But, Yelle is French so to be accurate, it’s ” L’ÈRE DU VERSEAU “
Let’s discover their new album!
After the melancholic introduction “Je t’aime encore” and the hectic “Karaté”, you can now play the 10 songs of L’Ère du Verseau (aka The Age of Aquarius). It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions, and probably the best news of 2020. Yes, join Yelle, enter the The Age of Aquarius, we are all ready for it!
Yelle has been modernizing pop music for 15 years now! 3 amazing albums, many world tours, some EPs and collabs and remixes, Julie Budet and Jean-François Perrier have never stopped moving things forward.
Every challenge is an opportunity. Our divided society has been forced to reflect on a global scale, and in this surreal moment, we have a chance to reshape humanity in a kinder, gentler, and more intelligent light.
It’s under this light that we are given the reinvention of Yelle. After a six-year break, the duo’s fourth studio album L’ère du verseau (The Age of Aquarius) celebrates evolution with sophisticated style. It’s 10 tracks play in muted rainbows, digging deep into romantic chords and experimental techniques while exploring themes of sensuality and growth. It’s danceable and fun with all the verve of Yelle’s youth, but with a wisdom inspired by 15 years in the game.
L’ère du verseau is a rich progression, exemplified perfectly in the album’s lead single “Je T’aime Encore.” Taken at face-value, it’s a bittersweet love song, but buried in its rhymes lies the complex relationship between Yelle and its native country.
“We’re French, and sometimes we’re more understood by American people, Swedish people or Spanish people,” Budet says. “They feel what we say and the energy that’s in our music, while France is a lot about overthinking, analyzing and trying to put you into a box… That’s what the song is about. “We love you, but sometimes we don’t get you.” Proper love song!”
The ballad expresses this complicated relationship with clear piano and brooding bass over a syncopated beat. It’s romantic, colored with synthetic sighs and imbued with a kind of longing, a rare vulnerability that shines new light on Yelle. The new direction is amplified in a surprisingly intimate video that shows an empowered Budet having her hair cut with a surprise twist.
“It’s actually working,” Perrier says. “When we play it to some French people, they get the lyrics. They feel it. There is something very emotional about it.”
“Karate” comes next with a swift kick of quirky brightness. Simple and saucy, the second single springs with childlike energy, circling around a straightforward verse that picks a fight with internet trolls. It’s a traditional Yelle bop, full of life and color, while third single “J’Veux Un Chien” is the sonic bridge. A seemingly cute song with a double-entendre, “J’Veux Un Chien” is about wanting a supportive partner (a dog) who respects one’s mind, but also fulfills the dirtiest desires (not a dog!). The song’s hidden meaning plays over a funky synth wave beat, a little bit dark and erotic, and yet playful enough for your little cousin to sing.
From the spirited dance of “Emancipense” to the starry-eyed reverie of “Un Million,”L’ère du verseau welcomes us to Yelle’s next chapter. It’s a message of joy, acknowledgement and acceptance – a hopeful collection of songs come just in time for an ever-changing world.
YELLE – L’Ère du Verseau tracklist:
01. Emancipense
02. J’veux un chien
03. Je t’aime encore – video here
04. Karaté video here
05. Menu du jour
06. Mon beau chagrin
07. Vue d’en face
08. Noir
09. Peine de mort
10. Un million
Yelle will be touring Europe in the Fall of 2020 and the U.S./Canada in 2021.
Hopefully.
About the Author: Michael Strangeways
