Meet Angèle, the Belgian Pop Superstar Going Global
We chatted with the artist on her return to music with the French electro-house duo Justice.
Angèle might already be a household name across Europe, but if she’s not on your radar yet, consider this your introduction. The Belgian star has quietly built one of the most compelling careers in contemporary pop, performing at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony, taking the stage at Coachella, collaborating with Dua Lipa and becoming a Chanel ambassador along the way. At just 30, she’s already balancing chart success and cultural influence with a distinctly effortless cool.
The singer-songwriter first broke through in 2018 with her debut album Brol, which introduced her sharp lyricism and playful yet pointed take on modern life. Its standout single “Balance Ton Quoi” quickly went viral, evolving into a feminist anthem that resonated far beyond the charts and became closely associated with the French #MeToo movement. Two years later, Angèle’s reach expanded globally when she teamed up with Dua Lipa on the bilingual lockdown hit “Fever,” a cross-border smash that propelled her beyond the Francophone pop world.
But the spotlight hasn’t always been easy to navigate. French tabloids notoriously outed the singer before she had the chance to do so on her own terms, while the public often placed heavy expectations on her as a feminist figurehead. When controversy later surrounded her brother, the backlash was swift and, at times, unfairly directed at her. In 2021, Angèle addressed the pressures of sudden fame in her Netflix documentary, offering a candid look at the emotional toll of life in the public eye. Now, entering a new decade of life and career, she returns with a renewed sense of self and sonic freedom.
Ending a brief hiatus from music, Angèle just released her first single in two years, a collaboration with French electro-house duo Justice, signalling the start of a new chapter. We caught up with the artist during a whirlwind 24-hour stop in London ahead of a performance at cult nightlife venue The Cause. Arriving straight from the Eurostar in slim jeans, an oversized bomber jacket, stiletto heels and dark shades, her sharp blonde bob was easy to spot as she walked into the hotel lobby. Running on a tight schedule before that evening’s show, she ordered a quick room service snack while we chatted about new music, media scrutiny and the best cure for a hangover.
Read on for the full interview.
How are you feeling today? Excited for your show later tonight?
I’m super happy to be here; it’s definitely going to be a fun night ahead.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your music career so far?
I’m from Belgium, and I live between Brussels, Paris and New York. I’m super lucky, because I love to spend time in different places. I’ve been doing music for the last 10 years, almost, producing, writing and sometimes also working with other artists, and that’s actually why I’m here. I just did a new song with Justice, and I’m super happy because it’s been years since I’ve released anything, so here I am back again. It feels amazing.
My introduction to your music, like many others, was with the single “Balance to quoi” in 2018. It became a kind of feminist anthem and gave you a huge breakthrough. How did that feel, and how did you navigate your new position in the industry?
You’re right, as you said, that song became a kind of feminist anthem, and I honestly never thought about it before. I remember writing it in my tiny apartment in Brussels with a funny little view, and I have this image of myself with no idea what the future was going to look like. I think it came pretty naturally at first, but then at some point, I realized I also became a kind of feminist figurehead. That was a lot of responsibility for a 21-year-old girl who just wanted to make music, be a little unhinged with the lyrics and just speak about what I wanted. I tried to lean into it and to understand what I was talking about myself. I had also only just developed my own views on feminism at that time, and it’s interesting because I’ve always thought that I was a feminist in progress. I think it’s always good to be open and learn how to behave better. I thought about what my goals were as an artist, as a feminine artist, and how I was able to be heard. That’s what was important to me, what I tried to translate into my songs.
You’ve been through a lot with the French tabloids. How do you cope with the media attention?
That’s also a work in progress. I mean, growing up literally helps, but also taking time for yourself. I’ve been away from the media and all of that attention for almost two years, and that was super important to me and really helped. I would say before that, I was still a little girl stuck in my body. It was difficult because any criticism, any negative comments or tabloid pieces were super painful and pretty cruel. Then I got to understand that was, unfortunately, part of being a celebrity and being vocal. Doing shows in front of people who love you comes with that very dark side, but I’ve learned to cope. I would say all of that happened with time, and I think now I’m in a much better position. I’m also very aware of how lucky I am. I used to know I was lucky, or my brain knew, but I didn’t feel it because I was so overwhelmed. Now that I’ve had a lot of time for myself, I feel really grateful. Whenever something negative happens now, I can take it and push it away.
As you mentioned, you’ve just dropped a new track with Justice. Can you tell us how the collaboration came about and what the process was like recording it?
This is probably one of the bands I’ve listened to the most in my life. I remember listening to them when I was 12 or 13, and so they’ve been part of my musical inspiration pretty much forever. I never thought of asking for a collaboration, because to me it wasn’t even a possibility. But then I went to see them at a show, and said hi afterwards, and the way they asked questions about what I was currently doing, I thought, either they’re super polite or they’re just honest and actually want to know. So I went for the second option and said, “Do you want to come to the studio and listen to my demos? I would love to know what you think.” And they said, “Sure.” So that’s how it started. I sent them the song I’d written because I didn’t really love the production, but I thought there was a vibe there; I just didn’t know what to do with it. I really did not expect them to say yes. I thought, let’s just see, and then they came back with that banger.
Wow, that happened so naturally, it was meant to be!
