Popular

Apr. 27, 2018 12:51PM EST

Stromae photo by Stephan Vanfleteren.

Listen to Stromae's New Song 'Défiler'

In the video release, the Rwandan-Belgian popstar treats us to a full musical experience.

Stromae's back, and his 9-minute song almost makes up for his five year hiatus.

'Défiler' is the singer's first release since his 2013 album Racine Carée. The sprawling track speaks of the journey one takes through life, calling routine and social norms into question.

While Stromae hasn't been producing music lately, he's still been busy. After finishing his world tour in 2015, he turned his attention to MOSAERT, the Belgian creative label he started in 2009 with his brother, Luc Junior Tam. The label focuses on music, audio-visual projects and fashion.

"Défiler" was composed by the brothers, and accompanied footage from a their first fashion show in Paris for their new collection "Capsule No. 5." The fashion line's unisex clothing is the creative child of Stromae's wife, designer Carolie Barbier.

The video is truly a piece of art, combining Stromae's finesse for music, style, movement, and aesthetic. You can (and should) watch it below.

Popular

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Prime

The ‘Coming 2 America’ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack & ‘The Rhythm Of Zamunda’ Are Out Now

Featuring Tiwa Savage, Tekno, Larry Gaaga, Alpha P, Davido and many more.

It has been more than 30 years since the premiere of the beloved classic comedy Coming to America. Its highly anticipated sequel promises to be greater than its predecessor. The film will be accompanied with two albums—Coming 2 America original motion picture soundtrack and Rhythms of Zamunda, whose tracklist is inspired by the movie. Both albums, which are currently available on all major streaming platforms, feature African music royalty Tiwa Savage, Tekno, Larry Gaaga and Alpha P, who joined a select group of artists from around the continent to produce these tracklists.

Still blazing charts after the success of his debut album Old Romance, Tekno has a growing list of impressive collaborations with artists like Davido, Drake, Beyonce, to name a few. The singer does not have not one, but two of his hit songs featured; "Waka Waka" is featured on the official soundtrack and "Skeletun" on Rhythms of Zamunda.

Keep reading... Show less

Style

Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images

Thebe Magugu's AW21 Collection 'Alchemy' Is An Exploration of African Spirituality

Magugu collaborated with Kristin-Lee Moolman to create a '70s-style B movie called Banyoloyi A Bosigo

South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu has released his AW21 collection, Alchemy, and it is beautiful. For his latest collection, the 2019 LVMP prize winner introduced a redefinition of his previous work, Counter Intelligent, featuring embroidered chiffon dresses, pink blazers and cinched waist belts.

For the new collection, Thebe Magugu collaborated with the photographer Kristin-Lee Moolman to create a 1970s-style B movie called Banyoloyi A Bosigo. The short film, which is written, directed and photographed by Moolman, shows the power play between two rival girl gangs named the "ultimate midnite angels" who speak Zulu and Setswana.

The short film begins at the river with an initiation rite, then the sending out of the initiated woman to become a spy. There's also a love affair between two women of rival tribes that warrants a capture. Each scene of the movie introduces the fits to the collection as well as exhibiting the fluidity of the outfits.

Keep reading... Show less

News Brief

Photo: WH Moustapha

Mdou Moctar Announces Debut Album 'Afrique Victime'

The album is a collaboration between Mdou, his band members and his rhythm guitarist Ahmoudou Madassane.

Matador Records has announced that the eagerly anticipated album Afrique Victime by Mdou Moctar will be released on May 21.

Afrique Victime is an unprecedented collaboration between Mdou, his band members, and Ahmoudou Madassane, who's been his rhythm guitarist since 2008. The album will present an effortless fusion of Saharan and rock music; melding guitar pyrotechnics, full-blast noise, and field recordings with poetic meditations.

You might have come across Mdou on Off White's "Imaginary TV" channel, who designer Virgil Abloh called, "one of my favorite musicians Rn."

Mdou's desert village Agadez, in rural Niger, is his source of inspiration. He attributes his artistic style to traditional Tuareg melodies and YouTube videos of Eddie Van Halen's six string techniques. Mdou has also worked on film projects. He wrote, produced, and starred in the first Tuareg language film: a remake of Purple Rain called Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai– which translates to "Rain The Color Of Blue With A Little Red In It." This earned him approval from his community and popularity across West Africa. This soon led to world tours and albums on the independent US label Sahel Sounds, including 2019's landmark Ilana: The Creator, which earned Mdou an international audience.

Keep reading... Show less

popular.