Tag: stromae

Listeners Around the World Are Embracing French-Language Content on Spotify

September 30, 2024

Across music, podcasts, and audiobooks, Spotify listeners are turning toward French-language content. In fact, more than 100 million users worldwide listened to at least one piece of audio content in French between August 2023 and July 2024. This phenomenon is driven by the richness and diversity of said content, as well as Spotify’s efforts to boost the export of French-speaking music and podcasts through programs like RADAR.

When it comes to music, the French touch had already conquered the world in the ’90s, thanks to the success of several French artists on the international scene. But today, in addition to francophone songs performed by artists from France, hitmakers from Quebec, Belgium, and Algeria also have the world dancing.

To date, 39 million Spotify users have added at least one track sung in French to a personal playlist. And since 2019, French-language music streams have surged by 94%, indicating that the sounds and rhythms created by artists from French-speaking countries are appealing to an ever-growing audience.

In the span of 12 months, more than 83 million hours of French-language music resonated in more than 180 countries on Spotify. This represents an average of 50 minutes of music listening per month by non-French-speaking audiences—and when French-language podcasts and audiobooks are added to the mix, that average monthly consumption reaches four hours.

Let’s take a closer look at how francophone music is transcending language barriers on Spotify.

Spotify’s most-streamed French-language songs globally

Spotify’s most-streamed French-speaking artists by region

North America

South Africa, Middle East, and Asia

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America

For the Record sat down with Jeremy Erlich, Vice President, Head of Music Content at Spotify, to learn more about the rise of French-language content on our platform.

Tell us more about the francophone music scene and its runaway success.

French-language music has always been the stuff of dreams the world over, but physical constraints have not always made it easy for certain artists to export their music and meet their audiences in the four corners of the globe. Spotify has played a key role over the last few years in the rise and export of French-speaking artists from many countries. Our editorial teams on different continents regularly exchange information on emerging and more established talent that might appeal to our users, enabling these artists to be integrated into local playlists outside French-speaking markets. This gives them visibility and allows them to be heard and discovered by other audiences.

Also, it’s a credit to French-speaking artists and the power of this music that these artists feature their peers from all over the world—like Dua Lipa and Angèle with “Fever,” or Aya Nakamura and Stormzy with “Plus Jamais,” or more recently, Aya Nakamura and Ayra Starr with “Hypé.” And then sometimes we have an artist like Yseult, who found herself at the top of our world charts for several weeks with “Alibi,” a track in collaboration with other international artists. She’s the first French female artist to enter the Billboard 200 in more than 30 years, the last being Jane Birkin! She’s one of my latest favorites, and I invite you to discover her just-released album, MENTAL.

Is there one continent or region that appreciates francophone music the most on Spotify?

That’s what’s so striking—all regions of the world are embracing the richness and diversity of the French-language music scene. What we notice is that from one place to another, we don’t necessarily find the same sounds or the same artists resonating with audiences. In Latin America, electro-pop or indie music in French are particularly popular with our users, embodied by artists like Stromae, Patrick Watson, or Adèle Castillon. If we look at Asia Pacific, users gravitate toward artists like Aya Nakamura or GIMS, who are more into R&B, pop, or French variety. But there really are people embracing the French language everywhere, and that’s something we’ve been noticing for several years now. There’s been a sharp rise in the number of French-language music listeners on Spotify, which goes hand in hand with our development in many markets, and the language barrier is no longer an issue.

What’s on your personal playlist? Which French-speaking artists have impressed you in recent years?

It’s a long list! Like our users, I have quite varied and eclectic tastes. I’ll never tire of the Fonky Family, a group from Marseilles who played a key role in the explosion of the Marseilles hip-hop scene. I’m proud that we support and partner with Les Flammes—the first music awards ceremony dedicated to rap and popular culture in France—and I was delighted to see Le Rat Luciano, one of the members of the Fonky Family, win the Flamme Eternelle last year, which was well deserved.

Belgian artists, meanwhile, are omnipresent in my playlists. Angèle never ceases to surprise and reinvent herself, including with the latest version of “Nightcall” with Phoenix and Kavinsky, following that incredible performance at the closing ceremony of the summer games. Stromae is another avant-garde artist with undeniable talent who has conquered the world. His festival performance in Palm Desert two years ago thrilled the entire audience, just like Daft Punk in their day, or Gesaffelstein. 

