on this track come about? And does your personal connection make it easier to work creatively together, or can it sometimes be challenging when you disagree on something and have to separate your friendship from your professional relationship?
It actually started through Island Records Berlin. When I signed with Universal Music Group and Island Records, they introduced me to Chrissyjeey and it was immediately clear that this was going to work. Sometimes these introductions feel forced but this one felt completely natural from the very first conversation. We clicked straight away and a friendship grew out of that. In the studio the personal connection definitely helps because there is already a level of trust and honesty between us. You can tell each other the truth without it becoming complicated. We both knew what the track needed and we were aligned on that from the beginning. I am really grateful that Island brought us together because I think this is just the start of something special.
Does producing music in your mother tongue feel more intense or personal? Are there emotions you find easier to express in German than in English?
Yes, there is something very different about it. German is raw in a way that English sometimes is not. There are feelings and nuances in German that I struggle to translate without losing something. When I sing or write in German, it feels more direct, more exposed. There is nowhere to hide. With Dein Spiel Ist Aus that directness was exactly what the track needed. The message had to land hard and in German it does.
“Success for me is not a number. It is the feeling when I walk offstage and I know that something real just happened.”
Your debut album, BIGGER THAN TECHNO, was released in March 2026. What does this album mean to you personally, and what side of Lilly Palmer do you think people get to discover through it?
It means everything. It is the first time I have shown the full picture of who I am as an artist. Not just one club track or one sound, but the whole range of what I do and what moves me. Collaborating with artists like Armin van Buuren, Vini Vici, Space 92, Maddix and Gregor Tresher on one album was an incredible experience. I think people get to discover that there is a lot more to me than a peak time techno set. There is depth, there are stories, there is emotion. The title says it all. This music is bigger than any one genre.
You are the only German woman in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs list, one of only 14 women worldwide on the list, and the No. 3 female techno DJ worldwide. It must feel incredible to see years of hard work reflected in numbers like these. What does success mean to you personally? Was reaching this level something you consciously manifested, or did one opportunity simply lead to another?
Both. I have always believed very strongly in what I do and in the energy I put out. My manager Karl and I built this from zero together and there were no shortcuts. At the same time, I never sat down and said I want to be number three in the world. I just kept working and kept believing and one thing led to another. Success for me is not a number. It is the feeling when I walk offstage and I know that something real just happened. The rankings are a wonderful confirmation but they do not drive me. The music does.
In August, you announced your signing with Universal Music Group and Island Records, saying that years of hard work had led to this moment. What have been the most difficult moments in your career, and were there ever moments when you didn’t believe in yourself?
Of course there were. I think anyone who tells you they never doubted themselves is not being honest. There were moments early on where I wondered whether it would ever really happen. I had two panic attacks on stage at one point. My heart was racing and I genuinely thought that was it. After that I had to completely rethink how I was living. But those difficult moments are also what made me who I am. I am a very optimistic person by nature and I have always seen setbacks as lessons rather than failures. The Island Records signing felt like a confirmation of everything we had built, and I am incredibly proud of it.
“This music could travel, that it did not need a language, that it connected people regardless of where they came from.”
You moved to Switzerland in 2015 for love, discovered the club scene in Zurich and eventually taught yourself to DJ through YouTube videos after struggling to find support. Looking back, how much did being let down shape the artist you became? Did having to find your own way make you more determined to succeed?
Massively. When you do not get the support you hoped for, you have two options. You give up or you figure it out yourself. I chose the second. Teaching myself through YouTube videos was not glamorous but it gave me a foundation that was entirely mine. I had a few dear friends supporting me but other than that nobody handed me anything and I think that is actually something I am grateful for now. It made me resilient and it made me appreciate every single step. And it taught me very early that if you want something badly enough, you find a way.
What emotions and memories have stayed with you from your first international festival, Sunburn Festival in India, back in 2016? Were you very nervous, and did you already have a feeling of where music might take you at that point?
I was absolutely terrified. I remember thinking, what am I doing here? But the moment I started playing and felt the crowd respond, something shifted. Before I went on stage it was pure drama and chaos and after I finished my set every emotion had transferred into pure love and magic. That experience planted a seed. It showed me that this music could travel, that it did not need a language, that it connected people regardless of where they came from. India was a turning point for me mentally. I left feeling like yes, this is what I want and this is what I am going to do.
You initially played melodic deep house before being drawn towards harder techno. What fascinates you most about this sound?
The power of it. There is something almost primal about hard techno. It bypasses the brain and goes straight to the body. It is honest in a way I find incredibly exciting. And the community around it is real. People who come to a techno event are there for the music, fully committed. That energy in a room is like nothing else.
How much of Lilly Palmer is a persona you create for the stage, and how much is simply who you are in private?
The lines have blurred a lot over the years. In the beginning Lilly Palmer was almost like armour. Something I could step into and feel protected. Today it feels much more like just me. The focus and intensity on stage is real, but so is the person behind it. My closest friends and my husband call me Melli when it really comes down to it. That keeps me grounded. But Lilly is not a mask. She is genuinely who I have become.
“The doubts you are carrying are not as valid as they feel.”
You once said that techno makes people feel like they belong and helps them let go of their worries. Do you still get that same feeling yourself when you stand behind the decks and look out at the crowd?
Every single time. And I never want to lose that. The moment when I look out and see thousands of people completely in it, not thinking about anything except the music and the moment, that is why I do this. I felt it the first time I walked into a techno club as a teenager and it saved me in a way. Being able to create that for other people is the greatest privilege I can imagine.
You have a busy schedule, performing all over the world. Since you studied nutritional science, I’m curious: what does a typical day look like for you when you have a gig? What do you eat to keep your energy up, and what other routines do you follow throughout the day?
I am much more structured than people probably expect. I am at my most productive in the mornings so I try to protect that time. I eat well, I work out and I avoid alcohol completely. When you are playing close to a hundred gigs a year, you cannot afford to not take care of yourself. Before a show I keep it light. Good protein, enough water, no heavy meals. My husband Egbert is very athletic and disciplined and that has influenced me a lot. We are a good team in that sense too.
You grew up in Franken, Germany, built an international career and now live in Noordwijk. How important are your roots to you today?
Very important, even though my life looks completely different now. Germany is still my strongest streaming market and my German fans have a very special place in my heart. There is a connection there that is different from anywhere else. I live in the Netherlands now and I love it, but those roots are always there. They are part of who I am and where this whole journey started.
What would you tell the younger version of yourself who was just starting out?
Trust yourself more. Stop second guessing and just go for it. The doubts you are carrying are not as valid as they feel. And find your people early, because you cannot do this alone. The most important decision I ever made was building the right team around me. Without Karl and Egbert I would not be where I am today. Surround yourself with people who believe in you as much as you believe in yourself, and then go and prove everyone else wrong.
Happiness means…
Being exactly where you are supposed to be, with the people who really know you, doing what you were made to do. And honestly, a few hours at the stables never hurts either.