Yeah definitely. I think we both have this thing in common, where we can’t do something if we don’t fully believe in it. They loved the vibe of the song and the cheeky lyrics, so they went for it.
The track takes a big step into electronic dance music. What made you take this step? Is it something we can expect more of from you?
Definitely, it’s something that you can expect more of. I would even say that in the wider pop music industry, we can really see it coming back. To me, it’s still a very post-COVID kind of vibe. We all went through this really dark period of culture being shut down, the world is a mess and we all need to dance, we all need to party. When I say party, I don’t necessarily mean actual parties, but I’ve always been the type of person who loves to dance just to cheer myself up at home. I’ve always loved and listened to electronic music. Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of “French touch,” and I guess something was in the air. I thought that instead of only listening to it, I could also get inspired by the whole genre, which I grew up with.
So, not only does it feel like you’re entering a new era sonically, but also linguistically. After representing French music on a global stage, what made you decide to start singing in English? Why now?
I actually started singing in English at the very beginning. I studied in Antwerp, where we don’t speak French, we speak Flemish, and so the school was in English. I was only singing standards, because it was a jazz school, so when I really first started singing, it was in English for maybe two years. It’s fun because it’s kind of like going back to my roots, even though I’m not an English speaker. I’ve always loved the way English sounds, and I think it allows for tons of different intonations and pronunciations, with different types of stress in the words that don’t really exist in French. It’s a completely different way to approach singing.
Again, it all happened super naturally. The first album had a few English songs and for some reason, the second didn’t. I don’t really have an explanation for why. I think I was just more inspired by French at that time. Also, I wrote it during COVID when I didn’t travel at all. Over the last two years, I’ve had the chance to spend a lot of time in New York and abroad, so I think that’s when it came to my mind to bring English to my music.
You’re performing this track back-to-back at some of the coolest club venues in Europe. Do you have any advice for feeling good after a night on the dancefloor?
I think it’s important to act before the day after. Before going to bed, drink lots of water; you might need the toilet, but that’s the price to pay. I would say eating and drinking water are the most important. If you’ve had a good night, though, then whatever, I personally still wake up in a good mood. But drinking water is the one and only secret.
You worked with the French dance collective (LA)Horde on your music video, which looks great. Can you tell us a bit about the experience of turning the track into a visual world?
It’s always a fun experience to do that. Sometimes I write songs and I know exactly what I see; I’ll have a full concept in my mind. But sometimes it’s more about a feeling. This song was more of a feeling. Especially as I wrote it first and then Justice worked on the production and really took it to a completely other dimension. I think we all got inspired by each other. Obviously, they bring their own spice and their amazing science of electronic music, but in terms of image, I had a lot of ideas. The lyrics helped me in the story, as it’s a love story and it talks about desire, but it’s also a little cheeky. It’s playful, and the French part is a little more unhinged. It looks pretty innocent, but it’s actually not. I’m super happy with the result. I think the video tells a beautiful story, but it also feels a lot like me. I think you can see that I feel aligned with the personality in the video. I love (LA)HORDE’s work, so I think it was a perfect match.
You’ve collaborated with other major artists too, including Dua Lipa. Who would be your next dream collaboration?
That’s a great question. It’s hard to say, though, because I’m a little superstitious, so I don’t want to jinx it. But I’m super impressed and inspired by the female scene right now. In pop music, there are so many incredible artists, and I’m really excited to see more female producers. That used to be so rare. I don’t think that we’ve ever been told that we were allowed to do that. When I started producing, I really didn’t believe in myself. With time, a lot of guts and a little naivety, I just did it. I got super lucky and met incredible people and producers. Even working with Justice in terms of the technical aspect was amazing. I got to understand technically what they were doing, even though there’s a whole part that’s just too genius and I’ll never understand. Feeling legit as a producer was, honestly, a long path. But I’m seeing more artists, for example, PinkPantheress getting Producer of the Year at the BRITs, Rosalía got one a few years ago, that’s super important. I’ve met some amazing female producers that I’ve been able to connect with. We need to cheer each other on and feel like we don’t have to apologize for taking up a space that was typically taken by men. Men are also super ready for it, I think. It’s super exciting and I can’t wait to see the scene grow.
If I had to get you to choose someone to collaborate with, though, who would it be?
Well, honestly, PinkPantheress, but there are so many incredible artists. I love Caroline Polachek, I met Zara Larsson not so long ago and I loved her vibe, I love Addison Rae, did I say Rosalía? There are just so many amazing pop artists right now. I think a collaboration is also just about meeting someone and having a connection. I’d be super open to collaborating with so many artists.
You’ve hit major stages across the world, made a Netflix documentary, toured with Dua Lipa and you’re a Chanel ambassador. What can we expect from you in the next year?
A lot of music, hopefully. I’m just so ready to come back with music. This first little step is super exciting for me, and I want to see where it goes. It’s a fun song because it’s so different from what I’ve done in the past. It’s in French, it’s in English, it’s a completely different world. I’m very curious to see how audiences react, and I can’t wait to meet some new people.
My final question for you is, what would you say to 18-year-old Angèle?
That’s fun. When I was 18, I started studying jazz, and I was very unsure of that choice, but I think she did great. I would say don’t hesitate to meet people. Don’t be shy. Don’t apologize too much; you have the right to be a female musician. It’s okay. That’s what I would say.