Serge Gainsbourg’s music transcends generations, and he remains iconic as one of the most prolific French artists of the last 50 years. Yamê is particularly close to my heart—it’s a crazy story. Eighteen months ago, our French editorial team spotted him, but at the time he wasn’t even signed. We then integrated him into our RADAR program, which aims to support emerging talent, and he was playlisted in France as well as other countries, because we believed in his talent so strongly. Today, “Bécane” is a worldwide success, Yamê won the Discovery of the Year award at the Victoires de la Musique awards, and more than half his streams on Spotify come from outside of France.

The success of French-speaking content on Spotify stretches beyond music. In fact, we’re seeing the same effect with podcasts and audiobooks, which just launched in Quebec! Where do you see this trend going?

Clearly, the French-speaking world has taken root among our users on all fronts. Some of the most popular French-language podcasts are L’After Foot (which I listen to religiously from Los Angeles to keep up with the Ligue 1 and my team, Paris Saint-Germain) and L’Heure du Monde, a long-form descriptive news show from one of France’s leading publications. Peppa Pig in French and as a podcast is also very popular at home. And we can see that French-language learning podcasts are also high on the list—there’s a correlation between the discovery of French music and the desire to learn the language of Molière, which I hope translates into the discovery of audiobooks!

Belgian Artist Stromae Returns With New Music and Nominations

February 13, 2023

a photo of stromae standing on a platform looking out at a crowd

In 2010, Stromae emphatically introduced himself to the world with his electropop track “Alors on danse.” The song reached number one in 12 countries across Europe. The Belgian artist, who has a knack for blending hip-hop and dance music, followed with 2013’s “Papaoutai,” a hit in France, Germany, and Switzerland, among others. But after releasing two successful albums, receiving multiple awards, and performing on stages worldwide, the singer stepped away from the spotlight.

In 2022, Stromae returned in a big way with the release of Multitude, another chart-topper in Europe. He collaborated with Spotify to create a video for the third single off the album, “Fils de Joie.” Four nominations—and two wins—followed at the Victoires de la Musique, a premier music awards ceremony in France, including a nomination for best audiovisual creation for “Fils de Joie.” 

On Spotify, more than 425,000 playlists mention “Stromae,” and more than 25 million playlists include at least one track by the Belgian. Listeners often discover his music on party- and dance-themed playlists. And while his songs are sung in French, after France, the top countries streaming Stromae include Germany, the U.S. the Netherlands, and Mexico.

For the Record caught up with Stromae to learn more about his return to music, the video he created with Spotify, and how it feels to be the most-nominated artist at the Victoires de la Musique.

Multitude was your first album release in nine years. How has your sound evolved since the start of your career?

For this album, I wanted to go further in my musical inspirations and extend them to the whole world. I wanted to use folkloric, traditional sounds from all over the world, no matter what continent. It’s also the first time I collaborated with so many different musicians. I really enjoyed it, and it allowed me to enrich what I already had.

Can you tell us about the “Fils de Joie” music video and its creative direction?

The idea for the video came from Coralie Barbier, my stylist and creative director. We wanted to create a national tribute to a missing sex worker. The idea was to make her a national hero in an imaginary country. The lyrics of the song came to me while watching Faustine Bollaert‘s show, Ca commence aujourd’hui, which talked about the children of sex workers. 

I was very touched by their stories and shocked by the violence of some of the comments made about them. I started from that, and I wanted to take everyone’s point of view (the son, the client, the pimp, and the policeman) except his own [the son’s] because he is never asked for his opinion. It’s a way of highlighting these women who have a very difficult job and who are completely invisible. 

What was it like working with Spotify on the music video?

Spotify’s help allowed us to make a video that lived up to our ambitions. We are really grateful for that. Thanks again to them for their support, and especially to Spotify’s Global Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich!

Why do you think music videos are such a powerful addition to a song? 

I’ve always been a big fan of music videos. It’s a passion I share with Coralie and Luc Van Haver, who is my other creative director and longtime executive director. For us, it’s a way to add an extra dimension to a song and to immerse the audience in a unique universe. 

What was your reaction to your four nominations for the Victoires de la Musique?

I was very honored to learn I was nominated in four categories. It’s the maximum you can get, so it’s very gratifying. I would like to thank all the people who voted for me. It’s very heartwarming.

Mosaert, the creative label you co-founded in 2009, fuses music, visual design, and fashion. Is it important for you to have a creative outlet that expands beyond your music?

Mosaert has allowed me to keep a lot of artistic freedom since I started. My label produces everything I do—all the content we create, the videos, the live shows, the outfits, etc. We love to imagine unique and complete universes that go beyond the music; it allows us to amplify it and add an extra dimension to each creation.

 

Check out the latest music from Stromae on Spotify:

 

Photo credit: Lydie Bonhomme