“Bonsoir ! Vous allez bien ?”
Those were the first words Belgian singer, rapper, and songwriter Paul van Haver, better known by his stage name Stromae, said to greet his fans in Boston’s Agganis Arena on the night of Dec. 7. The multi-hyphenate artist stopped by Boston University for the last date of the U.S. leg of his “Multitude” tour, named after his latest genre-bending album.
The audience answered Stromae’s question — translated as “Are you doing well?” — with resounding cheers. While addressing the crowd conversationally, Stromae alternated between English and French, but of course performed his entirely French discography in his native language. Whether or not audience members were fluent in the language was ultimately a nonissue — they were still hanging on his every word.
Stromae appeared in person after an animated version of himself was shown on screen wearing a lab coat and making music alongside robots. This lighthearted, imaginative intro set the tone for the rest of the night — it was a creative, playful, and completely original concert experience thanks to Stromae’s magnetic stage presence and uniquely mesmerizing visuals.
It’s difficult to define Stromae by genre — it would be reductive to say he is just an EDM artist, or just a rapper. He has the unique ability to amalgamate many genres into a sound that’s all his own; “Multitude,” released earlier this year, is more reflective of this than ever. His supporting band also reflected his dynamic sound, with musicians from all over the world playing alongside him.
Stromae kicked off the concert with “Invaincu,” the first track off “Multitude.” “Invaincu,” which translates to “unbeaten,” has a soaring chorus fit for an arena, which hyped up the crowd to an even higher excitement level.
Stromae explicitly acknowledged that he would be switching between his new and old tracks. Within the first few songs, he performed “Tous les mêmes,” one of his most popular songs to date, off his 2013 album “Racine Carrée.” The minor-key, upbeat EDM track brought the audience to their feet as the synth horns of the chorus swelled and Stromae danced across the stage. “Tous les mêmes,” French for “you’re all the same” shares contrasting male and female perspectives of an arguing couple. Stromae brought all the satire and whimsicality of this energetic chart-topper to life on stage. Throughout the concert, he infused both his vocals and his movements with his highly animated performing style, embodying the varying emotions of each song with his signature vibrato and lively dancing.
Stromae’s hit song “Papaoutai” — translated to “Dad, where are you?” — was one of the biggest crowd pleasers of the night. The profound lyrics, which meditate on his father’s absence from his life, are juxtaposed with the lively synth-heavy track. The lighting and stage design, including several moving screens with shifting geometric patterns, aligned with the increasingly heavy dance beat and further enlivened the performance.
Posted from: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/3/7/stromae-multitude-concert-review-boston-french-music/