Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
After getting a sizable hit with "Alors on Dance" from his 2010 debut, Stromae chose not to fret and took three full years to deliver his sophomore album. Released in the fall of 2013, Racine Carrée went on to become one of the biggest records of the season in Europe, topping the French, Belgian, Dutch, Italian, and Swiss charts, helped by a string of smash singles such as "Ta Fête," "Papaoutai," "Formidable," and "Tous les Mêmes." At first look, Stromae's pumping Euro-disco with a dash of hip-hop and world music may seem fairly indistinguishable from offerings by many others artists on the Continent. As incongruous as it sounds, what sets Stromae apart from his peers are actually his lyrics -- something that you do not hear too often (read: never) when discussing dance-oriented entertainers. Indeed, many would be bewildered upon hearing that Belgian and French critics were quick to point out Jacques Brel as a major influence, a statement that could only sound positively ludicrous or downright heretical to non-Francophone ears. And yet, both Stromae's diction and his scathing attack on prejudice and small-mindedness (updated to an urban, racially mixed society plagued with issues of identity, rather than the petite bourgeoisie) establish a clear link to the legendary songwriter, even if Stromae is more humorous than cruel and more compassionate than misanthropic. The Belgian-Rwandan young prodigy is at heart much closer to a singer/songwriter than to an EDM producer and DJ, which turns Racine Carrée into a very unusual kind of dancefloor filler. After all, how many albums designed for clubs feature songs that deal with subjects such as absent fathers, cigarettes and cancer, AIDS, racism, sexism, or social isolation created by the Internet? At the same time, Stromae's dual nature is also a two-edged sword: while their throbbing pulse can turn these tracks into hits and present his material to a bigger audience, listening to track after track being insistently punctured with seemingly the same grating horn-sounding synth can eventually become infuriating. In this context, excursions outside of the disco like the homage to Cesária Evora (another unexpected reference) "Ave Cesária," the sweet African cadence of "Moules Frites," or the slower grooves of "Formidable" and "Quand C'est?" function as much-needed pit stops. Rewarded with vast commercial and critical success, Racine Carrée will be remembered as Stromae's breakthrough album and a major validation of his considerable songwriting talents. Stromae's challenge from now on will be how to manage the seemingly contradictory tendencies inherent to his vision.
© Mariano Prunes /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr124,99/month
Stromae, Producer, Interprète Vocal, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Shameboy, Guitar, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Rachid Mir, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Stromae, Producer, Arranger, Percussion, Interprète Vocal, Work Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dizzy, Producer, Additional Producer - Pieter de Wagter, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Aron Ottignon, Producer, Arranger, Piano, Additional Producer, Work Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Lionel Capoulliez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Don "DJ Snake", Producer, Percussion, Additional Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Papa Dizzy, Arranger, Guitar, Work Arranger, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Stromae, Producer, Interprète Vocal, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Thomas Azier, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Noumoukounda Cissoko, Interprète Instrumental, AssociatedPerformer - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
António Santos, Arranger, Piano, Background Vocalist, Work Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Vincent Peirani, Accordion, AssociatedPerformer - Stromae, Producer, Arranger, Interprète Vocal, Work Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Orelsan, Author - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Schérazade, Arranger, Background Vocalist, Work Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Mauricio Delgados, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Stromae, Producer, Interprète Vocal, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Bart Maris, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Stromae, Producer, Arranger, Interprète Vocal, Work Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, Arranger, Work Arranger, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Stromae, Producer, Interprète Vocal, Synthesizer Programming, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Guillaume Huguet, Producer, Additional Producer
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Stromae, Producer, Interprète Vocal, Synthesizer Programming, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Orelsan, Author - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Stromae, Producer, Interprète Vocal, Synthesizer Programming, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Stromae, Producer, Interprète Vocal, Synthesizer Programming, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Stromae, Producer, Interprète Vocal, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tibass Kazematik, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Stromae, Producer, Arranger, Interprète Vocal, Work Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Thomas Azier, Arranger, Piano, Work Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Aron Ottignon, Arranger, Piano, Work Arranger, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Stromae, Producer, Interprète Vocal, Synthesizer Programming, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ATOM, Producer, Additional Producer - Maître Gims, Author - Orelsan, Author - Lionel Capouillez, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2013 Mosaert Label
Album review
After getting a sizable hit with "Alors on Dance" from his 2010 debut, Stromae chose not to fret and took three full years to deliver his sophomore album. Released in the fall of 2013, Racine Carrée went on to become one of the biggest records of the season in Europe, topping the French, Belgian, Dutch, Italian, and Swiss charts, helped by a string of smash singles such as "Ta Fête," "Papaoutai," "Formidable," and "Tous les Mêmes." At first look, Stromae's pumping Euro-disco with a dash of hip-hop and world music may seem fairly indistinguishable from offerings by many others artists on the Continent. As incongruous as it sounds, what sets Stromae apart from his peers are actually his lyrics -- something that you do not hear too often (read: never) when discussing dance-oriented entertainers. Indeed, many would be bewildered upon hearing that Belgian and French critics were quick to point out Jacques Brel as a major influence, a statement that could only sound positively ludicrous or downright heretical to non-Francophone ears. And yet, both Stromae's diction and his scathing attack on prejudice and small-mindedness (updated to an urban, racially mixed society plagued with issues of identity, rather than the petite bourgeoisie) establish a clear link to the legendary songwriter, even if Stromae is more humorous than cruel and more compassionate than misanthropic. The Belgian-Rwandan young prodigy is at heart much closer to a singer/songwriter than to an EDM producer and DJ, which turns Racine Carrée into a very unusual kind of dancefloor filler. After all, how many albums designed for clubs feature songs that deal with subjects such as absent fathers, cigarettes and cancer, AIDS, racism, sexism, or social isolation created by the Internet? At the same time, Stromae's dual nature is also a two-edged sword: while their throbbing pulse can turn these tracks into hits and present his material to a bigger audience, listening to track after track being insistently punctured with seemingly the same grating horn-sounding synth can eventually become infuriating. In this context, excursions outside of the disco like the homage to Cesária Evora (another unexpected reference) "Ave Cesária," the sweet African cadence of "Moules Frites," or the slower grooves of "Formidable" and "Quand C'est?" function as much-needed pit stops. Rewarded with vast commercial and critical success, Racine Carrée will be remembered as Stromae's breakthrough album and a major validation of his considerable songwriting talents. Stromae's challenge from now on will be how to manage the seemingly contradictory tendencies inherent to his vision.
© Mariano Prunes /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:45:24
- Main artists: Stromae
- Composer: Stromae
- Label: Universal Music Distributed Labels
- Genre: World Europe French Music
© 2013 Mosaert Label, under exclusive license to B1M1 Recordings, Lda. ℗ 2013 Mosaert Label, under exclusive license to B1M1 Recordings, Lda.
Distinctions:
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.